Weather is cooling, nights are getting longer and I’m seeing leaves in the street. Fall is here in the Eastern Sierra. Rivers, streams and creeks are now at safe fishable levels. Freestone creeks in particular are finally offering good fly fishing with dry flies. Lakes continue to produce fish for fly fishers particularly fishing high elevation lakes. Trout are finally coming to the surface to feed on hatching mayflies and caddis. Nymphing under an indicator or with a Euro rod continues to be the most productive method of fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra right now.
Summer was short and fall color on North lake is quickly approaching.
San Joaquin River
Reds Meadow – Agnew Meadows:
Just as the water levels are perfect for fly fishing Inyo National Forest announced they are closing access to the San Joaquin River Monday through Friday starting Monday September 18, 2023 for much needed road repair work. This is my favorite freestone river to fly fish with a dry and dropper rig. Fishing with a stimulator, Royal Wulff, Adams parachute and elk hair caddis on the surface is producing rainbows and browns. For the dropper I’m using bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and red copper John’s. The nymph is being taken by fish with certainty. The dry flies are being attacked by the trout and only about 50% of the time are the trout being hooked. Lots of mosquitoes in the parking lots and on the river. Use insect repellent if you don’t want to be bit.
San Joaquin River is fly fishing perfectly with a dry and dropper rig.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Flows on the Lower Owens River are fluctuating from 300 to 400 CFS. At 300 CFS the river is wadable, but at 400 CFS the river is unwadable. Fly fishers need to check the flows of the lower Owens River before heading out to the river to fly fish. There is a mid-day mayfly hatch that the trout are feeding on the nymph. Olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs in size 16 or 18 are the perfect imitation of the hatching mayfly nymphs. At 400 CFS it is requiring more weight than I care to fly fish with and it’s just not fun to fish that much weight.
The wild trout section of the lower Owens River is wadable at 300 CFS not at its current 400 CFS.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Caddis are finally hatching in big numbers, but only the smallest of trout are coming to the surface to feed on them. A size 20 gray caddis emerger will fool the bigger trout when the caddis are hatching. There are some trico mayflies hatching with a size 22 trico spinner producing a few trout on the surface. Nymphing continues to be the most productive method of fly fishing Hot Creek. I prefer using my Euro rig with a hot spot pheasant tail nymph, stoner nymph and olive quilldigon.
The slower pools on Hot Creek Ranch produced a few juvenile trout in the morning on trico spinners and gray spent partridge caddis.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
With only small fish taking dries off the surface it’s purely a nymphing situation in the canyon. Working the slower pools and behind obstacles in the creek is producing trout under an indicator or with the Euro rig. Hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons, stoner nymphs, scuds, olive burlap caddis, gray caddis emergers and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs. Be sure you are using enough weight to keep the nymphs bouncing on the substrate.
Working the deep pools, runs and cutbanks is where you will find the trophy trout in the upper Owens River.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
It’s time to start looking for trophy trout that are migrating out of Crowley Lake into the tributaries. I expect to see these fish in the next few weeks. Juvenile trout are producing lots of actions on using elk hair caddis, Adams parachutes, flying ants and trico spinners. For the trophy trout I’m fishing with stoner nymphs and green/gold prince nymphs in the deep pools, deep runs and cutbanks. Cover lots of water to find the few trophy trout in the Owens River.
Float tubers and boats are working the inlets in McGee Bay where the trout are feeding .
Crowley Lake:
The fly fishing flotilla is fishing mouth of McGee, little Hilton Bay and Crooked Creek. All these areas are offering the trout cooler water to feed in. Perch fry are showing up in numbers and size that the trout are feeding on them. Pulling streamer patterns that imitate the young of the year perch on a sinking line is producing trout. The perch like the safety of the growing weed beds. The trout tend to hang out in these areas feeding on the perch fry that wander away from the security of the weed beds.
Bishop Creek Canal is a great place to teach anglers how to fly fish.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
Nymphing with a Euro rig or under an indicator with bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and green/gold Prince nymphs are the productive fly patterns. Afternoon winds are blowing hoppers into the canal and the trout are feeding on them.
I'm at Mahogany Smoked Meats on Tuesdays from 9 to 11 to discuss Eastern Sierra fly fishing opportunities.
Tuesday Talks with Fred
At Mahogany Smoked Meats:
Every Tuesday from 9:00 to 11:00 I go to Mahogany Smoked Meats to eat a burrito and to discuss Eastern Sierra fly fishing with fly fishers, anglers, Facebook followers and Instagram followers. This is an opportunity to spend a couple of hours talking to Richard Lancaster, Sierra Bright Dot guide, Tom Paulson, competitive fly fisher and Tenkara fly fisher, and myself. Come ask the fly fishing questions you’ve been wanting answers to.