The flows of his quality fly fishing water are down to a grin inducing flow of around 140cfs of  pure sport! Dry fly action is limited to select pools where certain fish are usually looking up to a random Caddis or Baetis that happens upon the wrong feeding lane.  Fish are taking nymphs like Charlie eats candy.. PT’s of all sorts in #16-20 are really doing the trick with certain patterns outdoing others. Robo PT’s, Thorax BWO emergers, Trigger Nymphs, and Killer Baetis or BTS nymphs are some of he patterns we have had seccess with in the last few days.  Also, try a midge emerger of some sort on the setup, emerging midge patterns have been outfishing standard midge patters recently.. T-Midges, Tube Midges, and Serenstupidies are some examples..Fish these in #18-20.  With water down and thousands of trout per mile the Lower Owens will satisfy your jones for wild browns on light fly

Wild December Browt Trout - Lower Owens River - Bishop, CA

 tackle..

Hog Rainbow caught on a #16 nymph Nov. 2011

Fishing the Upper Owens recently has been something similar to steelheading in a small, clear stream up north. Large running fish have populated the system in some of the tail ends of large pools and in the depths of the pools themselves. The flow is also low for the Upper Owens at around 80cfs. Fish of all sizes are in the system right now with some really big specimens show up on the end of our fly rodding system. Streamers fished deep along the cutt banks and through the deeper holes will produce violent territorial disputes. Nymphing deep with many sorts of attractor and flashback nymphs will also produce fish here. SJ worms #10-14, Robo Pheasant Tails #16-18, Tung PT’s #16 -18, Hares Ears #16-18 and Zebra and Tiger Midges in #16-18 are just a few samples of bugs to try your fly fishing skill with on the Upper Owens.

Hot Creek Bow taken on a #22 BWO Dry Fly

Hot Creek is experiencing a great BWO hatch from around 10:30am to 1:00pm. The small river comes alive in most parts of the stream around this time, forcing  the fly angler to lose oneself in the multitude of rising rainbow and brown trout in the clear water right in front of them. The normal baetis patterns and poly wing emergers will get you into fish before and after this great Baetis hatch. Caddis are also present with some response. Flies to tryare #20-22 Thorax BWOs, #18-22 Standard BWO, #20 Comparaduns and #20-22 Ext.Body BWO patters. Fertile Caddis #20 and Henrys Fork Caddis #20 are also goodpattern to have in your fly arsenal. Loop Wing BWO emergers #18-20, Thorax BWO emergers #18-20 and Poly Wing emergers #18-22 will all help you take fish at Hot Creek. Look for great hatches here throughout the winter!

Large Crowley Lake Trout caught up river Oct. 2011

It is a great thing that the Upper Owens is connected to Crowley Lake! Large fish can migrate up the river and hold in the many large holes the Upper Owens has to offer down low and up high. These fish are starting to show up from the lake  up into the river making for a very exciting day when you know that each cast could be a very large fish! Flowing at a nice low flow rate of around 80 cfs you must look for the obvious large holes and holding water where a large fish would feel safe and sheltered. Streamers and nymphs are the best ways to extract these large fish from the water of the Upper O. Prince nymphs, Pheastant tails, Sparkle Trigger Nymphs, The Ticket Czech Nymph in green and large Zebra and T-midges all in sizes #16-20 are some of the flies getting attention now.  Small hares ears in olive and natural trailed behind a larger nymph can also solicit a strike this time of year. Have some flashy patterns on hand as well if you have a problem getting their attention.. Large streamers of your choice fished correctly will also bring success this time of year. Look forward for this to get better and better as fall continues and temperatures slowly drop.

Large Rainbow migrating up river Oct. 2011

Prime East Walker Cutt Bow Colors

 The East Walker water level is down to a very fishable flow rate of 170cfs. Fish are starting to move around and up the river to participate in yearly rituals. The river is slightly off colour as usual allowing big specimens to move about the river undisturbed for the most part. Up towards the dam there seems to be an influx of small rainbow stockers that have been sucked in from the reservoir. These are easy prey for fly anglers for a few minutes and will hopefully serve as food for some large brown trout. Streamers are getting hit, but one has to be accurate and precise by picking out trout lies and casting well past them and retrieving the fly through them.  Fish your favorite double bunny, clouser patterns, or large Matukas in sizes #2-8. We have been throwing a few mouse patterns to the opposite banks and always getting some kind of movement on the rodents… hooking up with them is another lesson though! Small perch fry, crayfish and SJ worms in sizes #6-12 above a small nymph/midge is the most common way to take most East Walker Residents. Biot Midges #16-20,  Pearl or Olive T-Midge emergers #18-20, Miracle Nymphs #18, Serenstupity #18, and varias other similar patterns will get you success here. Look for flows to drop more soon as there is only a couple weeks of irrigation left in the Nevada season.

The Lower Owens is flowing at a very high rate of over 500cfs! Few spots are fishable if you know where and how to enter the water. Slow foam lines will yield fish when nymphed deep off an indicator or with a tight line czech style. Trico clouds are seen early morning with little response from the fish on top. Under the water the fish are gorging on the emerging nymphs. RS2 Tricos, and Grey RS2s are being eaten in sizes #18-22. Hares Ears, PT’s, Trigger nymphs and Robo PT’s will also get fish. Extreme caution when wading here!

Jim C. Proudly displays his first wild brown on the fly!