Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters. Here is an update on the Lower Owens River for any of you who are contemplating a trip up here for the Easter Holiday.

As forecast the conditions have GREATLY improved on the LO this week and the flows have stabilized and dropped some which has really made life way better for the fish and the fisherman! I had a great drift on 4-14-11 and we got into some really nice fish and good numbers. Wading or crossing will still be very difficult however. With the warmer temps and stable release rates you can expect to find fish in the larger pools and slower water consistently. I am seeing some little yellow stone flies, a few caddis, and the start of the ephemerella or Pale Morning Duns emerging. The PMD's are #16, the caddis are #16, the stones in the #14-16 range. Midges are thick in the late morning. My first choice for rigging up is using streamers and the "dip & strip" technique. Spruce-a-Bu's and Punk Perch are fishing well with a heavy sinking tip. I have found that the fish are beginning to move out of the holding water and crossing the current lines to attack the streamers as the conditions have improved and the larger mature rainbows are displaying aggressive spring time spawning behavior. This is a significant change for the better and a foreboding of good things to come. Water clarity is very good and the H20 temps are climbing nicely with the longer days and warmer weather.

Drifting the Owens is a great way to access this area with high flows and is a really fun trip this time of year. Give us a call if you want to do a trip this spring.