Fly Fishing Report 2/21/2025
Golden Trout Guiding Co. LLC
Welcome to my Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Report for the middle of february. We have had some recent storms move through which we have desperately needed and will continue to need as we move into the warm season. The fly fishing has been solid for most of the Owens River with some areas more productive than others. mid morning to evenings have been the best time to get out when things are warmest and the bug life picks up. Being able to escape the crazy and get on the water is always a blessing! Hope everyone enjoys this recent report and finds some time to get out on the water. I have plenty of availability as we move into spring, reach out to line up a guided trip. All levels of experience are welcomed and all gear is provided.
-Luke Kinney (858) 750 9820
Email- goldentroutguiding@gmail.com
Upcoming Programs
We have 3 spots left for our 2025 Spring Fly Fishing Clinic. Our clinics are the highlight of our guiding season as we dive deep into the world of fly fishing building a strong foundation for anglers and their future endeavors. This clinic is focused on the very fundamentals of fly fishing and is catered towards beginner anglers or those looking to get a foot in the door on the sport. Learn how to fly fish in a fun, educational and inclusive environment. We would love to have you join us, reach out to get more info or book a spot for yourself today. The dates for this years Spring Clinic is (April 12th & 13th).
Book the 2025 Spring Fly Fishing Clinic
2025 Golden Trout Trip
The pursuit of Pure Gold.
Wake up to the sound of a remote trickling small stream, full of pure strain Golden trout, awaiting a well presented fly. The smell of coffee lingers from camp as our chef prepares breakfast at first light. The only hard decision you have to make for the next seven days is combing through your fly box looking for the perfect pattern to start your mornings off with. No cell service, no crowds, just the world’s purest strain of Golden Trout awaiting your cast.
(July 27th-Aug 3rd 2025)
MORE INFO/FULL ITINERARY/PRICING
We have an incredible back country experience planned for this coming summer 24’. We will be doing a week long trip out of Horseshoe Meadows fly fishing for the purest strain of Golden Trout one can find. This is bucket list material, an opportunity unlike any other to fish for one of the rarest strains of trout on the planet.
In partnership with Cottonwood Packstation and Eastern Sierra Sport Fishing, join us for a trip of a lifetime deep into the Southern Sierra backcountry. This week long trip requires a certain level of hiking ability. We will be on foot while our packing and trail team carries in our gear so we can focus on fly fishing between destinations. Full trip details including pricing and itinerary below.
There is a minimum of 6 anglers for this trip, and a maximum of 11. The last day to sign up for the trip is 6/27/2025. To reserve a spot or get on the waiting list please contact us.
SIGN UP NOW
New Zealand 2026
I am proud to announce our international trip opportunities and hosted experiences. We have a very special trip package coming december 2026!
Join us for a full week of sight fishing for some of the worlds finest trophy brown trout with world class guide Simon Chu.
Week One (December 5th-11th)*** 3 spots left
Week Two (December 12th-18th)***4 spots left
New Zealand is one of the most unique, technical, and picturesque fly fishing destinations on the globe. There is nowhere like New Zealand when it comes to gin clear water, sight fishing for trophy trout, and the variety of waters available. It is truly remarkable and a destination that any serious angler should consider in their lifetime.
