Spring in March is normally sunny warm days with some windy afternoons. A few storms will roll through the area. April and May bring cold windy days. So fly fishers should enjoy the warm sunny days of March by getting out on the water and fly fishing. Warm sunny days and hatching mayflies, caddis flies and midges is offering great fly fishing opportunities in the Eastern Sierra right now. Dry flies and nymphing is producing trout. Streamers always produce bigger trout because you are offering the trout a bigger meal.
Every Tuesday at Mahogany Smoked Meats is an opportunity to meet with Fred Rowe and talk about Eastern Sierra fly fishing..
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Fly fishing on the lower Owens River with nymphs and dry flies continues to make the lower Owens River one of the best waters to fly fish right now in the Eastern Sierra. Mid-day hatches of mayflies and caddis have the trout nymphing and coming to the surface to feed on the hatching insects. Early in the day the trout are feeding on midge pupae and stick caddis. Middle of the day the trout are keying in on the hatching blue wing olive nymphs and the dark bodied caddis pupae. For imitating the blue wing olive mayfly nymphs use bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons, Frenchie’s, olive quill nymphs and hot spot pheasant tail nymphs. For imitating the blue wing olive adults use Adams parachutes, blue wing olive parachutes and olive sparkle duns. For the caddis pupae use brown La Fontaine sparkle nymphs, tungsten Duracell nymph and gold ribbed hare’s ears. For the adult caddis use X-caddis, elk hair caddis and CDC caddis. For the stick caddis use pheasant tail nymphs or gold ribbed hare’s ears.
Don Sabatino casting an indicator rig on the wild trout section of the lower Owens River in the afternoon.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Warm weather has made the road into the Interpretive site vehicle accessible. The trout are feeding on nymphs and dries of mayflies, caddis and midges. Fly fishing pressure is increasing in the afternoon as skiers leave the slopes and head to the creek to fly fish after their ski day. Late mornings have been the time to be on the water as there is little fly fishing pressure and the midges and mayflies are hatching. The caddis are hatching mid-day. This is the other spot in the Eastern Sierra that is offering good fly fishing right now. Adams parachutes, blue wing olive parachutes, X-caddis, elk hair caddis, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, Frenchie’s, tiger midges and zebra midges are the fly patterns that are producing.
Most of the snow is melted off the creek allowing fly fishers to nymph in the canyon section of Hot Creek.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
Warm weather has melted the snow making all three parking areas into the canyon accessible to vehicles. Fly fishing in the canyon has been good with nymphs. Midge pupae and nymphs, blue wing olive nymphs and gray caddis pupae are hatching late morning through early afternoon. Nymphing with a dry and dropper, indicator rig or a Euro nymphing rig is producing trout for nymphing fly fishers. The key is to allow the flies to work the substrate and the indicator working on the surface. The shallow water is requiring the indictor or dry fly to be 18 inches to two feet above the substrate. Adams parachutes, olive sparkle duns, blue wing olive parachutes, gray X-caddis and gray spent partridge caddis are working on the surface. Bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quill nymphs, olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, Frenchie’s, Lafontaine sparkle emergers, Butano nymphs and olive burlap caddis are the productive nymphs.
Fly fishers looking for trophy trout in the upper Owens River need to cover lots of deep holes, deep runs and cut banks to find the few trophy rainbow trout still in the river system.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Persistent fly fishers are catching a few trophy rainbow trout as the migration is coming to an end. Covering lots of water looking for the few trout that are in the river is the way to be successful. Larger nymphs are offering the trout a big meal and is why I like fishing with size 12 stoner nymphs and green/gold Prince nymphs. I fish these flies in the deep holes, deep runs and cut banks.
Flows in Bishop Creek Canal have increased just enough to allow fly fishers to catch the wild brown trout that live in the canal without spooking them.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
The water flows have not increased significantly, but have risen enough to allow fly fishers to catch wild brown trout without spooking them. Euro nymphing or nymphing with an indicator in the faster deeper runs is where you can cast your flies to catch trout without spooking them. Olive quilldigons, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, Frenchie’s, and stoner nymphs are fooling the trout.