WE are OPEN including restaurant. Trumbull and Lower 139 are also open.The report below is normal, but not many anglers in the backcountry for a good report. Fly report is sporadic but results will be good if you persist. I've watched one man for the past 8 days and his persistence is unbelievable. He has poor days, good days, and GREAT days, and he is back again today 9-18-20.

DISCUSSION: Moisture pooled off the CA coast (from the remnants associated with Karina) will be trapped by an advancing upper low, with this moisture stretching across the Sierra today. Scattered showers will be possible across Mammoth Lakes and the Owens Valley then. That low will move on to the High Plains Sunday as a ridge builds in from the West. The good news is that temperatures should remain nearly steady, with slight fluctuations, through the work week…DMATT
Dmatts Weather Fact: More good news, as that aforementioned upper low moves off the PACNW coast and passes through Idaho, it will drop at least some rain on many of the Oregon fires. The NORCAL fires should at least benefit from the cooler temperatures and higher humidity.
SHORT TERM FORECAST 
Today: 30% showers with breezy conditions. Hazy skies. 62 / 39.
Saturday / Sunday: Sunny. Widespread smoke and haze. 67 / 41 Saturday — 69 / 43 Sunday.

BAIT: Crawlers, mice tails. Green garlic powerbait is catching a lot of trophy's along with Corn. Hoppers are moving up the elevation scale and the baby boy hopper is everywhere but not up here yet. Good for fly anglers. Chartreuse glitter powerbait, and powerworms in red which are back-ordered to September. The only thing that's bringing up the hawgs from the depths is inflated crawlers. 

LURES: Red/gold and rainbow Buoyant's small size, Kastmasters silver and gold, cutthroat and brown trout, Super Duper's, Tasmanian Devils, Lip Ripperz the new Hot Fire Wobblers. Bring along all your older lures they still work.

FLY AND BUBBLE: Action has been sporadic over this past week due to the added pressure of the anglers trying to get away from the smoke. Flies to try are small Griffith's Gnats, Black elk hair caddis, small black foam ant or a furry ant, Zug Bug, Grey Hackle Yellow and trim the tail even with the bend of the hook and Black Gnat white parachute. Best dry fly for the week is the Black Gnat red tail and black leech.

FLY RODS: Bring more midges and nymphs - all stages. With a change in weather expected again and rain on Friday. Use dry flies when there's a chop on the water. Try the usual Hornberg, rainbow Hornberg, Loeberg (olive) without dropper. Dries would be black elk hair caddis, size 16 to 18 mosquitoes, small foam ants (byo). Normal rigs are set up with a streamer and midge dropper under a full sink line, but if you find a better method use it.

BACKCOUNTRY: Action has been slow, with a couple changes so go smaller darker and stay at 2lb leader with your bubble. Some fish are coming up on worms, small lures and small midges. I urge everyone to be careful with your catch if you do NOT intend to eat them especially with the current problems in our local hatcheries as stocking has been less than minimal.

NOTE: If the trout bleeds don’t throw it back into the lake, it will die and IT ATTRACKS BEARS. If you care about the resource please be careful when releasing fish back into the water.

Virginia Lakes Resort is located near the top of Conway Summit between Mono Lake and Bridgeport, CA. We have everything you need to enjoy the Eastern Sierra. Check out our WEBSITE.