Upper Truckee

[FHTFYR]

Headed to the Upper Truckee with a couple of buddies and looking for info. We are backpacking in from Hwy 89 and headed to the upper stretches of the creek leaving thursday and returning sunday. Hope to see fish that havent seen alot of pressure :lol: :lol: . We have found that it is hard to find anything on this stretch of river short of the regs :twisted: and that we will need alot of bug spray. Any help would be great :D

[Tony Buzolich]

Hey, this is kind of neat, a guy asking about fishing, where he's going, what to look forward too, maybe what fly to use.

Love it.

So, to answer your question when you say "Upper Truckee" do you mean the area behind Heavenly Valley? Hardly anyone talks about fishing that area and it seems it's always the "lower Truckee" from Tahoe City to Hirschdale area.
Sorry I can't be more help but I've never fished the upper.

This IS more fun than politics :D
TONY

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

'Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters' should be the closest shop to that fishing being at South Tahoe.

http://www.tahoeflyfishing.com/

[FHTFYR]

Yes, the Upper Truckee I know it sounds strange :? but we have found out that DFG has put up a fish gate some years back removed all of the non-native fish and replanted either Lahontan cutts or Goldens. DFG web site says Cutts but a web site I found says Goldens. Dosent matter to us it's new creek with fish :D. Any way it's about a six mile hike in at 8000 ft. (should be fun ha, ha). The trail is part of the Tahoe Rim trail that is south of 89 (Myers). Hope to bring back an excellent report so others can make the trip to beat the heat. This section of creek is barbless only and open for 90 days, so it should be some great fishing :lol: . Small fis but lots of them (we hope).

[Jeff F.]

They tried to get all the brookies out of there, but I understand that a lot of them "escaped" the DFG by hiding out in the connecting ponds. Oh well......

Anyway....yes, there are lots of little cutts. You'll do fine. Gotta be stealthy though. A friend of a friend got some very nice big browns in the lower reaches of the Upper T. Also, you might want to try a couple lakes in the area too. Elbert Lk has some big fish, and is seldom visited. Round Lk has cutts, but as you get closer to the Round/Dardenelles Lks area, the more people you're gonna see. But the river......you'll get tons of little guys.

Have fun......

[Digger]

I think this is off the trailhead off of hwy 88 near Caples lake isn't it?
Between Picketts Junction and Kirkwood.

'The Trail Book - Lake Tahoe' lists the Upper Truckee headwaters being just off the Pacific Crest Trail starting from the Carson Pass Info Area, a 2+ mile hike in.

[Ed Wahl]

I've been in there several times using the pct trailhead from rt. 88 just a little ways up from Caples lake.The brookies were poisoned out and replaced with pure lahonton cutts.They did have trouble with the brookies coming back though they don't know if they missed these fish or if one of the local disgruntled cattle ranchers restocked them.I spoke to one of the ranchers once and he was certainly p.o'ed about losing the brookies.The stream itself starts on the ridges between meiss meadows and hwy. 88.The part you want meanders through meiss meadows for 3 or 4 miles, it's truly a beautiful place.The water should be up a bit so stealth won't be too important right now and any fly should work. The cutts are known for being gullible and these fish usually are no exception. Lots of brush along the creek to contend with though.The stories you heard about the skeeters aren't true, you should multiply them by 20.You'll be able to see a cloud of them around your buddy 20 yards away from you.Bring a lot of Deet. Post a report when you get back, I'm needing to get up there myself to ward off the lowland fever.Good luck.

[FHTFYR]

Ed, Thanks for the tips on the area. We plan on being down in the medow most of the time and hope to see alot of top water action but with the if the water is up we may have to go deeper I'll let you know. I know that there will be a report and it may start with a photo of a cloud of skeeters

[Jeff F.]

Why on earth, would anyone RE-plant those freaking things! They're the scourge of the Sierra, in my not-so-humble opinion! They literally take over wherever they are installed.......bumping out the rainbows, or whatever other troutoid previously occupied the water. They overpopulate a body of water, producing huge-headed, skimpy bodied bretheren which feel like a wet handy-wipe on the end of your line. Some are very beautifully colored specimens, yes...and those who eat them say they are the tastiest of all, but as far as sport goes......give me a rainbow, brown, or cutt any day over the "Sierra Bluegill"!!! :?

