Fly Fishing Report 8/22/2024
Golden Trout Guiding Co. LLC
Welcome to my Eastern Sierra fly fishing report for the end of August and heading into September. We have had a fun but increasingly warm summer and temps are finally starting to cool down on certain rivers. Fall will be here before we know it and I am getting excited for my favorite time of year on the Owens River. As we move into fall I’ll be starting to focus more on nymphing and streamer fishing, and hopefully some hopper action in September. We patiently await the changing colors, big colored up Browns, and shorter crisp days leading into the new season.
We have 2 spots left for our 2024 Fall Fly Fishing Clinic. We host two clinics every year, one in Spring and One in Fall and they are the highlight of our guiding season. The clinics are hosted by myself and our head guide Rob Hrabik. Two full days of immersive learning from classroom to river where we do our best to meet each individual angler at their own skill level. Our primary goal is that each angler walks away feeling confident to approach the river, and maximize their time on the water. This year we will be focused on Nymphing and Streamer Fishing techniques. As we move into our colder seasons trout will be holding deeper in the water, conserving energy, so getting our flies and presentation available to them makes all of the difference. Reach out to reserve a spot for yourself today before our class fills up!
I am now booking into November call (858) 750 9820 or email goldentroutguiding@gmail.com to line up a private guided trip. All levels of experience are welcomed and all gear is provided. Learn how to fly fish in a fun, safe, and educational environment. Fly fishing is a lifetime endeavor and an amazing way to connect with the natural world!
-Luke Kinney, Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide.
2024 Golden Trout Excursion (Recap)
Our 2024 Golden Trout Trip in partnership with McGee Creek Pack Station and Eastern Sierra Sport Fishing was an exceptional and memorable experience. We had a group of 6 anglers from all over the state of CA and beyond who joined us in 53 miles of pristine Golden Trout Wilderness and fly fishing. Every angler had a great attitude and put in the work allowing us to reach some of the most incredible streams holding some of the purest strain of Golden Trout on the planet. We were able to fish dry flies throughout the entire trip, some days averaging around 50-100 fish per person, using a variety of techniques and presentations to fool these remarkable native trout. We are currently planning another trip for 2025 and will keep you all posted on dates and registration ASAP. Thanks to everyone who worked incredibly hard to make this trip and experience come together.
Our 2024 Golden Trout Trip Group, (Top L-R) Kevin, Andre, Rob, Don, Tyler, Caymen, Andy (Bottom L-R) Mike, Luke, Ralph, Wayne, Nevada, Lindsey.
A volcano creek golden trout. One of the purest known strains of Golden on the planet. Such a beautiful and amazing fish!
Ramshaw Meadow in all of its glory. This was one of the most amazing days of fly fishing I've ever experienced. Goldens from 6-12 Inches and few bigger browns mixed in were more than eager to take a well presented dry fly.
Life around camp. We had an amazing personal chef and packing crew that allowed us to travel light and enjoy some incredible and healthy dining in the backcountry. Being well fed and fueled made each day more approachable and allowed us to cover miles with more ease. At camp there was always good stories, good laughs, and incredible views.
They don't get any more beautiful. A true trophy trout caught and released near little whitney meadow.
Fishing for gold during the golden hour in Big Whitney Meadow.
Fly Fishing Report
Lower Owens River; The Lower Owens is currently flowing around 600 CFS, way too high to safely walk and wade although I have heard the fishing has improved. Fishing from the bank at a safe distance is recommended, even trying to net a fish in this fast current is questionable. The water has cooled down to around 62 degrees in the morning, and getting near 68 midday. Temps should continue to drop and eventually flows, leading into my favorite time of year on the Lower…. fall and early winter. I will start guiding and fishing the Lower Owens hopefully by October, it all depends on the flows and when they become accessible. Standby for updates on the Lower Owens, and start getting excited for our oncoming season. We are lucky to have one of the best fall and winter streams in CA.
Lower Owens wild brown trout! The season for the Lower is coming soon.
