Mammoth Lakes Area
Weather Report
Don't forget your water bottles and sunscreen as you hit the lakes, rivers and creeks. The water's reflection seems to like to help the sun
in its constant attempts to turn us all bright red and leave us sadly remembering the trip. Don't forget life jackets for the kids if you are fishing from a boat!
The following report courtesy
The Trout Fly:
REPORT AS OF 11/17/2011
Regular season ended Nov 15, so it is catch-and-release only on the Upper Owens, Hot Creek and the East Walker in Mono County, as well as fishing the Gorge, Pleasant Valley Reservoir and the Lower Owens in Inyo County, which are also open year round.
Note that the flow shown for Hot Creek is the flow into Hot Creek from Mammoth Creek, which is in addition to the normal flow from the springs that feed this primarily spring creek. Estimated actual flow is shown below in the fish report for Hot Creek.
We only report first-hand info from our sixteen guides (five in winter) on the water daily.
Mammoth Lakes Basin
CLOSED TO ALL FISHING UNTIL APRIL 28, 2012
Water Conditions:
Fishing Conditions and Hatches:
Recommended Flies:
Guides Hint:
Hot Creek
Water Conditions: Great
Flows at 29 cfs as of 11/16
Fishing Conditions and Hatches: Good.
Not much in the way of change since last week. Looking at some winter weather again this wekend, and upper 40's next week with lots of sun.
Still sticking to small Midges. Caddis are pretty much finished, may see one here or there. With the "wintry" weather coming our way this weekend, try some BWO patterns.
Recommended Flies:
DRIES: CDC Baetis DUN #20-22, Extended Body BWO #20-22, Brook's Sprout Baetis #20-22, CDC Emerger Baetis #20-22, Stalcup Emerger Parachute Midge #22
NYMPHS: Epoxy Wingcase BWO #22, Copper Zebra #22, Yankee Buzzer #22, Micracle Nymph #20, Kyle's Superflash PT #20-22,BH FB Pheasant Tail #18-#20, #22-24 Black Beauty, #22 Furimsky's Epoxy Midge, WD Flashy Black #22, Barr's Flashback Emerger #22
STREAMERS:#12 Bead Head Doc's Twin Lake Special Black/Brown/Olive
Guides Hint: Make your life easier and fish at the near bank. No reason to cast to the far bank when they're right at your feet!
San Joaquin River
CLOSED TO ALL FISHING UNTIL APRIL 28, 2012
Water Conditions:
Fishing Conditions and Hatches:
Recommended Flies:
Guide's Hint:
Crowley Lake
CLOSED TO ALL FISHING UNTIL APRIL 28, 2012
Water Conditions:
Fishing Conditions and Hatches:
Recommended Flies:
Guide's Hint:
Upper Owens
Water Conditions: Good. As of 11/16 flows are stable at 76 cfs above the Hot Creek confluence.
Fishing Conditions and Hatches: Good.
Getting reports of some monters hiding in the deep pools in the bends. Try swinging a big streamer and hold on tight. make sure your nymphs are weighted enough to get down to those fish stacked up on the bottom. Also, sneak up on them, hearing they're awfully spooky.
Recommended Flies:
DRIES: Parachute Adams #20, Brook's CDC Baetis #22-24, Extended Body BWO #18-22
NYMPHS: Tungsten Psycho #20, Copper Zebra Midge #18-20, BH Flashback Pheasant Tail #16, Olive WD-40 #18, San Juan Worm Red, Egg Patterns, Red Copper John #18, Zebra Midge #16-18
STREAMERS: Meat Whistles, Olive Black and Brown Wooly Buggers, Slump Busters, Perfection Perch, Punk Perch, Stinging Sculpin
Guide's Hint:
Owens River Gorge
Water Conditions: Great
Flow: 45 CFS. This is a permanent flow required to be maintained by LADWP
Fishing Conditions and Hatches: Excellent
Been getting reports of baetis hatches around mid-day.
Recommended Flies:
DRIES: Rubber Leg Stimulator, Yellow Humpy 18, Kaufman Stimulator 16, Yellow Humpy #16
NYMPHS: Red Copper John #18, Green Copper John #18, BH Prince Nymph #18, Western Coachman # 16, BH Lightning Bug #18.
Guides Hint:
Lower Owens River
Water Conditions: Poor.
Flows still raging at 553 cfs as of 11/16.
Fishing Conditions and Hatches: Fair.
Don't expect the flows to drop anytime soon. But when they do, the fishing should be excellent!
Fishing is challenging at best...Try to fish slower water on the inside of bends, high sticking whenever possible.
Recommended Flies:
NYMPHS: Drowned Trico Spinner #22, Gould Drowned Spinner #22, Micromayfly Brown #18, Headlight Yellow Sally #18, BH Flashback Pheasant Tail #16-20, Zebra Midge #18-22, Medallion Midge #20, Mitchel's Split Case PMD #16, Fox's Caddis Poopah Tan #18, San Juan Worm
DRIES: Brook's Sprout Trico #22-24, Upright Organza Spinner #22-24, Elk Hair Caddis Tan #14-20, Parachute Caddis Grey #18-20, Parachute Adams #18-20, Renegade #20, Brooks Sprout PMD #18-22, Brook's Sprout Baetis #18-22
STREAMERS: Pop's Bugger, Flashabou Buggers
Guides Hint: Be careful of erroding banks at high flows. Fish south of Bishop where river is wider with no large banks.
Bridgeport Reservoir
CLOSED TO ALL FISHING UNTIL APRIL 28, 2012
Water Conditions:
Fishing Conditions and Hatches:
Recommended Flies:
Guide's Hint:
East Walker River
Water Conditions: Poor.
Flows steady for a week at 26 cfs as of 11/16.
Fishing Conditions and Hatches: Poor.
Got a report from yesterday that the water is dirty and silty, with lots of foam on the surface and pretty much unfishable. Might take a few days to clear up.
Flows are as low as they're legally allowed to drop them. Good news, fishing is much easier when the flows are down this low, bad news is that it attracts lots of people.
Still fishing mostly small midges and Baetis. Streamer bite should still be on in the mornings.
Recommended Flies:
DRIES: Extended Body BWO #18-20, CDC Emerger Baetis #20-22, CDC Baetis Dun #18-22, Brook's Sprout Baetis #18-22
NYMPHS: Zebra Midge #20-22, BH Flashback Pheasant Tail #16-18, Red Copper John #20, Pheasant Tail #18-22, Tungsten Psycho #18-22, Yankee Buzzer #22, Black Beauty #22-24, #20 Copper Tiger Midge
STREAMERS: Perfection Perch #10, Punk Perch #10, Black Wooly Bugger #8, Leeches
