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Fisher-of-Men
10-09-2007, 08:14 PM
To the Owens and Back in a Day !

For some time now I have been reading reports from anglers about their fishing trips to the Owen's River. I have only driven by the Owens River in route to the Sierras. My oldest son has asked me several times if we could go fishing there; so Friday when I picked up the kids and he asked me again, I said okay. This put a smile on his face from ear to ear! :D We gathered our gear and packed the car the night before. Everyone was in bed by 8 pm. The alarm sounded at a quarter to two and the coffee pot was boiling ten minutes later. Our plan was to leave by 3 am and to arrive sometime by 9 am or before. By the time we actually pulled out of the driveway it was nearly 4 am. The adventure was now underway!
:banana:
Within an hour we hit the 395 turn off and began our trek northbound for Bishop, CA. The night sky is always a pleasure to gaze :shock: up at when away from the big city. It wasn't long before it was 6 am and the eastern sky began to show signs of life. I didn't catch any sunrise pictures this time but believe me, it was awesome!

395 North
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The kids had awakened from their sleep and were extremely excited about where we were going. One such thing that we all found amusing was this sign we saw posted about every ten miles. :lol:

"Really Good" ~ Fresh Jerky
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Lone Pine, CA
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As we traveled northbound on 395 out of Lone Pine we captured or first glimps of winter setting in on the Eastern Sierras. The dusting of snow that you see on the upper peaks gradually became thicker as we continued on.
395 North out of Lone Pine
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View of the Snow-Capped Eastern Sierras from Independence, CA
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We pulled off at the Ranger Station for dirrections to the Benton Crossing Bridge on the Upper Owens. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this area; this is just above Lake Crowely (30 miles north of Bishop). But first things first! Time for a Tailgate Party with the Crumb-Catchers! :lol:
Breakfast Anyone??
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MMMM! MMMMM! Good!
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Yummie! :thumb:
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After our tummies were full, it was time to do some exploring. :banana: Before we got too far, the kids made me stop so they could "Moooo" at the cows. So we found a nice herd and all began to Moooo! The way every cow stopped eating and popped its head up was absolutely hilarious!
:rofl:
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After we all exhausted our vocal cords; we continued on to Benton Crossing. Once we arrived at the location, all we could see was about 50 Flyfisherman walking all up and down the banks of the Owens as it twisted like a snake through the cow pastures. This area was catch and release only. The use of artificial lures and barbless hooks was posted as well. Since we really wanted some fresh trout; we moved on.
Upper Owens @ Benton Crossing
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I heard that the Owen's Gorge held some nice size Browns; so we headed back down 395 south. The "Gorge" is just below Lake Crowely Dam and can be fished without any restrictions. This trip turned out to be mostly exploring for the best place to fish on our next trip.

We found the "Gorge", but the water flow was extremely low this time of year. There were some sizeable Browns in the small pools but sneaking up on them was another story! Since the water flow was so slow, you were unable to let your bait drift downstream. Once they saw you; it was game over. :(
Photo of the "Gorge" below Crowely
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We decided to keep looking until we found our "Honey Hole" along the Owens. I remember my Pops telling me about the Lower Owens that he fished when he was younger. I decided that was a good idea since it would be headed back in the dirrection that we would need to travel heading home. We passed through Bishop and turned left on some road about 4-5 miles out of town. We made a bee-line towards the string of trees that stretched for miles along the rivers edge.
Once we found the Owens again, we could see that the water flow was much higher and moving alot swifter. I said, "I think this is the spot guys!" It was now about 2:30 pm and I still had a 6 hour drive ahead of me. I said, "lets get out there and catch some fish!"

My oldest son gettin busy!
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Rainbows go crazy over this Roostertail! I have found that the Chartreuse or the Frog color work the best with the creeks or streams.
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The BIG catch! (the sun was in his eyes. lOl!)
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We ended up the day with a nice size Rainbow and beat the :skunk: !
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Until next time..................Peace and Tight Lines!


Fisher-of-Men

britheguy
10-10-2007, 12:28 AM
Amazing, great report. looks like the kids had fun! I also see u packed the Flintstones vitamins :rofl: :rofl:

Mater
10-10-2007, 04:58 AM
Great post. Your kids will remember this trip for years to come. Did you try south of the Benton Crossing bridge or is it already closed for the season?

Fisher-of-Men
10-10-2007, 05:12 AM
Great post. Your kids will remember this trip for years to come. Did you try south of the Benton Crossing bridge or is it already closed for the season?

