Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Report

Jim Stimson reports on 5.12.2016

The wife and I packed up the Subaru and dashed off for an extended weekend to Bozeman, Montana! We watched with pride as our son graduated from MSU with a degree in Engineering. Proud parents, can you tell? Our drive wound through 1100 miles (one way) of basin and range, desert bighorn sheep, pronghorn antelope, deer, elk, eagles, and sandhill cranes. We contoured the Henry’s Fork, Gallatin, Madison, Big Hole, Ruby, and Beaverhead Rivers — and without fly rods. It was painful to zoom past mile after mile of renown water without making a cast, but it was great spending time with the family. Family time is good time. Cheers.

Lower Owens River

The stream flows have stabilized. Right now the river sits at about 275 cfs, give or take a few feet. The wading is difficult as the water is swift, deep and cold. The fish are seeking the quiet water along seams and the deeper buckets below tail outs. For indicator nymphing, tie on black zebra midges in the mornings then make a bug adjustment as the temperatures rise. Go for something in the baetis family next. Red San Juan worms have been working well when the “normal” bug array are not eliciting grabs. And there is the odd caddis cruising around to add to the confusion. The grabs are subtle and lethargic. Yarn indicators work great this time of year. Not only will they land softly but more importantly, you can detect even the softest takes.

Upper Owens River

The river seems to roll along at a constant forty something cfs..… the odd, big rainbow can still be found here and there but a lot of fish have moved back into Crowley Lake. However, the cutthroats are moving up into the river to spawn. Please be careful where you wade. You can see their “redds" along the gravely sections of the river. These are the light colored areas on the bottom that have been cleared by the trout to lay their eggs. You can easily kill thousands of fish with klutzy wading. And, please do not cast to fish sitting on redds. The cutthroats have depleted energy reserves and are stressed from the spawn. Please be respectful of the fish and help ensure a healthy population of trout for the future.

East Walker

The times they are a changing…. when I left for Montana, the flows were a lazy 64 cfs. While I was gone, the irrigation district began doing big, pulse flows, as high as 215 cfs. The East Walker hasn’t seen water levels like this in a few years. The higher levels are going to flush out a lot of the grass and algae that has built up during the low flow, hot summers. I don’t expect the levels to remain this high for too long. There just isn’t the water in the reservoir or high in the backcountry for runoff,  but that said, it is perfect — a nice healthy level for fish and anglers. The EW or “Dubyah” is a treat to fish…… I will say no more.

Jim Stimson Fly Fishing
760.209.4300 (cell)