Hot Creek, Canyon Section
Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section
I’m off the water no later than noon. Not only is the water warming up, it’s just too hot to fish in the Owens Valley middle of the day. I prefer to fish early or late when I’m comfortable and there are trout feeding on hatching insects. Caddis and mayflies offer fly fishers insect hatches early and late in the day. Nymphing, particularly with my Euro rig, has been the most productive method of fishing the river. I’m fishing with a green/gold Prince nymph, a stoner nymph, and a Butano nymph.
The upper section of Hot Creek Canyon is offering the best fly fishing on the creek, but it’s very tough fishing. Nymphing with an indicator or a dry and dropper is producing a few fish with a bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph. Stripping streamers or wet flies is the most productive way to fish the creek right now. For nymphs fish with perdigons, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, burlap caddis, tiger midges, and zebra midges. For streamers I like the standard pattern of an olive wooly bugger in size 6. Strip this fly through the water with finesse so that the fly moves in and around the pockets holding the larger trout.
Hot Creek, Interpretive Site
The weed beds are at full growth and the creek flows are at a minimum. This makes for tough fly fishing in the canyon. Fishing with nymphs or dries in the narrow slots between weed beds or the open holes is where to concentrate your effort. I’m using size 20 and 22 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, tiger midges, and scuds. For dries I’m fishing with elk hair cad
Bishop Creek Canal is a great place to learn how to Euro nymph for wild brown trout. dis, gray parachute caddis, blue wing olive parachutes, and trico spinners.
Upper Owens River, Above Benton Crossing Bridge
Early mornings have been pleasant and the trout are feeding on nymphs. Mid-morning hatches of trico mayflies and caddis are bringing pan sized rainbow trout and brown trout to the surface. Afternoon clouds and winds are slowing down the fly fishing. The grass hoppers have not shown up yet.
Bishop Creek Canal Behind the Ford Dealer
Fishing pressure on the weekends has been heavy. Mid-week there is lots of water to fly fish with few anglers to contend with. Nymphing has been the best method of fooling the wild brown trout that inhabit the canal. I’m fishing with bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears. By noon it just to hot to be fishing and few fish are feeding. Evening have been perfect when the wind lies down. There has been some caddis activity late in the evening.
(Fred Rowe owns Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Specialty. He teaches fly fishing and fly tying, is one of the original fly fishing guides in the Eastern Sierra. When he’s not out fishing the waters of the Eastern Sierra from Bishop to Bridgeport, he is an avid hunter who loves to hunt birds, especially waterfowl. Fred can be reached at (760) 920-8325 or at roweboat5@verizon.net. His webpage is at sierrabrightdot.com)