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View Full Version : Owens river question: Public or private lands south of Hwy 6 Bishop downstream ?



4sallypat
05-21-2015, 05:12 PM
Does anyone know if the Owens river downstream (south of the 5 bridges / Hwy 6) is private or public ?

Was planning on a last minute trip tomorrow to Bishop to try out the Owens - never been there so that's why I ask...

Anyone fish Owens between Bishop and Big Pine ?
:Rolls Eyes:

TroutOnly
05-21-2015, 06:30 PM
FISH IT ,its loaded with rainbow and brown trout..............

Viejo
05-22-2015, 11:45 AM
Pretty much all DWP ground all the way down the valley.

What he said. Yes to Bishop and BP. What he said again.

simijab
05-26-2015, 08:29 AM
you can drive that entire strech on dirt roads. lots of good spots. take years to find the good holes unless you get lucky. I suggest looking at google maps to sort of map out spots you might want to hit. I would look for bends in the river where the river is narrower because the water is deeper there

DEVOREFLYER
05-26-2015, 08:44 AM
I have fished the Lower Owens for well over 40 years from the bank and from a drift boat. I can tell you from experience that the best fishing success is from a drift boat. You will be able to fish many areas that are impossible to fish from the bank and get on bigger and better quality fish from a drift boat.

http://i.imgur.com/BrE8xrJ.jpg

Viejo
05-26-2015, 05:55 PM
http://i.imgur.com/BrE8xrJ.jpg
I have fished the Lower Owens for well over 40 years from the bank and from a drift boat. I can tell you from experience that the best fishing success is from a drift boat. You will be able to fish many areas that are impossible to fish from the bank and get on bigger and better quality fish from a drift boat. http://i.imgur.com/BrE8xrJ.jpg I've drifted with Phill a number of times. He gets me onto fish. Downside is day will cost you $500+ with tip, etc. Well worth it.

http://i.imgur.com/BrE8xrJ.jpg

tpfishnfool
05-26-2015, 06:09 PM
Great section on the Owens. To bad they allow boats. The guides roll up on shore guys and jack your spot. Jmo.

DEVOREFLYER
05-26-2015, 08:06 PM
Fishing the Owens from a drift boat for over 40 years and never had a guide jack a shore spot. The spot in the pic is where we launch or retrieve from and have never seen a shore fisherman at that spot. Less than 5% of the Lower Owens is accessible from shore and you get much better casting angles from a boat. No downside to the $500+ fee when you split it with a friend and there is none better than "Fil Therrin" as a guide.

tpfishnfool
05-26-2015, 08:22 PM
I have been fishing the Owens for 35 years and the last 10 years have seen the boat traffic rise as well as the fires and blame game with locals and occasional anglers. Paying a guide for a drift is a high price and the pressure on the river is a joke. I have waded in spots , then to have drift boats and there paying fares just roll in, without respect to us on spots and expect us to get out of there way. BS ! I'm sure I'm not the only guy experiencing this. Once a blue ribbon water has been reduced to a cash grab. I am sorry if I ruffled feathers. Fish on.

DEVOREFLYER
05-26-2015, 09:02 PM
No feathers ruffled as I got my drift boat addiction from the late Blair Hilborn. Blair was a classmate (1962) of mine that owned the Bishop movie theater and had his own drift boat long before any guides had them. It was perfect as the early matinee was at 2:00pm and that made time for a first light drift and leave time to take the boat back home and make it to work. Fishing was off the charts back then and we would make different bets and rules between us every trip to make things challenging. The best time ever was the time that we only counted Brown Trout and they had to be over 18" to be counted. It was always C&R even though the limit was 15 back then. Between the two of us we caught and released over 100 fish, over 30 were Browns over 18". Those days are long gone and just a memory.
Blair was killed in a private plane accident 20+ years ago, his death, loss of a great friend and my drift boat addiction forced me to use a guide service after that. I fish the Lower Owens between October and March when the flow is low, the weather is cool/cold and no crowds to deal with. Often times with ice on the rod guides and a heater in the boat and of course many layers of clothes.

retired96
05-27-2015, 07:51 AM
I fish the Lower Owens 30 plus times a year and I have never had a problem with any of the drift boat companies. A few years back I was about 2 miles south of Line street and hooked a beautiful 4 pound fish on a lure, a Sierra Drifters boat approached, stopped their drift for a few minutes to allow me to land and release the fish.

Pudd Legend
05-27-2015, 08:30 AM
Agreed with above. Drifted with Sierra Drifters this past winter and past a few shore anglers and space / respect was their concern always. They know the shore spots are limited and gladly gave up a fishy spot to allow space for the shore guys.

billy b
05-27-2015, 08:53 AM
$500 a day seems high? Is that correct? ... for 2 persons?

Must be a full day ... rather than a half (don't know if it can be done in a half day)

DF ... by chance is that Phil holding the boat?

P.S. "class of '62" ... I believe you told me we were close in age ...

seal
05-27-2015, 10:03 AM
Sierra Drifters website and pricing. Fishing guides always expensive but remember there are boats involved also.

http://sierradrifters.com/rates

DEVOREFLYER
05-27-2015, 10:33 AM
$500 a day seems high? Is that correct? ... for 2 persons?

Must be a full day ... rather than a half (don't know if it can be done in a half day)

DF ... by chance is that Phil holding the boat?

P.S. "class of '62" ... I believe you told me we were close in age ...

Current Full day price is $410 for two people, $310 for half day. Yes that is Phil holding the boat. I have never been disappointed with the effort Phil takes to put his clients on fish and the education lessons are priceless. I have always tipped Phil $100 each trip and it has been worth every penny.

Here is a pic of Phil releasing one of my Crowley pigs.
http://i.imgur.com/NtxhMhe.jpg

dhntr48
05-29-2015, 08:56 AM
Heck , you don't need a guide ,just get your own boat . I have been on many drifts ,8 to 11 hours fishing time . After two drifts you will know the good spots . I have a pontoon boat 300$ , works great . And a 8 foot fiberglass drift boat 400$ good for 2 guys . A rubber raft works also ,I have been many times on my Raft . But I will say the drift from Bartel Rd to Stewart lane was not productive . Its too much fun