Golden Trout Guiding Co. Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Report

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Fly Fishing Report

Lower Owens– The Lower Owens is currently flowing at 124 CFS and holding. This is the time of year when DWP could start increasing flows at any time, so take advantage of the Lower Flows while you can! The Lower has been just phenomenal as of late with great Nymphing throughout the day and awesome dry fly fishing opportunities mid day. We have been taking advantage of the Lower’s flows and getting into areas that are usually impossible to reach when flows get above 200 CFS. You can check the current flows for the Lower on my website (Current CFS Flow Rate) to keep a pulse on the river. Anything below 300 is fishable but as it increases use extra caution while wading the stream, especially around 200-300 CFS. Once its above 300 CFS im either looking to fish somewhere else of fishing from the bank. Nymphing in the morning with baetis and caddis nymphs have been the ticket, Flashback Pheasant Tail 16-18, Hares Ears 16-18, Olive or Purple Duracell 16-18, Peridgon 16-18, and the classic Frenchie 16-18 are all great options. If you are looking to buy some quality flies specific to the Owens Valley I recommend local fly tyer Nate Ostrander for a custom order FlyStrander.com. We have been using various nymphing techniques to get into the fish, Euro Nymphing the faster water and runs, and under an indicator for those slower bigger pools. I like to work upstream while wading the Lower Owens as you will spook less fish and send less debris into good holding zones. Working upstream while fishing dry flies also allows a longer drift and most times better presentation. It can be hard to get a long cast to a rising fish in the Lower Owens with all of the surrounding vegetation so move slow and tuck in to get a more accurate cast. If you sneak up on em right by getting low or potentially even taking a knee you can typically get within ten feet of a rising fish. Roll casting, tuck casting, and reach casting all are great ways to target rising trout and now is the time to get out and practice those techniques. The Lower has been producing some bigger then usual brown trout this season with fish from 12-20 inches being caught almost every time we hit the water, and most on dry flies! We caught a beautiful 19” brown during an unreal caddis hatch by working a slow swirling back eddy. When working those eddies keep the fly line off the water so the fly has more time in the targeted zone. Dry fly recommendations for the Lower Owens as of now, Olive or Brown Foam Caddis 16-18, Elk or Deer Hair Caddis 16-18, Blue Wing Olive 16-18, CDC Emerging Caddis 16-18, are all great options. If you are having trouble choosing a dry fly you can always bank on a Parachute Adams 16-18 which tends to fool fish for most hatches. Carrying two rods is a good idea right now as the nature of our hatches on the Eastern Sierra can be short and sweet, by the time your done re-rigging you might have lost your shot. I also recommend to fish those dry flies during the slow periods of the hatch as trout are still keying in on adults and with patience and good presentation you can get em to rise. After a long winter of mostly nymphing it sure feels good to switch it up and fish dry flies, looking forward to a summer full of both nymphing and dry fly fishing. Good luck out there and check the flows on my website before coming up. Give me a call to book a trip on the Lower Owens while you still can, now is the time!

BOOK THE LOWER OWENS

Central Gorge– Now is the time to get down to the Central Gorge before the stinging nettle and rattlesnakes start showing up. I wouldn’t be surprised to see both of those down there already this time of year so keep a keen eye as you work the river. Flows are perfect for getting in the water and tucking into those tight zones. The water is very clear as of now so again working upstream is a good call. Same ish story down in the central gorge as far as fishing goes, expect that I am primarily Euro Nymphing the river as most of it is straight long runs and technical pocket water. When fishing under an indicator down there getting your depth correct can be a total nightmare as some zones might be 3ft deep and then you hit a submerged boulder and you just lost all your flies. Not only that but fishing a bobber can spook as it lands on the surface. This time of year is you are looking to get the best of both worlds I would recommend fishing a dry dropper. My go-to dry dropper setup for the central gorge and most of the Eastern Sierra is a large foam Caddis 14 to a small black or olive zebra midge 18-20. When Euro Nymphing or tightlining you can go with those heavier bead head style nymphs, Pedigons 16-18, Prince Nymph 16-18, Duracell 16-18, Copper John 16-18 are all good flies. You can throw a lot of nymphs at these fish as they are generally more willing to take most patterns, so mix it up, try that one in your box you bought 3 years ago! As far as dry flies I love fishing the Purple Haze 16 down there, not just for the fact I love me some Hendrix, but because it can a deadly pattern during a hatch. Don’t ask me why purple is such a good color, we all have theories, it just works! Do some research before entering the central gorge and have a gameplan, there’s no service down there, and navigating the loose rocks can be sketchy. I recommend a guided trip if you have never been or traveling with a buddy. I would say you have about until the end of April to get after it in the central gorge before it gets overgrown and too warm.

