Lower Owens River Fish Report

Tom Loe

Report Date:

https://tomloe.com/

We got a mixed bag down here. The good news is we are seeing or hooking 18-22 inch fish most days in the drift boat areas while using the "dip and strip" method of fishing streamers. In addition the caddis hatches are really getting the fish looking up to dries. Flows have remained low and steady for this time of year and are currently at 150cfs. It has been quite a while since we have seen stable release rates here past mid-April. Get it while it's hot!

The down side as of late is we are seeing far too many 5-8 inch dink rainbows thanks to the dysfunctional stocking program the DFG has slated for this area and PV Reservoir. Hopefully they will live long enough to become future "troutzillas"!

I wrote an article on the Lower Owens in Sierra Fisherman Magazine that was out in March. It contains a lot of information and some seldom printed guide tips for those of you who like to fish the LO. It is available in local shops and is free of charge or online at http://sierrafisherman.com/

The mild weather in the Owens Valley has greatly attributed to the excellent fishing we are experiencing in the wadeable upper sections of the LO. Dry dropper bead head rigs using FB PT's #16-20, #16-18 crystal tigers and zebra midges, #18 caddis emergers, and around lunch a switch to caddis dries #16-18, or BWO, and PMD (pale morning dun) adults is a good choice. We have had some incredible days on numbers in the wild trout section while nymphing and fishing dries. I have had several conversations with some Owens addicts stating that the wild browns are larger on average this year for sure, I concur. The LO is definitely worth a look while the flows remain at this level.

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