Spring Fly Fishing in California's Eastern Sierra

May 27, 2026

This week we spent four days in California's Eastern Sierra, fishing several creeks throughout Inyo National Forest near Bishop and Lone Pine. We camped at the Bishop Creek National Forest campground, where the weather couldn't have been much better. Nights dipped into the mid-30s, days were mostly sunny, and afternoon mountain showers rolled through just often enough to remind us where we were.

The upper elevations were still holding plenty of snow, and the creek flows were in good shape. As expected, though, full sun pushed the water levels higher throughout the day, making some stretches more difficult to fish. Add in the Memorial Day weekend crowds as we got closer to the holiday, and conditions became even more challenging.

We "found" a pool right off the bat that was loaded with stocker trout and quickly got to work with a dry-dropper setup. Being our first trip of the season, we all had a little ring rust to shake off. After landing roughly 30 fish between the three of us, I'd say we got that taken care of pretty quickly.

I was grateful to have my son home from VMI for a few weeks between his college and Army commitments. When he was younger, we spent countless days fishing and hunting from our boat and anywhere else we could find an adventure. We are in a rare sweet spot in life, before he begins his career and fully steps into his own. Having been retired for just over a year, and with him still able to spend time in the woods and on the water, I know these long, frequent trips will become harder to make. That makes every one of them a little more meaningful.

Bill joined us as well, and I can't say enough about his deep knowledge of Sierra fly fishing or how generously he shared it. There is always something new to learn, no matter how many years you've been doing this.

Evenings were spent around a Red Oak fire, cooking a few fresh trout from the local creeks. Oak burns with a long, steady warmth that naturally keeps everyone gathered around a little longer. We replayed the day's missed opportunities, laughed about tangles in the brush, and planned the next morning's approach.

That conversation was accompanied by a decent fifth of Joseph Magnus bourbon. Pairing that with a mountain campfire deserves its own post someday, but suffice it to say the Small Batch Straight Bourbon made for an excellent companion at the end of a long day, especially at around $100 a bottle.

Day two took us farther upstream into a series of runouts and deeper pools. Brown trout were the target, and we noticed a healthy Caddis hatch beginning early that morning. The area had seen plenty of pressure, and the fish behaved accordingly. The best water always seemed to come with thick brush and challenging access. Nothing came easy that morning, and warm socks were a necessity at 9,000 feet with water temperatures still hovering in the low 50s.

We took a break for burgers at the local saloon and grill before heading back out to chase a few more Browns.

As the light began to fade, we made our way back down the canyon. That's when the Caddis really came alive. As we drove, many stretches of creek held dozens, if not hundreds, of insects in the evening air. Bill walked my son and me through the Caddis life cycle, sharing the kind of knowledge that only comes from years spent on these waters. We wrapped up another memorable day with a good meal and another evening around the fire.

The following morning we broke camp and headed south along Highway 395, stopping to fish another creek on the eastern slope. Memorial Day weekend is essentially opening weekend for many campers and families in the Sierra, and it was great to see so many people out enjoying our National Forests. That also meant the smaller creek had plenty of hikers and campers nearby, making for more difficult fishing. We managed to scratch up a few Brown trout before pointing the truck toward home.

Thank you to everyone who has put their name on the line to defend and serve this country. Over the weekend, many calls were exchanged remembering friends we have lost. Memorial Day is a time for gratitude, reflection, and remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We are fortunate because of them.

Cheers.

Jason