Truckee-Nov.

[bigfly]

Going to get smaller windows to fish. The storm path is opening, won't be long now.
BWOs, Midges, make up the majority of food forms now in the water.
Think subsurface, but out of the box.
Small nymphs, thread midge, and emergers, soft hackel BWOs..
Maybe don't float the standard 2 flies and split shot.
Maybe swing it.......
Had a friend hook his biggest stream rainbow ever. 26"+.
Fish did a bunch of tricks for us, then let itself go. He e-mailed me later in the week saying he was still seeing that fish air out....
Since he is going steel-heading in a couple weeks, it was a nice warm up.
A larger tan birds nest did the job. No bead/bling.
Since there is less food on the their menu, accuracy counts in fly choice.
Get busy with a seine, for best results.....
About 10:30 AM or so, bugs start popping. Maybe find a riser too...

One more client trip, and I too am off for steelies, and a deserved break.
After steel-heading on the "other T", I'll drift down the east-side of the Sierras.
Guiding down there more each year. (California is a great place for a fish junkie.)
Easily my best season on the Truckee, and if we get as much water this winter as last, next year will be even better.
The season doesn't end with snow either......
"Fish can't stop eating, or leave the water."
Just kick down for some snowshoes, and man/woman up!
That and get some Dave's anti-freeze paste.
Check my blog for more adventures....

The West River Fly shop has closed for the season. Thanks for all the help/fun this year Andy!
Folks should check back again in May 2012 for newest flies from AB.

For those that fish the LT, it was dropped 10"+ and they shocked them silly to count'em. I wish they would let them be.
The Browns are on the Reds now, and for the next couple weeks.
Please leave them be, and please don't fish'em while they are concentrated.
Posting fat fish caught while spawning does not impress...........................
Besides, you want to be bothered while having sex?
On second thought, don't answer that.


Winter has arrived.............bring your warm clothes.
Not enough snow to prevent parking yet, or cause difficulty getting to water.
Was blue sky/cloudy today.
The trick is to catch the windows in the weather.
Lakes are still fishing well too. Campgrounds are pretty much empty.

Jim

[Chet Troutpuncher]

The Truckee fished pretty well yesterday. One of my better days lately. I started at 11AM and hooked and netted two nice 'bows in the first half hour of fishing. About an hour later hooked a nice 16" brown way, way downstream. It showed me two beauty jumps then charged upstream (fortunately). A little bit of trout judo and he was in the net.
Got a real big tug shortly after. I was on the set, played it well, it swam closer and I saw the tell-tale gold glitter..........big disappointment..........big ass whitefish. Probably around 22".
Things went quiet for a couple of hours and then caught another brown around 14". Quit about 3PM.
The water was pretty cold. I would guess 48-52 (Haven't gotten a new thermometer yet). The only set up I fished was a black Pat's rubberleg stone and a brown mighty mite sz. 18.

[yFly10]

Sounds like you had a good day puncher, were you using the tenkara?:ninja:

[Chet Troutpuncher]

Naked tenkara.
But with camo body paint for a stealthier approach.

[bigfly]

Chet, do you have someone help with the camo paint?
I can't seem to get those spots in the middle of my back.......

The temp was exactly 48 deg. Good guess!
It has gone high noon. 11:00 to 2:00 is the best air/water temp for the bugs.
Not exactly hoards of them out.....
Most fish seem to come out of slower water now.
Get a good drift!

Jim

[Chet Troutpuncher]

My wife is a good woman and does the back application.
The tricky part is getting from my house to the river without getting the body paint all over my truck upholstery.

[yFly10]

Do you glue twigs to your stick to make it look like a tree? So you can blend into the natural environment. I think I'm going to invent a ghillie wader suit. Went out yesterday with some good streamer results.

[Paul B.]

Trout judo? I like it!

[bigfly]

It has become clear to more than a few regulars on the Truckee, that the fish are starting to profile us.....
It has raised the game here to the point we are naturally exploring different tactics.
Since there are so many non-fishing dog walkers here (which apparently don't frighten fish) I have considered getting a dog.....sort of like camo...
The side arm is my standard cast to prevent spooking too..Sometimes I don't cast at all, just float it down to them.
False casting over water you want to fish, isn't a good idea either.
Fishing behind a rock, rather than the "River Runs" style idiocy.
Fishing edges instead of, wading to the middle!!!!! Heck, don't even get in the water....
Maybe not wearing a white hat (except in Winter of course).
Getting that first drift in there, instead of several attempts later....
Stalking risers with binoculars, from a safe distance. No, really...
Several locals have gone back to a single fly subsurface. Because the fish are very careful shoppers...
An old timer once told me, "the part on a sneaky fisherman's waders, that should wear out first, are the knees", mine are showing some wear.
Other extremes include steel wool to the rod finish. Lightning flashes are not cool...Or buy a brand that considers this........
And don't forget, fish think small bugs are safe. (Maybe get some glasses, so you feel more like fishing them.)
Last winter I cut a hole in a white sheet. I crawled up on them, and did a "snow load", for a one drift presentation with a sz 20 Griffith's gnat. To 6+lb wild bows.
Spooky barely describes it.
Body paint may seem extreme, but this is the Truckee River.
Home base of the Ninja fisherman. "Looked for, cannot be seen, Listened for cannot be heard" etc, etc,......

Chet, baby powder in a sock, and then pat it around. Locks that makeup on. Could get two days out of it with care...

Jim

[Morgan]

so is this time a year make a drift boat is waaayyy too noisy and obtrusive???

[bigfly]

Gangstar, Drifting?
At these flows, you would be carrying the boat.
A pontoon would be fun on the lower river.
Take an extra set of clothes.....

[Morgan]

^^^^thats what i figured. My buddy just got a new drift boat and is jonesing to use it. I figured the same thing. Thanks for the input. I'll have him read this. We'd be scaring all the fish in sight :(

[bigfly]

I think you would scare yourself more than the fish.
Wave off.....Wait for spring flows if at all, a boat is a terrible thing to waste.
For a long time there was part of a boat left on the bank.
From a guy who thought the T and drift boats went together.
I'd put in at Boca/Stampeed, fatties are out and about (and not just bows and browns..........)
You can strip streamers, bobicate, and fish dries at times.
A nice time of year.

And by the way, for the T, bring some super small white baetis (?) or midge emergers. sz24-26.
Saw a few largish Caddis bouncing around around too.
Couldn't catch one of either.
Believe it or not, there are flying micro ants apparently as well.

Jim

[TahoeChris]

^^^^thats what i figured. My buddy just got a new drift boat and is jonesing to use it. I figured the same thing. Thanks for the input. I'll have him read this. We'd be scaring all the fish in sight :(
If you listened to me you would know I got a two man pontoon, and we would be floating the lower river. Most likely the conservency.