The Upper Owens River got dirty and is now clean again after the storm last week. The good news is after the water cleared there seems to be a few more slabs of healthy trout 20″+ in the bottom of the big deeper runs and holes. For the moment fishing up there has been challenging with the recent movement of storms passing through. Next week looks to be clear with steadier weather patterns.  This fish was taken in the last few days on a #8 wet fly. Stay tuned!

On the Lower Owens right now with the shop crew and the BWO’s are coming off strong… From roughly around 11-1pm those lucky few fly fishers who are on the Lower O have been loving it. The bugs  are ranging in sizes from a small #16 to a #20. The pods of fish are usually many in numbers so the action has been great.

The Upper Owens is flowing at a very clear and cool flow of 85 cfs. Some big spawners are showing up as in past years. As you walk the banks have a look into the water to see what is getting spooked from under the banks. As a bonis a great BWO hatch comes off in the afternoon with some great fish willing to take a well placed fly  pattern. Weather has been sunny xand comfortable with a few squalls passing through here and there. For flies use Streamers of all sorts sunk down deep in the holes and along the banks. Nymph patterns include ; Green Caddis worms #16-18, SJ worm patterns #8-12, RS2’s and other Baetis emergers in #18-20. For the hatch a well placed BWO adult on 5-6x tippet will yield a decent dry fly angler a good number of fish.

The Lower Owens is flowing at a great rate of 200 cfs… and fishing even better! Dry fly action has beent happening to the lucky few that have been fortunate enough to be on the Lower O the last couple of weeks. From 5- Bridges down and up rising fish have been sighted and presented to. These Mayflies come off fast and furious and the fish are suddenly up for a couple hours and then down just as fast. Wading is easy on the Lower Owens at this level, slight wading experience is needed to enter and exit the river successfully at this point. Before the hatch nymphs will get you into great numbers of trout as well… if you find a hole with good populations chances are when the adults come off they will rise there. For nymphs use Bubble Back emergers #16-20, RS2’s #16-18, Halfback Beatis #18, Zebra and T-midges #18-20 and various Midge emergers #16-20. For the dry fly action hey standard elk Hair Caddis, Stallcups Adult Caddis, CDC baetis adult, and Thorax BWO all in Sizes # 16-20 will all bring success to the good presenting dry fly fisherman.

Hot Creek continues to produce great fishing to those who understand how to extract trout from this great fishery. Water is low but as stated before the fish are still there! Dry fly action can honestly be found throughout the day depending on the area. Mayflies, Caddis, and Midges are all getting eaten throughout the day. The midge activity has been during the colder parts of the day, but not always the case. Weeds are starting to die off with the onset of the cooler temperatures making fishing Hot Creek even more enjoyable. Look to my last Hot Creek report for the exact patterns we recommend.

The Lower Owens River has come down to a very fishable 150 to 200 cfs flow. At this flow rate the entire river is accessible and absolutely full of fish. Water is clear and one can find a variety of riffles , foam lines, drop offs, and deeper pools all of which hold wild brown trout and some colorful Rainbows. Weather is cooler but sunny making for perfect fishing conditions. One can expect to find trout from the bottom of the Pleasant Valley campground all the way down to Highway 6 Bridge on to East line Street bridge. Dry fly activity in increasing and can be found in certain spots throughout the day, recently we have been finding rising fish in the slower pools and on the shaded edges. Fish are highly selective in the Lower Owens so the right patterns are a must. For nymphs use Bubble Back emergers #16-20, RS2’s #16-18, Halfback Beatis #18, Zebra and T-midges #18-20 and various Midge emergers #16-20. For the dry fly action hey standard elk Hair Caddis, Stallcups Adult Caddis, CDC baetis adult, and Thorax BWO all in Sizes # 16-20.. Look for this fishery to fish great until spring with great Dry Fly fishing just around the corner.

The Upper Owens has been turned up via the Grant Lake aquaduct to a higher flow of 165 cfs. This makes it tougher to fish but also shows us that the BIG Browns and Bows will and are making their way up the river to reside in the larger holes of the Upper Owens for the next few months.  We have seen limited numbers of them so far, but we are anticipating a great run of Steelhead sized fish in this system to arrive in the next couple of days and weeks.  Like the EW we are using large Streamers, weighted and unweighted on a sinking line to drag our offering through undercut banks, dark holes and evident dropoffs to get a territorial and aggressive response from these top predators of the Upper Owens. Bunny leaches, Double Bunnies, Heavy Metal Sculpins and Zonkers and Slumpbusters in sizes #2-6 are just a few patterns we throw at these world class trout. Large SJ worms, Green Caddis worms, and Robo PT’s in various sizes are just a few of the numphs that will bring you success on the Upper O at this moment.   Stay tuned for an unbelievable fishery to unfold in the next few days and weeks. The picture I am posting is from last season and is  just a sample of what the Upper Owens has to offer during the late fall/winter months.