Rockin' Down the Owens River Vets Day Weekend (Photos!)

I've got an Eastern Sierra adventure to share.

Of course all of you dunkers and plunkers know what a dynamite trout fishery we've got in the Eastern Sierra. And I think you'd agree that the farther you can get away from the masses the better. But did you realize that can be accomplished while sitting on your rear?



Yep, rather than hump up a hill there's an easier way. Grab a 'yak and jump into the Owens. Even just a mile from downtown Bishop, once you roll downstream just a bit, the reeds fence almost everyone else out.

The river was running high and fast, clear from bank to bank. The only fishable spots were the outside edges of the hairpin curves. If there were two eddy lines there, then the farthest outside would be just about slack. That's where we found dozens of rainbows. Most were in the 10-12" range. The biggest went about 14". We caught two browns, both small.



We covered two stretches, each about 4 miles, putting in at 5 Bridges and Line St. Believe me, that's plenty of water for a full day of fishing. Every 100 yards there was some new killer spot we'd have to try.

The current was managable. The flow was fast but not technical, it was all flat water. Paddling upstream was doable but a workout.

Anchors were not optional. We'd look for the thin shelves of shallower water just above or below a curve, jump out of the yak, and toss the anchor into the reeds, then fish while wading.



I found only one spot, a cut-off meander, where I could fish sit-down style. Otherwise the current was just too fast.

You can see what we were using in the photos, but you might have to squint. I took a few out of the calmer patches with a Roostertail. The rest we caught on bay bass baits - 2" grubs threaded onto 3/16th or 1/8th jigheads.



That was the only effective way we found to get the baits down in that fast water. But don't give me any of the credit - that was Mark Pierpont's inspiration, the guy in one of the photos. He reasoned a black grub would look just like a Wooly Bugger.

You can go right now. That section of the Owens is open year round. But it is a wee bit chilly, so wear some fleece under your waders.

Floating the Owens? Two thumbs up!

Great report and pics!

I love that first picture.

Way cool! Great report. Fantastic idea. I've often pondered fishign the Upper Ownes in a simiar way only going upstream out of Crowley Lake. I figure the current is slight at the mouth for a while. I might be the world's first to catch a Trout on the Ownes high-stick nymphing from a kayak 

Very
VEry
VERY
COOL!

Thanks for the awesome report and awesome pics!
PK

Browns are beautiful Great report / pics 

Gorgeous pics!

Right on!  What a great report.  And, yeah, that first pic is art - WTG!   

Wow, Paul.  waht a gorgeous spot and such pretty little fish!  I am  v jealous!

I guess this is the low flow time of year, also, so proly the best time to fish there?

Allen  from the yak I mean