BOOK NEW ZEALAND
Fly Fishing Report
Lower Owens- The Lower Owens is currently flowing around 80 CFS and the water temps are cold between 44-46 degrees. As we head into March and April the Lower Owens can start to fire on all cylinders as hatches of Caddis and Mayfly erupt at the water and air temperatures rise. It’s always hard to predict when the they will increase the flows and water level on the Lower Owens, anything below 250 is great for fly fishing. Usually around late March and April they will start elevating the flows and you gotta be careful with your wading on that river. We have passed through peak winter and as far as I’m concerned the Lower Owens has been the best and most productive section of water thus far. Healthy amounts of wild brown trout mixed in with some bigger stocked rainbows are all feeding and actively seeking out a well presented fly. Nymphing either under an indicator or with a tight line set up is the current way to have the most productive time on the Lower Owens. Using those bigger and brighter czech nymphs, like perdigon’s (size 16-18) in that faster pocket water is getting trout to feed and be fooled. I’ve noticed the bite to be slower in those bigger deeper bends as the fish have more time to investigate the fly and make a decision. Keep an eye out for that medium to fast water with more oxygen and work the seam getting those flies deep enough to be put right in front of the nose and you will get hit. For those bigger slower pools I recommend sizing down to 18’s and fishing some buggier flies like the Duracell or Hares Ears. They seem to prefer a gold bead head over a silver bead head at this point so give that a shot if you have any in your box. As we move into early spring the water will warm up and the bugs will start hatching, and it is GAME ON at that point. Locals refer to March as “Miracle March” for the potential late snow fall, that also applies to some of the potential best DRY FLY fishing opportunities on the Lower Owens. Last few years mid march had hatches of Blue Wing Olive and Granom Caddis going OFF, and fish actively feeding on the surface between 9-2pm. It’s hard to say when or if this year will be similar but it is always good to prepare and either way as the water and air temps increase so will the bite. With the flows being so low its a fantastic time to fish hard to reach areas swing some smaller streamers (size 8-12) and cover water while we can! The Lower Owens is a shoulder season and winter fishery, I stop guiding the Lower usually around end of April and all the way through the heat of summer as the flows are too high and the water get too warm. Now is the time to plan a guided trip and make the most of your experience on the Lower Owens. Have fun and be safe out there, enjoy the primo time of year!
BOOK THE LOWER OWENS
We are lucky to have a protected Wild Brown Trout Fishery in CA and on the Eastern Sierra! I love these fish, they fight hard, are healthy, and so so beautiful. We always wet our hands when we take a photo and keep it short so that these amazing wild trout have a chance to get bigger and make more fish. The amount of Wild Trout on the Lower Owens is impressive and indicates the sign of a healthy fishery. It’s what you want!
Angler Lilie and her husband Billy have been coming up to the Eastern Sierra for years. This is Lillie’s first trout caught while fly fishing and it was a perfect one! She learned some of the finer points of nymphing and reading the stream. Knowing where the fish are feeding and holding position is a big part of fly fishing.
Angler Brenna with her first trout on the fly! Another stunner brown trout caught and safely released on the Lower Owens. Brenna has been fishing the OCean her whole life and wanted to learn the art of fly fishing on the fresh water. She did great!
Angler Billy Taylor had a banner day during some low cloud cover as the mayflies started hatching the trout started feeding! Billy is a long term friend and client, hes a fishy dude haha. Thanks for all the support through the years BIlly!
Tom, Michael, and Russell have been fly fishing with each other for 20 years! It was awesome to show them around the Lower Owens and take them off the beaten path. These guys worked hard for a few fish that day but they all got it done. Well done gents!
Central Gorge- The Central Gorge is fishing well! The flows were slightly up due to the recent storm we had pass through but this point the water has cleared up and things water level has dropped down. That being said when fishing the central gorge, keep a low profile, move slow and upstream and you will have a way better chance of hooking into some nice ones. The Central Gorge is a large canyon section between the pleasant valley reservoir and Crowley Lake around 13 to 15 miles of river. Access is limited and wading around there or getting to certain spots is adventurous but can lead to some awesome fly fishing opportunities! The Lower Owens has been pretty awesome so I’ve spent most of my time guiding on the Lower but if you are looking to get away from folks, have a sweet little adventure and check out some great new zones I highly recommend the central gorge. The Central Gorge is best fished when the sun is at the highest point during this time of year between 9am-2pm. Once the sun tucks behind the rising cliffs it gets cold and the bite usually slows down. As the days heat up and the sun stay out for longer amounts of time the central gorge will fish better and better, including top water opportunities. I love fishing a dry dropper in the Central Gorge heading into april. Fishing a larger parachute adams (size 12-14) to a smaller midge black or olive (size 18) is a great set up as the fish start feeding higher in the water column. Tight lining the central gorge is always a good call all year as the fish will rest behind and between boulders making fishing with a set-depth the least efficient way to target trout. Tight lining or Euro Nymphing allows you to work depth and zones that fishing under an indicator or dry dropper simply can’t do. Obviously as things warm up the fish will start moving greater lengths to take a fly, eventually leading them to the surface for. majority of the day! So much fun! I love teaching Euro Nymphing in the central gorge and there are some stellar fish in the canyon. You might be surprised not only on the quantity but also the quality of fish down there. Like the Lower Owens now is the time to fish the central gorge as come summer it gets hot, lots of rattlesnakes, and stinging nettle lines the bank. We got time as of now, reach out to book a trip and explore the canyon section.
