Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 09-11-2025

The 50,000 acre Garnet fire north east of Fresno is filling the Eastern Sierra with smoke. Mammoth Lakes and the Owens Valley is filled with lots of smoke to the point that it’s been unsafe to be outside. Certain high altitude waters have been saved from the smoke and is an escape from the smoke for fly fishers. Where the smoke is lingering is changing daily. The smoke has been coming over Mammoth Pass and Mammoth has the greatest concentration of smoke. Hopefully by the weekend the smoke will have moved out of the Eastern Sierra. Time will tell what is instore for Eastern Sierra waters and the smoke from the Garnet fire. Trout are feeding on nymphs, emergers and adults of mayflies, caddisflies and midges. Fall colors are just starting to happen at upper elevation waters. Trophy trout show up in the fall, but are not in Eastern Sierra tributaries yet.

Smoke from the Garnet Fire is pouring into the Eastern Sierra through Mammoth Pass and makes for a beautiful back drop for the lower Owens River whose flows are starting to drop.

East Walker River:

The East Walker River below the miracle mile section is offering good fishing during the day with nymphs, dries and streamers. Nymphing under an indicator or with a Euro nymphing outfit is producing wild brown trout and rainbows up to 20 inches. Fish with size 16 Frenchie’s, size 12 stoner nymphs, size 16 SOS nymphs, size 16 gold ribbed hare’s ears and midges in zebra, tiger and blood coloration in size 16 when nymphing. The miracle mile section has not fully recovered from last years devasting fish kill. Best fishing is from the bridge to the Nevada border. Water level are perfect for wading right now. Rocks in the river are slimy and wading can be slippery.

Tim Andre from Trabuco Cyn hooked up on the East Walker fishing a Frenchie under an indicator.

Owens River Gorge

Upper Gorge Powerplant:

The Owens River Gorge is a tail water fishery that fishes like a freestone creek. A dry and dropper rig is the perfect way to fish in the gorge. Normally in a freestone creek the trout are looking up and taking the dry fly. In the gorge the trout are keying in on the nymph. For the dry fly use a size 16 Adams parachute, elk hair caddis, Royal Wulff and stimulators. For the nymphs midges in tiger, zebra, and green/gold wire brassies in size 16 and olive quilldigons in size 18 have been producing lots of wild brown trout to 12 inches. With the smoke I would not risk your health walking in and out of the gorge.

Fishing the pockets and pools of the Owens River Gorge with a stimulator and green/gold brassie while wading upstream is producing lots of wild brown trout to 12 inches.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

If you can handle the smoke that is filling Long Valley the Interpretive Site offers less stress on your body than walking in and out of Hot Creek Canyon. The trico hatch is bringing trout to the surface in the mornings. Start with a size 22 female trico parachute. When the trout quit hitting the parachute switch to a size 22 trico spinner. With the smoke I would head home when the trico hatch is over. If you’re willing to stay and fish after the trico hatch try fishing with an ant, beetle or hopper pattern.

The skies above Hot Creek Canyon are filled with the smoke of the Garnet Fire.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

I would not recommend fishing in the canyon as long as the thick smoke continues to hang in the Long Valley area. If there is a break in the smoke try fishing with a size 22 trico female parachute in the morning starting sometime after 8:00 A.M. Once the trout quit feeding on the parachute switch to a size 22 trico spinner. If you have trouble seeing the tiny flies on the water fish a dry and dry rig. Use a size 16 stimulator, size 16 Adams parachutes and size 16 elk hair caddis for the bigger dry. Any movement in the bigger fly set the hook. The bigger fly allows the fly fisher to see where on the water the trico is. The fly fisher should set the hook on any rise within the distance from the big fly to the trico pattern.

Smoke from the Garnet Fire is hiding the Eastern Sierra mountain back drop normally visible when fly fishing the upper Owens River.

 Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

The smoke has been thick in the Long Valley area including the upper Owens River. Avoid this area until the smoke has lightened up. As we head into fall it’s time to start looking for trophy brown trout. The brown trout do not show up in large quantities like the rainbows and cutthroats do. The browns trickle in to the upper Owens River starting in mid to late September. It’s time to start fishing with bigger nymphs like size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs, size 14 copper John’s and size 12 gold ribbed hare’s ears variations. Fall is a great time to be pulling streamer for the trophy brown trout. For the resident eight to 12 inch wild browns and rainbows fish with trico’s in the morning and elk hair caddis in the afternoons.

The setting sun over Bishp Creek Canal is high lighting the smoke from the Garnet Fire

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Smoke has been bad in the Owens Valley making it tough to be outside fly fishing. If you can put up with the smoke or the smoke breaks try nymphing unless you see the trout feeding on the morning trico spinner fall. The trico hatch has been minimal at best. Nymphing with gold ribbed hare’s ears in size 16, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs in size 18, olive quilldigons in size 18 and midges in zebra and tiger coloration in size 18 are fooling wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout.

Bishop Canyon

North Lake:

Trolling small olive wooly buggers in the fall on a sinking line behind a float tube is a great way to spend a fall day fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra catching brook trout, rainbows and brown trout.

North Lake is a great water to float tube on. It gives you access to the southern shore where few if any anglers fish. Trolling streamers behind the float tube on a full sink line will produce trout after trout after trout. Twenty to forty fish days are very doable. For streamers try size 12 olive wooly buggers, olive slumpbusters and olive matukas. Fishing the margins of the lake just outside the aquatic sedges that surround the lake with a dry and dropper rig will produce lots of wild brown trout, brook trout and hatchery rainbows. For the dry fly use a stimulator, Chernobyl ant and a hopper. You want your dry fly to ride on the water surface and be very visible to the fly fisher sitting in the float tube. For the nymphs use size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 midges in tiger or zebra coloration and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears attached to a three foot tippet of 5X fluorocarbon. Fall colors are just starting to pop on the quacking aspens that surround the lake. Fall colors should peak in the next 10 days.

Wild brown trout to 12 inches are feeding on midge nymphs fished under a dry fly.

