A huge wildfire has engulfed much of the Middle Owens River from the campground below Pleasant Valley Reservoir downstream towards the Hwy. 6 crossing near Laws. Mandatory evacuation orders for North Bishop, west of Hwy. 395 as of 9:30am 2/19/18. Fire is fanned by strong westerly winds and is burning along the river in an easterly direction. This devastating fire will negatively impact fishing for an extended period in the wild trout section, & other sections on the Owens around Bishop. Cold/windy weather is forecast for the remainder of the week.

Sub zero air temps forecast throughout this week with strong winds. 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.

Sub zero air temps; with highs well below freezing all week. 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.

Hot Creek conditions have been relatively stable with decreases 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 on the high side; but trending down. 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) 

Those of you who believe the wildfire that ravaged the wild trout section will improve access, and make fishing better; will be truly disappointed when the smoke clears. The fire has consumed the entire section from the PVR Campground down to Five Bridges Road as of 2/19/18.  These type of fires historically remove vital oxygen with ash, super heat vital under water habitat in the riffle water,  and destroy the riparian vegetation canopies that provide cover for the fish, as well as habitat for untold numbers of birds and animals.  Fish kills are imminent with wildfires such as this. Uncontrolled wildfires of this nature have NO positive impacts, and should not be advertised as such. Most of the river is closed to access  in the Bishop area.

We will be off the river for a few days for safety reasons, and will update when more information becomes available. Up until we were forced off the river by the fire, guided drift boat trips have been very good for both numbers, & quality rainbows munching on streamers.

Upper Owens River 

Sub-zero air temps will greet you in the mornings, with highs barely reaching the mid-twenties. It is forecast to be cold and windy for another week. 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 a few of 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

No snow accumulations; but it will be polar bear cold here for a week. 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 

Water levels remain high on the lake; but are currently trending downward. If it drops another couple feet the transition section will be sweet. 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 

Fishing has been slow here due to very low flows. The fire did not ravage this area. The best bite occurs 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 

Too cold here to fish this week. 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.