Hello Anglers,

As we get into the fall and the weather starts to cool off, we had our first shot of snow in the forecast for the coming weekend, but that has fizzled out. The good news is we may get some breezes going into this weekend to help clear the air some. The smoke has definitely not been as bad as last month and is much thinner than some of the thick fog like conditions of the past. 

Looks like we will start to warm up going into the following week, and this will provide some good high pressure for the midge hatches to continue on Crowley Lake. As the fish have switched over to fall feeding mode, they have been taking advantage of some great midge activity in all areas of the lake, which is typical this time of year. 

Most days the fish will feed heavily during specific time frames from area to area. Some parts of the lake will not produce many bites in the morning but will turn on later in the day. Spending time on the water daily will give you a good idea of where to go during these feeding times. This is where a guide comes in handy. It is a mixed bag size of fish now so you will get some fish in the hatchery size range but also up to the 24” mark.

A few fish have begun to trickle in to the tributaries as they begin to stage up for their fall spawn. Nighttime temperatures are dropping into the 30’s now and the water temperatures are beginning to cool off and trigger this pre-spawn and spawning behavior. The weed beds are now a thing of the past around the shoreline and October is historically a good month for shore fishing and float tubing for those that do not have access to a boat. The other alternative is to forget all the prepping and hire one of our expert guides to put you on the fall trophies. We have the entire month of October to get after these large fish before we start to pursue them on the Upper Owens. Click here if you would like to be guided on Crowley Lake for some great fall fishing.

The Upper Owens is primed and ready for the push of browns and rainbows to start moving upstream. When they do, we will be ready for them. We hope we will see a big winter this year and be able to get the snowmobiles out for some run and gun style fishing this winter. But, snow or no snow, the fishing is always good once the fish do enter the river. Currently some mixed sizes of fish are being caught and this should become mostly medium and larger sized fish in the coming fall weeks. 

We will also be starting our drift boat trips down the Lower Owens River. The flows on the river have finally dropped to very fishable conditions and the first drifts of the season will begin shortly. These are fun trips and great for getting away from the crowds as we float down the river and fish the best spots that are difficult to access on foot. We will keep you updated on our website on conditions down here.

The East Walker River is slowly reaching its fall and winter flow rates but continues to fish well as the water starts cooling off. This river really starts to get going when the first snow fall starts. 

The trophy brown trout really love this type of condition and really go on the chew. We will be looking at this area too in the coming weeks and hunting some of these larger fish. 

Hot Creek is also on the list for places to attack with flies. This area has had a short break from angling pressure due to the recent forest closure of the past few weeks. Now that it is open again the fish are eager to take properly presented flies. Some of these fish are also entering their fall mode so egg patterns and attractor pattern flies are working. With the lighter angling pressure of the fall months, this area can be a lot of fun in the coming weeks. 

Be sure to check out our new website for more information on our trips and conditions and to purchase flies. We have a few new patterns that are doing very well on Crowley Lake and the rivers and creeks we are currently fishing. You can click here to purchase.

Check out our friends and their stores that carry our flies next time you are in their area: The Crowley Lake General Store & Deli ( full selection), Reagan’s Sporting Goods in Bishop (full selection),   Stroud Tackle in San Diego (full selection), Fisherman’s Spot in Van Nuys (seasonal top patterns), Bridgeport Reservoir Marina -(full selection)  Ricks Sport Center in Mammoth Lakes (seasonal- top patterns only). Eagle Lake RV and store. (seasonal- top patterns) and Fly and Field Outfitters in Bend, Oregon (seasonal top patterns).

Visit our website for more information on fly fishing and some additional resources. You can purchase our flies here, forget about the hassle of leaving the house, and opt for our delivery to your door. Fill out one of our trip request forms here to get in on some of the great fishing action we have been experiencing. If you are planning a trip to the area and plan on going on a guided trip with us, you will definitely want to book sooner than later as our days are filling at a faster rate than usual this year.