A more seasonal weather pattern/cooler temps, have slowed the bite down in the wild trout section. BWO hatches continue to be the catalyst for the afternoon snap. Mayfly nymph patterns like Assassins, FB PT’s, hares ear, & tiger/olive zebra midge nymphs are good calls for sub-surface presentations. Flows remain very low in all sections running at 70cfs below the dam at PVR. Drift boat trips have been very good for numbers of planted rainbows and browns getting fooled on streamers and mayfly adult patterns. Most guided trips are seeing  a few 18-21 inch rainbows come to net. Smaller Punk Perch, Spruce-A-Bu’s, & Loebergs are the top streamers.

Upper Owens remains slow, with low fish counts. Windy/cooler weather not helping what few Crowley Steelhead are left in the system to get fooled. Flows are still elevated above mean levels; however water conditions are excessively not bad. Looking ahead, I see positive signs of an earlier than normal run of cutthroat this spring. Could see larger fish moving as early as next month.

Flows on the East Walker River have dipped to 28cfs. This release reduces fishable water significantly, & concentrates the fish in the deepest depressions only. Drifters guides are letting the EW rest under these conditions as stress on the fish is considerable. Numbers not the game here; but the rainbows are thick bodied and average 16 inches.

Conditions have been relatively stable here with some decrease in flows due to the colder air temps. Hot Creek access remains fine, with a little snow in the shadows. Numbers are fair/good for smaller fish that are eager to hit midge clusters, and first generation blue winged olives after mid-day. Aquatic weeds are a nuisance; but not impacting dry fly presentations.

Water levels at Pleasant Valley Reservoir are high making access to the transition area difficult. The pocket water below the power house has decent numbers with a few large fish holding in the deeper water. Dry/dropper best here. The slow moving/ deeper water near the lake mouth has some trophy sized fish that will take a parallel Assassin fished on a dead drift.

Gorge water releases are very low. LADWP is doing major maintenance on the hydro electric generation facility. Fish jammed into the deeper pools.

Middle Owens River (Bishop Area)

No significant changes to report. The overall bite has slowed a bit respective to the cooler air temps. It can pick up just as quickly when the barometer begins moving higher. We have been guiding from our drift boats almost exclusively for an extended period; with smiles, & high fives from our clients telling us the “catch’N” is good.  Flows remain very low due to maintenance on the hydro-electric facilities around PVR. The bulk of the fish will seek the deepest pools at this level. A fair amount of riffle water will be to shallow for fish to stage in during the hatches, so focus on the larger pools, & their respective tail outs. The baetis hatch comes off after noon most days, with some blanket midge emergences appearing too. Drifting has been good for numbers of smaller planted rainbows and browns with a few bigs showing in the counts most days. We are currently limited in our runs due to low water. Smaller perch fry patterns like our #16 Punk Perch in the afternoons during the BWO hatch is a good call. Make sure you have some #16/18 adult baetis (BWO) patterns handy for the mayfly hatch. The adults come off in the foam, & hide in it while their wings are drying. Keep your imitations high and dry with frequent use of desiccant.  This should be a memorable season for surface action. Nymph the deeper pools, & slots using Assassins, flashback pheasant tails, broken back midges, olive crystal caddis larva, & olive larva patterns. Hot streamers on the drift boat trip have been Spruce-A-Bu’s and Loebergs, with the parallel Punk Perch getting grabs during the hatch. High-vis BWO adults and a dropper mayfly nymph profile can be deadly just prior to; & during the hatch. Fish your dry/dropper rig in the deeper riffle water, or along the foam lines leading into the pools.

  Upper Owens River

Disappointing to be honest. I should be reporting great fishing for the migratory rainbows we call Crowley Steelhead. Numbers have plunged recently. Water conditions have actually been favorable for a solid run on the UO. After numerous years of planting sterile “triploid” fish, the ramifications of this fisheries management (or lack there of) may finally be taking its toll. Triploids have no instinctual mechanisms to spawn; or migrate upstream. They remain in the lake unlike fertile trout that swim upstream to propagate. Sterile fish have been planted exclusively throughout the Sierra in recent years due to laws implemented in the past decade to protect the genetic integrity of native “west slope steelhead”. Changes in the fisheries management plan this year, mostly specific to this water shed,  are permitting the planting of “diploid” trout once again. Hopefully we will see fish counts improve in the tributaries after a couple years.  There are a few bigs around, covering a lot of water can get you a shot at the elusive ones. Some smaller resident fish are sipping on midge clusters in the pillow water of the larger pools during periods of warmer weather.  Getting your rigs on the bottom with water conditions like this require obscene amounts of weight, lengthy leaders, and aggressive mending tactics to achieve drag free drifts. Crystal Eggs, San Juan Worms, #16-18 Assassins (dark and light), #14-16 Crystal Leeches, and #16-20 Copper Tiger Midge, Zebra Midge, and Gillies have been good patterns fished with plenty of weight below an Under-Cator.  There is some nasty mud in the ruts after the ground thaws on some of the two track roads leading down to the river. 

