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.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report 07-03-2025

Summer weather is here. Hot days and windy afternoons are typical for this time of the year. Get out on your favorite water in the mornings before the afternoon breezes makes it tough to present your flies. Afternoon winds are good for when the grasshoppers are flying around. Have not seen many grasshopper larvae yet. Stoneflies, mayflies and caddis flies are the insects the trout are feeding on. Nymphing before the hatches is very productive. Now is prime time to be fly fishing the creeks that drain the Eastern side of the Sierra. This is the perfect water to fish a dry and dropper rig. The San Joaquin River is opening up at 8:00 P.M. on Wednesday July 2nd  at 8:00 P.M, 2025. Mosquito season is underway particularly if you’re on the water late in the evening.                                                                                                                                                                     

Summer time is for wet wading and dry fly fishing.

Owens River Gorge:

Flushing flows mimic spring runoff conditions. Now that flows are back to normal levels the wild brown trout of the Owens River Gorge are feeding on dries and nymphs. A dry and dropper rig is the perfect way to fish the river. For the dry fly fish with size 16 stimulators, size 16 Adams parachutes and size 16 elk hair caddis. For the nymphs use a size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear nymph. It’s hot in the gorge and fly fishers need to carry lots of water so they can stay hydrated while fly fishing in the Owens River Gorge. Watch out for the stinging nettles which are prevalent all along the banks of the river.

Owens River Gorge is  perfect water to fish a dry and dropper rig like this size 16 yellow stimulator and a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

With spring runoff subsiding and the clear water in the creek the fish are coming to the surface to feed on hatching trico mayflies, blue wing olive mayflies, pale morning dun mayflies and gray caddis. The morning hatches start off with the female trico hatch and the caddis migration. Mid-morning look for the trico spinner fall. The blue wing olive hatch and pale morning dun hatch follows the trico spinner fall. The pale morning dun hatch is just starting. Look for the caddis hatch late afternoon or early evening. Use 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.

Hot Creek Canyon is producing on both dry flies and nymphs worked in and around the weed beds in the creek.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

Weed beds are at full growth making it tough to fish with nymphs, particularly with the decrease in water flows as spring runoff is decreasing. If you can get your nymph to drift in the lanes between the weed beds without hanging up you can catch fish. 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, size 12 stoner nymphs and size 20 gray La Fontaine’s caddis emerger. Floating a dry fly over the weed beds does not create as many hookups on the weeds. Use nine to 12 foot 5X or 6X leaders and at least three feet of tippet to fool the wild brown and rainbow trout feeding on the surface. For dry flies fish with 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. Key to success is fishing with the pattern that coincides with the hatching insect. If the trout are not taking your fly figure out which insect is hatching and use the corresponding dry fly.

The upper Owens River is a great place to learn the fly fishing techniques that produce trout in the Eastern Sierra.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

Indicator and Euro nymphing in the mornings is producing rainbows and brown trout to 18 inches. These fish are feeding on 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 12 stoner nymphs. Mayfly hatches are coming off late morning. The trout are feeding on the hatching mayflies if the wind is not sailing the insects off the surface of the river. For the mayfly hatch fish with size 16 pale morning duns, size 16 pale morning dun sparkle duns and size 18 blue wing olive parachutes. On the windy afternoons a size 16 elk hair caddis is fooling a few wild rainbows and browns to 12 inches.

Bishop Creek Canal is a great spot to learn how to fly cast and fly fish with dry flies and nymphs.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

If you can put up with the mosquitoes there is a good evening ovipositing caddis event. Show up on the creek when the sun goes behind the Sierra Range. Dead drifting a size 16 elk hair caddis and allowing it to drag across the stream and then strip it upstream, fluttering a caddis, produces lots of wild brown trout. Middle of the day nymphing under an indicator or with a Euro rig is producing trout and the rare bass. Using size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 16 SOS nymphs, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons and size 12 stoner nymphs is producing trout to 12 inches. For the dry fly fisher try fishing with size 18 Adams parachutes, size 18 blue wing olive parachutes and size 16 elk hair caddis to fool a few surface feeding trout.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report June 26, 2025

Summer is officially here with hot days and cools nights, particularly at upper elevations. Aquatic insect hatches are at their peak with stoneflies, mayflies and caddis providing most of the action for trout. The wind storms of last week are gone and normal afternoon winds are back in the Eastern Sierra. With summer comes the biting bugs particularly mosquitoes. Be sure to carry and use insect repellent.                                                                                                                                                               

Brown trout are the most common trout found in wild trout waters of the Eastern Sierra and readily take flies.

Owens River Gorge:

Owens River Gorge opened to fly fishing on Wednesday June 25th, 2025. No fish report yet for the gorge.

