MARCH 6, 2025

 

upper owens:​

After the foot of snow that fell prior to President’s Day melted off (see photo to the left) access along the river was no problem although some of the roads leading to it were sketchy due to mud and puddles so we have been parking near Benton Crossing and fishing upstream from there or walking up a ways closer to the North Branch of Hot Creek. We’ve been getting 18” to 22” Rainbows along with some smaller Rainbows and Browns primarily with the Yellow Spot nymph under an indicator up until last Friday after which a bit of weather came through. We’ll be back at it this weekend before the storms due next week hit which are forecast to drop more snow out there. 

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lower owens: 

The weather here has been sunny and mild with temps in the 60s and the flow at about 92 cfs which is just about perfect. Using the lures mentioned in the ways and means below fishing has improved the past couple weeks landing mostly Browns up to 14”. With the weather coming into the higher elevation Upper Owens next week we may be spending more days here than there.

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FEBRUARY 5, 2025

I’ve changed the format a bit this year adding Ways and Means (see below) adding locations we fish as the season progresses with Updates posted each week or two.

 

updates

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upper owens:​

Remarkably, no snow here so far this year! Last night’s storm left a trace amount in June Lake so it’s unlikely any dropped at the Upper. The incoming Thurs./Fri. storm is predicted to leave us with a foot or so in the mountains so we’ll see what fell out at the Upper this weekend.

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January fishing was truly joyful with temps getting into the 50s most days we were there with sunny skies and not much wind. I think it’s been six or seven years since we’ve seen January conditions like this. 

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Primarily fishing the Yellow Spot nymph getting one or two 20” to 22” Rainbows and a few smaller including an occasional Brown each time out. Ninety percent of any size have been in the slow deep bends so we’ll keep focusing on those. There’s been very little, if any Caddis or Mayfly hatches going on but if that changes we’ll start throwing on the dries. 

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OOH! Looking out my window I see a Bald Eagle soaring over Gull Lake! 

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Looking Forward: 

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In years past there’s been a good run of big (20” plus) Rainbows usually beginning later this month carrying through March and sometimes into April. We’ll be hoping it materializes this year. 

 

In May, again as in past years, the Cutthroat Run. Last year’s was one of the best of the past ten. I’ll be watching for early arrivals starting about the third week of April. 

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So, if conditions remain as they’ve been we’ll be mostly at the Upper through Winter and Spring.

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lower owens: 

Having fished the Lower a few times in January due to cold temps and/or wind at the Upper it’s been what I consider a bit slow chucking lures so far catching a few Browns up to 12” each day. We’ll drop down here as conditions dictate at the Upper mixing in some fly fishing especially if consistent mid-day Mayfly hatches appear. To date those hatches have been hit and miss so fly fishing wise  Nymphs and Buggers will be the ticket. Weather conditions here are typically milder, warmer, and without snow due to the lower elevation than at the Upper. 

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Well……”keep chuck’n and a grind’n”​

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ways and means

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upper owens river

Above Benton Crossing the Upper is open all year, barbless flies and lures, no scented products, catch and release. 

We fly fish here only with either nymphs under an indicator, streamers, or dry flies depending on conditions and where fish are located. 

Nymphs: Size 12 or 14 Yellow Spots, Flashback Pheasant Tails, Egg Patterns, Hare’s Ears working upstream hitting the deep bends and deeper cut banks. Streamers: Primarily size 6 Wooly Buggers fished downstream in all water and moving just about every cast to cover more water. 

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Dries: Mostly size 12 or 14 Caddis and Mayfly patterns with some Sheep Creek Specials fishing downstream wet fly style or an upstream drift during hatches. 

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lower owens river

Below Pleasant Valley Campground the Lower is open all year, barbless flies and lures, no scented products, catch and release. 

Here we fly and lure fish, more often with lures for a change of pace. Lures: Panther Martins, Thomas Buoyants, Rapalas with the belly hooks removed. 

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Flies: We use the same flies and methods as at the Upper.

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