Bishop Creek Canyon

Middle Fork:

Bishop Creek fly fishing is bush whacking. That is walking the banks of the creek looking for spots where you can access the stream and cast your dry and dropper rig. The pockets and pools is where the trout are hanging out. Using a size 16 stimulator and size 16 tiger midge have been producing wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout. The tiger midge has been producing the bulk of the trout. Watching the dry fly for any movement and setting the hook is how you catch the midge feeding trout of Bishop Creek. The smoke has been minimal in Bishop Creek Canyon.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 09-04-2025

Looks like another round of thunder storms particularly at upper elevation waters with a chance of clearing up and seasonal temperatures for the weekend. The overcast skies sure are nice for cooling of fly fishers out on the water. The winds associated with these storms can make for tough afternoon fly casting. Be on the water early and get off when you’ve had enough of trying to punch your flies through the wind. Time to be casting that five weight rod. Midges, caddisflies and mayflies are providing the catalyst for the trout to feed on nymphs and dries. This is the time of year to be out on the water early looking for the trico hatches on several Eastern Sierra waters.

Fall colors will soon be visible in upper elevation waters as the sunflowers in the Owens Valley disappear and the brown trout and brook trout start to spawn.

Owens River Gorge

Upper Gorge Powerplant:

Like most canyon fishing the hike in is easy, but the hike out takes some effort. On the hot days make sure you have lots of water to drink. With the afternoon thunder storms moving through the Eastern Sierra it makes the hike out of the gorge enjoyable. The gorge is a great place to fish a dry and dropper rig on a nine foot five weight or with a Tenkara rod. For the dry fly use a size 16 Adams parachute and a size 16 stimulator. For the nymphs fish with size 16 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 two tone brassies in green/gold, tiger and zebra colorations. Using the nymph as an anchor allows the fly fisher to bounce the dry fly off the surface initiating the trout to take the dry fly.

Wet wading fishing upstream with a dry and dropper rig in the pools and pockets is producing lots of wild brown trout in the Owens River Gorge.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

The consistency of the morning trico hatch is producing wild brown and rainbow trout on the surface. Start the morning with a size 22 trico female parachute. The male trico’s hatch the night before at sunset or the morning of at sunrise. When the trout quit feeding on your parachute pattern it’s time to switch to a size 22 trico spinner pattern. Mayflies go through two stages as the adult. The nymph hatches into the dun. The dun then becomes the sexually mature spinner through a post emergence molt. The females mate with the males and then lay their eggs on the water. The amount of energy required during ovipositing wipes out the spinners and they fall dead on the water. The trout feed on the dead spinners as an easy meal since the spinners cannot fly away. The hatch is over by 11:00 A.M. and so is the fishing. Throwing beetles, ants and hoppers will extend the time on the water by proving a few fish that will come to the surface looking for more calories.

Afternoon thunderstorms are making fly fishers wet and casting into the wind is no fun.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

Hot Creek Canyon is the easiest to fly fish hard water in the Eastern Sierra. Succes comes from having the right fly, a drag free drift, being able to see your small, size 20 to 24, dry fly on the surface and being able to set the hook when the trout rises to the surface to take your imitation. In the canyon with all the weed beds it is the ability to get a drag free drift that is the hardest thing to accomplish. Getting your fly to drift in a two to four inch lane between the weed beds is how you are going to fool the trout into taking your fly. Precession casting is a must to get the fly to land in such a tight target area on the water. A trick to see your dry fly on the water is to use a bigger fly, size 16, as an indicator. This bigger fly will help you locate your tiny imitation on the water and any movement in the bigger dry requires the fly fisher to set the hook. Start the morning fishing with a size 22 female trico parachute. When the trout quit taking you parachute pattern it’s time to switch to a size 22 trico spinner pattern. After the hatch nymphing the open shallows and deeper pools with a size 18 tiger or zebra midge pattern, size 18 olive quilldigon and size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph will produce a few more fish and extend the fly fishers time on the water.

Six to 12 inch trout are feeding in the mornings on the hatching female trico mayflies.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

The upper Owens River has a good morning hatch of tricos. This hatch is short lived and over by 10:00 A.M. Start the morning with a size 20 female trico pattern. When the trout quit feeding on the parachute it’s time to switch to a size 20 trico spinner pattern. After the trico hatch the trout are feeding on caddis. Fish with a size 16 or 18 elk hair caddis, X-caddis and parachute caddis drifted with a drag free drift. Trophy brown trout are not in the upper Owens River yet. Fishing with a size 12 stoner nymph and size 12 green/gold Prince nymph will produce trophy brown trout when they’re in the system. Now these flies are producing a few trophy rainbow trout.

The early morning trico hatch on Bishop Creek Canal is just starting and the hatch is done by 10:00 A.M at the latest.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Now is the time to fish the trico hatch on Bishop Creek Canal. This hatch is short lived starting by 8:30 A.M. and finished by 10:00 A.M. at the very latest. The canal trout don’t seem to be interested in the hatching duns, but wait for the spinner fall to start feeding on the surface. Observing the water and looking for rising trout is how you want to fish this hatch on the canal. Once the fish start rising cast a size 20 trico spinner pattern above the trout on a 5X tippet and let it float down to the rising trout with a drag free drift. In the heat of the hatch fly fishers will have to match the timing of rising trout. If your spinner pattern drifts to the trout to soon they will not rise for your spinner pattern. If your spinner pattern drifts to the trout to late they will have already taken a natural off the surface. It can take up to 10 drifts to get the timing down to hook a canal trout feeding on trico spinners. After the trico hatch fish with zebra and tiger colored midges in size 18, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears. Fishing a size 18 elk hair caddis, size 18 parachute caddis and size 18 X-caddis will produce a few surface feeding trout in the afternoons.

