Truckee river report-Fall

[bigfly]

Thought I'd post to say, Fall is clearly here!
Color changes have begun.
Flocks of birds staging for the long trip ahead.
Water temps are perfect now (62 and falling), hatches are sweet in the evening.
Mornings are getting very chilly.
Flows are at their seasonal low (50-cfs) above town along 89.
Down in the canyon more like 500cfs.
A few crays still molting, but mostly that's done up here.
Fewer big golden stone around, but a fish might eat one sunken.
Some Isonychia swarms now mid morning.
Found an October Caddis house near the shore. Sacrificed him for the cause.
They are sealed in, pupating, and won't be long now.
Very small (sz20) PMD's around.
Very,very small caddis fluttering about, fish a soft hackle bead head, and dangle it at the end of the drift, before you throw it upstream again. Many Hoppers still around, drowned seems still to be the best bet, but on the lower flow stretches the ubiquitous Hopper/dropper is now working.
Fish foamy stretches for more love.

The LT has been at low levels. Fishing is OK, but they are feeling some pressure because they are stuck in the pools.
Sort of fishing in a barrel. Albeit a beautiful one.

Although this isn't a still water report, that has been very good too.
Kokanee are starting to think about running up now, and this causes larger fish to take notice.
Big Bows, Browns, and a few Macks, are being taken on everything from dries to nymphs, to streamers nearer inlets..
It's been a great year altogether, and we are poised for a fine finish, (not that it ever really ends).
Always feel free to hollar for more info.
Hope you guys are getting out.

Jim

[loganmike]

Jim, you're a good apple brother. Glad to hear the leaves are turning!

me

[PMD]

Thanks for the thorough info Jim. Your recommendations helped me hook-up a good deal of fish on my first trip to the Truckee. Thanks again for sharing.

-Taylor

[schurmo]

I will be out there for a week starting tomorrow! Hope to get one great day on the river and a couple good mornings on the lake!

[bigfly]

The only reason I post this stuff, is because I've heard too many times,
"Ya should'da been here last week", after driving for many hours to fish.
There is a seasonal window for best success, and that window is opening.
The Truckee is so tough that an edge sure helps.
Last night was a blizzard of bugs, and (wait for it) a picture of rising fish!
Finally!
See you on the water!

Jim

[Jed Peters]

Or you can just fuggeddaboutit if you have access to the SFFCC water....

[bigfly]

Jed, There is an old saying, "never look a gift fish in the mouth" but, much as we love'em, local fishermen generally don't score the club planters the same as our big wild fish,
(or even little ones).
The larger planters do scratch the itch for hooking up, but I've never been worked by one, the way I've been utterly spanked by a wildy.
The color, and tenacity and spookiness our wild fish, is vastly different, you just can't compare'em!
The fish & game shock survey found 400 fish just above Glenshire last year, only one wild.
Stocker pressure/density forces wild ones out.
Tough call in life, Quantity vs. Quality.
Since I guide, I don't feel right about walking "their" waters, but all fishermen do benefit from the stocking overflow.
And for my beginners, an "easy" fish can be a such blessing! (I think they call it closure.)
Heard the club put Browns in this year, and I heard a rumor they might put cutties in next.
The saga continues.........

FLASH!!!! BUG UPDATE!!!

OCTOBER CADDIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As of last night,>>>>>>> THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's time saddle up and ride! The next 2 weeks should be GOOD.
Jed, If you ever want to walk the water, give me a shout (Now would be timely).

Jim

[Jed Peters]

Jim:

You're right....sometimes quantity is over quality though when you're hooking up 20-30 fish over 16"!

That being said, the club did put in a significant amount of browns this year. And the fish that are in there, remember, have been into there for YEARS....no one takes fish from there. So the fish are strong.

As for cutts, there is a plan to put some in back into the river to try to restore the lahontan cutt count....I don't know if it'll happen in next may's plant though. I've probably already said too much.

I do know that the club is big on river stewardship and making sure that the truckee is fishable for years to come for generations to come.

I'm going back up in a couple weeks...but i've never fished the river other than the section below verdi and the club waters.

I'd definitely like to get out there and wet a fly....work's been crazy though. Maybe sometime in October mid-week? I might have to do a reno run for work and we can get out and make a couple casts one night?

[Ralph]

Planting browns is a total waste of money and destructive. Browns are highly territorial and if you snorkel the river you will find a brown trout everywhere you would expect one. The Truckee does a great job of keeping it's fishery in equilibrium and in balance with its carrying capacity. Adding factory browns to the pot will only force native fish into marginal habitat and I would suspect that over time we will see a significant decrease in the size of the wild Truckee browns as a direct result of the club's actions. If anyone can point to a catch and release fishery where planting brown trout had a positive effect, I would love to hear about it.

USFWS has planted millions (with an M) of cutthroat in the river over the years - both catchables and fingerlings. The number of these fish that have successfully competed and survived in the Truckee is probably far less than a fraction of 1%. As they say, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results".

The best thing the Club can do for a wild catch and release fishery is follow the advice of fishery biologists and allow the natural forces of the river to govern the population. Any biologist who would argue otherwise is employed by a hatchery.

[bigfly]

Jeb, I'm not against the club (or you). I'm for the fishery.
As Ralph stated clearly, mass numbers of fish isolated in one spot isn't healthy, even if it is easier fishing.
Wild fish are prime rib (so to speak) and hatchery fish are chicken mic-nuggies.
M-nuggets are very popular but, nutritionists will advise they aren't good for you.
It's the old instant gratification thing.
I believe if I don't catch a fish, I need to raise MY game, not lower the bar so I can get over.
This is supposed to be a wild trout fishery right?


Browns were probably the worst stocking choice in my opinion, because our browns were incredible already, ( they will air out, unlike many browns) and don't need to have their genes diluted. Besides, they aren't as easy to catch, and won't stay localised in a school, kinda defeats the whole purpose of stocking eh? I think the club should have a brown trout fish fry once a week.
My only hope, is that if fish are stocked, they are sterile, and adipose clipped.
If the club wants to help out the fishery, that would be good start.
Wasn't looking to stir things up, just say that we mostly don't crow about easy fish, just the wild difficult fish. When was the last time you had to chase a fish for a hundred yards or so... (and boy can we crow then)?
More than enough said by me..

I am seeing more wild juvinile bows with par marks, so the Truckee river is trying hard to be a greater fishery, (Since the regs change, and the breeders aren't all going home for dinner.) (Increased enforcement too.).
I'm also seeing more very small fry in the shallows, than ever before. Kingfishers love that, as well as Walter..
I think if we could get flows mirroring seasonal norms rather than unpredictable releases, recreational flow changes, or nearly shut off over-night, this could be a destination fishery like any gold medal water in the nation. Personally, I'm already quite fond of it.
It's just about silly though, to try and predict from day to day what's happening. (Hence, very few reports, or reports that seem inaccurate the next day.)
For instance, those Oct. Caddis that were in the water pupating near the edges were left high and very dry this week.
Kinda breaks your heart, and the hatch.

A small update. Last night was vastly different, flows in town dropped down to 50cfs or so (pretty boney), and it didn't frost the last two nights. We've returned to summer it seems.
I saw no O-Caddis last night, but many BWO's sz 18-20. Used a caddis pattern (sz 16) with briteorange back (to almost see it), fishing well into darkness to some effect.
A ton of size 62 cream midges too. And, very small evening window. Go figure. Nature knows what she's up to, I'm just trying to hang tough.
Jeb, call anytime, I am on the water alot by myself, glad to have some company.

Jim