CA's Truckee River open all year now.....

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I am always trying to give the new comers the best advise I can.

I get my information from many sources over a long period of time.

Naturally I will know something about many fisheries but I am not going to know as much as a local veteran guide or even a veteran fly fisher who fishes a particualr destination for many years.

I had a very good phone conversation with veteran Truckee River guide Jim landis (Big Fly) yesterday at the shop.

After reading my infomation page on the Truckee River under REPORTS on the main top menu he replied that they do have fishing year round up there, depending on the weather.

I told Jim that my info is mostly for that person who is new to the sport or new to the Truckee so they will fish uip there when it is normally very good and more forgiving.

I told Jim that when it is not as easy or is different people need to go up with a guide so they will learn some more sofisticated, modern techneques.

In talking with top guides I do get staightened out which helps everyone hear too.

PS: We give lots of fishing info in the shop, hear on the BB, by email or over the phone which is the best we have at the time but I tell people when you get up with a good guide foreget all that we have told them and listen to your guide. They will always have better info than we do because they live it every day on that destination.


Thanks for the help Jim
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Jim Landis = "Big Fly Guide Service" - North Lake Tahoe/Truckee River area

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Web site:

http://www.bigflyguideservice.com/

Blog"

http://bigflyguideservice.wordpress.com/

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I asked Jimif he would give us some info from the Truckee area from tiem to time.....

[bigfly]

Hey Bill, thanks for the boost!
Wasn't looking for any extra buzz, just wanted those that weren't in on it, to know we fish all year.
Actually this is the seventh season....
Wouldn't ever say the Truckee is "forgiving", but you are correct, there are easier fish in the early Summer.
This year I'd put my money on May-June time frame..
Even with a "miracle April" we are going to be low on water this year.
Although the Truckee has a rep for being tough, the T can be learned, and yes, a guide can speed the process.
It just isn't a drive up and wack'em kind of fishery.
Even skilled anglers are kept honest here.
But the biggies, make you glad you you kept at it.

I'm only one of the guides in the area.
But we all try hard to make the T accessible to those that burn to learn.

Thanks again;

Jim

[Frank R. Pisciotta]

"...Wouldn't ever say the Truckee is "forgiving",

This year I'd put my money on May-June time frame.

Although the Truckee has a rep for being tough, the T can be learned,

It just isn't a drive up and wack'em kind of fishery. Even skilled anglers are kept honest here..."

Jim

I concur with my excerpted quotes of Jim's comments. Below is the opening sentence of an article that appeared in the 2002 Spring issue of NorthWest Fly Fishing:


"If you are looking for easy fly fishing, don’t come here! California’s Truckee River is not a good choice for the casual dilettante. This fishery befuddles competent fly fishers. Also, self-proclaimed hotshots with initial, high expectations gleaned from constant success on other swift flowing waters…I was there during my first decade of fly fishing…will be disheartened. If one is patient and attentive, this eastern Sierra freestone stream will begrudgingly expose its secrets."

Frank R. Pisciotta

[dickwhite]

Those of us who have fished here for years have all been served loads of humble pie. I still keep fishing the T though.

Winters are about solitude and beauty. And maybe a few fish. Much better than a day working.

Dick White
Tahoma

[EricO]

Humble pie indeed. Even when the Truckee was red hot last year (tons of posts said it was red hot...which I believe), I still didn't do so well. Probably 10+ hours of fishing for
a handful.

Left with my two buddies with our tails between our legs. Thank god for a cold beer at the car!!!

But I'll be back this spring/summer for more. I just gotta!

EO

[yFly10]

Whether it's thinking outside of the box, or just throwing in a simple stack mend, or a mend down stream instead of up, to get that sweet drift. Jim has opened my eyes to different ways of fishing the T. It definitely has made me a better angler, and brought my catch rate up. Not to blow smoke, but the dude lives on the river and can tell one what's happening 24-7 on the Big T. Put some time in on this river and you will be rewarded with nice:fish:!!!! Get a guide too: Jim "Big Fly", Brian Slusser, Gilligan, all of them will make you walk away with some great insight into this great fishery.

[JasonB]

Interesting to read what others think about how tough the Truckee is, as I probably have a bit of a skewed perspective. I fished several times last winter with Jim, and by applying a few key points of his, I've had reasonably consistent success there. Modest, but consistent (well, mostly consistent anyway). I've certainly had some better days in the early part of summer, although this winter has had a few really good days too (being so mild, a few times it seemed almost like it was summer fishing).

I'm wouldn't ever call it "easy", but I do think that by following a few key points the fish will cooperate, most of the time. If not keep moving. Had I not had some degree of tutoring in the beginning, I probably would have a different perspective. I think that one thing that helped my success more than anything else on the Truckee is to NOT go up there expecting silly numbers of fish in the net; just a couple of really nice Truckee trout still makes for a pretty good day fishing in my book.

I'd also say that while humbling, that river is also a very good teacher. I feel that the time I put in there has really improved my game and broadened my bag of tricks. Having someone like Jim there to translate some of the subtleties will certainly speed up the learning process as well. Even one day with a good guide would likely make a novice/intermediate angler confident that they could find fish on the Truckee... maybe not a ton of them, but still enough to make it well worth the effort.
JB

[bigfly]

Jason, I couldn't have said it better. Thanks as well.
I started posting on Kiene's because I heard so much "bad press" about the Truckee.
About 6-7 years ago it went year-round, and bait free in the lower section.
Since then I've seen more young fish with par marks, and have been hooking larger fish more regularly.
This is a great small river. Many wild fish (and a few stockers), with more fishing time accumulated, than many fishermen.
I think of them as a tough audience, look in the mirror, and then say "IT'S SHOW TIME"!
Other easy fishing water scratches the itch for consumers.
Personally, I think a good spanking is the reality therapy needed for most to improve their approach here..
(It worked for me)
Just because your tricks worked everywhere else, doesn't mean they will work here. (Although it might...)
If the T was easy, I would have moved years ago.
I stay, because of a chance at the big one......and a beautiful place as well.
Wanted to say, I do get beginners into fish up here, no really......
But there is never a guarantee on it (like all fishing). And, if they do hook up, it may be a very brief encounter..
We get "the fin" quite a bit.
My deal, is for clients to have more game, than before they came. Then, it's up to them ( like Jason), to put in the time needed.

Jim