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October ended with a bang, as fishing was good in most locations. The boating season at Crowley has officially come to a close, but the lake continues to remain open to fishing from shore and by float tube. I may have to jump in a pontoon and do some fishing of my own, as we left them biting full speed along the weeds a few days before the close. It was good!! The weather this fall has been spectacular. Nights have been downright frigid as we have seen some teens but the daytime temperatures have been in the pleasant 60’s to 70’s. The East Walker River flows have been excellent for accessing most areas and the Upper Owens has some good sign of some good sized rainbows that have made their way into the lower stretches. Hot Creek continues to be the fun sight fishing mecca it is known for, with small bugs doing the trick here. The Lower Owens River is still running at its high flows, but we will be checking it out down here very soon!
Crowley Lake
The lake is now closed to boat launching but accessing it from the north end is still an option. Float tubing or shore fishing can get you that late season trophy. Assassins Dark and Level Leeches are getting them.
Best Flies: Parallel Assassin Dark and Light – 16; Assassin Dark and Light – 16; Parallel Punk Perch Dark and Light – 14, 16; Broken Back Dark Zebra Midge- 16; Crystal Tiger Midge Long -18; Broken Back Copper Tiger Midge – 18; Crystal Copper Tiger Midge – 18; Crystal Midge Pupa Black – 20; Crystal Caddis Larva Olive Copper – 18; Punk Perch Dark and Light – 14, 16; Damsel Nymph Dark and Light; Flashback Pheasant Tail Tungsten Black Head – 14, 16, 18.
Middle Owens River/Wild Trout Section (Bishop Area)
We will be looking around here shortly. Stay Tuned! Flows are still running high.
Hot Creek
Hot Creek is fishing good if you have the right flies. Figuring out what the fish want here is all part of the fun. The dry fly fishing has been excellent on most days. Small flies are the norm here lately, so taking it down to size 22 or smaller is good idea. You will get lots of looks and inspections from the trout, and the majority will reject your fly. Dead drifting without drag is of utmost importance during this time of the season with the gin clear water.
Best Flies: Flashback PT’s #16-#20, Tricos Spinners #20-22, SD Crawlers in Red #14, Copper Tiger Midges #18-20, and #18 Assassin Dark, Tangerine Opaque, Kiwi Flash, and Apricot Flash Otter Eggs have been excellent.
Upper Owens River
The big rainbows are moving in. They are not present everywhere in the river, but certain locations are holding. Go small and stealthy to fool some of these pre-spawn fish. The water is very clear here during this time, so spotting and stalking or making your presence unknown is important.
Best Flies: Stimulator – 12, 14, 16; Crystal Copper Tiger Midge – 16,18; B100FB – 14, 16, 18, 20; Spruce a bu dark and light; Loeberg Mallard Silver; Loeberg Guinea Silver, Crystal Midge Pupa Black – 18; Crystal Chironomid Emerger Copper – 16, 18; Broken Back Copper Tiger Midge – 14,16,18, Kiwi Flash and Flamingo Otter Eggs.
This is a year around fishery with special regs in place. We walk and wade guide here.*Doug Rodricks, Doug Dolan, Hans Grotewold, and Devin Preston are under permit from the Inyo National Forest Service to guide Hot Creek.
East Walker River
Flows are at optimal levels for this time of year. There isn’t much in the forecast in the way of snow, but some cooler nights will punch things into gear around here. The algae bloom from Bridgeport Reservoir seeped into the river over the last few weeks, but the river is starting to clean up nicely. The further from the dam you get, the clearer the water gets.
Best Flies: B100FB – 18, 20; Crystal Copper Tiger Midge -16; Crystal Zebra Midge – 16, 18; Punk Perch Light and Dark – 14, 16; Parallel Punk Perch Light and Dark; Crystal Leech – 12, 14, 16; Agent Orange 12, 14, 16; Parallel Agent Orange – 14, Spruce-a-bu Dark and Light.
