Big Truckee

[wineslob]

I'm going on a trip this weekend to Carson City, NV. On the way back I'll have some time to fish the Big Truckee along HWY 80. I've never fished this before, any tips on what turn off(s)/areas to go to? I was thinking the area along the RR line.

[EricO]

Sending you a PM

EO

[amoeba]

The whole thing is along "the RR line":

Main thing is - don't bother fishing between noon and 6 pm - its too hot and too much sun and too many rafts - as a rule of thumb, if there's sun on the water, you are either too early or too late. There's a fishing map which describes the various turnoffs in detail, so stop into a fly shop and get one. If you are driving west, exits for fishing are in this order - Farad (fish downstream of the exit) - Floriston (fish upstream of the exit), and -Hirschdale (go south under the freeway, and then bear to the left at the "V", follow the road until it crosses a bridge, and fish up or downstream a ways). There are some other places you can pull off the road and fish, but too hard to describe on the internet. You can also fish the north side at Hirschdale, but it is noisy and pounded to smithereens (as if the entire river isn't?). There can be a rise, but hasn't been much of one recently; but you can nymph it and maybe drum something up.

[EricO]

I'd echo what Amoeba said about time. Either real early, or stay til almost dark. There can
be a good hatch of little yellow stones around noon-ish with fish rising, but I haven't fished it
as of late.

EO

[wineslob]

Thanks guys, I'll be "stuck" with the afternoon, so I'll give it a try anyway. Who knows?

[bigfly]

Walt, fish the bubbles, fish the shade.........
Try a Hopper.....in the afternoon.
And, there is water that isn't fished.
But, you have to watch how everyone else fishes to figure it out.......
The fish here totally profile us.....
This is true on most waters, but an issue on pressured waters.
Happy hour (pm) is 8:30 or so. A 30 min. window.
A few Caddis.
Midges, midges, midges.....find colder temps for best results.
Actually got few on dries recently, but you have to be sharp eyed.......
Little Yellow Stones are about done.
Every thing (bugs etc...) has gone very early by 3-6 weeks.
I'm figuring Oct Caddis may go late this month, or early next.
We'll see. That's what's fun about this fishing thing..
No year is the same. Surf it.......
Not all parts of the river have the same menu.
Be alert to "local" specials.
Go deep.
Bring a head light.
Hope it works out!

Jim

[koffler]

Here is what I have seen - I have fished it 2x a week for the last 3 weeks - about 5 hrs on the water a day - net 30 hours or so. I have 7 fish logged under an indicator on norrmal pattens - nothing bigger than 16". I have 2 rainbow around 19", and a brown at roughly 23" all on streamers. Pick your poison - I prefer the latter. The brown was mid afternoon so go figure.

Note: I got hammered on something - I know what I was fishing fly wise but the fish was Jaws and took my indicator 2 feet to the right once the indicator went down and this was in very 'public' water - actually the indo didn't go down it just darted 2 feet back to her hole. This was not a snag. There are some true pigs in there.

Koffler

[bigfly]

Koffler, is a good example.
The fish are there (even mid-day), and will fall to more than one style.
But this is the Tuffy, and some work will be involved.
I heard from a guide friend this week, that a fish broke off on twenty # tippet.
The fish would not move from it's hole......
That's enough to keep me focused.

Jim

[RickyOrtiz]

I've only fished the truckee twice so far within the last month. Most recent was last Friday. The first time I got my butt kicked and went home skunked, last Friday on the water a little before 7am fished all day. I managed to hook one nice 16-17" fish and got it to the bank and it managed to spit the hook before I put hands on it and this was smack in The middle of the day. But, it was only 70 last Friday. I also seen a monster 24" or bigger just sitting there and wanted nothing to do with me again right in the middle of the day.
I'll be back out there again tomorrow dead drifting a crawfish pattern that seems to be getting the job done right now, from what I've heard.

[wineslob]

Hummmmm...............................mice........ ..................

[amoeba]

Hummmmm...............................mice........ ..................

The mouse fly is known most from western Alaska, and no....I've not heard of anyone actually catching a trout on one in California, haven't tried it here myself, and never saw anyone toss one here either.

Occasionally, there are reports of mice in trout stomachs in California so it does happen. I recall this from fish collected in the Pitt system pursuant to the relicensing studies, for example. Catching a fish on an artificial is another matter, however.

The fly does work here on largemouth bass. Usually tossed with an 8 wt, and a stiff tippet (like 10# maxima).

[Ralph]

I've been tossing mice to Truckee Trout for nearly forty years. Not just in the river but smaller creeks and the area lakes as well. I wouldn't still be doing it (with a vengeance - all over the West, and in fact all over the world) if they only worked in Alaska! A trout is a trout and a mouse is a steak regardless where they cross paths.

[koffler]

Agreed. I use a foam mouse pattern so it doesnt kill me. I've thrown it a good # of hours and took my 2nd largest fish ever on the truckee 2 years ago around 12:30am. One of the few rivers thats open around the clock. If I lived closer would do it more often. Not alot of fish to be had but they won't be small and you must be committed.

I took my largest trout ever on the Bighorn 1st thing at light using a mouse/rodent imitiation. I use Andy Burk's pattern (ps where did he go???) the skate rat but alter it up and weight the rear end of the shank and put more foam in the head portion. I want it to look like it's drowning - basically running at an angle w/ nose up and tail down.

