As the amount of daylight fades as we head towards winter solstice the daytime temperatures have dropped. Middle of the day in the Owens Valley is pleasant as long as you’re are in the sun. When the sun goes behind the mountains the temperatures plumet. There are sporadic hatches of blue wing olives and good hatches of midges. Brown trout spawning in upper elevations is quickly coming to an end. In the Owens Valley brown trout are still spawning. December through mid-January is the toughest time to be fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra. There are trout to be caught for the diligent fly fisher.
On my walk home from Mahogany Smoked Meats I had to stop on Bishop Creek and watch the wild brown trout feed on blue wing olive mayflies.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Flows remain at 550 CFS which is too high to safely wade and not fun to nymph or dry fly fish.
The lower Owens River is running at full capacity and every low spot next to the river is flooded..
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
While most fly fishers have left the creek tell next season, there are trout to be caught for the diligent fly fisher using nymphs. Midges and mayflies are what the trout are feeding on. Olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, Frenchie’s, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, tiger midges, zebra midges and brassies in size 18 or 20 are the fly patterns that are catching the wild trout of Hot Creek.
A brown trout that took a hot spot pheasant tail nymph.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
This area is best fished middle of the day when the sun’s rays warms the fly fisher and the fish. This is nymphing at its best. Under an indicator or with a Euro rod fly fishers need the right amount of weight to get the flies to slowly bounce off the substrate. Fishing with tiger midges, zebra midges, soft hackle brassies, stoner nymphs, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons and Frenchie’s is producing wild brown trout and rainbow trout to 14 inches.
Corners with deep holes and deep runs between holes is where fly fishers need to work their nymphs on the substrate looking for trophy trout.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Early mornings on the river have been cold with temperatures down to 5 degrees. Trophy trout are in the river system and spread out from Benton Crossing Bridge to Longyears. Fly fishers need to cover lots of river looking for pods of trophy rainbows and browns as they migrate upriver to their spawning grounds. These fish are resting and feeding on their migration up river in deep holes, deep pools and under cutbanks. Trophy trout are looking for a high calorie food source. Offering them nymphs in size 12 like gold ribbed hare’s ears, stoner nymphs and green/gold Prince nymphs bounced off the substrate will yield a trophy trout for the fly fisher working their flies through a lot of water.
Bishop Creek Canal.is offering fly fishers solitude after a busy summer season on Bishop Creek Canal:
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
Mornings and evenings have been cold on the canal. Fishing middle of the day in the sun keeps the fly fisher warm and trout feeding. There has been a sporadic blue wing olive hatch that a few trout are coming to the surface to feed on the emerging mayflies. A size 18 blue wing olive parachute, olive sparkle dun and an olive quill parachute fished with a drag free drift is producing a few wild brown trout. Nymphing with an indictor or a Euro rig with olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, Frenchie’s, olive quill nymphs and stoner nymphs is producing wild brown trout to 12 inches. There are actively spawning brown trout in the shallow riffle areas of the canal. Cattle crossing are great spot to observe spawning trout.