Hot Creek seems to always fish well, you just have to adjust to the conditions nature throws at you. Like the Upper O use small WD-40's and midge patterns once again in dark greens and blacks. Very small PT's and small baetis emergers also get some attention. Try all of these patterns in sizes #18-#22. Rises to midges and very small baetis occur here and there, if you want to take them on the drys when you see a fish rise a few times in the same spot try the midge or baetis dry and cast and cast some more until you get mr. trouts number and he decides to rise to your pattern. As always certain sections of the river will fish well when a small bugger or streamer pattern is pulled by their face. Dress warm and let the day go by....
The Upper Owens is a cold place to be right now but it is worth it with the number of fish the river holds. The water above Hot Creek confluence flows at around 100 cfs and is very clear. Small nymphs such as WD-40's in dark greens and blacks, small PT's and hares ears around size # 16, and prince nymphs in similar sizes will bring trout to the net. I have also triggered strikes on small red lightning bugs. The traditional streamer strip up along the undercut banks also produces strong tugs. Go bigger on the streamers here as I usually find they dont mind chasing down the big snacks on the Upper O.
The Lower Owens flows have been adjusted to 123 cfs of water being delivered out of PV dam.. This level have been beneficial to floating and will most likely stick around these levels for some time. Fishing remains strong although this cold front with the high wind speed did slow things down a little. The hatch is still minimal with sporadic rises of fish here and there with not much rhyme or reason. Nymphing and streamers still continue to pull fish out of the depths. The # 16 midge emerger in dark green, olive or black continues to produce, hares ears and PT's in similar sizes, The rob0 PT #14-18, and any sort of green caddis worm in the same sizes will produce fish. Steamers fished low and slow or swung off the banks stimulate strikes. Most colours of streamers have been working for us; greys, olives, browns and blacks. It will be interesting to see how active the fish are after this front passes. I am expecting them to be "on the chew"