Bull_Dog
09-03-2013, 04:07 PM
Truckee River
Flows continue to remain close to the way they have been almost all summer. This was predicted in OUR spring drought forecast with information by NOAA in March. Changes are on the horizon with fall and the end of irrigation season right around the corner. For now the water temperatures are coming down and are not a factor anymore. The only section of the river that could still be somewhat of an issue would be way downstream east of town but the flows have come up in that section and have given the lower river a nice boost in flows over the past week will really help the water temperatures down there.
There are no where as many people using the river anymore. School is back in and the tubers are all but gone. There is still a bit of rafting going on from Boca Bridge downstream but not that much. The fishing is already getting better from Truckee down through Reno. Cooler water temperatures, shorter days and fish preparing for winter are also a big help in the recent reports getting better and better. The mornings are still the best time to be on the water but we are approaching the time when it can be good any time of the day. There are still not too many bugs out and about but the fish are pretty opportunistic right now and a good presentation is the most important thing. Dead drifting nymphs either under an indicator or “High Sticking” is a good way to go. Fish are starting to chase streamers a little more but you have to cover a lot more water. The Truckee should only get better and better over the next few weeks. For Nymphing try; Crayfish, Stoneflies and October Caddis in sizes 6-10 as a lead fly and a variety of droppers such as Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns and Hares Ears in size 16 is a good way to start. Flows are: Town of Truckee 362 CFS, Boca Bridge 469 CFS, Farad 503 CFS, Reno 277 CFS and Vista (East of Town) 323 CFS.
East Walker River
Flows are at 84 CFS which is up from a low of 40 CFS a week ago. Look for flows to start to drop over the next few weeks as irrigation season comes to an end and water storage for next season begins. There could be plenty of fluctuations between now and mid October as farmers call for their last rights to water for the season. The fluctuations in flows are the only thing slowing the fishing down on the East Walker right now. Average overnight lows in the Bridgeport area for this time of year are in the low 30’s. It has been a bit warmer than that and the short term forecast is lows in the mid 40’s and daytime highs in the mid 70’s. This is about as good as it gets on the East Walker. The next few weeks should be awesome down there, especially if you can get a day or two when the flows don’t fluctuate too badly.
Fish are still looking up for big dries, especially on the Nevada side. Hopper Dropper rigs are still a good way to go. Even better take two rods or fish with a buddy and rig up one rod with an attractor dry like a Hopper or a Stimulator in sizes 6-12. (You can try a lot of different stuff for this) Rig up the other rod with either a streamer or a nymph rig. Approach an area slowly and fish the edges, shallows and seems with the dry fly. Don’t overdo it. 10-15 good casts are plenty in any one run. Then come back through with your other set up and fish the entire run. This is a great way to fish with a buddy. Keep your streamers on the small side like a 6-12 and use a little weight or a bead/cone head. For nymphs smaller flies also seem to be working better. Caddis, Baetis, Midges and San Juan worms in 16-20 have been working well.
Little Truckee River
Flows on the Little Truckee are down to 26 CFS. Normally as fall sets in and it becomes important to hold water in Stampede Reservoir the flows drop fast. As expected it happened early this year. 26 CFS is an extremely low flow on the Little Truckee and it could stay this way through the entire fall season. The grass and moss on the bottom of the river is starting to die off and fall apart as cooler weather sets in. This makes it very hard to fish with any kind of sinking flies and it even gets on dry flies occasionally. The fish are going to have to start to head for the larger pools that hold more water. This means more pressure in less holding water. There are fewer anglers fishing the Little Truckee due to the tough fishing conditions and time of year. If you are going to fish the Little Truckee in the coming weeks try Nymphing with only one fly either under a dry fly or a very camouflaged indicator. Don’t fish your flies as deep as normal and check them often for grass and moss. If you are dry fly fishing you also need to keep an eye on your flies for grass or moss. Make sure they are riding high and having dry shake with you is a must. There are not too many fish rising but you can find one or two if you look hard. Wear natural colored clothing and take your time. It is not necessarily important to get there early for the fishing but you may not find a good spot if you don’t, especially in the top parking lot where there usually will be many more fish and anglers at these flows.
Davis Lake
Davis is already starting to fish o.k. Water temps are falling and are already in the low 60’s. This should be a great fall at Davis Lake. As days get shorter fish start to get really aggressive and fatten up for the winter. We had a pretty warm summer in the Portola area and the water got really warm this summer. Recent reports indicate that the fish survived the summer well. Fishing Nymphs and Midges under an indicator in 6-12 feet of water has been producing some fish over the past week. This is a great time of year to fish small Woolybuggers and Leaches with a variety of sinking lines. Rust, Orange and Olive are great colors to try. Vary your retrieves and your water depth and when you get a strike remember what you were doing. Try to keep a slight bend in your rod as takes can be veracious. Look for reports to get better and better over the next few weeks.