Book The Central Gorge

Hot Creek– Hot Creek is flowing between 7-10 CFS which is low but fishable. Now is the time to fish hot creek before the weed beds get overgrown and getting a decent drift can be extremely challenging. Hot Creek has been on fire this last month for both Nymphing and Dry Fly Fishing with solid hatches of Blue Wing Olive mixed in with Caddis starting mid-day and lasting into the evening. Water is temping around 58 degrees which perfect for actively feeding trout. Some insanely large (5-9lbs) trout have been caught recently at Hot Creek, and it seems this river is making a solid comeback after a decent run of drought years. Last year’s big winter really helped to improve Hot Creek and this spring and summer should be quite enjoyable as well. The canyon section of Hot Creek and the Interpretive site can get crowded quickly, so don’t expect to score this river by yourself. Try to give other anglers plenty of space while fishing Hot Creek, we all have our own honey holes down there so if someone is close to your favorite spot be don’t just go high hole em’ let em fish it, and then go hit yourself. Chances are your still gonna hook up. Fish are stacked between the current breaks where change of depth is present. I like to size down my flies while fishing the canyon section of Hot Creek, Olive Quildigons 18, Flashback Baetis Nymphs 18-20, Copper John 18, Zebra Midges 18-20 are all good options. Euro Nymphing the canyon section allows for better targeted drifts and controlling those flies in different depths. I love fishing a dry dropper at Hot Creek and teaching anglers to get the best of both worlds this time of year down there. I recommend fishing a Stimulator Size 14-16 to a small nymph, most will work as long as it’s not too heavy and ends up sinking that dry fly. When fishing a single dry fly down in the Canyon you can’t go wrong with either the Elk Hair Caddis 16-18 or Blue Wing Olive 16-18. This year we have been smoking em on the Caddis, even when the mayflies are more present. As far is tippit your playing with fire fishing anything thinner than 5X, if you so happen to hook into a Hot Creek monster your gonna wish you had a beefier set up. I’m running 4X for both my dry flies and my nymphs. We will start booking Hot Creek April 6th, about a week away! Let us show you around one of California’s most beloved, scenic, and awesome tributaries.

BOOK HOT CREEK

Upper Owens– The Upper Owens continues to fish well! Current CFS above the Hot Creek confluence is 72 and below around 80. These are great flows going into our spring and summer season. Flows will definitely increase with run off but I think it will still be quite fishable and nothing compared to last season. There are still some migrating/spawning trophy trout in the system mostly rainbows but we are already seeing some larger cutthroat trout making their way up. There is much debate on the Upper Owens currently amongst local anglers and guides on whether or not we should be fishing it, and how it is effecting Crowley Lake. Some folks are are on clear opposing sides while most of us are more in the middle. The most important thing while fishing the Upper Owens is to not pester the Redds (actively spawning trout). For those who are unsure of what that looks like, it’s actually fairly obvious, if trout are in shallow water, clearly visible and paired up or in groups they are spawning. Please do not cast to those fish, as tempting as it may be. I feel the biggest issue is the lack of understanding and knowledge of identifying the Redds. Another key component to mitigate this issue is to keep your footprint to a minimum on the Upper Owens, meaning try not to cross the stream and disturb the already established beds (much harder to identify). Best way to alleviate that issue if your not sure is to stick to one side of the river, as there is plenty of good water to fish. Stick to the deep bends and cutbanks to target trout. CDFW will be holding a public gathering March 30th at the Tri-County Fairgrounds 5-7pm and I’m sure this issue will be a hot topic. Please come and join in and share your opinion and hear others, what matters most if the future of our fisheries and working towards preserving them. Plenty of nice top water action mid day on the Upper Owens with smaller juvenile fish and the occasional big fish eager to take a well presented dry fly. I’m seeing primarily Blue Wing Olive Mayflies and Caddis as far as adults. Recommended dry flies, Elk Hair Caddis 16-18, Blue Wing Olive 16-18, Stimulator 14-18, Parachute Adams 16-18. Nymphing under the indicator is also producing especially in the morning and in the deeper pools. Bigger nymphs like the Prince Nymph 14-16, Hares Ears 16, Flashback Pheasant Tail 14-16, Perdigons 16-18, and Duracell 16-18 are all solid options. Streamer fishing through the deeper slower water has been a lot of fun and can lead to some exciting hook ups as well, your classic Olive or Black Wolly Bugger is a go-to pattern on the Upper Owens. Shoulder season like spring and fall are epic times to be fly fishing on the Upper and mid summer tends to get very warm increasing water temps and lethargic trout. We have been doing almost all of our trips on the Lower Owens as the fishing has been amazing, getting in what we can before the flows come up. We will be doing more Upper Owens trips going into spring as the weather warms up! Reach out to line up a guided trip for the Upper Owens.

BOOK THE UPPER OWENS

East Walker River– Opening day for the East Walker River is April 27th, Flows have been fluctuating between 120-200 CFS the last few weeks! As long as flows stay above 100 CFS we will be fishing and guiding the river! Stay tuned for updates April.

Thanks for stopping by for my Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Report and Newsletter! I appreciate all of my subscribers and those who follow me on social media. For weekly updates please follow goldentroutguidingco instagram and facebook. I hope these fishing reports find you well and help educate as well as hook up with some beautiful fish. Please feel free to email me [email protected] with any questions about the report of if you’d like to chime in on what you might be seeing.