september 12, 2025

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Please refer to the Ways and Means below. 

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GULL LAKE:

The fishing at Gull picked up this week getting 40 plus Rainbows including a good amount of 1 to 3 pounders and the smaller state stockers. The hot bait was a nightcrawler under a bobber. This method works best earlier in the season, not so well during the Summer, then usually kicks back in sometime in September. Other baits that are working are Chartreuse Garlic, Salmon Peach, and Garlic Power Baits along with Mice Tails and Garlic Pinched Crawlers. Near and in the Back Bay, as we call it, is the sweet spot since fish have moved back into that shallower water since it has cooled a bit along with the cooler weather. Note: We have not fished June Lake since early July (just the way things worked out this year) but it’s fishing like Gull with more like 20 fish days. ​

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BACKCOUNTRY:

Our two favorite spots, Mine Creek in Tioga Pass and Upper Rock Creek in Little Lakes Valley, are excellent and should remain so into October. Mine Creek is 100% small Brooks and Rock Creek is mostly small Brooks with a few small Rainbows and/or Browns being caught. We fly fish only both locations with primarily Caddis patterns and Black Ants, whichever one the fish are grabbing the most aggressively. Mine and Rock are perfect for classic dry fly casting on lakes and ponds and the creeks as well with unbelievable scenery. 

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Upper owens river:

The Upper Owens above Benton Crossing is barbless flies and lures only, catch and release all year. Lately, the fishing has slowed a bit getting a few small Browns or Rainbows with an occasional 20” plus Rainbow mostly nymphing. This time of year and into November big fish can move up from Lake Crowley at any time so we’ll be out there two or three times a week hoping to catch one of those runs.

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ways and means

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Gull and June Lakes:

We primarily fish a 6lb test Carolina Rig with floating baits (5’ to 6’, 4lb to 6lb fluorocarbon leader at Gull, 3’ to 4’ at June), a nightcrawler and bobber rig, and sometimes chuck Thomas Buoyants and Rapalas. 

Baits of choice are Garlic, Salmon Peach, and Chartreuse Garlic Power Baits, Mice Tails, and Garlic Pinched Crawlers with a size 16 treble hook. We would use a size 14 but sometimes the Mice Tails won’t float with a bigger hook. With the nightcrawler we run the main line through a Carolina Keeper then through a Cast-a-Bubble to a barrel swivel, 4’ to 5’ leader (same as the floating bait) ending with a 6 or 8 worm hook. This works best near the reed banks. These baits have been the go to for years now but sometimes we’ll change it up just cuz we can. Start out with a different bait on each rig to see what’s working best. 

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Upper owens:

We’ll nymph, streamer, and dry fly here. 

Nymphs: A single nymph size 12 or 14 under an indicator with tapered fluorocarbon leader liking Yellow Spots, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, and Zebra Midges hitting mainly the deep, slower bends and deeper cut banks. Streamers: Pretty much sticking with size 4 or 6, olive and black, beaded and cone head Wooly Buggers, Leeches, Sculpzillas, etc. swinging and stripping downstream getting close to our side cut bank when stripping up. Dry Flies: Mostly size 12 or 14 Caddis and Mayfly patterns. We’ll fish these either similar to the streamer method downstream or up and across for a nicer drift. What about terrestrials? Throw a hopper, foam ant, or stonefly on now and then. You never know what might grab it!​

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so...

“Keep chuck’n and a grind’n” !!

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