With our fish of the month we will be also doing a fish of the year ! On August 3, 2011 Craig Coston of Bakersfield, Ca caught this fish of three lifetimes while with me on a pack trip in the High Sierra. I am 6’4″ on the left and Craig is 6’6″ on the right to give you an idea of  the immense proportions of the fish.  We were above 10,000 feet in elevation when this gargantuan Brown Trout came to hand on a 2wt Winston. Yes, it was a 2wt!!!

Monster Brown of a Lifetime 15lb+ 31 inch

A perfect specimen from the Upper Owens River - Spring 2012

The Upper Owens is flowing at a great flow of around 95 cfs. Large fish are STILL in the system and being caught. Afternoon wind has been coming up recently so spend your mornings fishing hard and efficiently. Fish are found from the bridge all the way up as far as you can drive on the road. The same patterns are still holding strong; Try large streamers in various patterns and colors in sizes #4-8 .. SJ worms and Wire Worms in pink and reds #8-12, Robo PT’s in #16- 18, Pheasant Tails #16-20, Trigger Nymphs #16-18 and various soft hackles in similar sizes will take fish. Green Tickets #14-18, Diving Caddis #16 and Stallcups Emergers #16-18 are all good choices on the Upper Owens.  A small baetis hatch mixed with caddis comes off in the afternoon causing the smaller fish to come to the surface for a couple of hours.

Beautiful East Walker Brown!

The East Walker River has been fishing very well with cool water temps, clearer water,  and springtime  flows  some very nice specimens have been hooked! Some even landed!  Flows seem to be fluctuating between 100-150 cfs recently which can be optimal with the cooler water temps.  Most fish being caught are hefty brown trout with a few chunky rainbows mixed in.  Nymphing and streamers are taking the majority of large trout in the East Walker.  Fish your favorite Doubly Bunny or large Streamer pattern throughout the day to at get some amazing strikes and fish utilizing patterns of various colours, some white or tan mixed in the pattern seems to be the best. Try a mouse in the morning or late day to see some great “Boils!”  Nymphs are always effective with a light double nymph setup. Try a SJ worm or a green Caddis Worm on top with a small midge pattern/small baetis  below.  Some samples are; Flash Bang Midges #18-20, T-Midge Emergers in lighter shades #18-20, Z- Midge emergers grey #18-20, WD-40’s in lighter colours #18, and other similar patterns fished with patience and skill will help you to have a fly fishing experience to remember!

Predators of the East Walker River - Brown Trout -

Kenji and Christine S. Happily work a prime trout run

The Lower Owens has been flowing a steady 275 cfs add or subtract a few cfs (cubic feet/second) for the last few weeks. This makes for a steady fishy environment, clear water and happy fish! Most of the river is fishing well for everbody with wild browns in the upper sections below the dam with a few wild rainbows mixed in. As you head miles below you start to see more of the recently added fish in the river from Hwy. 6 downstream. Isolated pockets of rising trout can be found here and there throughout the day with the most intense dry fly action happening in the hours before dark.  Caddis, Mayflies and some midges are still on the menu. During the day BubbleBack emergers and Trigger Nymphs have been producing fish all times of the day in sizes #16-20, Crawling Caddis, Caddis Emergers, and The Ticket in sizes #14-18  are also on the Lower Owens menu these days. Midge emergers in various dark colors #18-20 are also a great choice for your bottom fly on your nymph setup. On the surface of the water good ol’ Elk Hair Caddis #16-20, Stallcups Adult Caddis #16, Hemingway Caddis and other Turkey Winged caddis in #18’s. BWO thorax #16-20, Ext. Body BWO #16-20, Good old Adams and Para BWO in the same sizes will also produce. At these flows the fish are able to spread out and not get put off and spooked as easily as other lower flows. Wading is a little bit more difficult but very doable for people of any size.

Kenji holds up a prize from the waters of the Lower Owens River

Sam points out a wild Rainbow taken on a recent Drift Trip

The Lower Owens has been very good to us in the last couple of weeks and last few days. The gauge is still stuck at 255cfs and the river is around 230-250cfs  and flowing clean and clear. Caddis, Stoneflies and Mayflies are on the menu! We have been taking fish on #12-14 yellow sally and squala nymphs, #12-14 copper Johns will also get strikes when fished effectively. For the bottom nymphs fish free living caddis worm imitations #14-18, and mayfly emergers such as; Bubbleback emergers #16-18, Sparkle Trigger Nymphs #16-20 and Robo PT’s is the same sizes. With the clear water wading is easily managable. Drift trips have been great as the boat effortlessy delivers us to prime fishing locations (with my oaring skills of course) where we have been extracting some prime specimens.

Wild Rainbow with a great pattern and Tail

Happy young angler Jake B. with his first Rainbow on Lower Owens River

The Lower Owens is flowing at a great rate of around 200 cfs and Caddis and Baetis are showing their presense daily. Around lunchtime Baetis and Caddis have been coming off with good-great response from the Trout on the surface. Sparke Trigger Nymphs #16-20, Bubble Back emergers #16-20, Stallcups caddis emerger #16-18, Sparkle Pupa #18, Partridge Caddis emerger #16 and other similar patterns will take fish… On the surface try the good old EHC in #16-20 depending on the fly, #16 Stallcup Adult Caddis, Para caddis #16, and Peacock caddis #16-18.. for the BWO’s use a #16-20 Thorax BWO, Etha Wing Baetis #16-20, Ext. Body BWO #16-20, and good oldParachute BWO and Adams #18. Flows should stabilize at this rate. Drift trips have been great!

Great Day on the Lower Owens with Keith and Jake B.