Looks like the Eastern Sierra is about to get a couple of storms moving through the area. These storms look like they follow the recent pattern of stormy for a day and a half clear up for a couple of day and then storm again. Looks like upper elevation mountains will be getting snow and the Owens Valley will get rain with a chance of snow. Most of the storms that move the Sierra blow in and out. Winds are worse to deal with than the snow. Mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and midges are hatching and feeding the wild trout of the Eastern Sierra. Sierra Bright Dot guides are available to teach fly fishers the techniques that produce trout in Eastern Sierra waters.
Nymphing produces more trout and bigger trout like this trophy rainbow trout that took a size 16 gold ribbed hare’s ear nymph under an indicator.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
A caddis hatch and caddis migration mid-day have the wild rainbow and brown trout feeding on the surface. Use a size 16 olive elk hair caddis, a size 16 parachute caddis and a size 16 olive X-caddis. There is a hatch of blue wing olive mayflies in the early afternoon that is bringing the trout to the surface. Use a size 18 blue wing olive parachute, size 18 Adams parachute and size 18 olive sparkle dun to fool the trout feeding on the hatching mayfly duns. The caddis and mayfly hatches are not bringing the trout to the surface at every spot on the river. If you’re looking to fish with dry flies move around during the hatch to find the runs and holes where the trout are consistently feeding on the hatching insects. Before and after the caddis and mayfly hatch nymphing is producing trout up to 17 inches. Nymphing with an indicator rig or a euro rig with size 20 tiger or zebra midges, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 Jedi Master Baetis, size 18 olive quilldigon, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymph, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 18 France fly and size 18 olive quill RS2 is fooling the nymph feeding trout.
Mitch was Euro nymphing with an olive quilldigon and caught this 17 inch rainbow on his last cast before heading to Santa Barbra for the Fly Fishing Film Tour.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Vehicle access made accessing the Interpretive site easy. The next storm will determine if this area stays accessible to vehicles or if fly fishers have to walk in from Hot Creek Hatchery Road. Nymphing continues to be the most productive method of fly fishing the creek. Euro nymphing, tight lining or a dry and dropper are the nymphing methods that are producing trout. Nymph with a size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymph, size 18 olive quilldigon, size 12 stoner nymph and size 18 SOS nymph. Mayfly and midge hatches are bringing the trout to the surface. For the die hard dry fly fishers use a size 20 Griffiths gnat, size 24 gray midge adult, size 20 blue wing olive parachute and size 20 Adams parachute. Streamers fool the bigger trout and pulling size 6 or 10 olive wooly buggers will fool a few trophy trout.
With vehicle access to the Interpretive Site it easy for fly fishers to work their flies along the entire length of the Interpretive Site.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
The next storm will determine if vehicles will be able to access the canyon section of Hot Creek. Fly fishers nymphing with a dry and dropper or a Euro outfit are fooling wild rainbow and brown trout to 16 inches. The trout are taking size 18 Jedi Master Baetis, size 16 SOS nymphs, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 20 soft hackle brassie, size 20 zebra midges and size 20 tiger midges. I would carry a few blue wing olive Parachutes in size 20 to fool the trout that are feeding on the hatching mayfly duns.
The next set of storms will determine if vehicle access to the dirt roads leading into the upper Owens River will continue.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Vehicles were accessing the dirt roads above Benton Crossing Bridge before the storms. The amount of snow on the ground from these next two storms will determine if vehicle access will continue. There are a few trophy rainbow trout still in the system willing to take flies. A lot of fly fishers use worms, eggs and mop flies to catch the trophy trout. I like using size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs and gold ribbed hare’s ear variations in the deep holes, deep pools and cut banks where the trophy trout are resting and feeding. Fly fishers are finding a mid-day hatch of blue wing olive mayflies that the 6 to 12 inch resident trout are feeding on. For the dry flies fish with size 18 blue wing olive mayflies, size 18 Adams parachutes and size 18 olive sparkle duns. For the nymphs use size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 SOS nymphs, size 20 tiger midges and size 20 zebra midges.
As storms move into the Eastern Sierra Bishop Creek Canal is a good spot to fish and watch as the storm dumps snow on the peaks of the White Mountains.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
The low clear water in Bishop Creek Canal have the trout acting wary. Fly fishers need to make soft gentle casts and watch their shadows to be sure they’re not spooking the trout. Indicator nymphing and Euro nymphing with tiger midges in size 20, zebra midges in size 20, olive quilldigons in size 18, SOS nymphs in size 20, stoner nymphs in size 12 and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs in size 18 are fooling the wild rainbow trout, brown trout and the occasional Owens River sucker.