Fly Fish between 10 AM and 2 PM on Hot Creek that's when the fish are biting!

Hot Creek - Mammoth Lakes, CA (Mono County)


by The Trout Fitter Staff
12-3-2011
Website

Fishing Conditions and Hatches:
Excellent the fish are getting into that winter feeding pattern where the bite window is only from maybe 10 am until 2 pm but they all feed at once and are not very choosy!

Start with midges, then go to baetis nymphs and dries if they start sipping on the surface. Once the action gets going you can go "big and buggy" and they'll gobble fies they wouldn't even look at in summer.

I checked out the Interpretive Center section and the water is pretty low but those logs the size of your leg are milling around on the far side where that first diversion below the hatchery comes in. Try drifting a leech under a big stimulator on a 20 ft leader (if you can turn one over) through there. You'll only get about 2-3 drifts then they are wise but I connected on the second cast and was instantly broken off on 4X the other day.

Like Arnold said "I'll be back!" -k

Recommended Flies:

DRIES:
CDC Baetis DUN #20-22, Extended Body BWO #20-22, Brook's Sprout Baetis #20-22, CDC Emerger Baetis #20-22, Stalcup Emerger Parachute Midge #22

NYMPHS: Epoxy Wingcase BWO #22, Copper Zebra #22, Yankee Buzzer #22, Micracle Nymph #20, Kyle's Superflash PT #20-22, BH FB Pheasant Tail #16-#20, #22-24 Black Beauty, #22 Furimsky's Epoxy Midge, WD Flashy Black #22, Barr's Flashback Emerger #22, #16 Hare's Ear midday.

STREAMERS: #12 Bead Head Doc's Twin Lake Special Black/Brown/Olive, Burnt Orange Marabou Leech

Guides Hint: In the canyon section cast streamers upstream and strip like hell along the near bank. A big monster might just be in the undercut.