Frenchman’s Reservoir
This has been a tough year so far at Frenchman’s. Low water has had a lot to do with a slower than average year. Spots where we were fishing last year are dry now. The anglers and the fish have had to find new water to fish and hang out respectively. The good news is the fishing is really starting to pick up. Cooler water and shorter days have the fish starting to get active already. Some really nice fish have been caught lately and the size seems to be above average. Sheep Creek Specials or other Snail patterns fished on an intermediate or sink tip line has been doing well. Fishing Nymphs and Midges under an indicator is always a good way to fish at Frenchman’s. Leech patterns fished on a faster sinking line are also worth a try. It looks as if we are going to have some pretty good fishing this fall it Frenchman’s.
Pyramid Lake
Opens to Trout Fishing October 1st. This is going to be an interesting and hopefully another great year at Pyramid. We now have two sustainable strains of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout in the Lake. The Summit Lake strain which has been the main strain in the lake for the last 20 years or more and the Pilot Peak Strain which was introduced back into the lake in 2006-2007. Both strains of fish play an important role in the fishing at Pyramid Lake. We are still learning a lot about the Pilot Peak strain and some of what we think we know is based on only a few years of experience catching these fish. There is much more recent history with the Summit Lake strain.
In years past most of the Summit Lake Cutthroats are still in deeper water on opening day. It has a lot to do with water temperatures. The boaters usually do very well in October catching these fish in 20-40 feet of water or more. Trolling is a great way to fish this time of year. Shore fishermen usually try to fish near fast drop-offs where deeper water can be accessed. Looking for Tui Chubs and Perch Fry are also important to finding fish. As the fall wears on and water temperatures drop more and more fish can be caught from shore in more like 8-15 feet of water. The fish can be really spread out and moving around is important to finding fish. This should be very close to how the fishing goes for the Summit Lake strain of Lahontan Cutthroats again this fall.
It is going to be interesting and fun to experience another year with the new Pilot Peak strain which is believed to be as close to the original strain of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout that used to roam the lake 100 years ago. These fish do not act like the Summit Lake strain. They are more aggressive, tend to grow faster and may even live longer. They also seem to hang out in different water. Last spring after most of the Summit Lake fish were out in deep water and the hatchery was shut down a large school of Pilot Peak fish showed up in shallow water and there were a few weeks of excellent fishing in May and June because of it. These fish seem to spend a lot more time chasing Tui Chubs and smaller Trout and will move in and out with the schools of bait. There are usually more Tui Chubs near shore in the fall so there may be some really big fish close enough for shore fishermen to catch as early as Opening day. We still have a lot to learn about these fish and what the future holds for the largest Cutthroats on the Planet. www.pyramidlakeflyfishing.com
To receive our fishing reports in the future via email text flyfishing to 22828
Rob Anderson
www.renoflyfishingoutfitters.com (http://renoflyfishingoutfitters.com)
Flows continue to remain close to the way they have been almost all summer. This was predicted in OUR spring drought forecast with information by NOAA in March. Changes are on the horizon with fall and the end of irrigation season right around the corner. For now the water temperatures are coming down and are not a factor anymore. The only section of the river that could still be somewhat of an issue would be way downstream east of town but the flows have come up in that section and have given the lower river a nice boost in flows over the past week will really help the water temperatures down there.
There are no where as many people using the river anymore. School is back in and the tubers are all but gone. There is still a bit of rafting going on from Boca Bridge downstream but not that much. The fishing is already getting better from Truckee down through Reno. Cooler water temperatures, shorter days and fish preparing for winter are also a big help in the recent reports getting better and better. The mornings are still the best time to be on the water but we are approaching the time when it can be good any time of the day. There are still not too many bugs out and about but the fish are pretty opportunistic right now and a good presentation is the most important thing. Dead drifting nymphs either under an indicator or “High Sticking” is a good way to go. Fish are starting to chase streamers a little more but you have to cover a lot more water. The Truckee should only get better and better over the next few weeks. For Nymphing try; Crayfish, Stoneflies and October Caddis in sizes 6-10 as a lead fly and a variety of droppers such as Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns and Hares Ears in size 16 is a good way to start. Flows are: Town of Truckee 362 CFS, Boca Bridge 469 CFS, Farad 503 CFS, Reno 277 CFS and Vista (East of Town) 323 CFS.
East Walker River
Flows are at 84 CFS which is up from a low of 40 CFS a week ago. Look for flows to start to drop over the next few weeks as irrigation season comes to an end and water storage for next season begins. There could be plenty of fluctuations between now and mid October as farmers call for their last rights to water for the season. The fluctuations in flows are the only thing slowing the fishing down on the East Walker right now. Average overnight lows in the Bridgeport area for this time of year are in the low 30’s. It has been a bit warmer than that and the short term forecast is lows in the mid 40’s and daytime highs in the mid 70’s. This is about as good as it gets on the East Walker. The next few weeks should be awesome down there, especially if you can get a day or two when the flows don’t fluctuate too badly.
Fish are still looking up for big dries, especially on the Nevada side. Hopper Dropper rigs are still a good way to go. Even better take two rods or fish with a buddy and rig up one rod with an attractor dry like a Hopper or a Stimulator in sizes 6-12. (You can try a lot of different stuff for this) Rig up the other rod with either a streamer or a nymph rig. Approach an area slowly and fish the edges, shallows and seems with the dry fly. Don’t overdo it. 10-15 good casts are plenty in any one run. Then come back through with your other set up and fish the entire run. This is a great way to fish with a buddy. Keep your streamers on the small side like a 6-12 and use a little weight or a bead/cone head. For nymphs smaller flies also seem to be working better. Caddis, Baetis, Midges and San Juan worms in 16-20 have been working well.
