Truckee-April

[bigfly]

Nasty crunchy snow/ice this morning. At least 3/4 of an inch.....
It'll be gone by late afternoon......A bit chilly.
Looks like blue sky today, still a few Skwalla around when it warms.
Mostly we see them flying at noon, and later PM on the water
Turned several nice fish on a dry yesterday, but they were out in the middle, instead of near shore edge.
Watch for BWO's if a cloud does pass by.
Haven't seen an ant yet, but a friend caught a bow on an ant pattern yesterday.
Should be good till the next front passes through.

Jim

[Bull_Dog]

The Truckee is a long river. It is fishing absolutley awesome if you look at the lower elevations. It only snowed up high. We have had a great winter in Reno and the fishing has been awesome. In my weekly fishing reports I break the river down into sections mostly due to weather and flows. With really good reporters like Jim and the Town of Truckee locals and anglers who travel the whole river it can really make a difference in where to go. I saw at least 10 anglers around Reno today and it looks like the Nevada side might have been stocked recently. It was cold in the river today for sure but we managed to stay dry and catch a few fish including a nice 19 inch Rainbow on a Stonefly.

Finish shoveling and come on down Jim. :o

[bigfly]

Rob, it melts quickly up here. (Actually Sublimation...)
It was bare ground by the end of yesterday.
I've sworn never to shovel again. (this year)
With beautiful blue skies, BWO's and fish rising,
I don't much feel the need to travel.
It's good to know, when you have it good.....
(That must be age talking.)
Trying to keep track of twenty miles of CA. water keeps my plate full.
But if you guys ever need any help, just shout.
Have a good season.

Skwalla are petering out near town.( Mnt. hardware has them stocked again, and ants too....)
The next bug attraction......Flying Carpenter Ants!!!!!!
Do you all know where your ants are??
We've switched to baseball hats most days, but you may want a warm hat early.
The Spring melt will start when the nights aren't freezing anymore.
Still chilly right now at night. 17 deg last evening.
Let's hope it stays that way for a while.

jim

[Bull_Dog]

Hey,

At least I can keep one good fisherman out of my water. LOL

I thought we were going to have an ant hatch down here last friday, It was hot. 73 degrees. Felt hot anyway.

You are always on the list for help. Hopefully we get to the point where we need some help. We had some issues with our website but all is better now.

Good Luck up there and drop an indicator or a cool fly in the water every once in a while and I will look for it.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Nice to have these guys who live and guide on the Truckee River posting reports on our BB.

Thank Rob & Jim.......

[Chet Troutpuncher]

Shook hands with an 18-20" 'bow this afternoon near the water treatment plant. It was actively feeding just a few feet off the bank in slow, shoulder water...almost no current. Gentle, sipping rises. Successfully played him for a bit then he gave me and my 5x the finger and split.

[bigfly]

It was beautiful this weekend.
Should be for a little while..
The flows are close to perfect. 44+ deg. and green/clear.
The fish are nice. Turned several larger fish this week, 18+. And, a bunch of dinks in the 12" range.
Skwalla are still around late afternoon. Less surface activity with them. Fewer every day. Try one with a dropper....
BWOs might show depending on afternoon warmth/clouds.
Seeing fish rising to a chocolate body Baetis, sz 20 22. in the afternoon. Spinners too.
Been finding dark baetis nymphs,sz18-20, March brown nymphs, Green drake nymphs, Skwalla and golden stone nymphs, and San Juans in the seine.
A WD 40 sz20, might do it, olive birds nest too, sz 18. A sz 22 zebra midge black, red.
Saw my first march brown adult yesterday.
Also found some large Caddis shucks and one fluttering adult .sz12 Tan.
Another fish taken on an ant pattern, haven't seen one flying yet.
Fish in slow bubble lines near shore, but some fish have moved into deeper runs too.
Use less weight, takes are subtle/fast.
I fish subsurface early, then later if I see a riser, I switch to a dry.
Listen/watch for the rise, then stalk them.......
5wt is good for up by town. A switch will work well in the canyon.
Don't forget your license if you haven't been out yet.
Pinch those barbs.....
Snow is mostly gone......
I'll advise warm clothing early and late.
A windbreaker is good in the afternoon, it can get breezy.


Jim

[Morgan]

Breezy is an understatement this winter.
In my 8 years in the area ive never seen so much wind in one winter.
And who would have thought...another storm system is on the way.

[bigfly]

Gangster, you are so right.
Days where it's windy for breakfast, are hardly worth the effort in the afternoon....
I force the issue sometimes, well ...actually quite a bit.
Weather is often mind over matter....
If I don't mind, it doesn't matter.
Bring it on....
But a 30ft directional compensation, to even land the line on water, reminds me of Pyramid.
One day this week with a client, it alternated gusts up-down canyon in the afternoon.
We caught fish, but it was tiring over several hours....and no dry fly fishing either.
For ease, wait for lulls between gusts.
My go to casts in wind, are a booming water-load (which shoots under wind) and a pretty solid roll-cast .
It's really what I use most of the time now, wind or no.
An overhand cast, is asking for trouble...
(A by-product of switch rod fishing.)
Go mornings, it's usually nicer.
Weather patterns almost looking like fall.
Here's my favorite wind map...http://www.goes.noaa.gov/WINDS/windsNHWVW.html
A quick look tells me when to go...find the area without wind arrows and fish'em.
Looks like Sat. is a fishable day, Sun. breezy later.....