Working upstream of Weir Pond after covering the inlet into the pond is a fun way to extend the fly fishing to pools and pockets looking for wild brown trout and brook trout

Bishop Creek Canyon

Weir Pond:

Brown trout and brook trout are willing to take dry flies and nymphs where south fork of Bishop Creek flows into Weir Pond. Using a dry and dropper is a great way to fish in Weir Pond with both a dry fly and nymph. For dry flies fish with size 16 stimulators, Adams parachutes, elk hair caddis and Royal Wulff’s. For nymphs fish with size 16 tiger and zebra midges, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and size 16 Prince nymphs. Be sure to apply descant or flotant to your dry fly to keep them floating high on the surface of the water. Most of the trout will be taking your dry fly. Rember that movement in the dry fly means a trout is taking your nymph. When you see movement in the dry fly be sure to set the hook.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 08-28-2025

Afternoon showers have been drenching the Eastern Sierra every afternoon. It’s a nice break from the hot afternoons of summer. As we head into fall the heat will be coming back and the rain will disappear. As fall progresses it will be time to be looking for spawning brown trout and brook trout particularly at upper elevations. Fall colors will be showing up by the middle of September starting at upper elevations and making their way down to the Owens valley. Hatches of midges, caddisflies and mayflies are feeding the trout on the surface and on the substrate. Trico mayflies are bringing the trout to the surface of several Eastern Sierra waters.

Afternoon showers are cooling off the waters of the Eastern Sierra and terrestrial insects are being washed into the creeks and lakes where the trout are feeding on the extra food.

Intake Two:

Intake Two before it was drained for repair work on the dam embankment.

Southern California Edison has dewatered Intake Two due to repair work on the spill way embankment. This is a great time to observe the Lake and see the topography of the lake without water on the substrate. Take photos so when Intake Two has water again you will know where to fly fish and what the substrate looks like.

SCE has drained Intake Two to do repair work on the spill way embankment.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

The trico hatch in the morning is bringing the trout to the surface of the creek. Start the morning early, by 8:30, with a size 22 trico female parachute. When the trout quit taking the parachute it’s time to switch to a size 22 trico spinner pattern. When the trout quit feeding on the spinner pattern it’s time to go home. Throwing ants, beetles and hopper patterns will bring a few trout to the surface and extend your fly fishing time on the creek. Throwing a streamer will produce an extra trout or two and usually the biggest of the day.

Hot Creek Canyon is offering less crowded fly fishing opportunities for fly fishers that can drift their flies through the narrow lanes between the weed beds.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

The morning trico hatch starts early with the trico female dun hatching. Start fishing with a size 22 trico female parachute. When the trout quit taking the parachute they have switched to feeding on the easier to eat trico spinners. Time to switch to a size 22 trico spinner pattern. Nymphing during the hatch with a size 20 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 18 olive quilldigon and size 20 olive SOS nymph will produce wild brown and rainbow trout. Working streamers around the rocks and holes will produce bigger trout. Fish with size 6 and 10 olive slumbusters, olive wooly buggers and olive matukas.

Fishing caddis in the afternoons is producing rainbow and brown trout to 10 inches.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

Afternoon rains and winds are pushing most fly fishers off the river. In the morning there is a trico hatch that is bringing trout to the surface. Fish with a size 20 female trico parachutes. When the trout quit taking the parachute trico it means they have switched to the trico spinner. The spinners die on the water and offer an easy meal to the trout. By late morning when the trout quit feeding on your trico spinner pattern it’s time to switch to a caddis pattern like X-caddis, elk hair caddis and parachute caddis in size 16 or 18. Looking for a trophy trout use nymphs and streamers in the deep hole, deep runs and cut banks. Fish with size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 zebra and tiger midges, size 10 olive wooly bugger, size 10 olive slumpbuster and size 10 Hornbergs.

Trout are feeding on hatching trico females in the morning and trico spinners.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Early mornings on the canal will produce surface feeding trout as they take female trico parachutes in size 20. When the trout quit taking the parachutes it’s time to switch to a size 20 trico spinner. Afternoon clouds are keeping the sun from heating up fly fishers. Nymphing with size 18 tiger and zebra midges, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears is producing trout to 12 inches.

Fishing the inlet of Bishop Creek into Weir Pond with a dry and dropper is producing wild brown and brook trout.

Bishop Creek Canyon

Weir Pond:

The water in the pond is cold if you are wet wading. Waders makes it much more enjoyable to fish in Weir Pond and the south fork of Bishop Creek. Wild brook trout and brown trout are looking for calories. Fishing with your favorite dry fly will produce lots of fish on the surface. For dry flies use size 16 stimulators, size 16 Adams parachutes, size 16 elk hair caddis and size 16 Royal Wulff’s. For nymphs use size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 Prince nymphs and size 16 zebra and tiger midges.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 08-21-2025

Afternoon showers in the Eastern Sierra are always a relieve to the hot days of summer. This weekend could see summer showers in the higher elevation waters. If you’re day packing or backpacking make sure you have rain gear with you. Seeing a few grasshoppers here and there but not enough concentration to bring the trout to the surface. The trout are feeding on the hatching mayflies, caddisflies and midges. Trico mayflies are showing up and offering early morning dry fly opportunities. Now is the perfect time to fish the freestone creeks draining the canyons of the Eastern Sierra.

Sam Resse is more concerned with figuring out a fly that will produce trout than the afternoon rain in the glass mountains.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

The early morning female trico hatch is bringing the trout to the surface and fly fishers to the Interpretive Site. Get to the river early to get your favorite spot on the creek. Start the morning with a size 22 female trico parachute. When the trout quit taking your parachute it’s time to switch to a size 22 trico spinner pattern. The hatch is offer by late morning and if you want to catch trout on the surface try fishing with a beetle, ant or grasshopper pattern. The trout in Hot Creek spook easily so make sure to land your hoppers on the water softly. Key to successfully fishing the trico hatch is the have the stage of the trico the trout are feeding on and presenting it to the trout with a drag free drift.

Checking the fly for vegetation is a constant battle on Hot Creek in late summer.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

Hot Creek Canyon means fly fishers have to deal with the weed beds. Those anglers that can get their flies to drift in the tiny channels between the weed beds will be rewarded with wild brown and rainbow trout and little competition from other fly fishers. Start the morning off with a dry and dropper rig. Use a size 16 Adams parachute on top and size 18 olive quilldigon on three feet of 5X fluorocarbon tippet. When the trout are consistently feeding on the surface switch to a three foot 6X monofilament tippet with a size 22 female trico parachute. When the trout quit taking your parachute it’s time to switch to a size 22 trico spinner pattern. Any movement in the Adams parachute or any rise within three feet of the Adams set the hook. When the hatch is over put your fluorocarbon tippet with the olive quilldigon back on. Fishing terrestrials like ants, beetles and hoopers in the afternoons is a way to get a few more trout to rise to the surface.

