October has come to an end and with it our Indian summer weather is coming to an end as well. Freezing mornings with mid-day temperatures barley getting into the 70’s well quickly become the norm. As upper elevations get snow and brown and brook trout wrap up there spawning season it’s time to look towards Owens Valley waters. Browns have not started spawning in Owens Valley waters yet. Creeks, rivers and reservoir in the Owens Valley will be the waters to concentrate on along with waters in Long Valley until the snow keeps fly fishers from accessing their favorite Long Valley waters. Midges, mayflies and caddis are still hatching and providing the food the trout are feeding on. This is prime time to be throwing streamers to trophy trout. I like throwing small, medium and larger streamers. I do this by tying my favorite streamer patterns on size 2, 6 and 10 streamer style hooks.
The trees are just starting to turn in the Owens Valley as Fall is here, the weather has cooled off and the trout are feeding on dries, nymphs and streamers.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Flows on the lower Owens River are back up to 400 CFS. I’m looking for flows to reduce to 250 CFS to safely wade customers in the river. Once the flows recede it will be time to hit the river as there has been little to no fly fishing pressure on the river this summer and fall. Midge nymphs, blue wing olive nymphs, pale morning duns and hydropsyche caddis are the insects that fly fishers should be imitating with their flies.
Flows on the lower Owens River are up to 400 CFS as fly fishers are waiting on the flows to drop under 250 CFS which allows fly fishers to safely wade the river and access spots not accessible from the river bank.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Storms this week have slowed down the hatches of insects on the creek. Trico may flies, blue wing olive mayflies and caddis are bringing the trout to the surface in between the storms. With the cold weather you need to be on the creek middle of the day when the insects are hatching. On the surface fish with size 22 trico parachutes in male and female colors, size 22 trico spinners, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 olive sparkle dun and size 20 gray elk hair caddis. If you’re looking for that once in a life time Hot Creek trout try throwing size 6 or 10 olive or black, wooly buggers, stumpbusters and balanced leeches.
Wild rainbow and brown trout are taking dries and nymphs in Hot Creek Canyon on a dry and dropper rig.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
This cold weather will help break down the weed beds in the canyon section. Fishing with a dry and a dropper allows fly fishers to fish with nymphs without spooking trout like an indicator will. Fishing nymphs in and around the weed beds means not only will you catch trout, but you will get snagged on the weeds a lot. Look to fish the deeper holes and bigger pockets between the weeds. For the dry fly fish with a size 16 Adams parachute, size 12 Chernobyl ant and size 14 stimulator. These are all high floating very visible dry flies. For the nymphs fish with a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 18 olive quilldigon, size 20 tiger, zebra or blood midge and a size 12 olive burlap caddis. For the dry flies fish with size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 22 trico male and female parachutes, size 22 trico spinners and size 20 gray parachute caddis.
Shane Dishion casting streamers from the bank on Whiskey Bay for trophy brown trout.
Crowley Lake
Whiskey Bay:
Crowley Lake closed to boating on Sunday October 27th, 2024. The lake closes to fishing on Friday November 15th, 2024. Fly fishing with float tubes and kayaks is still allowed. I like to fish a streamer on a full sink line from shore or from a float tube. Try using size 6 or 10 streamers in olive, purple, black or perch fry color using wooly buggers, matukas, slumpbusters and balanced leeches. I like to fish a nymph 20 inches above my streamer. I use size 16 Prince nymphs, size 16 gold ribbed hares ears and a size 14 callibaetis nymph above the streamer. Midging under an indicator with Albino Barron’s, blood midges, gray midges, zebra midges and tiger midges in 10 to 15 feet of water in the north arm of the lake.
Nymphing or pulling streamers in deep holes, deep runs and cut banks is where trophy trout are resting and feeding.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The wind has been ripping through Long Valley with nothing to slow it down. Morning temperatures have been below freezing. Trophy trout are being caught, but they are not in the river in any kind of concentration. Streamers and nymphs are what is producing the big trout. For nymphs use size 14 cooper Johns, size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold wire Prince nymphs and size 14 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears. For streamers use black or olive, wooly buggers, slumpbusters and matuka’s in size 6 and 10. Rainbows and browns from three inches to 12 inches are taking size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hares ears, size 18 tiger, zebra and blood midges on the substrate and size 20 blue wing olive parachutes and size 18 brown caddis on the surface.
The trees on Bishop Creek Canal are just starting to turn and low flows is making the fly fishing tough.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
It’s amazing how quick the weather has changed the fly fishing on Bishop Creek Canal. Too hot of weather to fly fish in the afternoon has switched to fly fishing middle of the day when fly fishers are most comfortable on the water and the insects are most active. With extremely low water the trout are spooky and fly fishers will be successful fishing the deeper holes and runs. Nymphing with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear and size 18 blood, zebra and tiger midges.