J. Coons reports on November 16th, 2024

Eastern Sierra Fishing Report

The regular fishing season has closed and we are at my favorite
time of year… the off season!! The crowds are gone, the air temps
are dropping and we have some great fishing on the horizon.
Make sure to check regulations as they have changed for the
fall/winter season.

Hot Creek- 50cfs
The crowds are gone and pressure will continue to ease as it gets
colder. Nymphing is most productive early until the BWO's get
going. Remember, matching body size, shape and color is key
here. Try nymphing little mayflies or grey scud patterns.
Casting streamers upstream and ripping them down through the
lanes can produce savage takes! Yes, the streamer works in Hot
Creek!

E/C Caddis #18-22, Black Cripple #20-22, Jarett’s CDC Emerger
#20-24

Sexy Waltz #14-18, Crosscut Scud #14-18, Biot Baetis #18-22,
Barr Emerger #18-22

Olive Bugger Variations #4-6, Jig Sculpin, #4-6, Cone Head
Muddler #4-6

Upper Owens- 57cfs (east portal)
113cfs (below east portal).

The section below Benton Crossing Bridge to Crowley Lake has
closed. Make you are fishing above it and check double check
regs as they have removed the monument boundary.
Like always, be sneaky and cover water. Nymphing small
attractors and midge larva is the go to way to produce fish until
you see risers. But, if you want to break the monotony, try dead
drifting streamers. Stripping works well too, but dead drifting them
can be lots of fun!

Midge Larva Variations #-18-24, Grey/Olive Hares Ear #18-20,
Waltz Worm #14-16, Black Perdigons #16-18, Prince Nymph #14-
18

E/C Caddis #18-20, Jarett’s CDC Emerger #18-22, Parachute
Adam’s #18-24, Trico Cripple #20-24

Olive and Black Bugger Variations #4-8, Zoo Cougar #4-6, Ice
Dub Baitfish #10-8

Lower Owens- 148cfs
The flows here have just dropped down to 148cfs, kicking off our
winter wade/drift season. Wading should be nice and easy. Lots
of little stuff this time of year. Baetis and midge patterns in size
#18-24 are a good place to start. A nice BWO hatch starts
midday. Try something different, nymph scud patterns or strip
streamers. There are lots of baitfish that provide a big meal and
these trout love to chomp on them. Remember, sculpin don’t have
air bladders so keep that streamer on the bottom if imitating them.

Parachute BWO/Adam’s #18-22, Parachute Midge Emerger #20-
24, Jarett’s CDC Emerger #18-22, Barr Emerger #18-20

Biot Beatis #18-22, Grey Soft Hackle #18-22, Midge Larva #18-
24, Sexy Waltz #16-18, P.T. Variations #18-22

Zoo Cougar #4-6, Olive Bugger Variations #4-6, Baby Fat Minnow
#4, Conehead Zonker Muddler #4- 6

J. Coons
Sierra Mountain trout Guide Service
Big Pine, CA
760-920-0659

Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Guide Service reports on Nov. 8th, 2024

The first week of November came in cold. The highest of peaks have a fresh layer of snow. Been wearing a jacket more than I want to admit. Insect activity has been most active middle of the day and nymphing has been the most successful method to fool the trout. Midges, mayflies and caddis continue to hatch. Pulling streamers is a great way to catch a trophy trout in the fall.

Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section: Flows are expected to lower starting the middle of November. For now flows in the 400 CFS range makes it unsafe to wade the river. Fly fishers fishing from the few bank accessible spots are catching a few trout on nymphs. Key to success is having enough weight on the leader to allow the nymphs to bounce on the substrate.

Hot Creek
Interpretive Site: Colder weather has slowed down the hatches. Blue wing olive mayflies are hatching middle of the morning. Use a size 20 blue wing olive parachute, size 20 olive sparkle dun and size 18 and 20 Adams parachutes. If you
have troubles seeing size 20 and smaller dry flies on the surface try fishing with a dry and dry rig. Use a bigger dry fly like a size 16 Parachute Adams, size 14 Stimulator or size 12 Chernobyl Ant as an indicator. Attach three feet of 5X or 6X monofilament with a clinch knot to the bend of the dry fly. This allows the fly fisher to catch surface feeding trout on very small dry flies.

Hot Creek
Canyon Section: This is a great time to be fly fishing with a dry and dropper rig. I like fishing with a size 16 Parachue Adams for the dry and a size 18 olive Quilldigon, size 18 bead head Flashback Pheasant Tail nymph and size 18 Zebra and Tiger Midges. Fishing this rig in the runs between the weed beds and in the deeper holes will produce
wild brown and rainbow trout. If you see rising fish use a size 20 Parachute BWO, size 20 olive Sparkle Dun and size 20 Parachute Adams.

Crowley Lake
Whiskey Bay: I like pulling streamers from the banks of Whiskey Bay when the marina closes the last Sunday of October. The lake closes to fishing on November 15 th, 2024. I fish olive or black size 6 or 10 Wooly Buggers, Slumpbusters and size 10 perch colored Balanced Leeches. I tie in a size 16 Prince nymph, size 14 bead head Flashback Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear and size 14 bead head callibaetis nymph about 20 inches above the streamer. Using an indicator with midges and Balanced Leeches will produce fish for fly fishers who do not want to pull streamers.

Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge: There is an increase in trophy trout in the upper Owens River, but they are still not in the river system in big concentration. I like to fish the deep holes, deep runs and cut banks where the trout are resting and feeding on their migration up river. My preferred method of fly fishing for the trophy trout is to Euro nymph with size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold wire Prince nymphs and size 18 olive Quilldigons. Throwing steamers is a great way to cover lots of water looking for those few trophy trout in the river. I fish streamers downstream and only make four to six casts through each water type before moving on to find the next place to pull my streamers through. Fish with olive or black size 6 or 10 Wooly Buggers and Slumpbusters. Size 18 bead head Flashback Pheasant Tail nymphs, size 16 bead head Flashback Gold Ribbed Hares Ears, size 18 Tiger, Zebra and blood midges on the substrate and size 20 Parachute BWO is producing non trophy trout from 3 to 12 inches.

Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital: Low water levels and spooky trout await fly fishers casting flies into Bishop Creek Canal. To keep from spooking trout I’m fishing with a dry fly as the indicator because it does not spook the trout like a foam style indicator will. For the dry fly use a size 14 Stimulator or a size 16 Parachute Adams. For the nymphs use size 18 olive Quilldigons, size 18 bead head Flashback Pheasant Tail nymphs, size16 bead head Flashback Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear and size 18 blood, Zebra and Tiger midges.

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Jim Stimson reports on 3.7.19

Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Report

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Eastern Sierra

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Jim Stimson reports on 4.5.18

Eastern Sierra 

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Jim Stimson reports on 3.22.18

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...

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