When is the best time to go fly fishing? Whenever you have time. Insect hatches are most prolific when you are the most comfortable during the day. Right now the best time to be on the water fly fishing is early and late in the day. A lot of waters are getting too warm by noon to successfully practice catch and release fly fishing. I head to the creeks high up in the Eastern Sierra during the middle of the day. I carry a digital thermometer and continually check the water temperatures of the waters I’m fishing during the middle of the day in the summer months.
Carrying a thermometer and monitoring the water temperatures in the afternoon is needed to protect the trout once water temperatures get above 70 degrees fly fishers need to stop catch and release fly fishing.
Freestone Streams:
Rock Creek:
As we go through summer the creeks are starting to loose water. Fly fishers need to make stealthy approaches if they want to catch trout. The fish are feeding opportunistically and your favorite dry fly will produce lots of trout. I like a dry and dropper rig to fish in Rock Creek. I fish a size 16 Adams parachute or size 16 elk hair caddis. For the nymphs I like to fish bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, Prince nymphs, and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs.
With low clear water fly fishers need to make a stealthy approach when fly fishing Rock Creek.
Bishop Creek
South Fork:
The water temperature is perfect for trout all day. No worry about warm water up high in Bishop Creek Canyon. Dry flies continue to produce wild brown, rainbow, brook trout, and hatchery rainbows. Any dry fly will work. My favorites have wings that are white or tan making them easy to see on the water. I like to fish with size 16 Adams parachutes and size 16 elk hair caddis. I quite often fish a nymph under these dry flies on two to three feet of 5X fluorocarbon tippet.
Weir Pond on the south fork of Bishop Creek is a great place to learn how to fly fish in the summer.
Lower Owens River:
Wild Trout Section:
I’m off the water no later than noon. Not only is the water warming up, it’s just too hot to fish in the Owens Valley middle of the day. I prefer to fish early or late when I’m comfortable and there are trout feeding on hatching insects. Caddis and mayflies offer fly fishers insect hatches early and late in the day. Nymphing, particularly with my Euro rig, has been the most productive method of fishing the river. I’m fishing with a green/gold Prince nymph, a stoner nymph, and a Butano nymph.
Fly fishers need to be off the lower Owens River by noon to protect the trout from afternoon high temperatures.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
Morning hatches of trico mayflies continue to bring the wild trout of Hot Creek to the surface. I’m fishing with size 22 trico spinners, size 22 trico parachutes, and size 22 trico parachute females. After the trico hatch look for blue wing olive mayflies and caddis flies. The tricos have been consistent. The blue wing olive hatch and caddis hatch has been inconsistent.
Working a nymph in the narrow slot between the weed beds produce trout.
Hot Creek:
Canyon Section:
The weed beds are at full growth and the creek flows are at a minimum. This makes for tough fly fishing in the canyon. Fishing with nymphs or dries in the narrow slots between weed beds or the open holes is where to concentrate your effort. I’m using size 20 and 22 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, tiger midges, and scuds. For dries I’m fishing with elk hair caddis, gray parachute caddis, blue wing olive parachutes, and trico spinners.
Scott Martin from Hollister showing off a rainbow he caught while fishing a bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear under an indicator.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Early mornings have been pleasant and the trout are feeding on nymphs. Mid-morning hatches of trico mayflies and caddis are bringing pan sized rainbow trout and brown trout to the surface. Afternoon clouds and winds are slowing down the fly fishing. The grass hoppers have not shown up yet.
Bishop Creek Canal is a great place to learn how to Euro nymph for wild brown trout.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Ford Dealer:
Fishing pressure on the weekends has been heavy. Mid-week there is lots of water to fly fish with few anglers to contend with. Nymphing has been the best method of fooling the wild brown trout that inhabit the canal. I’m fishing with bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears. By noon it just to hot to be fishing and few fish are feeding. Evening have been perfect when the wind lies down. There has been some caddis activity late in the evening.