Hot weather and warm afternoon water temperatures continue to haunt fly fishers on Eastern Sierra waters. A volunteer hoot owl by California Fish and Wildlife is still in effect for waters that are exceeding 70 degrees. East Walker river, upper Owens River, Crowley Lake, and lower Owens River are effected by warm mid-day water temperatures. Heading up in elevation to fish freestone streams like Big Pine Creek, Bishop Creek, Pine Creek, Rock Creek, and Mammoth Creek is a great alternative for fly fishers to fish mid-day.
Freestone streams high up in the mountains offers cool water fly fishing for those fly fishers looking to avoid high water temperatures in other Eastern Sierra waters.
Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section:
Mid-day temperatures in the upper 90’s to low 100’s are heating up waters in the Owens Valley. Fly fishers should be checking water temperatures and stop fly fishing when stream temperatures exceed 70 degrees. Mornings have been cool and offering good nymphing for the few fly fishers getting out on the water. Nymphing with a Euro nymphing set up or fishing nymphs under an indicator continues to produce fish. Fly fishers are have success with Butano nymphs, Stoner nymphs, gold ribbed hare’s ears, and Prince nymphs. Working the deep holes and runs are producing wild brown and rainbow trout. Evening caddis activity offers fly fishers a great way to end the day.
Nymphing on the lower Owens River in the mornings is good until noon when air temperatures are just too hot to enjoy fly fishing.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
The trico hatch is showing no signs of slowing down. It starts each morning after 8:00 A.M. and ends by 10:00 A.M. The female trico duns start first, then the spinners are on the water. If you’re in the right section when the spinner fall starts the action is tremendous. I start fishing with a size 24 female trico parachute. Then I switch to a trico dun parachute in a size 24. Then when the trout start keying into the spinner fall, I put on a size 24 trico spinner. There are a few pale morning duns still around mid-morning. A size 20 gray caddis has been hatching at the end of the trico hatch.
John Cookson of La Cresenta is hooked up on a wild rainbow that took a size 20 trico parachute.
Hot Creek Canyon Section:
The flat water like that in the upper canyon section right below Hot Creek Ranch is a good place to fly fish the morning trico hatch. Mid-morning pale morning duns and caddis hatches have the trout feeding on the surface tell about noon. Nymphing under a dry fly is a great way to catch wild trout. I run the tippet to the nymph at about 20 inches. Bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, gray caddis emergers, and drowned trico spinners. Pale morning dun parachutes, Adams parachutes, trico parachutes, trico spinners, elk hair caddis, X-caddis, and parachute caddis will fool the rising wild trout of Hot Creek.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The volunteer hoot howl is in effect for the upper Owens River. Fly fishers fishing early mornings and late evenings will find water temperatures conducive to catch and release fly fishing. Early morning hatches have been weak. Nymphing is the most productive method for fly fishing the upper Owens River. Nymphing under an indicator with bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, and midge nymphs is producing eight to 12 inch wild rainbow and brown trout. Nymphing with bigger nymphs like size 12 green/gold wire Prince nymphs, copper Copper John’s, and stoner nymphs is producing trophy trout. The hopper hatch has been fair at best.
The hopper hatch has been dismal this year with nymphing the best option for fly fishers fishing early or late in the day on the upper Owens River.
Bishop Creek Canal Behind the Ford Dealer:
The water in Bishop Creek Canal continues to be off color and full of debris as City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power continues to dredge the canal upstream of Bishop Creek. The fishing early or late in the day when air temperatures are cooler has been good for wild brown trout and hatchery rainbow trout. There is an early morning mayfly hatch that the trout are feeding on off of the surface. For nymphs use Butano nymphs, stoner nymphs, bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs. I’ve been fishing these flies three feet under an elk hair caddis or an Adams parachute. Euro nymphing is another great way to nymph the canal.
Bishop Creek Canal continues to offer good fly fishing despite the debris floating in the canal and the off color water.
San Joaquin River:
The San Joaquin River is my favorite freestone stream to fly fish. Fishing the pocket water requires accurate casts. The best fly to fish is your favorite dry fly. The fish feed opportunistically and will take a variety of dry flies. I’ve been fishing with royal Wulff’s, elk hair caddis and Adams Parachutes. I like to fish a gold ribbed hare’s ear, a copper John, or a yellow stone on three feet of tippet tied to the bend of the dry fly. The dry and dropper is my favorite fly fishing technique for fly fishing the San Joaquin River.
Accurate cast to each pocket of water formed by the boulders with your favorite dry fly will produce wild rainbow, brown, brook, and golden trout hybrids.