Bishop Creek/Rock Creek; Bishop Creek and Rock Creek are fishing fairly well, as flows are getting Lower going into fall. Bug life is still active but nowhere close to peak season so being stealthy and having a good presentation is a must. These two higher elevation streams have seen anglers all summer and now that school is back in session, the pressure will be way less than peak summer. September is my favorite month to fish these creeks as the temps start to drop, we still have bug activity, and some of the bigger fish come out to eat. Having a thin profile up there heading into fall is recommended, 5x or 6x. I like to run a single nymph this time of year (Copper John 16-18) (Baetis Nymph 16-18) (Flashback Pheasant Tail 16-18) (Mini Prince Nymph 16-18) are all great options for subsurface flies. A dry dropper is also a great set up but as insect life and hatches slow down even the wrong dry fly can spook those trout. When fishing a dry fly you can’t go wrong with a (Parachute Adams 16-18) or (Elk Hair Caddis 16-18). Having a good distance to where you are targeting will help with hooking up on these creeks and its usually the first or second cast when you’ll get a proper rise. Let the fish sip that fly before setting the hook, if they really want it they will swallow it whole. If fish are just barley rising for your dry or looking at it and refusing the fly you can also try fishing a small (Caddis emerger pattern 16-18). With the warm temps down in the valley floor these creeks are the place to spend a full day chasing trout around and this time of year you're gonna get it to yourself. Have fun out there while you can fall and winter will be here soon.
Angler Wendy learning how to get a drag free drift while fishing a dry dropper set up.
Crowley Lake- Crowley Lake was on fire last month and has slowed down a bit as fish are migrating towards their usual fall locations. The algae is quite thick but still very manageable for some epic still water action. I think september is going to be an awesome month on the lake as these trout will start to stack up in their favorite areas anywhere from 9-16 ft deep. This depth allows for better hooksets and more accurate targeting. There is a healthy amount of fish in the lake right now, Browns, Rainbows, and Cutthroats all being caught daily from 10-20+ inches, it’s been a good time! Midging off the bottom and fishing with small leech patterns or perch fry patterns are a good option heading into September. As far as midges anything with a white bead head seems to be working and my go to flies (Albino Wino 16-18) (Albino Barron 16-18). Red is also starting to produce (Blood Midge 16-18) (Red Zebra Midge 16-18) are worth trying as well. Your classic (Copper Tiger 16-18) is also a great option. (Mini Jig Leech Damsel 14-16) (Punk Perch 12-14) (TFP balanced purple leech 6-8) are some great fly choices to pair with your midge, especially for some of those bigger lake fish! Look for the breaks in the weed beds and the channels to get your flies in the water, running them 6-12 inches off the bottom is key. It can be tricky with the weed beds as your flies might be tucked in them without you knowing so having a good fish finder that shows the bottom this time of year is helpful. Best of luck out there, now is the time to enjoy some cooler weather and mornings on Crowley.
Angler Mike hooked up on a very large cutthroat trout! The bite was slower this day but the fish quality was amazing.
Upper Owens- The Upper Owens is flowing around 74 CFS above the Hot Creek confluence and around 85 below. These flows are great for late summer early fall allowing plenty of water and oxygen for the residentials. The water temps have also cooled down substantially over the last two week as we head into a cold snap and our first potential snowfall this weekend (around 8500 ft) well see if that happens haha! It is the Eastern Sierra and going into fall anything can happen weather wise. Plenty of great fishing to be had on the Upper Owens right now with top water actions throughout the day mostly caddis and the occasional mayfly. The bigger fish seem to be holding in the deeper pools or cut-banks as per usual so don’t expect anything of size while fishing dry flies, but miracles do happen! The best way to approach the Upper as of now is with a nymphing setup either under the indicator or Euro Nymphing (tight lining). Nymphing allows you to get those flies deeper and right in front of the fish, sometimes you need to pass those flies multiple times in front of those bigger trout to get them to take, especially those trophy browns. Speaking of trophy brown trout we are quickly moving into that time of year and window. For those of you looking to hunt down some of the finest brown trout on the Eastern Sierra I would recommend reaching out sooner then later for a guided trip as October/November are easily my busiest months. Fall is my absolute favorite time on the Upper Owens, crowds minimize, big browns start filling in, and eventually the trophy rainbow trout. As far as i’m concerned the Owens River System starts to kick into high gear on the shoulder seasons leading all the way into winter. If you’ve fished it before that time of year then you know what Im talking about. Some recommended nymphs for the Upper Owens as of now (Hares Ears 16-18) (Perdigon 16-18) (Purple or Olive Duracell 16-18) (Blowtorch 16-18) (Flashback Pheasant Tail 14-18) are all solid options. Fishing streamers on the Upper this time of year is my favorite thing to do, your classic (Woolly Bugger 8-12) (Game Changer ) (Jig Leech 6-10) (Mini Lama 8-12) are all good meat flies to throw at em. I know this river very well as I spend a majority of my fall and winter guiding and fishing for myself on the Upper Owens, reach out to book a date!
