Opening weekend has different meanings for everyone
(Sierra Bright Dot fly fishing report for April 25.)
Opening weekend used to represent the opportunity to get out and fly fish waters that had been closed since Oct. 31 of the previous year.
These days most moving waters and some still waters are open to year round fishing. Where I used to get excited to go fly fish the opening of these waters, it no longer holds that special excitement.
Spring means snow will start melting in upper elevations allowing fly fishers access to waters that have been buried in snow since the snow started falling in late Fall or early Winter. These waters are now the waters I get excited about fly fishing.
My routine has been to attend the Bishop Chamber of Commerce Press Reception Dinner on the Friday night before opener. It’s an opportunity to meet with writers, fishing show promoters, fishing personalities and locals.
For the last 18 years I’ve been a part of Fish Camp put on by Bishop Park and Recreation.
This is a fly fishing school for six to 12 year olds to learn to cast a fly rod, tie a fly, fly fishing etiquette and the chance to fly fish Bishop Park Pond.
So this opening weekend like the last 18 years I will be at Bishop Park teaching 21 six to 12 year olds about fly fishing.
Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section
The increase in flows on the lower Owens
River was put off by three or four weeks while the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP ) finished repair work on Haiwee Dam.
Time is up and by Monday, April 29, flows on the lower Owens
River are scheduled to be at 325 CFS. Safe wading is at 300 CFS or less. Flows are expected to increase to 500 to 600 CFS.
Now we wait for the flows in the lower Owens
River to decrease to under 200 CFS. This normally happens in October when DWP decrees the summer flows.
See you on the lower Owens in October.
Hot Creek Interpretive Site
The trout are looking up and taking dry flies and feeding on nymphs under the surface. Fly fishing with a dry and dropper is a great way to produce trout on Hot Creek.
For the dry fly try size 16 Adams parachutes, size 12 mini Chernobyl ants and size 14 stimulators. For nymphs fish with olive quilldigons, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, tiger midges and zebra midges.
Best fishing has been from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Hot Creek Canyon Section
This is a great place to fly fish with a dry and dropper or with a Euro rig. The trout are actively feeding on mayflies and midges. For the dry and dropper use a size 16 Adams parachute, a size 14 elk hair caddis, a size 14 foam caddis and a size 14 stimulator for dry pattern.
When nymphing under a dry fly or with a Euro rig fish with olive scuds, olive burlap caddis, tiger midges, zebra midges, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs and olive quilldigons.
Cover lots of water being sure to concentrate on the holes and obstructions in the creek.
Upper Owens River Above Benton Crossing Bridge
The river is in between the trophy rainbow trout of winter and the spring run of trophy cutthroat trout. While there are a few trophy rainbows and browns being caught most fly fishers are catching juvenile rainbows and browns to 10 inches.
For the trophy trout use size 12 stoner
Rick Delmas works a deep hole on the wild trout section of the lower Owens River in the afternoon before the flows start increasing. nymphs, green/gold wire Prince nymphs, copper Johns and gold ribbed hare’s ears.
For the juvenile trout fish with Adams parachutes, blue wing olive parachutes, elk hair caddis and foam caddis in size 16. For nymphing use size 16 gold ribbed hares ears, size 18 tiger or zebra midges, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 18 olive quilldigons.
Bishop Creek Canal Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital
Water levels are low but very fishable for wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout. Working nymphs on a Euro rod is very productive. Working the deeper holes, runs and fast riffle sections is where the trout are hanging out looking for food.
Mayfly nymphs, scuds and midges are the insects the trout are feeding on. Use olive quilldigons, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs, tiger midges, zebra midges and tan scuds.
(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)