Winter is begrudgingly hanging on with a few winter storms. It warms up nicely and then we get freezing weather. Then it’s back to warm weather with lots of wind thrown in. So far, a typical spring in the Eastern Sierra. There is not a lot of snow left in the mountains for a spring runoff. Irrigation is starting and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power are starting to increase water flows in the Owens River and canals throughout the Owens Valley. We are in between hatches and spawning trout. Some areas are fishing good while others are slowing down. Welcome to spring in the Eastern Sierra. Fly fishers are starting to target the warm water species in the Owens Valley.
Julie Faber from Bishop is on the lower Owens River with not much snow left on the Eastern Sierra mountains this early in spring.
Lower Owens River:
Wild Trout Section:
Flows have increased and the river is still very wade able flows. There is an increased sediment load being carried by the river that has the river off color. The fish are still feeding, but there is a decrease in insect activity. Midges and mayflies are what the trout are feeding on. Size 18 to 20 midge nymphs and midge pupae patterns in tiger midge and zebra midge configuration is producing trout in the morning. There are blue wing olive mayflies hatching, but there is not enough of them hatching to provide good dry fly fishing. I’ve been concentrating my fly fishing on nymphing with bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs in size 18 and olive quilldigons in size 16. With the increased flows fly fishers need to increase the amount of weight they are using on their nymph rigs. This is a good time to fish with black streamers like wooly buggers, marabou muddlers, and slumpbusters in sizes 6 an 10.
Marsh Faber from Bend, Oregon water loading a cast with an indicator rig so he can cast upstream without getting hung up in the stream side vegetation.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
When the winds not blowing the fishing has been good with midges and blue wing olive mayflies. I start the morning off with a size 20 or 22 tiger midge or zebra midge in midge or pupae configuration. An hour or so before the blue wing olive hatch I switch over to a size 18 bead head pheasant tail nymph. Once the hatch is in full swing and the trout are selectively feeding on the hatching mayflies, I switch to a size 18 blue wing olive parachute. The hatch is usually over by 2:00 P.M. and I either head over to the upper Owens to continue fly fishing or go look for lunch somewhere in Mammoth or Crowley Lake.
Hot Creek:
Canyon Section:
I like to fish a dry and dropper rig in the canyon. I fish with a size 16 Adams Parachute on top. First thing in the morning I like to use a midge nymph or midge pupae pattern in tiger or zebra coloration in size 20 or 22. Late morning I take off the midge and put on either a size 16 olive quilldigon or a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph. I keep my nymphs on a short two to three foot tippet of 5x fluorocarbon. If the trout start to feed selectively on the hatching mayflies I put on a dry fly and fish on the surface. I like fishing dries, but the nymphs are more productive.
It will be three weeks or so before the cutthroat trout enter the upper Owens River to spawn.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Wind and snow have made it unpleasant to fish on the upper Owens River as spring time storms have been rolling through the Eastern Sierra. You just have to pick the right days to fish the river. Flows in the river are dropping and the fish are just not concentrated in the river right now. The winter rainbow run is just about over and the spring cutthroat run is still a few weeks away from starting. I start looking for the cutthroat run around Cinco de Mayo. Enjoy an evening of tacos and margaritas and head out to the upper Owens River looking for the beginning of the cutthroat run the next day. For fly fishers putting in lots of effort there are a few trophy rainbows that are taking jigged stoner nymphs, green/gold wire Prince nymphs and gold ribbed hare’s ears. Cover lots of water to find the few trophy trout that are in the deeper pools, runs and under the cutbanks.
A pretty wild brown trout from Bishop Creek Canal that took a size 16 olive quilldigon fished on a Euro rig with a three fly setup.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Ford Dealer:
Increased flows have spurred the trout in the canal to be on the feed again, or is that we can now approach the trout in the creek without spooking them. The water is up and off color. I’m fishing my Euro rig in the canal. I had my first triple hook up of the year. Unfortunately two of the trout came off and I only landed one pretty brown. I’ve not yet been able to land a triple on the Euro rod. When the wind is not blowing nymphing mid-day has been good with olive quilldigons and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs. There has not been much surface activity so I have not been throwing dry flies.