The storm door is open, but the snow storms are leaving inches of snow not feet of snow. Access is by vehicle to most high altitude Eastern Sierra waters. Storms are bringing in cold temperatures and lots of wind. Fly fishers can always find a place in the Eastern Sierra where the trout are feeding. Mayflies, black flies, stone flies and midges are the insects that are active and the trout are feeding on. I’m looking forward to seeing clients, social media followers, friends and fishing anglers at the Bart Hall Show in Long Beach January 25th through January 29, 2024. I will have a both, doing fly fishing presentations, Tuesday Talks With Fred panel discussion and I will have flies for sale.
Richard Lancaster hooked up on the lower Owens River while drifting in his Stealth Craft boat.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
By Monday January 15th the lower Owens River Flows will be down to 150 CFS. This will be perfect flows for fly fishers to access the hard to reach spots that can only be accessed by wading the river. Cold water reduces the trout’s need to feed making it important that fly fishers cover the water thoroughly. Fly fishing in cold water requires anglers to make three to four times the number of cast you would make in the summer time. Size 18 to 20 tiger midges, zebra midges, olive or cream black fly larvae, stoner nymphs, olive WD40 nymphs, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons and Frenchie’s are the flies that the wild trout are taking.
At 225 CFS the river was wadeable, but at 150 CFS the whole river opens up to safe wading .
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Fly fishers are still driving their vehicles into the Interpretive site. Nymphing is the most productive method of fly fishing the creek right now. Size 18 to 22 soft hackle brassies, tiger midges, zebra midges, blood midges and size 16 to 20 olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs Frenchie’s, and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs are fooling the wild trout.
Hot Creek has snow and is accessible in the canyon, but fly fishers should be aware of ice on the trials as the snow melts and refreezes.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
The snow storms moving through the Eastern Sierra have not left enough snow to keep anglers off the creek. Nymphing is what’s producing trout in the canyon. Working the flies through the slower pools is what’s producing the trout. Use midge nymph and midge pupae nymph patterns like size 18 to 22 tiger midges, zebra midges and blood midges. For blue wing olive nymph imitations use size 18 to 20 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, olive quilldigons and Frenchie’s.
Making sure Rusty Giamdomenico from Covina is getting a drag free drift in a deep hole that holds trophy trout. Photo by Lucas D’eramo.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
While there are small amounts of snow on the ground fly fishers can still drive up to the parking areas on the upper Owens River. Trophy rainbow trout numbers will continue to increase as we move through the month of January. These big rainbows can be found resting and feeding in deep pools, deep runs and cut banks. Thoroughly covering lots of water is what’s going to produce trophy trout of a lifetime for fly fishers. When hooked up to a trophy trout remember to let them run if they want to, but put the pressure on the trout to wear it out so you can land it. Size 12 gold ribbed hare’s ears, stoner nymph and green/gold Prince nymphs are flies that offer the trout a big meal. Red San Juan worms, squirmy wormies and egg patterns in red or orange produce a lot of trophy trout on the upper Owens River.
Wild brown trout are feeding on size 16 olive quilldigons in Bishop Creek Canal.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
Low water levels have not slowed down the fly fishing in the canal. Fishing is not easy, but persistence is producing trout. Bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quill nymphs, olive quilldigons, Frenchie’s, tiger midges, zebra midges, olive midges and cream midges in size 20 to 24 will imitate the midges and black fly larvae that the trout are feeding on. Hydropsyche caddis nymphs and skwala stoneflies are present in the canal and the trout are taking size 12 olive burlap caddis and stoner nymphs. Best fishing has been middle of the day.