Winter came back during this week leaving up to a foot of new snow in the higher elevations. Cold weather and wind kept most fly fishers off the water mid-week. We need the moisture, but the warm days and blue wing olive hatches had me on the water nymphing and dry fly fishing prior to the storm. Midges and mayflies continue to be the insects that have the trout feeding in the middle of winter. Saturday February 26, 2022 is the inaugural fly fishing tournament the Trout Rodeo being held in the Eastern Sierra.
Richard Standridge from Big Pine learning how to control the fly line while drifting a size 18 blue wing olive parachute that the wild brown trout were chomping on.
Lower Owens River:
Wild Trout Section:
Storms during the week have slowed down the fly fishing in the catch and release section of the lower Owens River. For the few brave fly fishers that battled the constant winds nymphing produced wild trout. Looking forward to the weather next week as we are expected to warm back up. Fly fishing should return to the good nymphing with midges and blue wing olive nymphs and the blue wing olive hatch will just get stronger as we head towards spring.
Robert Canter from Athens, Ohio with the rare lower Owens River rainbow trout that took a well drifted midge nymph.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
Winter has returned with snow and temperatures in the negatives. I’ll wait for the next weeks weather to warm up before getting back out to Hot Creek. Before the storm rolled in, the blue wing olive hatch had the fish coming to the surface for size 18 olive sparkle duns, olive compara duns, and blue wing olive parachutes. Nymphing with size 16 olive perdigons and size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, tiger midges, zebra midges, Manhattan midges, and secret midges were fooling the wild rainbows and browns.
Hot Creek:
Canyon Section:
It’s too cold, windy and snowy for the hike into the canyon except for the most hardy of fly fishers. Prior to the storm fly fishing in the canyon was good with little fly fishing pressure. Both nymphs and dries were producing trout. Blue wing olive mayflies and midges were providing all of the action. Once the storms pass it will be time to head back into the gorge for some great nymphing and dry fly action.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Snow pack was melting and brown grass and dirt was starting to show through. Now the upper Owens River has a new short blanket of snow on the banks. Fly fishing for trophy trout continues to be good. For the few brave souls willing to fish through the storms there are trophy trout to be caught. These fish can be caught in the deeper holes, runs, and cutbanks for fly fishers willing to walk thirty minutes up the snowed over dirt road from Benton Crossing Road. Size 12 jigged patterns like the stoner, green/gold wire prince nymph, and the bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear nymph are proven patterns on the upper Owens River trophy trout.
Cold weather and wind blew in for the week and fly fishers stayed away from Bishop Creek Canal.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Ford Dealer:
Wind and cold weather kept most fly fishers off the water middle of the week as the storms rolled through the Eastern Sierra. Prior to the storm the warm weather was kicking the blue wing olives into a hatch that had the trout coming to the surface. For dry flies I’m using size 18 olive sparkle duns, olive compara duns, and blue wing olive parachutes. For the dry fly in the dry and dropper I’m using a size 16 Adams parachute. The trout are taking midge nymphs like the zebra and tiger, the olive quilldigon, and the bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph. Trout in the canal are still spooky and require a stealthy approach.