Storms are starting to move through the Eastern Sierra leaving snow at upper elevations. Winds and snow are not pleasant to fish in so be sure to check the weather before heading up to the Eastern Sierra or out to the waters to fly fish. Throwing streamers is still producing trophy browns and rainbows. Hatches of midges, mayflies and caddis are the insects that the trout are feeding on both. A lot of Eastern Sierra waters are now catch and release barbless lures and flies. Sierra lakes with marinas are closed to fishing as off the 16th of November.
Rainbow trout are showing up in the catches of Eastern Sierra fly fishers.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Flows are down to 125 CFS which is perfect flows to allow fly fishers to access the waters of the lower Owens River with waders that are not accessible from the banks due to the heavy growth of tulles and willows. With no cows and very little fly fishing pressure the big buildup of summer vegetation growth is hindering access along the banks. Rainbow and brown trout are feeding on midges, mayflies, hydropsyche caddis nymphs and adult caddis. There is limited dry fly opportunities with size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 Adams parachutes and size 18 elk hair caddis. Euro nymphing or indicator nymphing with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 12 olive burlap caddis and size 20 tiger or zebra midge are the flies that imitate the insects the trout are feeding on. Key to success is have the right weight to get your flies slowly bouncing on the substrate where the trout are feeding.
Pat Brady learning to indicator nymph on the lower Owens River on a beautiful Fall day.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Hatches of blue wing olive mayflies are bringing wild rainbows and brown trout to the surface late morning. Getting a drag free drift with size 20 blue wing olive mayflies, size 20 blue wing olive sparkle dun and size 20 Adams parachutes is the way to get the trout to take your dry fly. Nymphing with a dry fly on top with a nymph under the dry fly with size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph and size 20 tiger, blood and zebra midges is producing trout.
Hot Creek Canyon is offering good nymphing opportunities with blue wing olive mayfly nymphs and midge nymphs.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
I learned to fly fish by nymphing and dry fly fishing the Canyon section of Hot Creek. This section is great water to nymph fish. With the low water and spooky trout fly fishing with a dry and dropper rig is the most successful way to fly fish the canyon. To imitate the blue wing olive nymphs use a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 SOS nymph and size 18 olive WD40. Other nymphs that are producing in the canyon section are size 12 olive burlap caddis, size 12 olive scuds and size 20 tiger or zebra midge.
No more float tubing on Crowley Lake until the lake opens up on Saturday April 25th, 2025.
Crowley Lake:
Crowley Lake and the Owens River from Crowley Lake to Benton Crossing Bridge is closed for the season. Crowley Lake will open to fishing on Saturday April 26th, 2025.
Fly rods and trophy trout make a great day on the upper Owens River.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Fly fishers are catching trophy trout with consistency nymphing and pulling streamers through the deep holes, deep runs and cutbanks where the trophy trout are resting and feeding. Covering lots of water is producing a trophy trout or two for fly fisher. Fish stoner nymphs in size 12, green/gold wire Prince nymphs in size 12, gold ribbed hare’s ears in size 12 and copper John’s in size 14 are producing the trophy trout. Fish streamers down streams pulling them upstream through deep holes or next to cutbanks. If you do not get hit after three or four drifts with your streamer move on to the next piece of water to fly fish. Good streamers to pull through the water on the upper Owens River are olive slumpbusters in size 10, black wooly buggers in size 10 and Hornbergs in size 8.
Low clear water is making the trout spooky and hard to cast a fly to in Bishop Creek Canal.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
Nymphing is producing trout if you can keep from spooking the trout. Using a dry and dropper is a good technique to present nymphs to the trout without spooking the wary trout. For the dry fly use a size 16 Adams parachute, size 14 olive stimulators and size 14 elk hair caddis. For the nymphs fish with size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 16 SOS nymphs and zebra or tiger midges in size 18.