06-26-2011, 08:05 PM
Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section: 18[font "Arial"]-June-2011[/font]
The flow rate is 350 CFS and the water temperature is in the high 50's. Up until yesterday the river was clear and fishing well, from 8 am to just after noon. After 1 pm you will scratch and claw for everything. However, with the run off in full swing now the river has turned murky and is tougher to fish. You can still catch fish you just have to work harder. It's still not a bad place to try since everything else is blown out. Nipping has been the best method of take. Some flies to use would be Tiger midges, gold ribbed hares ears, ultra midges, pheasant tails in sizes 16-18 and wd 40's. When the river is up, the key to success is to put enough weight on to get the fly on the bottom. This means you will need 3-4 "AB" or 5-6 "BB" size split shot to get the fly on the bottom. The indicator will be about 7-9 feet above the fly. Concentrate on the calmer water and the seams. If you do this you should be rewarded. Streamers are also another good choice especially when the water is dirty. A fast sinking long sink tip is in order though. A 20-25 foot tip and 150-200 grains is good. Woolly buggers, spruce boos and mazurkas are good choices. The evening has been providing some surface action on caddis and caddis emergers from 7 pm until dark.
Drifting the Lower Owens River: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011[/font]
As of late tugging streamers for the rainbows has been very productive. Wooly buggers, sprucaboo's, zoo cougars and hornbergs have been doing the trick. With the murky water it is making it tougher but they are still willing to take a fly now and then.
Lure fisherman are always welcome on my boat.
Owens River Gorge: 18-June-2011
[font "Arial"]This is a great time of year to fish the gorge. [/font]When the run off is in full swing this is a good choice as the flows are constant at 40 cfs and the water clarity is not affected that much by the run off. For the most part the fish in gorge feed opportunistically so most any fly will do the trick. Just keep it 16 and smaller. I typically use a size 16 yellow or orange stimulator with a flashback bead head pheasant tail or a tiger midge as a dropper. Mid morning to mid afternoon is fine. Even if there are no hatches the fish will generally rise to a dry
East Walker River: 1[font "Arial"]8-June-2011
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The flows are at 600 cfs and despite the high flow it not fishing all that bad and the water clarity is good as well. Nymphing with wd 40's, pheasant tails, hares ears, caddis larva and numerous midge patterns have been fooling some nice browns. You will want to concentrate on the slower moving water and seams. With flows this high it takes a fair amount of weight to get the fly down. Just as a reference 4-6 "AB" size split shot no more than a foot above the fly. If your fly is not on the bottom it's pretty much useless.
Crowley Lake: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011
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Crowley is starting to pick. You will have to work for what you get though. At Sandy point hey are in 12-15 of water they are a little deeper ay Pelican point. For those that are tugging streamers you will need a 20-25 foot fast sinking tip line to get to the fish. Matukas, hornbergs or wooly buggers should do the trick. If you are going to midge try using black or olive tiger midges, xtal midges and vc midges.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011
[/font]Tubing near the inlet has been very productive using wooly buggers and matukas in olive and black. Most of what is being caught is the stockers. A 15' type III sink tip will do the trick. Where the river starts to widen try fishing with an indicator and mudge.
Hot Creek: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011
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The flows are high here. In the morning the water is cleaner and a bit easier to fish. As the day goes on the run off gets higher and the water gets dirtier. The fishing here has been ok if you work it hard. BWO's mid-day as well as midges Nymphing with wd 40’s, ultra midges, tiger midges, pheasant tails on the bottom would be your best bet. This time of year streamers are always a good bet as well. There has been a little hatch of caddis mid afternoon through evening.
Upper Owens River: Above Benton Crossing Bridge: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011
[/font]
The fishing here has been slow. The flows below the Hot Creek confluence are 350cfs and above it is 150cfs. Everything below the confluence is very murky and loaded with debris. Your best bet would be to fish above the confluence as the water is much cleaner. Nymphing with pheasant tails, hares ears, tiger midges, tiger midges and wd 40’s are worth a try. Stripping wooly buggers, matukas or zoo cougars would also be worth a try.
