As we head into September and Labor Day the heat of August continues. A voluntary Hoot Owl restriction is in place for catch and release fishing on several Eastern Sierra waters including Crowley Lake, upper Owens River, lower Owens River, Bishop Creek Canal, Bridgeport Reservoir and East Walker River. Carry a thermometer and take the temperature for the water you are fishing. Hatches of mayflies, caddisflies and midges are feeding trout on the surface and on the substrate. Grass hoppers can be found in the vegetation and meadows around the waters in the Eastern Sierra. Some of the hopper waters are too hot in the afternoons to fish hopper patterns. Creeks in the Long Valley area are worth fishing in the afternoon winds with hopper patterns on creeks whose water temperatures are under 68 degrees.
Fall float tubing is quickly approaching on Crowley Lake as we head into the best fly fishing time in the Eastern Sierra, the 15th of September through the 15th of October.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Mornings and cloudy afternoons are offering good fly fishing on the upper Owens River with mayflies and caddis flies. In the mornings fish with size 16 Adams parachutes, size 18 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 female dun trico parachutes, size 16 elk hair caddis, size 16 EC caddis and size 16 parachute caddis. Before and after the hatches nymph with size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 tiger midges and size 18 zebra midges. Fly fishers pulling streamers an hour before sunset and an hour before sunrise are taking trophy rainbows and browns. Fish with size 10 wooly buggers, size 10 slumpbusters, size 6 sclupzilla and size 10 muddler minnows to fool the trophy trout. Hoot owl voluntary regulations are still in effect. Watch the temperature on sunny days in the afternoons.
Cloudy afternoons are keeping river water temperatures down and allowing fly fishers to fish all day. on the upper Owens River
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Hot Creek at the end of summer is a tough place to fish if you cannot get a drag free drift in the tiny slots between the weed beds. In the interpretive Site fish with size 22 female trico dun parachutes, size 22 trico spinners, size 20 Adams parachutes and size 20 blue wing olive parachutes in the open runs and deeper pools. During the morning caddis migration fish with size 20 gray EC caddis, size 20 gray parachute caddis and size 20 gray X-caddis. On windy afternoons try fishing with a size 12 Dave’s hopper, size 14 tan stimulator, size 12 chubby Chernobyl and tan size 12 parachute hopper.
Hot Creek Canyon is tough to fly fish with dry flies as fly fishers need to get a drag free drift in between the narrow lanes between the weeds.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
End of August is a tough time to be fly fishing in the canyon with the weed beds at full growth. The keys to successfully fly fishing in the canyon section is to get a drag free drift and drift dry flies in the tiny lanes between the weed beds. It’s easier to drift dry flies in the deeper holes and weedless runs which are few and far between. Fish with size 20 gray EC caddis, size 20 gray parachute caddis, size 22 gray X-caddis, size 22 trico spinners and size 22 female trico dun parachutes. The grass hoppers have been active in the afternoon on the canyon walls. When fly fishing with hoppers on Hot Creek do not plop them on the water. The trout of Hot Creek spook easily. Land your hoppers gently like you do with a size 20 Adams parachute.
The key to successfully fly fishing the lower Owens River in summer is to find places where you can fly fish from the banks of the river.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Hot afternoon water temperatures, hot air temperatures, water flows over 500 CFS and lack of river bank fly fishing spots makes fly fishing the lower Owens River tough right now. Day time air temperatures are climbing up into the upper 90’s and fly fishers should monitor the water temperatures starting around noon. Fish early and late in the day with streamer and dry flies. For dry flies use size 18 Adams parachutes, size 18 blue wing olives, size 18 elk hair caddis and size 18 EC caddis. For streamers use size 6 and 10 wooly buggers, slump busters, matukas and muddler minnows. Nymph with size 12 stoner nymphs, 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.
Bishop Creek Canal dredgings have been removed from the banks of the canal opening up parking along the canal.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
CDFW has been stocking Bishop Creek and some of these trout end up in Bishop Creek Canal. . A volunteer hoot owl regulation is in effect for the afternoons. Be sure to check the water temperatures after noon. There has been a good population of grass hoppers in the fields next to the canal. When water temperatures are cool enough and the wind is up try fish with size 12 Dave’s hopper, size 14 tan stimulator, size 12 chubby Chernobyl and tan size 12 parachute hopper. There has been a morning hatch of mayflies. Fish with size 20 trico spinners, size 20 female trico dun parachutes, size 20 blue wing olive mayflies and size 20 Adams parachutes.