Jim

[bigfly]

Sun. was great.
Today no wind yet.....maybe a day or so will be this week.
Should be fishy after that.
Seeing risers here and there.
Skwalla are still around late afternoon, scattered from town, downstream. Less surface activity with them.
Fewer every day. But still hearing the occasional gulp....
Try one with a dropper....double your chances.
BWOs might show depending on afternoon warmth/clouds.
Mostly seeing fish rising to a chocolate body Baetis, sz 20- 22. in mid-morning. Spinners in the pm.
Some sz20 light colored mayflies in the bubble line as well.
Most feeding being done subsurface. In the film. Never be afraid to drown a dry.....
Been finding dark baetis nymphs,sz18-20, March brown nymphs, Green drake nymphs, Skwalla and golden stone nymphs, and San Juans in the seine.
A WD 40 sz20, might do it, olive birds nest too, sz 18. A sz 22 zebra midge black or red.
Water is very clear, a longer leader is a good call.
Be a little sneaky, it pays.....
And don't avoid cloudy days, the overcast sky seems to make them less spooky. Like today.......

Jim

[Morgan]

Sat was a real tuff day w/ the big weather change. All that snow and cold make the fishing tough. Between 3 of us and 5hrs on the water only 2 fish were caught. One being a nice 3# bow.

Sun the weather was much nicer. A good change. Lets hope that continues. 2 of us fished sunday...also pretty tough. But I am quite the noob on the fly still. We saw less than 6 risers in 8 hours of fishn. My buddy pulled a nice 21in brown and I managed 2 bows in the 14-15in range in the last 30min of fishn. The big T is a hard river to fish for sure. Gotta have the right bug and the perfect drift. If I can catch fish on the T im doing something right. Cant wait to get out this week. Its supposed to hit 72 fri and sat this week in south lake :)

[bigfly]

The Spring melt has begun, the T is off color. (Time for some bling.)
Flows will come up a bit each day, then drop again, if it freezes up high at night....
Water Temp will yoyo as well.
Warmest before noon, then dropping.
Tan in the AM, and brown in the PM.

Lots of stuff in the seine, take your pick....
Some bows seem to still be in spawn colors.
Saw two bows and a brown go vertical this week on the set.....
Some micro-caddis are out. A few larger tan ones too.
Baetis sz18-20 (adult/emerger), BWO's, in smaller versions.
An occasional Skwalla, but mostly they're done.
No Ants yet, but hell.......fish one anyway (with a dropper).
Ham and eggs are worth a try.
As always, midges.

Weekends starting to get busy.
Mid-week is best for quiet.
Most campgrounds are still closed, but Boca rest is open/ free.
I think it opens memorial day, as well as the others in the area.
Snow is mostly gone, except higher up.
T-shirt/shorts at noon, warm coat at night.
Big temp range can challenge dressing right.


Jim

[Morgan]

It was great meeting w/ you and chattn/fish Jim.
Had a great time and learned a ton of local knowledge.
YOur right on the muddy chocolate milk water.
With all this warm weather is gettn pretty blown out.
We fished from 10-11 today and it was more just walkn.
The crowds are out there w/ this nice weather.
I put a few of your tips together today and went 1/1 with a nice 16-17in bow.
Took me for a morning jog downstream.
At 11 we called it a day for the T and went fishn for other species.
Glad we did cause the arm got a nice work out :)

[bigfly]

Gangster, likewise.....
Liked the 1drift /1 fish. Very efficient angling.
Looking like a flash melt......very warm at night and during the day.
I fished the mud last year to good effect.
They can't stop eating, or leave the water....
Sorry I missed the workout....
Give a shout if you come up.

Update 4-30-12
Overcast this morning. Looks fishy.
Froze last night up high, so flows won't be up too much. Pray it keeps doing this.
Water's just touching Grass on the bank. Down a foot, from two days ago.
Green in the AM. Temp dropped to 48.
The Truckee above town might be worth a try...
Above Squaw creek will be clearer/lower.
But below that is good too. Nice flows.
Much of the off color water is coming from Donner creek.

Walk a little, for your own stretch of water.
One trick to this water....don't fish where everyone else does.
And fish guerrilla style, hit and move.
Fight having hole fixation............

Baetis nymphs, March brown nymphs, midges, Golden stone nymphs are around.
I'm seeing Green drake nymphs more often. Good population, should be a good hatch this year.
Stock your box. Nymph, emerger, and adult.
Saw both adult Skwalla Adult on shore, and nymph very near shore today.
Worth a try.
Worms work too.
Still no Ants.....
I'm feeling the day's sweet spot is 10:00AM, be rolled out....

Jim