The Lower Owens is so reliable at this time of year

Owens River - CA


by The Trout Fitter Staff
4-12-2013
Website

Water Conditions: Good flows are at 225cfs as of 4/12. Water is slightly off color and warming up everyday.

Fishing Conditions and Hatches: Same ol same ol, flows still holding along with the same daytime temps in the 70's. Fish are on the bite by 9am and it goes until 4 pm.

Recommended Flies:

NYMPH:
Flashback Pheasant Tail #18-#20, MicroMay #18, Copper Tiger #18, Zebra Midge 18, Tungsten Flashback Black Beauty #18, Birds Nest #16-#18, Crystal Hunchback Baetis #18-#20, Barrs FB BWO #18

DRIES: CDC Baetis Dun #16-#18, Hi Vis Parachute BWO #18, Hatch Matcher BWO #18

STREAMERS: Flahabou Buggers, Docs Twin Lake Special, Pops Bugger Olive, Hornberg

Guides Hint: Pat Says...

Traditionaly after the Blake Jones fishing tournament they pull the plug on Pleasant Valley Dam. In previous years these flows would crank up to 300 plus cfs. This cold water coming out of the Dam killed the bug hatch's of spring and made wading a challenge. Goodnight!

The spring of 2013 has been another story. The current water flows on the Lower Owens have been un-seasonably stable the last couple weeks, flowing at a sweeet 200ish cfs. This is because of the work that is being done on the Pleasant Valley Power Plant. The water color is a bit on the green side due to the silt that has blown out of the Owens River Gorge, but all-around in primo shape. The bug hatches have been on the tweener side, be-tween spring and summer. On most sections of river you might see a good midge hatch going into our spring generation of B.W.O. (smaller then winter, about a #18), small brown Stones, yellow sallies with a couple caddis a pop'n. As the days get longer, the caddis will switch to late afternoon-evening and we will see the season début on one of my favorite late morning-midday hatch the P.M.D.

The latest news for the water flows from the LA. Department of Water and Power; flows should be stable the next week maybe more. (water flows are subject to change by the time I put a period on this sentence).