(Sierra Bright Dot fly fishing report for Jan. 12.)
The storm door is open, but the snow storms are leaving inches of snow not feet of snow. Access is by vehicle to most high altitude Eastern Sierra waters. Storms are bringing in cold temperatures and lots of wind. Fly fishers can always find a place in the Eastern Sierra where the trout are feeding. Mayflies, black flies, stone flies and midges are the insects that are active and the trout are feeding on. I’m looking forward to seeing clients, social media followers, friends and fishing anglers at the Bart Hall Show in Long Beach Jan. 25 through Jan. 29, 2024. I will have a booth, doing fly fishing presentations, Tuesday Talks With Fred panel discussion and I will have flies for sale.
Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section
By Monday, Jan. 15, the Lower Owens River Flows will be down to 150 CFS. This will be perfect flows for fly fishers to access the hard to reach spots that can only be accessed by wading the river. Cold water reduces the trout’s need to feed making it important that fly fishers cover the water thoroughly. Fly fishing in cold water requires anglers to make three to four times the number of cast you would make in the summer time.
Size 18 to 20 tiger midges, zebra midges, olive or cream black fly larvae, stoner nymphs, olive WD40 nymphs, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons and Frenchie’s are the flies that the wild trout are taking.
Hot Creek: Interpretive Site
Fly fishers are still driving their vehicles into the Interpretive site.
Nymphing is the most productive method of fly fishing the creek right now. Size 18 to 22 soft hackle brassies, tiger midges, zebra midges, blood midges and size 16 to 20 olive quilldigons, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs Frenchie’s, and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs are fooling the wild trout.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section
The snow storms moving through the Eastern Sierra have not left enough snow to keep anglers off the creek. Nymphing is what’s producing trout in the canyon. Working the flies through the slower pools is what’s producing the trout. Use midge nymph and midge pupae nymph patterns like size 18 to 22 tiger midges, zebra midges and blood midges. For blue wing olive nymph imitations use size 18 to 20 bead head flash back pheasant
Making sure Rusty Giamdomenico from Covina is getting a drag-free drift in a deep hole that holds trophy trout.
tail nymph, olive quilldigons and Frenchie’s.
Upper Owens River Above Benton Crossing Bridge
While there are small amounts of snow on the ground fly fishers can still drive up to the parking areas on the upper Owens River. Trophy rainbow
Hot Creek has snow and is accessible in the canyon but fly fishers should be aware of ice on the trails as the snow melts and refreezes.
trout numbers will continue to increase as we move through the month of January. These big rainbows can be found resting and feeding in deep pools, deep runs and cut banks. Thoroughly covering lots of water is what’s going to produce trophy trout of a lifetime for fly fishers. When hooked up to a trophy trout remember to let them run if they want to, but put the pressure on the trout to wear it out so you can land it. Size 12 gold ribbed hare’s ears, stoner nymph and green/gold Prince nymphs are flies that offer the trout a big meal. Red San Juan worms, squirmy wormies
Wild brown trout are feeding on size 16 olive quilldigons in Bishop Creek Canal.