November is here and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Nights and morning are cold. Middle of the day is just perfect. Not to hot not to cold! Resort Lakes will be closing to fishing on November 15. Fall spawning browns and brookies are in full swing. Upper elevation lakes are starting to freeze over. Mayflies, caddis flies and midges are hatching and the trout are feeding on the nymphs and the adults.
Richard Lancaster and I teaching a Euro Nymphing clinic for the San Fernando Valley based fly fishing Club Sierra Pacific fly fishers on the lower Owens River in the wild trout section.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Flows of 225 are over as the flows in the river will be increasing to 600 CFS starting on Friday November 3rd, 2023.The flows will be going up 50 CFS per day. At 225 CFS wading the river allows fly fishers to access spots that can’t be fished from the banks. An early afternoon mayfly hatch has the trout feeding on the nymphs and on the hatching adults. There are caddis on the water, but the fish are not keying in on them. Fish with bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs in size 20, gray bird’s nest in size 20, Frenchie’s in size 18, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs in size 16 and olive quilldigons in size 18. I don’t recommend wading the river at flows over 300 CFS.
John Emison from Los Angeles with a wild brown trout he caught on a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph fished under an indicator in the wild trout section of the lower Owens River.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Wild brown and rainbow trout continue to feed on the surface on hatching blue wing olive mayflies and gray bodied caddis. Fish with size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, olive sparkle duns, gray parachute caddis and gray X-caddis. Nymphing is still producing with size 20 gray Brid’s nests, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 Frenchie’s and olive quilldigons.
Hot Creek Ranch offers daily rod fees from November 7 to 18 for $125 per person that allows fly fishers to fish the ranch from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
Nymphing is still the best way to fish in the canyon with a Euro rig, under an indicator or on a dry and dropper rig. Blue wing olive nymph patterns in size 20 like bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons and copper John’s are fooling the wild brown trout and rainbow trout. Key to success is having enough weight on the line or in the flies to bounce the nymphs on the substrate where the trout are feeding on the emerging nymphs.
Warm afternoons, reduced fly fishing pressure and trophy trout in the river makes the upper Owens River worth fly fishing right now.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Trophy rainbow trout and brown trout are showing up in the river. These fish are feeding and resting in the deep holes, deep runs and cutbanks on their migration upstream to spawn in the upper reaches of the upper Owens River. These fish are looking for big meals so I’m fishing with size 12 stoner nymphs, bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and green/gold Prince nymphs. Success in this area is getting a drag free drift that allows the nymphs to bounce on the substrate and covering lots of water to find the few pods of trophy trout that are in the area. Eight to 12 inch trout continues to offer good action on mayfly nymphs and caddis adults.
Dustin Hayward from Fountain Valley with a trophy rainbow trout he caught while Euro nymphing with Sierra Bright Dot guide Richard Lancaster. Photo by Richard Lancaster.
Upper Owens River
Below Benton Crossing Bridge:
Trophy trout continue to move through this section of the upper Owens River on their migration up river to the gravels upstream of the confluences of Hot Creek. This section of the river is primarily deep holes and shallow riffles. The trophy trout can be caught in the deep holes using big nymphs drifted on the substrate where the trout are feeding and resting. Offering the trout size 12 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, green/gold Prince nymphs, stoner nymphs and copper John’s in copper or red are enticing the trout to feed. This section of the river will close an hour after sunset on Wednesday November 15, 2023.
Crowley Lake Marina closed on Sunday October 29, 2023, but fly fishers can walk in the gate and fly fish Whiskey Bay from the bank for trophy brown trout.
Crowley Lake:
Crowley Lake Marina closed Sunday October 29, 2023. The lake is still open to fly fishing. Fly fishers can explore the lake from the north end of MaGee Bay from shore, float tube or kayak. The north arm in the area of North Landing or Green Banks is a good spot to fly fish. Walking into Whiskey Bay or Hilton Bay is an option for fly fishers. Fly fishing with perch young of the year patterns like balanced perch, olive matukas, and olive wooly buggers is producing fish for fly fishers stripping these patterns.
Erick Truschke from Oak Park casting an indicator rig in to Bishop Creek Canal on a perfect fall afternoon.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
Day time temperature middle of the day are perfect for fly fishing on Bishop Creek Canal. There is very few trout rising to the surface. Best method to catch trout on the canal continues to be nymphing with an indicator rig or with a Euro rig. 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.