Fall has arrived in the Eastern Sierra with the leaves turning yellow, overnight temperatures freezing, and brown trout spawning. This is my favorite time of the year to be fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra. Fly fishing pressure is low and the fish are feeding. This is a great time of the year to be on the rivers and streams working nymphs and streamers for trophy trout.
With the new fishing regulations that went into effect on March 1, 2021 there are waters in the Eastern Sierra that are now closing. All of the tributaries to Crowley Lake close to fishing on October 1, 2021 except the upper Owens River. Rush Creek between Silver Lake and Grant Lake closes October 1, 2021. Robinson Creek above and between Twin Lakes will close October 1, 2021. Be sure to check the regulations for exact closures of Eastern Sierra waters.
McGee Creek closed to fishing on Thursday September 30, 2021.
Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section:
Water flows continue to be at 375 CFS as DWP sends water to Los Angeles. This is unsafe levels to be wading in the lower Owens River. Anglers willing to find spots to fly fish off the banks are finding fish willing to take streamers and nymphs. At these flows the trout do not feed on the surface for hatching insects vary often. It requires more effort to feed on insects on the surface than the trout are gaining from eating the insects.
Mark Rosen of Bishop works the banks of the lower Owens River as flows of 375 are too high to safely wade.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
The Eveready bunny of mayflies, the trico, continues to offer fly fishers good surface activity in the morning. The trout are feeding on the female trico, spinner, and the spinner fall. Savvy fly fishers will be able to determine which form the trout are feeding on. I used the stomach pump to determine that the trout were feeding on the female trico. A switch from a trico spinner to a parachute trico female produced fish when the trico spinner did not produce trout. Blue wing olive mayflies, and caddis continue to provide surface activity after the trico hatch. Six X tippet is necessary to land trout but is fragile and will break if you over set the hook when the trout take your dry fly pattern.
Hatching trico may flies, caddis, and blue wing olive mayflies are providing steady dry fly action for fly fishers fishing Hot Creek in the morning tell noon.
Hot Creek Canyon Section:
Freezing nights will help thin out the weed beds, but for now fly fishers need to cast their flies in the tiny four to six inch channels between the weed beds. It’s hard to get a good drift with a nymph, but when you do the trout will take it. Bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears nymphs in sizes 16 to 20 fished two feet under a dry fly like an Adams parachute is producing trout. Caddis are hatching in the morning and the trout are coming to the surface to feed on the freshly hatched caddis. Gray bodied partridge spent caddis, parachute caddis and X-caddis in size 20 match the hatching caddis. Blue wing olive mayflies are hatching mid-morning and are providing the last of the surface activity for the morning hatch. I’m using size 20 blue wing olive parachutes and floating them in the holes and channels between the weed beds.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
A fall storm cleared out the smoke from the fires in California and made for a great day on the upper Owens River. Trophy trout migrating up the river from Crowley Lake are just starting to move into the river. They are spread out and fly fishers need to hunt for the small pods of trophy trout that are in the river. The trophy trout can be found in the deep pools and runs. Successful angles are covering miles of river to find fish willing to take nymphs or streamers. Stoner nymphs and green/gold Prince nymphs in size 12 are my go to nymph patterns for trophy trout. Wooly buggers, marabou muddler minnows, and Hornbergs fished on the bottom of the deep holes and runs will fool the trophy trout. Pan sized trout are taking mayflies and caddis mid-morning. Fish with Adams parachutes and elk hair caddis.
Fall is the time to fly fish the upper Owens River for migrating browns and rainbows from Crowley Lake.
Upper Owens River:
Below Benton Crossing Bridge:
Under the new fishing regulations that went into effect March 1, 2021 the Owens River from Crowley Lake to Benton Crossing Bridge is open to trout fishing through November 15. It’s an 18 inch or bigger two fish limit with lures or flies. The exposed lake bottom section of the river is not producing trophy trout at this time. The run is just starting. I’ve observed trophy trout in the monument area of the lower section of the upper Owens River. Fishing with nymphs and streamers will produce trout if you can find them. Look for the trophy trout to be resting in the deeper holes and runs as they migrate up the river towards the spawning beds.
Bishop Creek Canal Behind the Ford Dealer:
Fly fishers can now fly fish the canal all day as mid-day temperatures are mild now. The trico hatch is wanning but there are still a few hatching and the trout are keying in on the trico spinners. I’m using a size 24 hackle tip spinner to fool the wild brown trout and hatchery rainbow trout. Don’t overlook the short section of Bishop Creek that forms the headwater of the canal. This section does not get much fly fishing pressure. Mid-morning a size 16 Adams parachute with a size 16 gold ribbed hare’s ear nymph for the dropper on three feet of 5X tippet is fooling the wild and hatchery trout .
Wayne Berlie of Bishop casting a dry and dropper rig in Bishop Creek Canal right below where it leaves Bishop Creek.