Looking for trout in a deep hole in the Owens River on a summer day.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

Be on the river in the morning for the trico hatch. The resident and juvenile rainbows and browns are feeding heavily in the morning on the hatching female tricos. Start the morning with a size 22 female trico parachute. When the trout quit taking your parachute it’s time to switch to a size 22 trico spinner pattern. Nymphing in the deeper holes and runs is producing a few trophy trout to 18 inches on stoner nymphs in size 12, copper Johns in size 14, bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear nymphs in size 16, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs in size 18 and zebra and tiger midges in size 16. Olive slumpbusters in size 10, olive wooly buggers in size 10 and size 10 Hornberg’s stripped through the deeper holes and deep runs is producing wild rainbows and browns.

End of summer is when stream side vegetation is at full growth on Bishop Creek Canal.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Early mornings is a good time to be on the creek. Look for the trico hatch starting around 8:00 A.M. and finishing up by 9:30. This hatch is finicky so if it does not come off nymph with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and size 16 zebra and tiger midges. Afternoon clouds keeps fly fishers out of the sun and nymphing is producing wild browns and stocked rainbows.

Finding places to cast through the stream side vegetation of Bishop Creek is classic bush whacking fly fishing.

Bishop Creek Canyon

Middle Fork of Bishop Creek:

Late summer is the perfect time to be fishing a dry and dropper rig in the forks of Bishop Creek. Work your dry and dropper rig in the pools and pockets. Use a size 16 Adams parachute, size 16 elk hair caddis, size 16 Royal Wulff and size 16 stimulator on the surface. For the nymphs use a size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear, size 16 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph and size 16 zebra and tiger midges.

Sierra Bright Dot F;y Fishing Report 08-14-2025

The heat of summer is here and missing is grasshoppers. There are a few waters that are producing fish for fly fishers throwing grasshopper patterns in the late afternoon winds. Mayflies, caddis and midges are the insects that fly fishers should be imitating as these are the insects the trout are feeding on. While fly fishers are concentrating on the classic fly fishing waters don’t forget about the opportunities that exist on all of the freestone creeks that drain the canyons of the Eastern Sierra.

Freestone creeks are a perfect getaway from the heat of the Owens Valley and fishing with a stimulator and tiger midge produce wild brown and brook trout.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

The morning hatch is from trico mayflies. Late the night before or at first light on the morning of, the male trico’s hatch. In the morning around 8:30 the female trico’s hatch and this is the hatch that fly fishers want to be on the water for. Be on the water by 8:30 rigged with a size 22 female trico dun parachute or size 22 sparkle trico dun. Cast your fly upstream of rising fish by two or three feet. A drag free drift on 6X tippet is what is needed to fool the finicky wild trout of Hot Creek. At some point in your morning fly fishing the trout will stop taking your parachute. It’s time to switch to a size 22 trico spinner pattern. The trico spinners are dead on the water and the trout know that. The trout can slurp up the dead spinners without them flying off. By late morning the hatch of trico’s is over and so it the dry fly fishing. If you want to keep fishing try using an ant, beetle or hopper pattern. It takes lots of drifts to get a fish to come to the surface for a terrestrial. Present your terrestrial patterns gently on the water as to not spook trout.

Julie Faber from Bishop enjoying the morning trico hatch on the Interpretive site of Hot Creek fishing with a trico spinner pattern.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

It’s interesting to observe the changes in fly fishing behavior of Hot Creek over the years. It the 1980’s and 1990’s few fly fishers fished the Interpretive Site of Hot Creek because it was too hard to get the fish to take dry flies. Now adays it’s the Hot Creek Canyon that fly fishers are avoiding because it’s too hard to fly fish in between the weed beds. Hot Creek is a technical spring creek that is rated as the easiest to fly fish hard water in the Eastern Sierra. This area requires pinpoint accurate casts to get short drifts in the tiny lanes between the weed beds. Drifting the dry fly that represents the stage of the insect the trout are feeding on is what will produce trout in the canyon. Start the morning early in the canyon with a size 22 female trico parachute and size 22 sparkle duns. Once the trout quit taking your female trico parachute switch to a size 22 trico spinner pattern. Once the hatch is over try nymphing the deeper holes, pockets and waters without weeds with size 22 olive quilldigons, size 20 pheasant tail nymphs, size 22 tiger and zebra midges. Hot Creek Canyon has a few hoppers flying around and fly fishing a hopper pattern in the afternoon wind will produce a few trout.

Nymphing in the mornings in the pockets and pools of the upper Owens River with pheasant tail nymphs and gold ribbed hare’s ears is producing eight to 18 inch wild browns and rainbow trout..

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

Afternoon winds and hot temperatures is making it hard to fly fish the upper Owens River in the afternoons. Fly fishers need to be on the river early to take advantage of the trout feeding on nymphs in the pockets and deep holes. Nymphing with an indicator or Euro rod with size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quildigons and size 12 stoner nymphs are producing eight to 18 inch wild rainbows and browns. Mid-afternoon winds makes dry fly fishing tough. With few to no grasshoppers around fishing with size 16 elk hair caddis, size 18 Adams parachutes and size 16 stimulators is brining a few six to 12 inch trout to the surface. Throwing olive slumpbusters in size 10, olive wooly buggers in size 10 and size 10 Hornberg’s is producing a few fish in the morning for those fly fishers pulling streamers.

Afternoon clouds are cooling off the fly fisher making nymphing in the afternoons productive for wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Afternoon clouds have been cooling off fly fishers and nymphing or drifting dry flies is producing a few wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout. Fly fishers getting on the canal early are finding wild trout willing to take size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 14 tan scuds with dark olive backs and size 18 zebra and tiger midges. On the surface use a size 16 Adams parachute, size 16 elk hair caddis and size 16 stimulator.

Walking the banks of Bishop Creek through the vegetation and seeing a pool that allows an overhead cast with a dry and dropper rig is the essence of fishing the creek.

