Hello Anglers,

We have a new line of t-shirts and hats which are now available in various colors. We will be adding streamside tools (nippers, hemostats, fly boxes, etc.) in the near future. Dry fly floatant and starter rod and reel kits will also be available shortly to go along with our fly orders. Check out our full line here.

We got snow! Finally, a shot of some winter weather has hit the high country. The upper elevations saw about a foot of snow and in the Long Valley and Crowley Lake area it was about an inch or so. This was very good news for the fires and brought our first winter looks for the year.

We finished the season on Crowley Lake with a bang as some really nice fish made a showing in very shallow water. For those of you who enjoy shore fishing and float tubing, the next week will continue to provide some nice sized fish that will take midges and streamers. Most of the easy to access areas like Green Banks, Sandy Pt. and Layton Springs will produce at this time, and they are the easiest areas to launch a float tube from. Go with our #16 Copper Tiger Midges, Puff O’ Smoke midges, and light and dark assassins in regular and parallel for hanging under the indicator. Fish the assassins as your top fly in a two fly setup. Stay with #14’s and #16’s on these patterns. For streamers, our Spruce-a-bu in light and dark, Loebergs in all colors, and #8 and #10 Punk Perch Dark and Light are effective. 

We have started fishing on the Upper Owens River for the larger fall rainbow and brown trout. The fish are spread out throughout the river now, with new fish consistently making their way into the river system. These fish tend to migrate in the dark, so they may be in one area of the river one day and a good distance up river the next. You must find them to catch them, and we know where they like to hold. 

It is still drive in access until we see our first measurable snowfall this fall and winter. At that time, we will be deploying our snowmobile fleet to continue to access the river. If you have never had the chance to fish to these large trout, it is a very special experience. These are hard fighting trout that test the best anglers and teach beginner anglers quickly, how to utilize the rod to land them. Pair this with an expert guide who knows the river well and can provide you with vital information on winter fishing techniques and you have the makings of a successful day of landing these fish of a lifetime. Click here to inquire or book a trip with us this month.

The East Walker River is at low winter flows now but there are some nice fish to be had. The problem with low winter flows is the amount of water you have to fish along the river is limited. If you throw a dozen anglers on the river now it gets crowded fast and you run out of areas to fish. If you do fish here, streamers and egg patterns have been doing well for larger fish. The deepest sections of water will hold the most fish this time of year.

The fall spawn on Hot Creek has also started, and some of the brown trout have moved into shallower water in groups to pair up and spawn. The rainbows are still feeding heavily on adult aquatic insects as well as nymphs. Egg patterns are also getting hard looks from the trout when placed right in front them. Look for some nice hatches on BWO’s mid-day, and remember the clear and low water requires a stealthy and undetected approach from anglers. 

Flows on the Lower Owens are ideal for drift boat fishing and walk and wade fishing. The Wild Trout Section and Pleasant Valley Reservoir have been fun for wild brown trout and rainbows. These are great looking fish with stunning colors, and they are eager to take small nymphs and dry flies throughout the day. 

The drift boat sections are all accessible now and some wild browns and a few rainbows have been showing up. Streamer patterns have been accounting for most of the fish as we float down the river from Willy drift boats. There have also been some afternoon and late morning hatches taking place. The blue wing olive hatch is pretty solid right now with fish rising in the riffle sections and slower water areas. We can expect to see these bug hatches increase as we edge closer to winter.