Fish Report for 10-16-2012

Upper Owens River - fly fishing update 10/11/2012

10-16-2012
Tom Loe

As forecast, the LADWP has begun siphoning water out of Grant Lake (which is very full) into Crowley through the Rush Creek diversion. Flows have almost doubled in the last couple of days and are over 100cfs. Numbers of 9-12 inch rainbows are currently very high on the UO and nymphing or streamer fishing is the best way to get into them. Tandem nymph rigs using San Juan worms, imitation eggs, crystal midges, bird's nest, or flashback PT's are all working in the deeper pools and along the cut banks. With the increased flows you will need additional weight to get your flies down. The big's are also starting to show up in numbers with this turn of cooler weather- look for some trophy browns to start hitting more frequently. Warmer afternoons the hoppers are out and if you can bounce them off the banks you may get into some big fish that look for these terrestrial's to hit the water on warm windy days. As the flows go up you may have some poor water conditions with weed and debris floating by making nymphing or streamer fishing difficult at times. I can't tell you where they will top out at, my guess will be another week or so of increases with a high of 150cfs. This is good long term news as it will put more water in the UO channel and provide a better pathway for the fish to migrate upstream. It will also gouge the channel out near the lake for next season. The section downstream from the Benton Bridge to the NEW DFG REGULATION SIGN located about 1/2 mile above Crowley Lake is now closed to ALL anglers. You may fish down from this sign to Crowley, and upstream from the Benton Bridge with special regulations (no bait or barbed hooks).

Pictured Above:Sally Lewis had no trouble getting into big numbers and a gorgeous rainbow on her first trip with us on the Upper Owens.


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9-19-2012
The Sierra continues to bask in summer like weather conditions with warm days and no precipitation in the immediate forecast....... Read More