Bishop Creek Canyon

Middle Fork of Bishop Creek:

Now is the perfect time to be fly fishing in Bishop Creel Canyon. Being able to bush whack along the trails of the creek looking for those spots to cast a fly to without getting tangled is a great way to fly fish free stone creeks. Pocket water and pools are where the wild brown and brook trout are hanging out looking for a meal to float by. The stream does not produce enough calories for the trout so they are constantly looking up on the surface for a meal. This is the perfect situation to fish a dry and dropper rig. For dry flies fish your favorite dry fly as you will fish it with more confidence. For confidence dry flies try fishing with size 16 stimulators, size 16 Adams parachutes, size 16 elk hair caddis and size 16 Royal Wulff’s. For the nymphs fish with size 18 zebra and tiger midges, size 16 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and size 16 Prince nymphs. For the dry and dropper rig fish the nymph on a tippet of 5X fluorocarbon equal to 1.5 to 2 times the average depth of water tied to the bend of the dry fly. Four feet is the maximum length tippet to fish the dropper with as it tangles up too easy if it’s long. Fishing on Bishop Creek in the afternoon is a great way to beat the heat in the Owens Valley.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 08-07-2025

Summer is about to turn to fall. Now is the time to get in that last fly fishing trip of summer. With a cool period behind us the Eastern Sierra is heating up again. Fly fishing in the mornings avoids the heat of day and the ever present afternoon winds. Mayflies, caddis flies and midges are the insects the trout are feeding on. If you are on the right water in the afternoon winds there are grasshoppers being blown onto the water offering Eastern Sierra trout a large meal.

Grasshoppers are showing up on some waters, but not all waters in the Eastern Sierra. Mosquitoes have not been bad this year so far.

A dry and dropper rig like a stimulator and tiger midge is the perfect way to fish the freestone streams draining the Eastern Sierra from Lone Pine to Bridgeport.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

Early morning dry fly activity is what you will find at Hot Creek Interpretive Site. The day starts off with the hatching of the female trico dun. Imitate the female trico dun with a parachute female trico dun in size 22. As the trico mayflies reproduce they will die on the water and the trout will begin to feed on the trico spinners. Use a size 22 trico spinner an hour plus into the hatch or when the trout quit feeding on your trico parachute patterns. Overlapping or right after the trico hatch look for the caddis migration. The caddis are bad fliers and crash onto the water frequently. Use a size 20 gray elk hair caddis or size 20 gray parachute caddis. Fly fishing slows down once the trico hatch is over. After 11:00 A.M. try throwing a hopper pattern, beetle pattern or an ant pattern.

Sam Reese from Complete changing flies tell he finds the pattern that represents the stage of the insects the trout are feeding on.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

While the weed beds of the canyon are intimating to some fly fishers it offers good dry fly and fair nymphing opportunities right now. The key to success it to get a drift in the tiny lanes between the weeds. For fishing a dry fly learning to cast a light long tippet, up to six feet of 6X monofilament, and pile it in the lane between the weeds. This allows the fly to drift without any drag for three to six feet. This technique takes lots of practice. Nymphing in the morning with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 16 bead head flash back gold  ribbed hare’s ears is producing wild browns and rainbows. For dry flies use size 22 female trico parachutes, size 22 trico spinners, size 20 gray parachute caddis and size 20 blue wing olive parachutes. Try fishing size 12 parachute hoopers and size 12 Dave’s hoppers by landing them softly on the water so as not to spook the trout in the afternoon winds.

Working nymphs on the substrate of the upper Owens River is producing trout before the afternoon winds show up.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

Afternoon winds have been blowing off the few pale morning duns that have been hatching middle of the day. Nymphing with size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 16 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 18 olive quilldigons in the morning is producing eight to 14 inch wild brown and rainbow trout. There are not enough hoppers around or being blown into the water to get the trout to come to the surface for a hopper pattern fished in the windy afternoons. Fishing with a size 16 Adams parachutes, size 16 elk hair caddis and size 16 stimulators will bring a few of the resident rainbows and browns to the surface. Key to success is to cover lots of water, get a drag free drift and don’t stand on top of the fish you are trying to catch.

With the temperatures in the Owens Valley heating up the best time to fish Bishop Creek Canal is in the mornings.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Mornings before 10:00 A.M. are offering fly fishers nymphing the best opportunities to catch wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout. Use a size 14 tan scud with a dark olive back, a size 18 tiger or zebra midge, size 18 olive quilldigon and size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph. Fishing a hopper and dropper is a great way to fish the nymphs and get a few trout to come to the surface for the hopper.

Middle fork of Bishop Creek is offering good fly fishing with a dry and dropper rig cast to the pockets and pools in the creek.

Bishop Creek Canyon

Middle Fork of Bishop Creek:

Clear water and perfect flows makes fly fishing in Bishop Creek a great spot to fish particularly in the afternoons when the Owens Valley heats up. This is classic bush whacking fly fishing. Work the trails along the creek looking for the spots that you can sneak up on and dabble a fly or make an over head cast. A dry and dropper is a great rig to fish in the creek. Use a size 16 Adams parachute, size 16 elk hair caddis, size 16 royal Wulff and size 16 stimulator for the dry fly. These are all high visible flies that are easy for the fly fisher to see. Use size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear and size 16 tiger and zebra midges on three feet of 5X fluorocarbon tipper attached to the bend of the dry fly.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 07-31-2025

It’s hard to believe summer will be over in a month. Kids go back to school starting around August 14th depending on the school district. So now is the time to get in that last minute fly fishing trip to the Eastern Sierra. What started off with a heat wave as given way to nice summer days particularly at upper elevation waters. While early and late in the day is the best time to be on the water fly fishing, mid-day has been producing fish in the right waters particularly at upper elevations. Mayflies, caddis flies and midges are the hatching insects the trout are feeding on. Grasshoppers are showing up on some waters, but not all waters in the Eastern Sierra. Mosquitoes have not been bad this year so far.