South of Benton Crossing, all the way to Lake Crowely is still open "Mater". The season closes on November 15, so if you're thinking about getting in on some Big, Wild Brown action; time is of the essence! :D

We chose not to fish that area because it is restricted to "Catch and Release Only". The Dept. of Fish and Game has the signs posted everywhere.

Thanks for the reply! :D

Fisher-of-Men

Fisher-of-Men
10-10-2007, 05:16 AM
Amazing, great report. looks like the kids had fun! I also see u packed the Flintstones vitamins :rofl: :rofl:

Yes "Britheguy, we packed the Flinstones too. The kids need their vitamins alright! :lol:

Fisher-of-Men

gwjones00
10-10-2007, 07:14 AM
Fisher:

Great report! What an outing too!

The next time you get a hankering to drive up and fish, there are a few places that are a little closer that also provide some good fishing. For example, when you get to Lone Pine, you can always hang a left at the signal in town. Drive a couple of miles, and turn left on a well established dirt road. The road will take you to the "sandtrap", which is where Lone Pine Creek is diverted into the Los Angeles acqueduct. There is a sizable pool there that can be fished, usually with good luck. Also, you can drive up to Whitney Portal where there is a pond that is heavily stocked.

On the Owens, you should have been able to fish with regular bait from the bridge at Benton Crossing south to the Monument just as the river enters Crowley. Fishing is usually good along that stretch of the river. I believe that the Gorge is artificials only. I have had great luck in two places on the Owens right in Bishop. At the "Y", take Hwy 6 north to where it crosses the river. Park off to the side of the road, and then fish from the bridge south. Also, a couple of miles south of Bishop, go east on Warm Springs Road. You can fish the river both directions from the bridge. The great thing about those places is that the river gets stocked at both points becuase of access.

Finally - don't forget Pleasant Valley Reservoir. It's a short walk (less than a mile) from the parking lot to the dam. Walk out about half way on the dam and fish the lake. The best thing about Pleasant Valley, and the Owens South of Pleasant Valley is that they are open year round. I have had great fishing trips with my son during Winter break, President's Day weekend etc.

Great report! Thanks again.

tpfishnfool
10-10-2007, 08:06 AM
Great times on the owens.. Thanks for sharing

Granny Fish
10-10-2007, 08:06 AM
The crumb catchers score again! :appl:

Great report! Thank you for sharing

one_leg
10-10-2007, 12:23 PM
There you go, making me jealous again.

Thanks for the report. Great pics too!!!

One_Leg

Beancounter
10-10-2007, 12:27 PM
Great report & pics :thumb:
That's alot of driving pops!
Thanks for giving me some ideas to take my youngest son.

Troutman65
10-10-2007, 01:00 PM
Fisher-of-Men, Another great report and fishing trip with your little ones. They are lucky to have a Dad that takes them out fishing. 8)

Thanks for the report and pics. Nice trout.

Troutman65

Wingnut
10-10-2007, 02:18 PM
Very nice report! Thanks for sharing your adventure. :mrgreen:

Fisher-of-Men
10-10-2007, 03:07 PM
Fisher:

Great report! What an outing too!

The next time you get a hankering to drive up and fish, there are a few places that are a little closer that also provide some good fishing. For example, when you get to Lone Pine, you can always hang a left at the signal in town. Drive a couple of miles, and turn left on a well established dirt road. The road will take you to the "sandtrap", which is where Lone Pine Creek is diverted into the Los Angeles acqueduct. There is a sizable pool there that can be fished, usually with good luck. Also, you can drive up to Whitney Portal where there is a pond that is heavily stocked.

On the Owens, you should have been able to fish with regular bait from the bridge at Benton Crossing south to the Monument just as the river enters Crowley. Fishing is usually good along that stretch of the river. I believe that the Gorge is artificials only. I have had great luck in two places on the Owens right in Bishop. At the "Y", take Hwy 6 north to where it crosses the river. Park off to the side of the road, and then fish from the bridge south. Also, a couple of miles south of Bishop, go east on Warm Springs Road. You can fish the river both directions from the bridge. The great thing about those places is that the river gets stocked at both points becuase of access.

Finally - don't forget Pleasant Valley Reservoir. It's a short walk (less than a mile) from the parking lot to the dam. Walk out about half way on the dam and fish the lake. The best thing about Pleasant Valley, and the Owens South of Pleasant Valley is that they are open year round. I have had great fishing trips with my son during Winter break, President's Day weekend etc.

Great report! Thanks again.

