Another small storm blew through the Eastern Sierra last week. It left two to four inches of snow around the 6,000 foot elevation. The tops of the mountains got up to a foot of fresh snow. This will be next seasons snow runoff to fill the streams and lakes in the Eastern Sierra. Upper elevation are cold and fly fishers should dress accordingly. Mayflies and midges are providing the food source for the trout. Dry fly activity is limited to a few rising trout in the middle of the day. If you can make the time to get up to the Sierra to fly fish in between the storms the fly fishing is worth it.
Winter time is the perfect time to drift boat the lower Owens River using nymphs, dries and pulling streamers.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Nymphing during the middle of the day is the most productive method of fly fishing on the lower Owens River right now. Euro nymphing and indicator nymphing are great techniques to get your nymphs on the substrate where the trout are feeding. Wading sections of the river not accessible from the banks is where you want to be nymphing. Get in the river and wade upstream using a water load cast to present your nymphs to the pockets and runs that are producing the trout. Use size 20 midges in blood, zebra and tiger coloration, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 20 olive quilldigons, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 slim shady and size 18 Jedi Master baetis.
Evenings on the lower Owens can be a special time of the day to be fly fishing.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Fresh snow on the ground is not enough to keep fly fishers from driving out to the creek. There is limited dry fly activity middle of the day. Nymphing with size 12 olive burlap caddis, size 12 olive scuds, size 20 midges in tiger, zebra and blood coloration, size 18 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons and size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs is fooling the wild trout of the interpretive Site. Work these under an indicator in the deep holes and under a dry fly in shallows.
As the sun comes out this week it will not be long before the snow on the Interpretive Site begins to melt giving fly fishers easier access to the creek.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
The road into the canyon has snow and frozen water puddles, but is accessible with high clearance vehicles. Weed beds have shrunk to their winter size making lots of the creek available to nymph fish. Work you nymphs in the holes and runs that are now exposed from the summer weed growth. A dry and dropper or Euro rig is a great way to nymph the creek. Be sure you have the right amount of weight and your dry fly or indicator is two to three feet above the bottom fly. Midges and mayflies are the primary insects the trout are feeding on right now. There are good population of hydropsyche caddis and scuds in the creek. Nymphing with Jedi Master baetis size 18, slim shady in size 18, SOS nymph is size 18, olive quilldigons in size 18, midges in blood, zebra and tiger coloration in size 20, olive scuds in size 12 and olive burlap caddis in size 12 will produce the selectively feeding trout of Hot Creek Canyon.
Deep holes is where the trophy rainbow trout are feeding and resting and willing to take a well-placed nymph.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The new snow from the weekend storm only left a few inches of new snow on the ground. With the sun out do not expect the snow to last to long. Driving the roads is good, but be cautious as the snow melts and the dirt roads get muddy. There are good numbers of trophy rainbow trout in the river right now. The most consistent area for the trophy trout has been in the area of the confluence of the three forks of Hot Creek and the Owens River. Egg patterns, worm patterns and mop flies are producing fish. Fishing with nymphs in the deep holes, deep runs and cut banks where the trout are feeding and resting is a very productive method of fly fishing the river for trophy trout. Use size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs, size 12 gold ribbed hare’s ears variations on Euro nymph hooks. On standard nymph hooks try nymphing with size 14 stoner nymphs, size 14 copper John’s and size14 gold ribbed hare’s ears.
With low and clear water in Bishop Creek Canal fishing the deep holes and riffle sections are where fly fishers are less likely to spook trout.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
Low and clear water have the trout being vary cautious. The trout spook easily if you are too close to the trout when you cast or you are splatting the water with an indicator. Use a Euro rig or a dry and dropper rig to present the nymphs to the trout without spooking them. Nymphing with SOS nymphs in size 16, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs in size 18, olive quilldigons in size 18 and midges in tiger or zebra coloration in size 20 are fooling wild brown trout and hold over rainbow trout. Deep holes and riffles are spots to fish nymphs without spooking the trout.