With summer coming to an end real quick, especially for those with school aged kids, it’s time to get in one last summer fly fishing trip on the waters of the Eastern Sierra like the upper Owens River.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

Hot Creek Interpretive Site is offering the best dry fly opportunities in the Eastern Sierra right now. Mornings start off with the hatching female tricos. Followed by the trico spinner fall. Migrating caddis are offering sporadic opportunities for trout feeding on the caddis that crash on the surface of the creek. Pale morning dun mayflies and blue wing olive mayflies round out the morning hatches on the creek. Fish with size 22 trico female parachutes, size 22 trico spinners, size 18 pale morning dun parachutes, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes and size 20 parachute caddis in gray. Succes on Hot Creeks comes from delivering the fly gently on the water. Getting a drag free drift and fishing the fly pattern that represents the stage of the insect that the trout are feeding on.

Sneaking up on the trout in Hot Creek Interpretive site and making a gentle presentation is how you fool the finicky trout of Hot Creek Interpretive Site.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

In the middle of summer is when the weed beds are at full growth making it hard for fly fishers to get a drag free drift with their dry flies and nymphs. Learning to drift in the narrow lanes between the weed beds is how successful fly fishers fish Hot Creek in the summer. Concentrate on the open areas in an around the weed beds for easier spots to fish. A dry and dropper rig is perfect for mid-summer fly fishing in Hot Creek Canyon. For the nymphs fish with size 16 and 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears. For the dry fly use size 16 stimulators, size 16 Adams parachutes and size 12 chubby Chernobyl’s. There are decent numbers of hoppers moving around stream side. Use size 12 parachute hoppers, size 12 Fat Alberts and size 12 Dave’s hopper. Do not splat your hopper imitation on the water as the Hot Creek trout spook easy. Proper presentation of a hopper on Hot Creek is to land it gently on the water.

Afternoons on the upper Owens should be hopper season, but the hoppers just are not showing up in numbers to get the fish feeding on hoppers in the afternoon.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

Flows on the upper Owens River have subsided and cleared up. There are not enough hoppers in the meadow around the upper Owens River to get the trout to come to the surface to feed on hopper imitations. An Adams parachute in size 16, a size 16 pale morning dun parachute, size 16 stimulator and a size 18 elk hair caddis will produce more surface action in the afternoon winds. Nymphing with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and size 18 tiger and zebra midges is producing trout all day. The key to nymphing in the upper Owens River is to work your flies right on the substrate. To do this you need to have the right combination of weighted flies or add weight to your tippets. Mosquitoes are around particularly when the clouds cover the sun in late afternoon.

Afternoon winds are pushing a few hoppers into the canal and the trout are keying in on the struggling hoppers.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Early mornings and late afternoons are the most productive time to be on Bishop Creek Canal fly fishing. Late afternoon is a good time to try a hopper pattern like a size 12 parachute hopper, size 12 Dave’s hopper and size 14 stimulator. Dropping a nymph of the hopper on three feet of 3X fluorocarbon with a size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear, size 18 tiger midge and size 14 scud will pick up the nymph eating trout.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 07-24-2025

It’s summer time in the Eastern Sierra. Fly fishers are fishing at or above 8,000 feet to avoid the heat in the Owens Valley. Occasional summer rain showers are cooling of fly fishers. This time of the year the best fly fishing is early and late in the day when insects are the most active. Mayflies, caddisflies and midges are providing the food trout are feeding on. Afternoon winds keep the mosquitoes at bay and cool of fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra. If you can’t cast in the wind afternoons are not to be spent on the water. This is supposed to be hopper time in the Eastern Sierra. A few waters have a few hoppers landing on the water and trout feeding on them.

Summer is a great time in the Eastern Sierra to learn how to fly fish like the Snider family using their newly learned fly fishing skills on Glacier Pond..

Owens River Gorge:

With temperatures dropping just below average temperatures for this time of year it makes hiking in and out of the Owens River Gorge more reasonable. It’s still hot in the gorge and fly fishers should carry lots of water for the hike in and out of the gorge. This is the perfect time to be fly fishing with a dry and dropper rig and wet wading in the river. There is lots of streamside rose bushes and stinging nettles to be avoided. Easiest way to avoid these bushes is to wade right up the center of the river. Scouting up river before your start wading will let the fly fisher know if there is an out or they have to back track down river to the put in spot. For the dry fly in the dry and dropper rig use size 12 Chermobyl ants, size 16 elk hair caddis, size 16 stimulators and size 16 Adams parachutes which are high visible and high floatable patterns. Size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 zebra midge and size 18 tiger midges are the nymphs to use in the dry and dropper rig in the Owens River Gorge.

Ryan showing off her mom Christine’s wild brown trout for Owens River Gorge.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

The Interpretive Site is getting lots of fly fishing pressure. Be on the creek by 8:30 A.M. to catch the morning trico action. As the trico action subsides look for blue wing olive mayflies and a smattering of pale morning dun mayflies scattered in with the blue wing olives. Start the morning fishing with size 22 female trico parachutes. Then switch to a size 22 trico spinner for the trico spinner fall. Next up is a size 20 blue wing olive parachute and size 20 blue wing olive sparkle dun. Have a few pale morning dun parachutes or pale morning dun sparkle duns to fish if the trout start keying in on the hatching pale morning duns. After a lunch break and siesta head back to the creek in the evening looking for the caddis hatch and the male trico hatch. For evening fly fishing fish with size 20 gray elk hair caddis, size 20 gray parachute caddis and size 22 male trico parachutes.

To fly fish Hot Creek in the summer time is to know how to drift your flies without getting hung up in the ever present weed beds.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

Full growth weed beds makes fly fishers target the few spots in the creek without weeds. A dry and dropper rig is good for the areas with little to no weed beds. For the areas with trout feeding in concentrated weed beds use a dry fly. For the dry fly in the dry and dropper rig use a size 12 parachute hopper, size 12 chubby Chernobyl, size 12 fat Albert, size 16 stimulator and size 16 Adams parachute. For the nymphs use a size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear and size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymph. For dry flies use size 20 Adams parachutes, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 22 female parachute tricos, size 16 pale morning dun parachutes and size 16 pale morning dun sparkle duns. When fishing with hoppers on Hot Creek be sure to land them softly on the water. If the hopper pattern splats it will spook trout.