[NorCalFlyGuy]

brook trout are like bluegill? well, from someone who grew up on th east coast and dreamed of fishing tiny creeks full of brrook trout, I'm not complaining about them when I come across them

they are a beautiful fish

http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic44024.jpg

[Tony Buzolich]

Hey, Norcal guy,

Those are definitely a beautiful fish and I understand about them being stunted and small and F&G wanting to rid them from a lot of creeks, but is the anywhere close that they grow big. Maybe a couple of pounds?

I'd love to fish Nova Scotia for them but that's quite an expense unless you're really in to trout.
TONY

[Rob]

The Bridgeport area has Kirman lake and has some nice size Brook trout.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing/html/WildAndHeritageTrout/waters/KirmanLake.htm

Rob

[NorCalFlyGuy]

Hey, Norcal guy,

Those are definitely a beautiful fish and I understand about them being stunted and small and F&G wanting to rid them from a lot of creeks, but is the anywhere close that they grow big. Maybe a couple of pounds?

I'd love to fish Nova Scotia for them but that's quite an expense unless you're really in to trout.
TONY


the state record is 9 lbs but that was in a lake.....

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing/html/AnglerRecognition/StateRecord/StateRecordFishList.asp?offset=-1

it's funny, because the state record whitefish is only 3 lbs and I caught a 5 lb'er in the Truckee last year and let it go (not that I cared to be the record holder for that fish!)

[Darian]

Hey Guys,.... There're some other places where Brookies can be caught in a decent size range.... :? Caples Lake has some good size Brookies as does Red Lake. Both off of Hwy 88 near the crest. 8) 8)

It's true that Brookies don't put up the spectaular jumps of a rainbow but they do fight a lot like a Lahonton Cutthroat.... Don't see much difference. 8) 8) Also, I like the coloration of the Chars during spawning season. :D :D

In places where they're "stunted", DFG usually stocked the fish for put and take purposes with unintended results... :( :( All fisheries will flourish if kept in balance and'll provide quality fishing for all species. 8) 8)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

http://www.minipicamps.com/Gallery/GRAHAM.jpg

Joe Shirshac just took another group up to Labrador to one of Cooper's Minipi River Camps for giant Brook Trout.

This is where Joe Brooks, Lee Wulff and many other famous fly fishers have gone over the past decades.

http://www.minipicamps.com/

They caught Brookies this year to 7 pounds on dries plus Pike.

Every year the lodges get fish over 10 pounds and the all time lodge record is 14 pounds I believe.

[FHTFYR]

Just returned from the Upper Truckee and Everything that we heard was true from all of the fish :D :D to ALL of those pesky little flying things :evil: by the thousands!!! looks like the post went south on the Brookie thing didnt catch any of them spent most of the time on the creek fighting skeeters and fish!! The Cutts are everything we expected beautiful the water crystal clear not to high and fish on dries :lol: Everything from foam beetels to EC caddis, Cahills, and even a blue damsel to big for them to eat but they tried 8) it was cool to watch I would hold it about 3-4"off the water and they would try to jump out to grab it.

On the creek use anything that floats size 16 or 18 light colors seamed to work better, FISH ALL DAY. The bigger fish were down below the first falls 8-10" beautiful colors. You can see fish in all the water but stick to the faster water thats where the bigger ones are. Bug dope plan on 1 can a day per person (not a joke) it was worth it we plan on doing it again. Water was clear had to stalk fish in slower water or they bolt. I will be asking bill to post some pics. [/img]

[MSP]

Hey FHTFYR, sounds like you got bit a few times. Nice report, glad you enjoyed yourselves :D

[Darian]

Really sounds like you guys had a great trip... :D :D I've given up on fishing in thise areas until fall of the year as Skeeters :shock: :shock: tend to be around less then.... 8) The other plus is that the trees on the east side of the Sierra's are changing colors.... 8) It's very colorfull. :D :D

[Ed Wahl]

excellent report buddy, I gotta get back up there.

[FHTFYR]

If you think about going and dont mind a mind a fellow flyfishing bum to hang out with let me know :!:

[Ed Wahl]

wanna do some brookies? I've got an excellent spot. same general area.

[FHTFYR]

Ed sounds great e-mail me some details and we'll HOOK :lol: it up.
Here are a couple of pics from our trip
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a291/fhtfyr/dbee66e3.jpg
My first Lahonton Cutt (well first worth a picture)

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a291/fhtfyr/0024521-R1-018-7A.jpg
Matt and Rich ready to fish!

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a291/fhtfyr/0024521-R1-028-12A.jpg
Just another of the almost 50 fish to hand lost and missed just as many!

[Adam Grace]

Nice pictures!

I love small stream fishing.