Thanks for the tips GW! :wink: I recieved my info about the regulations from an old fellow that worked at one of the main flyfishing stores in Bishop. I probably better not say the name. I did see signs posted about the restrictions north of the bridge at Benton Crossing; although you may be right about the section south to Crowely. I didn't get out and walk that section due to a large campground that runs up along the river's edge.

I have been meaning to check out the area just below the Whitney trailhead as you mentioned; but the other areas you suggested are new info for me. I will have to do some more exploring I see. :mrgreen:

The kids are still young which gives me many more years with them to search out new areas on the Eastern corridor. :banana:

Fisher-of-Men

fisheromen
10-11-2007, 01:30 AM
That's a great read and a great post!!! Thanks for sharing. I hope when my kids get a little older that they'll want me to take them on spur-of-the moment fishing adventures!!!!

gwjones00
10-11-2007, 06:59 AM
Fisher:

"although you may be right about the section south to Crowely. I didn't get out and walk that section due to a large campground that runs up along the river's edge."

That's right - there is Brown's on the south side of the bridge. Just drive a little south of Browns - then take any of the dirt roads back toward the west. They all end up at the river. You will have miles of river to fish. Just and FYI - when I wasn't catching in June Lake (where I usually go), I used to take the kids to the Owens. It was almost always guranteed catching a few there.

When I am need of a quick fix though, I usually don't go any further north than Bishop. During the season, all of the streams between Lone Pine and Bishop are open. After November 15, only Pleasant Valley Reservoir and the Owens River south of Pleasant Valley Reservoir is open year round (although there are special regulations in the Wild Trout section of the river just south of PVR). I beleive the streamsin Inyo County open back up earlier than the reular season in Mono. Bottom line is that there is fishing in the Eastern Sierra that can be enjoyed the entire year. I especially love Bishop in February. Crowds are light, rivers are stocked (both DFG and Alpers) and fishing is usually pretty good at both PVR and along the river.

It is really amazing how much river there is to fish there just in Bishop. My son and I once took a float trip along the Owens from the Laws bridge downstream. We were in the water for 8 hours and only drifted about half way to Warm Springs Road. Oh yeah - and caught fish all along the way.

Keep those kids fishing! I first went up there in 1963 when I was 6 years old. I have yet to miss a year....

gwjones00
10-11-2007, 08:16 AM
Fisher:

I stand to be corrected. I started looking at the regs a little closer and noticed that things changed back in March to open (and close) more water to year round fishing:

As of 3/1/2007, I believe new regulations allow year round fishing on:

Hot Creek (artifical flies, barbless hooks)
Owens River upstream from Benton Crossing (artifical flies only, barbless hooks, C&R only)
Note: It appears that the Owens from Benton Crossing south to the monument at Crowley closes on Sep 30.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir (no restrictions)
Owens River from PVR to footbridge at the lower end of PVR campground (from 10/1 through 12/31 - artifical lures with barbless hooks, C&R only, otherwise limit of 2)
Owens River from footbridge along Chalk Bluffs Road to Redwood Sign (artifical lures only with barbless hooks, C&R only)
Owens River from Redwood sign down to Tinemaha Reservoir (open all year with no restrictions)


The thing that is differnt is that it appears that the Owens from Benton Crossing south to the Monument closes on 9/30 every year. Sorry about the bad advice!

troutslayer05
10-11-2007, 07:00 PM
Good report! Nice to see you taking the kids out for some fishing fun. Cant wait to get back up to the sierras!

fleaflicker
10-11-2007, 07:15 PM
Hey Dad... You are THE MAN!!!

Once again YOU ROCK

GREAT PICS GREAT TIMES

SDJHawk
10-11-2007, 09:38 PM
You know I have never been to the "sandtrap" or Whitney portal. Is that an area thats pretty heavily fished? Just curious on what to expect before making the trip up there.
Thanks

Fisher-of-Men
10-12-2007, 05:22 AM
You know I have never been to the "sandtrap" or Whitney portal. Is that an area thats pretty heavily fished? Just curious on what to expect before making the trip up there.
Thanks

I have never been there either "SDJHawk". I am just starting to get my feet wet up in this area. "GWJones" gave me alot of great info and he seems to know the area well. One thing is for certain, this area is not fished like the more popular lakes in the LA County area. The Whitney Portal may get some traffic passing through because of the trailhead being there for the hike up Whitney but I'm sure you will be just fine. It's beautiful up there! The drive up and the site seeing you get is almost as much fun as catching the fish. Besides the areas "GW" mentioned above: there is also Lake Sabrina, South Lake and Bishop Creek; all on HWY 168 out of Bishop (turn left on Line St.). You will have a blast "SD"! :wink: Dress warm and pack a rain jacket. The storms come out of the blue up there sometimes.