After the flushing flows the Owens River Gorge is open to fly fishing as of Wednesday June 25th, 2025.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

The Interpretive Site of Hot Creek fishes best when insects are hatching. Little yellow stones, gray caddis and trico mayflies are hatching and bringing trout to the surface. A drag free drift and the right fly is needed to fool the trout in the Interpretive Site. Fish with size 20 parachute caddis, size 20 gray elk hair caddis, size 18 Adams parachutes, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 female trico dun parachutes and size 16 pale morning dun parachutes on size 6X tippet.

Hot Creek Canyon produces lots of wild trout for fly fishers fishing with dry flies and nymphs during the summer months.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

The weed beds are growing and are just about at full growth. Nymphing is still producing trout if you can put up with snagging in the weed beds. Little yellow stones are hatching and bringing the trout to the surface. Fish with a size 16 yellow stimulator, size 16 Henry’s Fork yellow sally, size 16 pale morning dun parachute, size 20 gray parachute caddis, size 20 gray elk hair caddis and size 20 female trico parachute for the surface feeding trout. Indicator nymphing and Euro nymphing with size 12 stoner nymphs, size 20 gray La Fontaine’s caddis emerger, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 18 olive quilldigons are fooling the trout feeding on the substrate.

John Williams from Folsom with a brown trout that took a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph fished in a deep hole on the upper Owens River.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

Mosquito season is just starting on the upper Owens River. Be sure to carry and or use insect repellant. Nymphing is producing some nice sized rainbow and brown trout for fly fishers fishing with indicators and Euro rigs. Size 18 olive quilldigons are producing in the mornings. Late morning switch to a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear nymph and fish these in the deep holes. Be sure to thoroughly cover the hole before moving on to the next hole. A mid-day mayfly hatch is bringing six to 12 inch wild rainbows and browns to the surface to feed on size 16 pale morning duns, size 16 pale morning dun sparkle duns and size 18 blue wing olive parachutes. There are caddis hanging out in the streamside vegetation and fishing with a size 16 elk hair caddis is fooling a few trout on the surface.

Bishop Creek Canal is a great stop on your way to and from the fly fishing waters of the Eastern Sierra.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

With cooler day times temperatures fishing Bishop Creek Canal in the middle of the day is comfortable. Nymphing with size 12 stoner nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 SOS nymphs, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears are fooling wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout. Fish the nymphs in the ribbons of sand in between the weed beds. There is some hatching insects bring the trout to the surface. Fish with size 18 blue wing olive parachute, size 16 elk hair caddis and size 18 Adams parachutes.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Resort 06-19-2025

Summer is here. It’s time for dry flies and wet wading. Pale morning dun mayflies, little yellow stoneflies, caddis and lake midges are hatching and bringing trout to the surface. Warm water fishes, carp, bass and bluegill are being targeted by fly fishers in the ponds and the Owens River in the Owens Valley. Afternoon winds particularly in Long Valley is hampering fly fishers. No-see-ums and mosquitoes are making their presents known to fly fishers particularly late in the day.

Spring flowers are a great back drop to fly fishing in the upper elevations of the Eastern Sierra.

Owens River Gorge:

Owens River Gorge will reopen to fly fishing on Wednesday June 25th, 2025.

Owens River Gorge closed to public access for fish and wildlife habitat improvement from June 4th to 24th, 2025. No public access will be allowed within the Owens River Gorge from Long Valley Dam to the Control Gorge Power Plant. DWP will be performing a flushing flows event to fluff the stream bed. When the gorge reopens the weather will be hot, the stinging nettles will be in full growth and this is good rattle snake territory.

Owens River Gorge will reopen to fly fishing on Wednesday June 25th, 2025.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

Morning hatches of tricos and gray caddis are bring the trout to the surface. Afternoon winds are hampering fly fishers which is why most fly fishers are off the creek by 2:00 P.M. Fish with size 16 pale morning dun parachutes, size 20 female trico dun parachutes, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 18 Adams parachutes, size 20 parachute caddis and size 20 gray elk hair caddis.

Dry flies and nymphs are producing good numbers of trout for fly fishers in Hot Creek Canyon.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

Nymphing in the morning with a Euro rig or under an indicator is producing wild brown and rainbow trout to 14 inches. The fish are spread throughout the canyon section and fly fishers should cover all the water. Nymphing with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash  back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 20 gray La Fontaine’s caddis emerger and size 12 stoner nymphs are fooling the trout feeding on the substrate. On the surface size 16 pale morning dun parachutes, size 16 Henry’s fork yellow sally, size 16 yellow stimulator and size 20 female trico parachute.