San Joaquin (Reds Meadow) 18-June-2011
The road is still closed
[signature]
The flow rate is 350 CFS and the water temperature is in the high 50's. Up until yesterday the river was clear and fishing well, from 8 am to just after noon. After 1 pm you will scratch and claw for everything. However, with the run off in full swing now the river has turned murky and is tougher to fish. You can still catch fish you just have to work harder. It's still not a bad place to try since everything else is blown out. Nipping has been the best method of take. Some flies to use would be Tiger midges, gold ribbed hares ears, ultra midges, pheasant tails in sizes 16-18 and wd 40's. When the river is up, the key to success is to put enough weight on to get the fly on the bottom. This means you will need 3-4 "AB" or 5-6 "BB" size split shot to get the fly on the bottom. The indicator will be about 7-9 feet above the fly. Concentrate on the calmer water and the seams. If you do this you should be rewarded. Streamers are also another good choice especially when the water is dirty. A fast sinking long sink tip is in order though. A 20-25 foot tip and 150-200 grains is good. Woolly buggers, spruce boos and mazurkas are good choices. The evening has been providing some surface action on caddis and caddis emergers from 7 pm until dark.
Drifting the Lower Owens River: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011[/font]
As of late tugging streamers for the rainbows has been very productive. Wooly buggers, sprucaboo's, zoo cougars and hornbergs have been doing the trick. With the murky water it is making it tougher but they are still willing to take a fly now and then.
Lure fisherman are always welcome on my boat.
Owens River Gorge: 18-June-2011
[font "Arial"]This is a great time of year to fish the gorge. [/font]When the run off is in full swing this is a good choice as the flows are constant at 40 cfs and the water clarity is not affected that much by the run off. For the most part the fish in gorge feed opportunistically so most any fly will do the trick. Just keep it 16 and smaller. I typically use a size 16 yellow or orange stimulator with a flashback bead head pheasant tail or a tiger midge as a dropper. Mid morning to mid afternoon is fine. Even if there are no hatches the fish will generally rise to a dry
East Walker River: 1[font "Arial"]8-June-2011
[/font]
The flows are at 600 cfs and despite the high flow it not fishing all that bad and the water clarity is good as well. Nymphing with wd 40's, pheasant tails, hares ears, caddis larva and numerous midge patterns have been fooling some nice browns. You will want to concentrate on the slower moving water and seams. With flows this high it takes a fair amount of weight to get the fly down. Just as a reference 4-6 "AB" size split shot no more than a foot above the fly. If your fly is not on the bottom it's pretty much useless.
Crowley Lake: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011
[/font]
Crowley is starting to pick. You will have to work for what you get though. At Sandy point hey are in 12-15 of water they are a little deeper ay Pelican point. For those that are tugging streamers you will need a 20-25 foot fast sinking tip line to get to the fish. Matukas, hornbergs or wooly buggers should do the trick. If you are going to midge try using black or olive tiger midges, xtal midges and vc midges.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011
[/font]Tubing near the inlet has been very productive using wooly buggers and matukas in olive and black. Most of what is being caught is the stockers. A 15' type III sink tip will do the trick. Where the river starts to widen try fishing with an indicator and mudge.
Hot Creek: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011
[/font]
The flows are high here. In the morning the water is cleaner and a bit easier to fish. As the day goes on the run off gets higher and the water gets dirtier. The fishing here has been ok if you work it hard. BWO's mid-day as well as midges Nymphing with wd 40’s, ultra midges, tiger midges, pheasant tails on the bottom would be your best bet. This time of year streamers are always a good bet as well. There has been a little hatch of caddis mid afternoon through evening.
Upper Owens River: Above Benton Crossing Bridge: [font "Arial"]18-June-2011
[/font]
The fishing here has been slow. The flows below the Hot Creek confluence are 350cfs and above it is 150cfs. Everything below the confluence is very murky and loaded with debris. Your best bet would be to fish above the confluence as the water is much cleaner. Nymphing with pheasant tails, hares ears, tiger midges, tiger midges and wd 40’s are worth a try. Stripping wooly buggers, matukas or zoo cougars would also be worth a try.
San Joaquin (Reds Meadow) 18-June-2011
The road is still closed
[signature]