Fall Brown Trout on the Upper Owens. Colored up and fired up!
Another beauty from fall on the Upper Owens.
Anglers Jen and Jeff enjoying the Upper Owens for their first time! They both landed some nice trout and Jen caught her first fish on the fly rod. Awesome day with these two.
Mammoth Lakes Basin/Convict Lake- Float tubing at the lakes basin and convict lake has been slower but super fun! Ive been having a blast fishing streamers on the drop offs and guiding anglers for their first time on the float tubes. We only have a few more months of fishing these higher elevation lakes until its closing day (November 15th) I plan on taking full advantage of these lakes during september/october as crowds dwindle and the big fish come out to play. Trolling streamers closer to the shore and around the ledges is a great way to hook up, as well as fishing nymphs under the indicator depending on how deep you are fishing. It’s hard to beat a (black or olive woolly bugger 8-12) and as far as nymphs you can pretty much get creative with your selection as these fish are not very picky! I noticed small midges seem to do well on Convict (Zebra midge 18, black or olive) and (Perdigon’s 16-18) are great nymphs. If you haven’t tried float tubing I would love to show you around its a blast and a fantastic way to enjoy the Eastern Sierra and all of its beauty. I provide all the gear including float tubes and fins.
East Walker River- Unfortunate news for the East Walker where a massive fish die off has happened and is ongoing. I will not be guiding the East Walker for the remainder of the calendar season. Here is the recent report from Ken’s Sporting Goods on the event.
Sorry for the delay getting this information out to you but I was out of town over the weekend. I'm trying to get up to speed on an event that happened on the East Walker River last Friday. It sounds like the Reservoir is in the process of "turning over" and this created a huge amount of carbon dioxide from the decaying weeds and as the carbon dioxide pushed through the dam at the "Big Hole" it caused a significant fish kill. We've had reports and photos of many fish, hundreds if not thousands of fish of all species, dead along the "Mile". It's too soon to really know the extent of the die off but it appears to be significant. Some of these fish may have actually come from the Reservoir but it seems likely that most of them are from the river. We've only had a few reports from anglers fishing the Mile after the event and all have reported not getting any fish or even any takes. My understanding is that this situation occurs every year as the weeds and algae in the Reservoir start to die off and decay but typically it is not anywhere as intense as it was this time, we often see a die off of small perch in the river around this time of the year which is likely caused by the same thing, it's usually just not as huge an event as it was this time. We have a few anglers venturing down to the Nevada side of the EW today and have committed to coming back to the shop to let us know what they experience down there so hopefully we'll have more information on the extent of the die off soon. This is certainly not the best of news for this amazing river but I've seen die-off situations in the past due to various things like oil spills and droughts and the East has always bounced back in a very short time. Hopefully it's not as bad as it seems and things will get back on track very soon. I'll try to keep you up to date as more information comes in on the status and health of the river.
Thanks for stopping by for my Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Report and Newsletter. I appreciate the support and community we have as anglers and friends throughout the years. Life is a journey and fly fishing is a great medium. Wishing you all a fantastic rest of summer season and bent rods.
-Luke Kinney
Matthew 25:35-36 "For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me."
