Tahoe area report today

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I just called the boys up at the Truckee Fly Fishing Outfitters fly shop in South Tahoe owned by Victor Babbitt. This is a very hot destination fly shop that is open about 6 month of the year. They have a very powerful guide service with about 10 guides working out of there this summer. They also have a really large fly selection of hot local patterns.

Right now they are guiding on the main Truckee River and the Little Truckee River on the north end of Tahoe. The Carson and Walker are a little high and cold still.

If you are headed up Hwy 80 or Hwy 50 to the Tahoe area or south of Tahoe you want to stop by there shop for some info and flies. If you really want to catch some fish you might want to hire one of their guides for a great day up there.

They also have a good beginner school that is only $50 that will get you started off in the right direction.

[Thurman]

Last Friday I was sitting at my desk after my morning event had been continued, and decided to take Mr. Kiene's advice about contacting the Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters in South Lake Tahoe. My intent was to book a guide for Saturday 6/27/09 to take me out to the big or little Truckee River depending on the bite. I usually try to book a guide for an introduction to any new area I want to start fishing.

Within 15 minutes of my first email I received a return call and was booked for the next day.

I was up at 1:00 a.m. and left the house by 2:30 a.m. in order to meet the guide at the shop in South Lake Tahoe at 6:30 a.m. Shortly after meeting Cory Funk, my guide for the day, we had altered our plans and headed for the Pleasant Valley Preserve just outside Markleyville.

While I don't know what the Truckee would have produced, in that I experienced my personal best day of flyfishing in a gorgeous setting, I feel that Cory made the right call.

I landed to hand 13 to 15 fat rainbows which were mostly 15 to 20 inches long. I hooked another 5 to 10 fish which I did not land, and probably missed another 5 to 10 when I was able to set the hook properly.

I would recommend Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters in general and Cory in particular to anyone.