Dry flies are bringing trout to the surface before the afternoon wind blows the hatching insects off the water.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

The only good thing about the afternoon winds is that it cools off fly fishers and suppresses the mosquitoes. The afternoon winds have been shutting off the hatch just about the time it gets going good. Under an indicator or with a Euro rig a size 18 olive quilldigon, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 20 midges in tiger and zebra coloration are producing rainbow and brown trout up to 14 inches. Size 16 Adams parachutes, size 16 pale morning dun parachute, size 18 blue wing olive parachute and  size 16 elk hair caddis are fooling the trout feeding on the hatching insects before the winds come up.

Euro nymphing is producing rainbow trout in Bishop Creek Canal in the middle of the day when temperatures are in the mid-90’s.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

With summer comes hot days in the Owens Valley. Fly fishing on Bishop Creek Canal in the middle of the day is brutal with the heat, but there are fish to catch. The fish are feeding on nymphs all day. Fishing in the mornings and evenings is offering better conditions for the fly fisher. The canal looks big, but the zone to catch fish is small. Drifting nymphs in the sandy slots between the weeds is where fly fishers nymphing need to work their nymphs. Nymph with size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 16 SOS nymphs, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons and size 12 stoner nymphs. Floating a size 18 Adams parachute, size 16 elk hair caddis and a size 18 blue wing olive parachute over the weed beds and the sandy slots will bring a few trout to the surface.

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Report for June 12, 2025

Feels like summer in the Eastern Sierra. Depending on the altitude you are fly fishing at it’s in the high 90’s or low 80’s. Afternoon winds are interfering with fly fishing. Spring runoff is going and some waters are swollen with the increased water load from the melting snowpack. Mosquitoes are quickly becoming a nuisances. Pale morning dun mayflies, little yellow stoneflies, caddis and lake midges are hatching and feeding the trout. This is a great time of the year to catch a carp on the fly rod in the canals and still waters of the Owens Valley.

The locals coming to check us out as we fly fish Bishop Creek Canal behind Caltrans.

Owens River Gorge:

Owens River Gorge closed to public access for fish and wildlife habitat improvement from June 4th to 24th, 2025. No public access will be allowed within the Owens River Gorge from Long Valley Dam to the Control Gorge Power Plant. DWP will be performing a flushing flows event to fluff the stream bed. When the gorge reopens the weather will be hot, the stinging nettles will be in full growth and this is good rattle snake territory.

No entry into the Owens River Gorge from June 4th through June 24th.

Hot Creek

Interpretive Site:

Water in Hot Creek is up and slightly off color. Hatching mayflies and caddis flies are bringing a few trout to the surface. Fish with size 16 pale morning dun parachutes,  size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 Adams parachutes, size 20 gray elk hair caddis and size 20 gray parachute caddis. Nymph with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 20 tiger and zebra midges.

Brian Dimayuga learning to nymph fish in Hot Creek Canyon with a size 18 olive quilldigon.

Hot Creek

Canyon Section:

Nymphing with an indicator or a Euro rig is the most productive method of fishing Hot Creek Canyon right now. There are lots of wild rainbows and browns feeding on mayflies, stoneflies and caddis. Nymph with size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 18 Frenchie, size 20 gray La Fontaines caddis emerger and a size16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear nymph on the bottom of the stream. Key to success is not to get frustrated by all the weeds in the creek that your nymphs will hang up on. The nymphs will come out of the weeds if you use a snapping motion. Put slack in your line directly above where the nymph is stuck in the weeds. Before drag pulls out the slack pull up vigorously snapping the nymph out of the grips of the weeds. Be sure to pull up at an angle so that the freshly released nymphs avoid tangling with the rod. Runoff is a good time to pull a size 6 olive wooly bugger around the obstacles in the river that the bigger fish are using to stay out of the current.

Michael Ross proving he’s learning how to Euro nymph in the upper Owens River with a three fly rig.

Upper Owens River

Above Benton Crossing Bridge:

Mosquitoes and no-see-ums are pestering fly fishers fishing in the river. Hatching mayflies and caddis flies are feeding wild rainbows and browns to 12 inches. On the surface fish with a size 16 elk hair caddis, size 18 blue wing olive parachute, size 16 pale morning dun parachute, and size 16 Adams parachute. Under an indicator or on a Euro rig fish with size 18 midge nymphs in blood, tiger and zebra colorations, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and size 18 olive quilldigons. Afternoon winds are impacting the casts of fly fishers making fly fishing the river tough.

Connor Ross showing off a rainbow trout he caught while taking a Euro Nymphing Clinic on Bishop Creek Canal from Sierra Bright Dot.

Bishop Creek Canal

Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:

It has been warm middle of the day with temperatures in the mid-90’s. If you can put up with the heat the trout are still feeding on nymphs and dries. Nymphing the sandy slots between the weed beds with size 12 stoner nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 SOS nymphs, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 18 olive quilldigons and size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears is fooling wild brown trout and stocked rainbows to 14 inches. Skittering a caddis in the evening will imitate the ovipositing caddis and produce trout as long as you can put up with the swarms of mosquitoes.