March is the start of spring in the Eastern Sierra. April and May are quite often cold and windy. Right now days are warm and shorts are coming out of the closet. With the warmer weather is coming hatches of mayflies, caddis flies and midges mid-day to early afternoon. Dirt roads are muddy from the melting snow and drying out with the heat. March is the time to come up and fly fish in the Eastern Sierra.
Snow in the mountains and warm sunny days in the Owens Valley makes March the perfect time to be fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
March is the time for fly fishers to invade the lower Owens River. This past weekend saw the Sierra Pacific Fly Fishers bring 30 new fly fishers to the lower Owens River for their annual Introduction to Fly Fishing Graduation Outing. The students had a great time and many of them landed trout on dry flies and nymphs. Adding to the numbers of fly fishers on the river was the Long Beach Fly Fishing Club. Where you could find water to fish the trout were feeding on caddis and blue wing olive mayflies. On the substrate the trout were taking size 18 Frenchie’s, size 18 soft hackle pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 gold ribbed hare’s ear, size 18 La Fontaine’s caddis emergers, size 16 Duracell’s and size 16 Butano nymphs. On the surface the trout are feeding on size 18 elk hair caddis, size 18 E/C caddis, size 18 foam caddis, size 18 X-Caddis, size 18 olive sparkle duns, size 18 Adams parachutes and size 18 blue wing olive parachutes.
Fishing in the lower Owens River with nymphs and dries is producing wild rainbows and brown trout to 16 inches.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
With a week’s worth of sunshine and warmth the road into Hot Creek Interpretive Site is drivable. Mid-morning hatches of midges and mayflies are bringing the trout to the surface. Fish with size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 olive sparkle duns, size 20 Adams parachutes, size 20 Griffith’s gnats and size 20 CDC midges. Key to success is to cast to rising trout and time the drift of your fly to coincide with the rhythm of the feeding trout.
A week ago the road into the canyon section of hot Creek was questionable to drive and now with the heat you can drive out to the parking areas accessing the canyon of Hot Creek.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
Quickly the snow is disappearing and the road to the canyon section of Hot Creek is now drivable. This is the time of year when the weed beds are at their smallest and it’s possible to fish nymphs in the canyon section. Fishing in the open water sections and the holes next to the weed beds is where you will find the trout feeding on midge and mayfly nymphs. Fish with a dry and dropper or a Euro nymph rig with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 soft hackle pheasant tail nymphs, size 20 green/gold brassie, size 20 soft hackle brassie and size 20 thread midges in tiger and zebra coloration to fool the wild trout.
And just like that the snow on the upper Owens River is gone and trophy trout are still taking nymphs.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The warm weather is drying out the dirt roads up river of Benton Crossing Bridge. Mud is no fun to get stuck in, so drive with caution. Trophy rainbow trout are still in the river and are resting and feeding in the deep holes, deep runs and cut banks. Using the right amount of weight and getting the flies down on the substrate and thoroughly covering the water is what will produce trophy trout. Fish with size 12 stoner nymphs, size 14 copper John’s, size 12 green/gold wire Prince nymphs, size 12 Richard’s version of a gold ribbed hare’s ear, size 12 squirmy wormies and size 14 tungsten tacos to fool the trophy rainbow trout.
Mid-day hatches of blue wing olive mayflies have the trout feeding on the surface.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
It’s been T-shirt and shorts weather in the Owens Valley during the day. Blue wing olive mayflies are hatching mid-day and the wild rainbows and brown trout are coming to the surface for the hatching blue wing olive mayfly duns. Fish with a size 18 blue wing olive parachute, size 18 olive sparkle dun and size 18 Adams parachute. Key to success is targeting specific rising trout. Getting a drag free drift is what will produce the takes from the surface feeding trout.