Hot Creek and the East Walker River

[Danny Klein]

I just found out that these phenomenal fisheries are open year round. Has anyone here actually fished them in the winter? Call me a psycho but I'm willing to suffer frostbite to fish either one of these world famous trout streams.

British Columbia,Alaska,Quebec,Montana,Colorado etc. are places I frequent with a fly rod and guides in all those places know of Hot Creek.

It has been many years since I fished this unique stream but I've read reports suggesting the fishing is as good as it has ever been.

If any fellow psycho anglers want to make a trip to Mammoth Lakes to fish(not ski) please contact me.


Danny

[sb fishing]

I fished the East Walker this weekend. Fishing is good right now. The weather was perfect! I would post pic's but I lost my camera on the river. If you have any question shoot me a PM.

[Danny Klein]

Thanks for responding:I was starting to think there might not be any fly fishermen here. Looks like the weather pattern is going to be nice this week and I'm prepared to jump in the car and drive up on a moments notice.Stalking wild browns and rainbows is what I live for.(aghhh,after my wife and kids).

Danny

[Guest Who]

Danny,

there are definitely some fly fishers on here; it's just I don't think many people check the eastern sierra section during the off season. Like you, I've had interest in fishing the mammoth area during the closed season and done rudimentary research. I've heard the dirt part of the road into hot creek is not plowed, so you might need snow shoes to get in. The reason I've never gone is that my level of fly fishing is too low to have any luck on hot creek. I've fished it twice during the normal season and got skunked both times. From what I've been told the fish are pretty educated so you really need to know what you're doing to catch them, although the winter time might be different if the angler pressure is low.

According to http://sierratroutmagnet.com/reports/2010/01/mammoth-fly-fishing-hot-creek-1192010.html
A 4×4 vehicle will be needed to make it up to the locked gate which is about 3/4 mile from where the plow stops. This puts you at the top of the canyon section at the FS locked gate. You can also walk this 3/4 mile section of unplowed road. From the locked gate it is about 1/4 mile of snowy downhill to fly fishing utopia.

Lower owens also open: http://sierratroutmagnet.com/reports/2011/01

[Danny Klein]

Guest Who, thanks for your response. I'm going to pm you tomorrow;my wife just ordered me off the computer and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm afraid of what she might do(or not do) to my favorite fishing rod.lol.

[dockboy]

Hot Creek fishes well this time of year. You may indeed need snow shoes for access. Also, no felt wading shoes. Carry invasives AND they turn into giant soles of icy doom after about 10 yards in the snow. Big and buggy can get bit well right now (#16 is big for HC, unless you are fishing streamers).
Upper Owens is open above Benton Crossing. Hard to access the road (its pretty much snowed in), and without a snowmobile, you'd have to huff it on snow shoes to the river and then a lot more to hit the water people aren't fishing. But the rewards can be huge. Check out the Sierra Drifters site, their "Snow-Bows" video is frickin' awesome.
Lower Owens is excellent right now. Don't be dumb and stubborn like I was back on the 28th-29th and ignore the midges in hopes of a good Baetis hatch. If the wind is down, there is a bumper midge hatch, lots of fish on the surface eating #20-24. Don't be afraid to fish the Gorge or PVR now too, both excellent.

[gogreeenz4]

danny i would love to join you in tossesn some flies up at hot creek..i couldnt wait til march or april to go up but if fishn is good now im willing to join defiantly.. leme know

[gogreeenz4]

looks like from the reports i was lookin at fishin is excellent right now so with that said im defiantly down and willing to go up sometime this week..itd be a great early seson trip withoutta doubt so im in 100 percent if ypu wna go up

[Danny Klein]

Dockboy, thanks so much for the information.

Gogreeenz4, my wife and I skied Mammoth today and most likely will fish the East Walker tomorrow and either Hot Creek or the Lower Owens on Friday. I'll post a report when we get home. Would love some company in the near future.


Danny

[gogreeenz4]

Dockboy, thanks so much for the information.

Gogreeenz4, my wife and I skied Mammoth today and most likely will fish the East Walker tomorrow and either Hot Creek or the Lower Owens on Friday. I'll post a report when we get home. Would love some company in the near future.


Danny

sounds good best of luck to ya my friend and defiantly get at me if you ever wna go at the streams up there with flys id be more then down to go up

[Piss on Myspace]

id be more then down to go up

...with a name like that, u sure u don't get up before you get down :Razz:

[Danny Klein]

Piss On MySpace,

Your reply to gogreeenz4 was disgusting and inappropriate.

[Piss on Myspace]

hahaha ...i think you missed that one buddy...gogreenz....getting "up"...hmmmm u do the math... i don't know what your think bout tho...

it wasn't intended to be malicious or offensive... gluck on your trip tho, would love to see a sierra report this time of year.