Looking ahead I see a STRONG probability that the spring migration of cutthroat trout will be earlier than usual. Water levels rising in Crowley, elevated water flows, & warmer than normal air temps typically pave the way for these beautiful fish to begin moving in March. Last years run was weak here; but conditions are conducive to a solid show this spring.

The section upstream from the Benton Bridge is open year around with special regulations. Seasonal closures, and angling restrictions apply downstream from the bridge, check regulations before fishing in this section. We walk and wade guide here. During winter we will access the UO with snowmobiles.

Hot Creek 

Numbers are pretty good here as the newbies acclimate to their new home, & spread out along the deeper slots and pools.  The stream bed is blanked by thick aquatic weeds. This is normal for the lower water periods of the year. Water conditions can be higher, & slightly off color during extended warmer periods; or if it rains.   Best bite occurs during early afternoon when the BWO’s are emerging. Large midge hatches coming off during a high barometer. Dry dropper rigs with a #16-18  Para Hi-Vis BWO and a #22 Gillie dropper 12″-18″ below is a consistent rig currently. When you observe those noses sipping the adults in the suds, remove the dropper, and dope up those high wings so they ride high on the surface.  Longer leaders, & light tippet in the 5-6x class is best. During off hatch periods try attractor patterns fished without an indicator. You can get into some of the larger fish using this method during the winter months.

This is a year around fishery with special regs in place. We walk and wade guide here.*Tom Loe, Doug Rodricks, and Doug Dolan are under permit from the Inyo National Forest Service to guide Hot Creek.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir 

Access around the inlet and transition area sucks right now due to high water levels. There are some really good sized browns, and bows holding in this section; however they are tough to fool. Flows are very low entering the lake making the current super slow.  Dry/dropper rigs are the hot ticket for trout sipping on midges, & mayflies in the transition section.  Still water addicts can get their fix here all winter. This fishery is planted all winter, & can provide some excellent fly fishing opportunities from a float tube; or near the inlet section that feeds the reservoir proper. Full sinking lines fished along the steep shoreline drop-offs using patterns like Loebergs, Crystal Leeches, Parallel Punk Perch, Parallel Agent Orange, & Spruce-A-Bu’s are good calls for “freeze tubers” during the winter. Locals call PVR “little Crowley” as fly fishers in the know will use still water nymphing techniques to score big numbers during periods of stable water levels. Set your “Under-Cators” to suspend those broken back midges, crystal tiger/zebra midges, gillies, & Assassins around the 12-14 foot depth. The inlet section is historically the most consistent section to fish. This diverse fishery also allows you to move into the short river section that feeds the lake. Looking much like the East Walker, this short; but sweet section has plenty of pocket water and riffles that hold holdover rainbows and browns that move into the heavy brush during periods of lower flows. Dry/dropper rigs using para hi-vis BWO’s, Stimulators, and hi-vis caddis patterns as your upper; with crystal tiger midges, crystal olive caddis larva, & parallel; or standard assassins as a nymph. The transition area that dumps into the lake has slower moving/deeper water that requires the use of an Under-Cator, or longer dropper off your dry. This is perhaps the most fertile area of the lake, & competent roll casters may get huge days here while making extended drifts in the foam lines. The trout will concentrate here to feed on the abundant chironomid, & mayflies that come off throughout the cooler months. Keep this fishery in mind if the weather gets nasty in the higher elevations.

 The Gorge 

Middle Gorge upstream best currently.  Flows have lowered here.  A good place to go and get away from angling pressure. The bite kicks into high gear during the BWO hatch mid-day. Use lighter weight rods here with a mayfly adult or go with a dry/dropper combination. Our Parachute hi-vis BWO is an excellent pattern as your dry. FB PT’s, Assassins, & small midge emergers are good calls for the dropper nymph. 

 East Walker River 

We are currently not guiding the EW due to extremely low release rates. 28cfs. is a trickle, and drives the fish to the deepest depressions. The trout experience severe stress under these conditions, and we have opted to let them be until flows move up over 50cfs. again.