The 15th of September to the 15th of October is the best time of the year to be fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra. Waters have finally receded in the canals, creeks and rivers and are offering good to great fly fishing opportunities. Lakes are stabilizing and the trout are feeding. Fall is the time of year that a lot of fly fishers like to throw large streamers looking for big trout, particularly big brown trout. Hatches of midges, mayflies and caddis are keeping the trout actively feeding on nymphs and dries.
Forest Service put in a monitoring well to monitor the Hot Creek hatchery water.
San Joaquin River
Reds Meadow – Agnew Meadows:
The road into the San Joaquin is closed Monday through Friday for much needed road repair work. The road is going to be open on Saturday and Sundays. The busses are done for the year and fly fishers can drive into the Reds Meadow to Agnew Meadows area. Water levels are like a normal June flow. Trout are taking larger dry flies and standard sized nymphs. I like fishing with size 12 or 14 Adams parachutes, elk hair caddis or Royal Wulff’s for the dry flies. A size 14 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear is what I’m fishing three feet under my dry fly. A dry and dropper rig is my favorite way of fly fishing on the San Joaquin river.
Fly fishing the pocket water of the San Joaquin River with a dry and dropper outfit will produce lots of wild trout.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
I’m choosing not to fly fish the lower Owens River when the flows exceed 300 CFS. The flows have been up to 400 CFS forcing fly fishers to fish from the few bank accessible spots on the wild trout section. When the flows drop back down to 300 CFS or less I will be back out on the river fly fishing.
This lower Owens River brown trout survived an attack from something.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Water levels have receded to the point that caddis and mayflies are hatching and trout are coming to the surface to feed on them. A size 20 gray partridge spent caddis, gray parachute caddis, or gray X-caddis are fooling the trout mid-morning. There are some trico hatching and the trout have been taking a size 22 trico spinner. Nymphing with a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph under an indicator is catching wild brown and rainbow trout. Hoopers fished delicately on the surface in the afternoons when the wind comes up is producing trout.
Peter Veasey from Martinez hooked up on Hot Creek Interpretive Site with a brown trout that took a size 20 gray partridge spent caddis.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
Size 20 gray caddis are bringing trout to the surface in the mornings from 9:30 tell early afternoon. First thing in the morning there are a few Trico’s on the water that the trout are feeding on the spinners. Nymphing continues to be the most productive method of fly fishing in the canyon section. Hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, tiger midges, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and scuds are fooling the trout.
Earl Slack from Ventura learning to indicator nymph the upper Owens River with a green/gold Prince nymph.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Midges, mayflies and caddis flies are hatching and the trout are feeding on both the adults and the nymphs. A lot of juvenile trout are taking bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, olive caddis emergers and tiger midges. The trophy trout have not made it up the river yet. There are some resident trophy trout that are taking green/gold Prince nymphs and stoner nymphs. It’s perfect fall weather days on the upper Owens River right now. Cool in the morning. Nice middle of the day. Cools off in the evening
The Crooked Creek arm of Crowley Lake is full and fly fishers are working perch young of the year patterns.
Crowley Lake:
The tributaries to the lake is where the boats, float tubers and kayaks are concentrating there effort. Perch young of the year imitations like perch balanced leeches and olive matukas are producing trout. Work these flies around structure particularly around the weed beds. Fish a size 12 or 14 Prince nymph above your streamer. The trout take both flies when they are stripped.
Indicator nymphing on Bishop Creek Canal is producing wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
No sign of the fall trico hatch in the canal. Trout are taking nymphs fished under an indicator or with a Euro rig. 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. Working a hopper pattern in the afternoons is producing trout.
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.