BOOK THE CENTRAL GORGE
The Central Gorge primarily consist of Browns but there are also some surprisingly large rainbow trout down there. The are all healthy and if you find the right sport you can easily pull 6-10 fish out of one spot, sometimes more!
Angler and world traveller Albert Lin working the tight line set up and staying low down in the Central Gorge. Epic day down there, we found a spot and pulled on after the other. Good silly fun!
Upper Owens- The Upper Owens is flowing around 90 CFS above the Hot Creek Confluence and 100 CFS below. The recent storm we had brought plenty of snow on the Upper Owens which is quickly melting out but has limited access to the river. At this point parking and walking from the bridge is recommended, even as the snow melts the mud situation out there is tricky. I have seen every type of built out 4X4 vehicle stuck out there so be extremely careful pushing the limit on how far you can drive the road. The Upper Owens is seeing a little more action regarding trophy rainbow trout but this particular season has been slower than usual. I think it has to do with multiple factors. Two main factors come to mind, the amount of access was unlimited up until this recent storm so those migrating fish got highly pressured and use to seeing the same flies over and over again. The pressure on the Upper Owens at times is concerning as we all enjoy the incredible and beautiful fishery it is, but it does see a lot of anglers. The second reason I think this year’s trophy season has been slower is the lack of storms and weather systems moving through. These migratory fish use weather as internal signals to move and push upstream, we have had a very dry winter this year. At this point we are all hoping to see more storms and weather move into not only for the remainder of this winter but for the health of our spring and warm season this summer. The fishing on the Upper Owens is decent as of now, and if you work hard enough, cover water, stay patient you can still hook into some nice trophy trout. Some days have been warm enough to see trout feeding on small midges on the surface, but mostly it’s a nymphing game. Small baetis nymphs, gold bead head nymphs, caddis nymphs, and midges (size 14-20) are all great sub surface flies to choose from, especially as things warm up moving into spring. The squirmy worm in pink or red is a go-to fly for the Upper Owens and those trophy trout. Beads and eggs are working but keep in mind those fish see beads and eggs all season and they wise to em. Nows a good time to fish something different and think differently. Most folks who have spent time fishing the Upper Owens know the good holes or typical spots the trophy trout might hold, imagine how many times a day those holes get fished…. think outside the box and it will reward you. I am still having a blast guiding and fishing the Upper Owens as it is one of my favorite and hands down most beautiful rivers to fly fish in California. I hope to bring the most accurate and honest fly fishing report I possibly can so I will not sugarcoat the difficulty of fly fishing the Upper Owens. Outside of the Truckee River the Upper Owens is by far one of the more challenging waters around. Having a guide out there will increase your chances of hooking up and knowing how to make the most of that water is priceless knowledge. Good luck out there and I hope you all get into some big’s this season! Stay positive and charge it.
BOOK THE UPPER OWENS
Angler Sergio wanted to get his first snow bow after a couple challenging days fishing the river solo he gave me a call! I showed him how I like to work the water and he made it happen.
The snow is melting fast but there was a decent amount after our most recent storm. Working the deep pools and cutbanks on the Upper Owens will help lead you into some nice fish. Don’t be discouraged if you have slow day, or get skunked. Give me a call I’d love to show you how I fish the river and help you maximize your time.
Thanks for stopping by for my Eastern Sierra fly fishing report! I appreciate everyone who subscribes and follows me it keeps me motivated and going. As we move into spring and summer this fly fishing report will expand as our water options open up substantially. I will be reporting on Bishop Creek, Rock Creek, Back Country, Owens River, Our Local Lakes, Crowley Lake, East Walker and much much more. Opening day is April 26th, right around the corner. I am running an opening week special for Crowley Lake offering to celebrate. I still have a few dates left for opening week on Crowley Lake! Save some money and gent bent on fish that havent seen a fly all winter long. Wishing everyone a great february, tight lines and big smiles!
-Luke Kinney
Perfect trophy Cutthroat trout caught opening week last season! Reach out to line up a Crowley Lake guided fly fishing trip. Crowley Lake is fun for all levels and ages. Let me show you the beauty and fun of still water fly fishing and help you get into some lifetime Brown, Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout.
Romans 6: 17-18 “But thanks be to God that, though you use to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”
There is always hope! Ask for Jesus to come along with you and he will meet you where you are.