Little Truckee River
Flows on the Little Truckee are down to 26 CFS. Normally as fall sets in and it becomes important to hold water in Stampede Reservoir the flows drop fast. As expected it happened early this year. 26 CFS is an extremely low flow on the Little Truckee and it could stay this way through the entire fall season. The grass and moss on the bottom of the river is starting to die off and fall apart as cooler weather sets in. This makes it very hard to fish with any kind of sinking flies and it even gets on dry flies occasionally. The fish are going to have to start to head for the larger pools that hold more water. This means more pressure in less holding water. There are fewer anglers fishing the Little Truckee due to the tough fishing conditions and time of year. If you are going to fish the Little Truckee in the coming weeks try Nymphing with only one fly either under a dry fly or a very camouflaged indicator. Don’t fish your flies as deep as normal and check them often for grass and moss. If you are dry fly fishing you also need to keep an eye on your flies for grass or moss. Make sure they are riding high and having dry shake with you is a must. There are not too many fish rising but you can find one or two if you look hard. Wear natural colored clothing and take your time. It is not necessarily important to get there early for the fishing but you may not find a good spot if you don’t, especially in the top parking lot where there usually will be many more fish and anglers at these flows.
Davis Lake
Davis is already starting to fish o.k. Water temps are falling and are already in the low 60’s. This should be a great fall at Davis Lake. As days get shorter fish start to get really aggressive and fatten up for the winter. We had a pretty warm summer in the Portola area and the water got really warm this summer. Recent reports indicate that the fish survived the summer well. Fishing Nymphs and Midges under an indicator in 6-12 feet of water has been producing some fish over the past week. This is a great time of year to fish small Woolybuggers and Leaches with a variety of sinking lines. Rust, Orange and Olive are great colors to try. Vary your retrieves and your water depth and when you get a strike remember what you were doing. Try to keep a slight bend in your rod as takes can be veracious. Look for reports to get better and better over the next few weeks.
Frenchman’s Reservoir
This has been a tough year so far at Frenchman’s. Low water has had a lot to do with a slower than average year. Spots where we were fishing last year are dry now. The anglers and the fish have had to find new water to fish and hang out respectively. The good news is the fishing is really starting to pick up. Cooler water and shorter days have the fish starting to get active already. Some really nice fish have been caught lately and the size seems to be above average. Sheep Creek Specials or other Snail patterns fished on an intermediate or sink tip line has been doing well. Fishing Nymphs and Midges under an indicator is always a good way to fish at Frenchman’s. Leech patterns fished on a faster sinking line are also worth a try. It looks as if we are going to have some pretty good fishing this fall it Frenchman’s.
Pyramid Lake
Opens to Trout Fishing October 1st. This is going to be an interesting and hopefully another great year at Pyramid. We now have two sustainable strains of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout in the Lake. The Summit Lake strain which has been the main strain in the lake for the last 20 years or more and the Pilot Peak Strain which was introduced back into the lake in 2006-2007. Both strains of fish play an important role in the fishing at Pyramid Lake. We are still learning a lot about the Pilot Peak strain and some of what we think we know is based on only a few years of experience catching these fish. There is much more recent history with the Summit Lake strain.
In years past most of the Summit Lake Cutthroats are still in deeper water on opening day. It has a lot to do with water temperatures. The boaters usually do very well in October catching these fish in 20-40 feet of water or more. Trolling is a great way to fish this time of year. Shore fishermen usually try to fish near fast drop-offs where deeper water can be accessed. Looking for Tui Chubs and Perch Fry are also important to finding fish. As the fall wears on and water temperatures drop more and more fish can be caught from shore in more like 8-15 feet of water. The fish can be really spread out and moving around is important to finding fish. This should be very close to how the fishing goes for the Summit Lake strain of Lahontan Cutthroats again this fall.
It is going to be interesting and fun to experience another year with the new Pilot Peak strain which is believed to be as close to the original strain of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout that used to roam the lake 100 years ago. These fish do not act like the Summit Lake strain. They are more aggressive, tend to grow faster and may even live longer. They also seem to hang out in different water. Last spring after most of the Summit Lake fish were out in deep water and the hatchery was shut down a large school of Pilot Peak fish showed up in shallow water and there were a few weeks of excellent fishing in May and June because of it. These fish seem to spend a lot more time chasing Tui Chubs and smaller Trout and will move in and out with the schools of bait. There are usually more Tui Chubs near shore in the fall so there may be some really big fish close enough for shore fishermen to catch as early as Opening day. We still have a lot to learn about these fish and what the future holds for the largest Cutthroats on the Planet. www.pyramidlakeflyfishing.com
To receive our fishing reports in the future via email text flyfishing to 22828
Rob Anderson
www.renoflyfishingoutfitters.com (http://renoflyfishingoutfitters.com)