Sometimes you just need to sit next to the river and enjoy it as it passes by you.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

Hot day time temperatures is forcing fly fishers to fish early in the morning and late in the day. A mid-day pale morning dun hatch is being blown off the water and ending any chance of a mid-day dry fly session. Hoppers have not shown up yet. Try using a hopper in the late afternoon winds. Cast the hoppers directly into the wind as this is where the naturals will be blown on to the river. Early morning nymphing with size 20 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and size 18 tiger midges is fooling a few wild rainbows and brown trout. Fishing with size 16 elk hair caddis, size 16 stimulators and size 18 Adams parachutes is producing a few trout in the evenings. Low light times is mosquito time and be sure to carry insect repellant.

Sometime you need to change it up and fish Bishop Creek from the other side.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Mid-day fly fishing on Bishop Creek Canal has come to a stop. Perseverance with a nymph is producing a few trout when fished under an indicator or with a Euro rig. Best canal fishing is sunrise to 9:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. to dark. The fish are taking both dries and nymphs. For dries fish with size 16 elk hair caddis, size 18 Adams parachutes and size 16 stimulators. For nymphs fish with size 18 tiger midges, size 18 zebra midges, size 18 olive quilldigons and size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 07-17-2024

It’s hot in the Owens Valley and time to head up into the Eastern Sierra in search of cooler temperatures and waters filled with trout feeding on insect fly fishers can imitate with their flies. Winds are typical for this time of year and if fly fishers want to avoid the winds they will need to be on the waters before early afternoon when the winds come up every day. Midges are most prevalent this time of the year in the still waters of the Eastern Sierra. Particularly in those lakes that require a hike to fly fish the shores of backcountry lakes. Mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies are hatching and feeding the wild trout that inhabit the waters of the Eastern Sierra. Be sure to have insect repellant handy as it is mosquito season.

Escaping the heat of the Owens Valley by heading up to high alpine waters to fly fish is a great way to spend a day fishing in the Eastern Sierra.

Owens River Gorge:

It was 104 at the base of the grade when I drove home from the upper Owens River. If you’re headed into the gorge be aware of the heat if you’re planning on hiking out in the early afternoon. Right not it’s best to head into the gorge early and get out before the heat intensifies. This is prime water for wet wading and fishing with a dry and dropper rig. For the nymphs fish with size 18 tiger midges, size 18 zebra midges, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16  bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs. For the dry flies use high visible and high floatable patterns like stimulators in size 16, Adams parachutes in size 16, elk hair caddis in size 16 and Chernobyl ants in size 12. Wet wading allows fly fishers to cover a lot of water and avoid the thickets of stinging nettles and rose bushes lining the banks. If you want to learn how to fly fish the Owens River Gorge book a trip with Sierra Bright Dot guide Richard Lancaster who is on the water almost evert week during the summer months. Don’t get caught down in the gorge in summer time with not enough water.

Wet wading in the Owens River Gorge is a great way to spend a morning fly fishing for wild brown trout.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

Hot Creek Interpretive site provides the most consistent dry fly hatches in the Eastern Sierra. The mornings start with the trico hatch. Start fishing with a size 22 trico female parachute. Then switch to a size 22 trico spinner to imitate the trico spinner fall. The upstream caddis migration is a time for caddis to crash on the water and the trout are just waiting to slurp up any caddis that lands on the water. Fish with a size 20 gray elk hair caddis and gray parachute caddis. After the caddis migration look for the mayfly hatches. There is a good blue wing olive hatch and look for pale morning duns scattered among the blue wing olive hatch. Fish with size 16 pale morning dun parachutes, size 16 pale morning dun sparkle duns, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes and size 20 blue wing olive sparkle duns. If you are on the creek in the evening look for hatches of male tricos and caddis.

Weed beds in the canyon is making a drag free drift tough with nymphs and dry flies..

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

Weed beds in the canyon section are at full growth making it hard for fly fishers nymphing to get a drag free drift. Fishing with dry flies allow the flies to float over the weed beds with little snagging of the weeds. Key to success is to float your dry fly in the tiny lanes between the weed beds. It’s a tough drift to get, but it can be done. Size 22 female trico parachutes, size 22 trico spinners, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 gray elk hair caddis and size 20 gray parachute caddis are fooling the wild trout that are feeding on caddis and mayflies in the mornings to early afternoons.

Afternoon rain showers cool off fly fishers plying the waters of the upper Owens River in the afternoon.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

The Eastern Sierra heat wave has slowed down the fly fishing on the upper Owens River. Fly fishers who know how to drift their nymphs and dry flies with no drag are catching a few trout in the morning. There are a few 14 to 20 inch rainbows and browns that are feeding on nymphs in the mornings in the deep holes and runs. Use size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph and size 12 stoner nymphs. The resident rainbow and brown trout have not showed up in the numbers expected. Use size 16 elk hair caddis, size 16 Adams parachutes, size 16 pale morning dun parachutes and size 18 blue wing olive parachutes for the trout feeding on the surface middle of the day. Nymphing for the resident trout use size 16 SOS nymphs, size 18 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 20 blood midges, size 20 zebra midges and size 20 tiger midges.

Bishop Creek Canal is a great place to practice roll cast, water load casts and presenting the flies gently onto the water’s surface.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Mid-day heat has slowed down the fishing middle of the day on Bishop Creek Canal. Fish the canal in the mornings tell 11:00 A.M. at the latest. There is a midge hatch and mayfly hatch bringing the trout to the surface. Fish with size 16 elk hair caddis, size 18 pale morning duns and size 18 Adams parachutes. Size 12 stoner nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 18 tiger midges fished  under an indicator or a Euro rig is fooling wild brown trout and hatchery rainbows.

High flows, cold water and bush whacking through the stream side vegetation makes Bishop Creek a tough spot to fly fish for novices.

Bishop Creek Canyon

Weir Pond:

With all the heat in the Owens Valley it’s time to head up Bishop Canyon and find a place to fish a dry and dropper rig for wild brown trout, rainbows and brook trout. One of the best fly fishing spots in the canyon is below South Lake at Weir Pond. It’s too cold to wet wade so using waders and wool socks will keep the feet warm. For dry flies fish with size 16 elk hair caddis, size 16 royal Wulff’s, size 16 Adams Parachutes and size 16 stimulators. Nymph fish with size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 18 tiger midges. Fish these flies individually or in combination as a dry and dropper rig.

