Fall colors in the trees are moving down in elevation to the Owens Valley. Trophy trout are showing up in the streams and lakes throughout the Eastern Sierra. Fall weather, cool morning and evenings with warm days is about to change as it’s expected to cool off in the Eastern Sierra next week. Brook trout in upper elevations are in full spawn. Brown trout at upper elevations are starting to spawn. Mayflies, midges and caddis are hatching and the trout are feeding on the nymphs and adults.
Fall foliage is slowly moving down in elevation as the colors on lower Rock Creek Canyon are just starting to turn.
San Joaquin River
Reds Meadow – Agnew Meadows:
This area will stay open until the regular winter seasonal closure when snow comes to the Eastern Sierra. For now this area remains open on Saturdays and Sundays. This is a great spot to throw larger dry flies like size 12 or 14 Royal Wulff’s, stimulators, elk hair caddis and Adams parachutes. This is technical casting to pocket water while wading upstream. This is a quantity fishery with most of the wild trout being less than 10 inches. This is a great spot to use a dry and dropper rig with size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears nymphs or size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs.
Wading up stream in the San Joaquin River throwing a dry and dropper into all the pockets is the technical part of fly fishing the river.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Adam Perez from Los Angeles Department of Water and Power put out a winter forecast for flow rates for the lower Owens River. Flows should reach 225 CFS by the end of October and then increase to 500 CFS for November and December. Winter flows, January through March, will be determined by the Eastern Sierra snowpack. The flows are at 275 CFS and there is a mid-day mayfly hatch that have a few fish feeding on the surface. The hatch has the trout feeding heavily on the nymphs. Fish with a size 16 Frenchie, Hot spot pheasant tail nymph or olive quilldigon on a Euro rig. A size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph or split case PMD nymphs under an indicator is fooling the wild trout. To see a stomach pump sample from a 10 inch wild brown trout check out the Stomach Pump Sample page on my webpage.
As the flows recede on the lower Owens River more wading opportunities will become available.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Hatches of trico mayflies, gray caddis and blue wing olive mayflies have trout coming to the surface to feed. The bulk of the trout feeding on the surface are not trophy trout. The trophy trout of Hot Creek are continuing to feed on nymphs in the deeper slower pools speckled throughout the Interpretive site from the Hatchery to the upstream fence line of Hot Creek Ranch. Fish size 22 male or female parachute trico duns, size 22 trico spinners, size 20 grey parachute caddis, spent partridge caddis or X-caddis, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes or olive sparkle duns. Hoppers in the afternoon are bringing some trout to the surface.
The canyon section is finally offering consistent fly fishing opportunities.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
Nymphing is the most productive method to be fly fishing in the canyon right now. Working nymphs on the substrate in the deeper slow holes is producing bigger trout. With the higher flows and weed beds not overwhelming the stream working nymphs on a Euro rig is a good method of fly fishing in the canyon. Size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, Frenchie’s, and size 12 stoner nymphs are producing on the Euro rig. If you find spots with rising trout switch to a dry fly pattern.
Working upstream covering the deep holes, deep runs and cutbanks is how you will find the trophy trout that are now in the area above the confluence of Hot Creek.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Migrating trophy trout are what fall fly fishers are looking for. The trophy trout are just starting to show up in the river above Benton Crossing Bridge. You will find the trophy trout in the deep holes, deep runs and cutbanks feeding and resting. Success in this area is finding where the trophy trout are and offering them a big meal by nymphing with size 12 stoner nymphs, bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and green/gold Prince nymphs. Eight to 12 inch trout are providing most of the action with size 16 olive caddis pupas or olive elk hair caddis, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs or blue wing olive parachutes.
Alan Kondo from South Pasadena working the deep holes upstream of Crowley Lake with a modified gold ribbed hare’s ear tied by Richard Lancaster. Photo by Richard Lancaster.
Upper Owens River
Below Benton Crossing Bridge:
All the trophy trout migrating up the river to the spawning areas have to come through this area. These trophy trout are resting and feeding in the deep holes or deep runs. Fish bigger nymphs in size 12 including bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, green/gold Prince nymphs and stoner nymphs. Key to success is keeping the flies bouncing on the substrate and covering lots of water.
Fall is showing its colors on McGee Bay of Crowley Lake.
Crowley Lake:
Trophy trout are congregating at the mouths of the tributaries to Crowley Lake. In preparation for their migrating runs up to the spawning grounds. The Owens River arm of the lake has the most fishing pressure. While most fly fishers are fishing the mornings with flies under indicators there are a few fly fishers working perch young of the year imitations on sinking lines in the evenings. Fish balanced perch, olive matukas, and olive wooly buggers in and around the weed beds or over the submerged river channel of the Owens River.
Fall colors are just starting to show on Bishop Creek Canal in the Owens Valley.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
Fall is coming to the Owens Valley. Mid-days on the canal are perfect in terms of the weather. Nymphing continues to be the most productive method of fly fishing in the canal. Size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs and size 12 stoner nymphs are the productive patterns. Trout are still taking hoppers in the afternoons. Try fishing with Moorish hooper, parachute hopper or a Dave’s hopper in size 12.