The warm fall has come to an end. Christmas in the Sierra this year is a white one. Getting snow and lots more on the way. Looks like it will be cross country skis, snowshoes and snowmobiles to access the waters of Long Valley. Owens Valley is getting lots of rain. Dirt roads in the Owens Valley will be muddy for a week or two until they dry out. Midges and mayflies are the insects the trout are feeding on particularly the larval form of these insects. For those wishing for a white Christmas your gift has been delivered. Merry Christmas from Sierra Bright Dot.
For those that wished for a white Christmas you got your wish. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years from Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Guide Service.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Trout continue to feed on mayfly, stonefly and midge nymphs. Working the tell end of the riffle as it dumps into the run is where you will find the trout feeding on nymph patterns. Fish with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 16 Duracell’s, size 12 stoner nymphs, size 18 green/gold wire brassies and size 18 tiger and zebra midges. If you’re in the right spot middle of the day you will see trout rising. Switch to a size 18 blue wing olive parachute, size 18 Adams parachute, size 18 olive sparkle dun, size 20 Griffth’s gnats and size 20 CDC midges. Key to success is getting into the river and wading upstream working your nymphs and dries up and across and thoroughly covering the water before moving up stream about 10 feet to thoroughly cover the water as you fish upstream.
Wild brown trout to 14 inches is what fly fishers are catching in the lower Owens River in December when nymphing.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Snow in feet is filling the banks of Hot Creek. Come Saturday it will be time to count the total snow fall in feet from the Christmas storm. Access to Hot Creek will be limited to fly fishers willing to snow shoe or cross country ski into the Interpretive site from the paved Hot Creek Hatchery Road. For those willing to access the Interpretive Site nymphing and dry flies are producing wild rainbow and brown trout from six to 14 inches. For dry flies use size 20 Adams parachutes, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 olive sparkle duns, size 20 CDC midges and size 20 Griffth’s gnats. For nymphs use size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 20 green/gold brassies and size 20 tiger and zebra thread midges
Before the Christmas storm Hot Creek Interpretive Site was accessible by vehicle and foot.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
The Canyon Section of Hot Creek will need some warmer weather to open up access to the creek. For those willing to make the trek to get into Hot Creek Canyon you will be rewarded with few to no fly fishers. The weeds are slowly dying off making it easier to fish nymphs in the canyon section. If you see consistent rising fish throw a size 20 blue wing olive parachute, size 20 Adams parachute, size 20 olive sparkle dun, size 20 CDC midge, size 20 Adams bastard midge and size 20 Griffiths gnat. For the nymphs use size 20 pheasant tail emerger, size 18 olive quilldigon, size 20 green/gold brassies and size 20 thread midges in zebra and tiger coloration.
Its been a great fall on the upper Owens River, but now winter is here and the access is limited due to the accumulation of snow.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Right up to the day before the storm hit the Eastern Sierra trophy rainbow trout were taking flies presented on a Euro rig or under an indicator. The trout were taking size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs, size 12 gold ribbed hare’s ears and size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs. Egg patterns, worms and mop flies have been the patterns the trophy trout have been keying in on. A peach size 14 tungsten taco was the egg pattern that was producing all of the trophy trout. With the amounts of snow left on the ground by the Christmas snow storm fly fishers will need cross country skis, snow shoes or snowmobiles to access the upper Owens River deep holes, deep runs and cut banks upstream of Benton Crossing Bridge.
Bishop Creek Canal will be off color for a few days due to the amount of rain runoff that is flowing through the canal.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
Nymphing before the storm with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 green/gold brassies, size 12 stoner nymphs and size 18 thread midges in zebra and tiger colorations. It will take a few days for the runoff from the storm to move through the canal. This run off has the canal slightly higher than its been and off color. Once the canal clears up the fishing will pick back up for fly fishers nymphing with a Euro rig or under an indicator.