Glacier Lodge Pond is a great spot to learn how to fly fish with a dry and dropper rig as rainbows are cruising around the crystal clear water looking for things to eat.

Big Pine Creek

Glacier Lodge Pond:

New fly fishers looking for a spot to get out of the heat of the Owens Valley and catch a few trout will find the pond at Glacier lodge the perfect place for a new fly fisher to learn how to catch trout on flies. This pond is designed for kids to learn to fish. For fly fishers using the pond practice catch and release to allow other anglers to catch the trout from the pond. A dry and dropper rig is the perfect way to fish the pond. For the dry fly try a size 16 Adams parachute. For the nymph try a size 18 tiger midge. Use two to three feet of 5X fluorocarbon tippet tied to the bend of the dry fly. This is a great place to learn to cast the flies on the water with a soft presentation. Learning when the trout takes your nymph is accomplished by watching for movement in the dry fly. Cruising trout allows the new fly fisher to determine what is working and what is spooking the trout.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 07-10-2025

Summer is definitely here as temperatures in the Owens Valley are expected to break the 100 degree mark by early next week. With the hot temperatures comes the afternoon winds. Now is the time to head up in elevation to find cooler weather. One of the advantages to the Eastern Sierra is the ability to change elevation locations to find the weather and temperatures to the fly fishers liking. Hatches of stoneflies, mayflies and caddis flies are fueling the feeding trout on the substrate and on the surface. Midges continue to be the insect the trout are feeding on in the lakes. Backcountry waters are open to hikers looking to fly fish away from the beaten path. Be sure to have insect repellant handy as it is mosquito season.

Float tubers are taking advantage of the cool water and cooler air temperatures at the higher elevation on Intake Two on a hot July day in the Eastern Sierra.

Owens River Gorge:

Morning to early afternoons is the perfect time to be fly fishing in the Owens River Gorge. This is perfect water to fish a dry and dropper rig and wet wade. Easiest access to the gorge is at the middle or upper Gorge Power Plant Roads. Park your vehicle at the parking areas off the gated paved road and walk into the gorge. Bring plenty of water for fishing and the hike out. There are extensive stands of stinging nettle to be avoided. Watch for rattle snakes. For the dry fly fish with high visibility and high floating dry flies like stimulators, Adams parachutes, elk hair caddis and Chernobyl ants. Size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear nymph, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph and size 18 olive quilldigon.

The easiest way to fly fish in the Owens River Gorge is to get in the river and wade upstream casting a dry and dropper rig in the pools and pocket waters.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

Consistent morning hatches are bringing the trout to the surface and the fly fishers flocking to the creek. The morning hatches start with the hatching of the female trico. This is followed by the caddis migration. During the migration caddis that crash onto the water’s surface do not last long as the trout know an easy meal for them. Next comes the blue wing olive and pale morning dun hatch. Key to success is fishing with long leaders, light tippets 6X and 7X and a drag free drift. Start out with size 22 female trico parachutes, size 20 gray caddis parachutes and size 22 trico spinners. When these flies quit producing switch to size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 blue wing olive sparkle duns and if you see pale morning duns on the water use a size 16 pale morning dun parachute.

Fly fishers are taking advantage of the hatching mayflies and caddis by fishing dry flies in the and around the weed beds in Hot Creek Canyon.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

Summer time in Hot Creek Canyon is pretty much limited to dry fly fishing as it’s tough to get a nymph to drift in the tiny lanes between the weed beds. While most fly fishers want their flies to drift next to the far bank, they forget to drift their flies next to the bank they are standing on. This is a great place to drift a dry fly during the mayfly hatches. If you are willing to wrangle you nymphs through the weed beds a size 20 gray La Fontaine’s caddis emerger, size 12 stoner nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, and size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs will produce trout during the hatch. Dry flies can be floated in the tiny lanes between the weeds and if they float over the weeds they’re less likely to snag. Fish with, size 20 gray parachute caddis, size 20 gray elk hair caddis, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 22 trico spinners and size 22 female trico parachutes to fool the wild brown and rainbow trout of Hot Creek Canyon.

Nymphing in the mornings is producing some nice sized rainbow and brown trout with size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

With afternoon winds coming up between noon and 1:00 P.M. each day mornings are providing the best fly fishing opportunities. Nymphing the deep holes with size 12 stoner nymphs, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears is producing rainbow and brown trout to 18 inches. Resident rainbow and brown trout to 12 inches are feeding on mayflies and caddis flies. Nymphing with size 20 tiger midges, size 20 zebra midges, size 20 blood midges, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs and size 16 SOS nymphs is fooling the juvenile trout. On the surface late morning and early afternoons before the winds come up fish with size 16 elk hair caddis, size 16 Adams parachutes, size 16 pale morning dun parachutes and size 16 stimulators.

Early morning midge hatches and late evening ovipositing caddis are bringing the trout to the surface.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

Afternoons are hot and windy and few trout are feeding. Best fly fishing opportunities are in the early mornings and late evenings. There is a caddis ovipositing event in the evenings when the sun goes behind the Sierra Mountain. A size 16 elk hair caddis skittered across the stream and up the near bank will produce hard hitting brown trout to 14 inches. Be sure to use lots of insect repellant to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Nymphing in the mornings before 10:00 A.M. is producing trout with size 18 tiger midges, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs,  size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons and size 12 stoner nymphs.

Mike Camarena showing off a brook trout that took his size 18 elk hair caddis on Weir Pond on the south fork of Bishop Creek.

Bishop Creek Canyon

Weir Pond:

For fly fishers looking to beat the heat in the Owens Valley going up to 8,000 to 9,000 feet will give air temperatures 15 degrees cooler and offer cold water to fish in. Weir Pond on the south fork of Bishop Creek is a great spot for catching wild brown trout and brook trout on a dry fly or dry and dropper rig. Wet wading is cold and waders will keep you warmer. The trout are taking size 16 Adams Parachutes, size 16 royal Wulff’s and size 16 elk hair caddis on the surface. For nymphs use size 18 tiger midges, size 18 zebra midges, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears.