You know you’re in a bona fide trout town when there’s a fly-rod-and-trout pattern in the carpet of your hotel. And where else but in a trout town would you find a fancy hotel with a fish-cleaning room? Or fly rods in the gun racks of pickup trucks?
The charming Inyo County community of Bishop sits at the epicenter of a number of outstanding eastern Sierra trout waters. Some of these waters are well known, like the Owens River, and some are only on the radar of adventurous anglers who are willing to explore the Sierra range that rises a short distance to the west. A stream even runs through the middle of town. It’s hardly a surprise that Bishop hosts half a dozen fly and tackle shops, even though its population totals a mere 3,879 full-time residents. People who live here or visit like to fish. They like to fish so much, in fact, that when the weather is cold you’ll see them at the supermarket wearing waders and down vests.
“I call it the puffy vest hatch,” said Fred Rowe, a part-time fly-fishing guide whose day job is working at the Vons grocery store in Bishop. “It happens about five in the afternoon.” Rowe said he kids the anglers about their garb and dispenses advice not only on what to buy to eat, but also on where to fish.
California’s Hidden Treasure
Locals call Bishop “California’s hidden treasure.” It’s not exactly hidden, but getting to the place takes a little driving, because the town is a long drive from most major cities in Southern and Northern California or Nevada. Business types proudly say that Bishop isn’t in the middle of nowhere, though. Quite the contrary. “In fact,” says a promotional blurb published by the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, “Bishop is located in the very middle of California, where Highways 6 and 395 intersect.”
Editors at Men’s Journal magazine were so smitten they called Bishop “one of America’s coolest mountain towns” in a profile article. “Cool mountain towns are authentic, unhyped places tucked away in scenic alpine settings,” the article said, “where you can spend the day wearing yourself out with the best summer sports the terrain has to offer, then double back to town afterward for a first-rate meal and a couple of pints of the local microbrew.”
Bishop has a rich history as a fishing destination and a ranching and mining community, dating back to 1862, when rancher Samuel Bishop sold cows in the town, which was then known as Bishop Creek. A U.S. Post Office branch was opened in the frontier settlement in 1870, and the city was incorporated as Bishop in 1903.
In recent years, Bishop has become known as a battleground of the fabled Owens River water wars between Los Angeles and conservationists seeking to save Mono Lake and to sustain trout populations in the Owens River. “Between 1905 and 1907, William Mulholland, superintendent of the Water Department for the City of Los Angles, purchased much of the land in the Owens Valley under the guise of a local irrigation district,” said Ja-son F. Nelson in an e-zine article on the area. “Water from the Owens River began being diverted south to the City of Los Angeles. The siphoning of water caused the lower Owens River and Owens Lake to dry up completely. In 1913, construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed, creating an efficient, reliable means of water delivery to the city.”
A Winter Fishing Destination
The water wars may have subsided for now, but they’ll probably never really end in the minds of water watchers and the ever vigilant local fly-fishing community. With relatively stable flows, however, many of the rivers and streams sustain impressive trout populations.
Bishop is literally surrounded by trout waters, with the Owens being the closest trophy-trout water. The region’s major still water, Lake Crowley, is to the north. For anglers who just have to get a trout fix during the winter — or for skiers who are also anglers and just want a change of pace — the good news is that several of the angling destinations in the Bishop area are open for fishing during the colder months. Let’s start with the Owens at Pleasant Valley Reservoir. Pleasant Valley Reservoir is a snake-shaped float-tube-only impoundment of the Owens that is accessible for fishing only from the dam end or the top end from the powerhouse. The reservoir is located in a canyon along the chalk bluffs six miles north of Bishop off Highway 395. (When headed north, make a right turn at Pleasant Valley Road. It is about one and a half miles to the reservoir, just past the campground.) According to David D’Beaupre, owner of the Sierra Trout Magnet Fly Shop in Bishop, who has been guiding in the area for six years, the preferred tactic is to pull a sinking tip line and streamers on the dam side of the reservoir for stocked rainbows and natural browns. Preferred streamer patterns include big articulated Zonkers, Double Bunnies, and some Montana patterns, such Bullet Head Sculpins and Heavy Metal Sculpins in sizes 4 through 8. These are usually available in local fly shops. He also fishes with silver-on-black and silveron-red chironomids in sizes 12 to 16.
The section of the Owens River from the Pleasant Valley campground down to Big Pine is known for mayfly hatches all winter. Fish with size 16 to 18 Thorax Blue-Winged Olives and Cut-Wing BWOs. This stretch has an impressive 7,000-to-11,000 trout per mile. The section above Bishop holds about 90 percent browns, while below Bishop, the river contains about half browns and half rainbows, according to D’Beaupre.
The gorge section of the Owens, which runs between Crowley and Pleasant Valley Reservoir, is located mostly on the right-hand side of Highway 395 as it climbs out of Bishop. Good winter fly patterns for the gorge include BWOs or midge larvae and adults. Access is via Owens River Road.
Other Winter Waters
The Owens River below Lake Crowley is not the only catch-and-release, no bait winter trout fishery within a reasonable drive of Bishop. The Owens above Crowley, according to D’Beaupre, contains 20-to-25-inch rainbows and browns that swim up from the lake. In the winter, if you see no rising rish, try nymphing with Ultra Wire San Juan Worms, bright green caddis pupa imitations, and streamers in sizes 6 to 10.
Hot Creek, which flows into the upper Owens, is said to hold 14,000 fish per mile. In the winter, fish Hot Creek with midges, small caddis patterns, the Hot Creek Caddis and Fertile Caddis, and Thorax Blue-Winged Olives and CDC Blue-Winged Olives in size 20.
The East Walker River is farther away but also open during winter, and because this river contains a number of baitfish species, according to D’Beaupre, the browns there are “meat-fed pigs.” Nymphing with emerger patterns, including the T Midge, STM Midge Emerger, and Flash Bang Midge in pearl, cream, and gray works, as do Ultra Wire San Juan Worms. Recommended streamers include Double Bunnies, Deer Head Zonkers, and Rock Knocker Sculpins.
Many of the region’s popular summertime fly-fishing waters, including Lake Crowley and other area streams, are closed to angling during winter, so check the state regulations before heading out, and check them as well for special tackle and bag-limit restrictions, which vary water by water.
Bishop as Base Camp
For the visiting fly fisher, Bishop is not only a good place to rent a hotel room or to buy flies and get fishing advice, it’s also a good place to pick up provisions or simply get a well-prepared meal after a day on the water. Here are a few of Bishop’s restaurants and bakeries that are favored by locals.
- 11th Lane Café and Sports Bar, 649 North Main Street, is located in the Back Alley Bowling Alley and is known for its steaks, seafood, burgers, and salads. Phone (760) 873-5777.
- The Petite Pantry, 2278 North Sierra Highway, is an authentic Mexican restaurant that has been around for 16 years. Phone (760-873-3789).
- Erick Schat’s Bakery, 763 North Main Street, is an institution in town, known for pastries and sheepherder’s bread, which is also used for their sandwiches. It’s a must stop in town for — what else? — bread, soup, or a salad. Phone (760) 873-7156. On the Web at http://www.erickschatsbakery.com.
- The Great Basin Bakery, 275-D South Main Street, is — well — the other bakery in town, known for its bagel sandwiches and wraps. Phone (760) 873-9828.
- Thai Thai Restaurant, 703 Airport Road, actually is located in the airport, which is three miles out of town. Excellent food for dinner. The restaurant has no liquor license, but patrons can bring their own wine, and there is no corkage fee. It’s considered a very special place. Phone (760) 872-2595.
- Holy Smoke Texas BBQ, 772 North Main Street. This is an authentic Texas-style barbecue joint, known for brisket, tri-tip sandwiches, and ribs. Kids and many adults rave about the mac and cheese. Phone (760) 872-4227.
If you seek food for the soul, consider visiting Mountain Light Gallery, with displays dazzling landscape photographs taken by the late Galen Rowell.
For more information on lodging, dining, and recreation, get a copy of the free eastern Sierra guide that is published by the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, 690 North Main Street, Bishop, CA 93514. Phone (760) 873-8405. On the Web at http://www.bishopvisitor.com.
Whether it’s winter, summer, spring, or fall, the small town of Bishop is worth a visit from fly fishers who seek sport in a spectacular Sierra setting.