P.S.
Make sure you take some pics and share your report with us!


Fisher-of-Men

gwjones00
10-12-2007, 06:45 AM
The Portal pond is *heavily* fished. At times it can be shoulder to shoulder. It is also *heavily* stocked. Personally, I don't find the pond much fun becuase of the crowds, but if your goal is to get your kids out to catch some fish, it's hard to miss at the pond.

The sandtrap *can* be crowded. but the issue there is really one of limited space. I've been a few times and haven't had trouble finding a spot to fish, and can't rememebr being skunked either. But, if I were with a large group, it would be a different story.

If you want to fish the Lone Pine area, during season you shouldn't overlook Lone Pine Creek. DFG stocks it, and as you drive up the road, there are many places to access the stream all the way up to Lone Pine campground.

The drive is still some distance, but it's a whole lot closer that Mammoth or June Lake.

corvina man
10-13-2007, 08:05 AM
It really looked like a fun trip. All your great pictures said just that! When I stay in Bishop,I like to fish the Owen's river right by the bridge located off Line st. Nice post! :banana:

johnsfishing
10-13-2007, 07:55 PM
nice post! 8) Its always fun to get out and explore and catch a nice rainbow trout :banana:

johnsfishing

troutdog
10-15-2007, 12:09 PM
Fisher of Men...you are the man, sorry I did not see your post last week. That was one heck of a day trip, my hats off to you...that is a loong day for anyone to do especially with all the driving duties. Great job with the kids, back of the truck breakfast looked great...think I am going to have a bowl of cereal now :wink:

I would like to fish with you and your crew one day, my daughter and I would sure enjoy your company! Maybe Irvine or something? Let me know with a PM sometime. Keep those little ones fishing FOM, thanks for the nice pics and detailed report.


TD

SanDimasLMB
10-15-2007, 05:26 PM
I've heard that since the New Zealand Snail Epidemic is spreading and the Owens River is the only river run over by the snails, they are TRIPPLE STOCKING THE RIVER My friend went to Hot Creek Hatchery and he got that answer. The stocking trucks don't have anywhere to put the fish other than the Owens.

TroutOnly
10-15-2007, 07:13 PM
great report and pics and nothing better than fishing with the kids,,,T/O

IncredibleHuck
10-15-2007, 10:28 PM
Thanks for the great report! I really enjoy them.

Glad you guys had a good time. One of these days i'm going to go up there to the owens and fish it. I have many friends that go in the winter, I just havent tried to do it yet. Maybe this winter will be it!

kewlwhip
10-16-2007, 09:51 AM
Great report, and pictures...The kids looked like the enjoyed every minute!
I can't wait, I'm heading out that way on the 26th... :D

Fisher-of-Men
10-16-2007, 09:33 PM
Fisher of Men...you are the man, sorry I did not see your post last week. That was one heck of a day trip, my hats off to you...that is a loong day for anyone to do especially with all the driving duties. Great job with the kids, back of the truck breakfast looked great...think I am going to have a bowl of cereal now :wink:

I would like to fish with you and your crew one day, my daughter and I would sure enjoy your company! Maybe Irvine or something? Let me know with a PM sometime. Keep those little ones fishing FOM, thanks for the nice pics and detailed report.


TD

I would like that TD! Make sure you bring that glove of yours okay?! :lol:

The trip to the Owen's did make for a long day but I enjoy taking in the scenery in addittion to wetting my line. I guess I get that from my Pops. He always was taking us to a new fishing hole or on some back road that we hadn't seen before. You will see a variety of fishing locations in my reports. I just can't keep fishing the same body of water over and over again. :)

Fisher-of-Men

troutdog
10-16-2007, 11:40 PM
You got it FOM...glove is coming in honor of DemBs!

I look forward to seeing more reports on your spots up North!


TD

steve092
10-19-2007, 05:37 AM
Way to go out there.

My dad was telling me that he was talking to these guys that had caught about 20 at that river.

Fisher-of-Men
12-22-2007, 04:59 AM
Way to go out there.

My dad was telling me that he was talking to these guys that had caught about 20 at that river.

There is still a lot of ground for us to cover up there Steve. I hope we can score Big like that next time. :D

Merry Christmas Steve!

Fisher-of-Men