Koffler/Jason

[JasonB]

Agreed as well on mice... haven't thrown them a lot, but I've had a few VERY exciting moments (usually brief). I wouldn't really count on one for quantity, but I would not write it off as unworthy. I will say this, personally, I wouldn't have much confidence tossing a mouse pattern in mid day during August (which it sounds like you're stuck with). Of course, then again... you never know?
Good luck either way,
JB

[fishnbeatsworkin]

I catch trout on mice patterns all the time in CA. My friends laugh when I tie it on, but they're always amazed at the results.

[Fly Guy Dave]

I don't fish mice patterns often, but after hooking into an absolutely massive brown in the Green River in Utah one night after it was flat-out dark, I'll never forget that experience and that rush. I do better on other patterns, but when the conditions are right, mice are really fun!

[Ralph]

The mouse fly is known most from western Alaska, and no....I've not heard of anyone actually catching a trout on one in California, haven't tried it here myself, and never saw anyone toss one here either.


A fast and fun way to prove to yourself that trout devour mice with a vengeance is to pick up a few at Mickey's Pets in Truckee and toss them off of Fanny Bridge in Tahoe City. It's like throwing bunnies into a lions den. I wrote a chapter on doing this in the book "Trout Food". Am at this very moment tying up mice to go fish a local lake where we saw three voles in less than an hour scurrying about mid day. The bite should be on. I simply spin gobs of caribou on a big hook then razor blade the bottom flat. Two minute fly at most. Makes a huge mess, so best tied on a campground table.

[amoeba]

Well - all I said was it does happen, and it isn't a method I've seen in California (I should have predicted the subsquent responses, nevertheless, honestly - if I ever see someone with a mouse fly in their fly box, at the end of a line, no less with a fish attached to it - in this State, it will be a first time):

I predict in the next two weeks, there will be a run on mouse flies at Kiene's- followed by many sightings of fly fisherman chucking what appear to be brown pom-poms into the Truckee river all day and night. I don't think there will be many trophy shots, however. We shall see.

[fishnbeatsworkin]

Amoeba,
Here's one for your first time:
74027403

[EricO]

"I don't think there will be many trophy shots, however. We shall see." Lol, Negative Nancy, ain't ya?

[dickwhite]

I'd hire one of the fine guides that post on this board for your 1st time on the BigT. AKA "The Tuffy" or thinking out of the box head back to the valley via Hwy 88 over Carson Pass. The forks of the Carson are more forgiving. There are also tons of Lake fishing options.

You could even drop 1 or 2 passes further south to Ebbets (Hwy 4) or Sonora (Hwy 108). I just had a huge morning yesterday on the W. Walker with both planters and wild fish. My daughter and son both caught tons too.

This will also get you away from the smoke from the American Fire. It's hitting Truckee and Reno something wicked right now. Not really much smoke here on the West Shore.

Dick White
Tahoma Meadows B&B

[Dan LeCount]

Ralph, you should tell him your story about the brown trout at Stampede and the chipmunks...

[wineslob]

Ok a report. We came back yesterday, stopped at Cabela's (yahoo!) and went on to the "Tuffy" as I've seen it called. Stopped at the Floristan exit and set up around noon.

I walked up stream about 1/2 mi. to where the river become wide riffles, and then fished back, using a #14 bead head that I pretty much made up. Donno what to call it. Chrome bead, syn dark peacock body, dark Goose Quill "V" tail. I must have missed 10-15 fish (LOTS of flashes), so I put on an indicator 4-5 ft above the fly and was able to land one Bow' around 14-15". Nice fish. I only fished for an an hour and a half, so I didn't get to really work the runs much.
The water was slightly off color, almost looked like snow melt. I have no idea if the flow was "optimal" but it wasn't hard to fish, just fast. I also had the stream to myself, probably from it being Sunday.

For me, it was pretty "normal" fishing. Maybe I'm used to "tuff" streams. My wife loves the area, so we will be heading back, and probably stay at Boom Town (we have players club cards for a hefty discount).


No pics, I forgot the camera. :p


P.S. I guess I got lucky, no rafts, though they were getting out at the bridge as we parked.

[EricO]

Nice. At least you saw fish were interested.

I usually fish the T with an indicator. Unless it's close in pocket water. And one fish in 1.5 hrs on the Truckee.
I'll take that any day.

EO

[wineslob]

Nice. At least you saw fish were interested.

I usually fish the T with an indicator. Unless it's close in pocket water. And one fish in 1.5 hrs on the Truckee.
I'll take that any day.

EO


I missed at least 3 takes, good ones. Beautiful river to fish. Can't wait to get back.

[amoeba]

wslob:

not sure what the heck you did right; but mid-day multiple strikes on #14 nymphs hasn't been the norm - you could poach an egg in that water at that time (low 70's); what were you fishing with? a prince-like pattern? anything else you'd like to offer about the pattern which "worked"?

how was the sky? (too smoky to see from Sacramento, if clear, clouds or what up there)

[Jed Peters]

I'm betting the looks you had were all planters from the club....

[wineslob]

I'm betting the looks you had were all planters from the club....

I could see the Bow's swiping at the fly. Most I would estimate around the 14"-16" range, so probably, ya, planters. OK by me.
Sky was clear, but slightly smokey. Got a bit of a sun burn. The fly was just a Chrome bead head, synthetic dark peacock (can't remember the make but has good iridesence sp?)body, and dark brown goose quill tail. They are spooky lil buggers. I was lucky if I got more than one strike in a run. I mostly fished the side runs. The middle required more mending than I want to do.

BTW the reeds are a PITA to get through with the rose bushes mixed in. :p