Water Conditions:Poor At Best

Before I go any further let me tell you about the flows above and below PVR. Here are the last 5 days. Crowley Lake: 600+ cfs. Upper power plant:75 cfs. Middle power plant:0 cfs. Lower Owens below PVR: 700+ cfs. All Gorge access has been blocked off for obvious reasons and even with the flows dropping I haven't heard if there is any gorge access. Below PVR there is virtually no access above the cement plant and even downstream most of the dirt roads are blocked off. LADWP is trying to make room for this record snowpack, especially considering that the snowpack from the Rock Creek drainage all the way to Lone Pine is even further above average than the drainages to the north. LADWP is starting to release water out onto the Owens Valley floor which in the future will be very beneficial but for right now be very careful where you drive.

Fishing Conditions and Hatches: Poor

ALERT,AGAIN. The flows are all over the place, and this is happening on a daily basis:405-688 cfs. If you are coming up be very careful, respect the closures and be happily surprised if you catch fish. At least until things quiet down. The water has cleared up quite a bit and the caddis hatches are picking up but there is still limited access. The Pleasant Valley Dam Road is closed at the highway and Chalk Bluff Road is closed at the cement plant.

I'm leaving the following report up for now with slight hope things will improve some in the near future. 

It will be interesting to see if the Grannom caddis hatch comes off this year. Normally it occurs the second half of March (give or take a week on either side). Arguablly the most exciting hatch of the year but also the most frustrating, both in its inconsistency and its incredibly localized appearance. We've been doing well on scud patterns in cream to light olive and gray #14-18. Midmorning on is all midges with an occasional Cranefly, especially the further downstream you go. The Baetis hatch is picking up but somebody better let the fish know. If you're looking for surface activity key on the backwaters. Sizes of the mayflies are less varied but generally from # 16-18. Every cycle of mayflies trends from big to smaller, early on you're seeing bugs from last fall but towards spring they are products of this year. The longer the nymphs have to grow the bigger they get. BIG NEWS: We've been seeing a lot of small stonefly nymphs but today bigger stonefly adults appeared, in #8-10 size. The stoneflies tend to be an afternoon occurrence. The Baetis hatch is now starting around 12:30 and going until 3 but 1-2 is still the best time for them.These hatches can be very localized so don't stick with one spot if you're not seeing them. Now that the water has gotten colder, you'll start finding leeches on the fish. This is quite normal, when the water gets cold enough the fish start resting on the bottom.

DRIES: Stillborn Midge #20-22  | Giffith's Gnat #22-24 |CDC Transition midge #20-22 | No Mercy Midge #18-24 | Boroff F/Homie #20, 24 | Para CDC Baetis #16-22 | Para Adams #14-22 | Stimulators #8-10

NYMPH:  Pheasant Tail #14-20 | Hares Ear #16-20 |Caddis Cased #12 | Zebra Midge #18-22 |Weiss BP light or dark #18-20 | Bottom Roller Phsyco Rhyco #10-14 | Pearl & Orange #16 |Chamois caddis #16-20 | TB Millers +1 Lt #16-18  | Lexi Girdle Bug Tan/Black #6 | HDA Fav. Variant #12-16

STREAMERS: Wooly Bugger Olive & Black #10-12 | Mini Sculpin Olive & Black #10-12