Warm days and mid-day hatches are offering fly fishers good fishing on a number of Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing waters. With cold mornings, hatches are starting late morning or early afternoon. Upper elevation waters have 12 to 24 inches of snow. Some spots are drivable. Others spots I park and walk in. I prefer not to get my truck stuck in the snow. Caddis and blue wing olive mayflies are providing the food for the trout
City of Los Angeles Department of water and power is doing scheduled maintenance on Pleasant Valley Dam power station and are rerouting the lower Owens River below the maintenance road.
Lower Owens River:
Wild Trout Section:
As of November 16th the wild trout section of the lower Owens River is now catch and release with barbless lures and flies. I’m starting to see brown trout redds in the riffles throughout the wild trout section. This is the future population of trout and these redds should be avoided by wading fly fishers. The lower Owens River is offering quantity fly fishing with dry flies and nymphs for wild brown trout and rainbow trout to 12 inches. The best fishing, during the hatch, has been from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Dry fly enthusiasts are finding pods of selectively feeding trout that are taking size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, and olive sparkle duns. Nymphing under an indicator or on a Euro rig has been the most productive method of fly fishing the lower Owens River in the wild trout section. I’ve been catching trout up till dark.
Kelly Wagner from San Luis Obispo landing a wild brown trout on the lower Owens River even though the bottom section of his rod fell off .
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
Four wheel vehicles can access the interpretive site parking area. Snow has been trampled down by fly fishers increasing access along the creek. A blue wing olive hatch from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. have the wild brown trout feeding on the surface. I’m using size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, and olive sparkle duns. There are a few trophy trout coming to the surface to feed on the hatching blue wing olive mayflies.
Rod Humphrey fishing the interpretive site all by himself on a cold day during the blue wing olive hatch.
Hot Creek:
Canyon Section:
Access into the canyon is slippery going up and down the hill and fly fishers need to be cautious. There are open water spots that fly fishers can drift nymphs through. Euro nymphing, Tenkara nymphing, and dry and a dropper nymphing techniques are producing wild brown trout and rainbow trout to 14 inches. I’m fishing with size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, and olive quilldiqgons. During the hatch I’m fishing the surface with size 20 blue wing olive parachutes or olive sparkle duns.
Fly fishers can try fly fishing in the area upstream of Benton Bridge, but the best fishing is a 45 minute to hour walk up steam.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Fishing for trophy trout is tough right now. There are not a lot of trophy trout in the river. Covering lots of water fishing with stoner nymphs and green/gold Prince nymphs in the deep holes, runs, and cutbanks is the way to find a trophy trout or two. I’m fishing 45 minutes to an hour walk upstream from Benton Crossing Bridge. It’s a lot of effort for few trophy trout.
Below Benton Crossing Bridge:
This section is closed to fishing as of Wednesday November 16, 2022.
This is the time of year to fly fish the canal with no fly fishing pressure.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Ford Dealer:
If you’re looking for a spot to fly fish all by yourself the canal is that spot. I’m nymphing with bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, and olive quilldigons. The best fishing is from 11:00 to 1:00 P.M. The hatch has been sporadic, but if you see a lot of trout feeding on the surface, I would try a size 20 blue wing olive parachute.