Truckee River, 12/3-12/4

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

OMG - can I just tell you how freakin' cold it was? Hubby and I headed up to the Truckee about noonish - 1 pm on Saturday after visiting the shop (Paul needed new waders ).

I think we got on the water about 2:30 or so. It was tough to find water that the sun was still on... And, it was REALLY windy. 35 degrees without the wind chill, so I'm sure it was well into the low 20's. We only got a couple hours of fishin' in that afternoon and didn't find anything to speak of. So we headed up to Reno for the night after visiting Cabela's in Boomtown. Incidentally, while in Cabela's, we ventured over to the archery section and each tried out a bow - Paul thinks he found our new hobby .

Sunday we slept in a bit, got checked out of the hotel, and headed back down the hill. When we stopped for coffee in Reno, it was 27 degrees outside. Tried a couple more spots on our way down and then went to my favorite spot (the only one I've caught a fish in ), and sure enough, there they were! Except they scattered as soon as we saw them. This was about 2:30 again, and there was a hatch, although we didn't see any rising. Hubby landed one, and I LDR'd one (all nymphs). Tried some more, but had to let it rest some, so we tried upstream a ways, with no luck. Tried the first spot again, but no more. Water was 38 degrees.

Trip was abruptly halted when hubby slipped in while trying to un-snag my line. Needless to say, he couldn't get out of those clothes fast enough! Well - that is what we carry dry clothes for.... We were just glad it happened at the end of our trip as by this time it was near 4 pm .

BTW - Hubby says the new waders work great, as long as he doesn't fall in

[Darian]

Yikes!!!! Falling in with water temps at 38 degrees.... Ohh!!! The shrinkage!!!...

[Ed Wahl]

38 degree water, yowsa. I fell in on Satruday but not in the Truckee. I was in a duck marsh. Stupid underwater giant dirt clod.
The water was nowhere near that cold but made up for it in stinkiness. Decomposing cow flop aint the best cologne in the world I'll tell ya what.

When you guys get outfitted for archery let me know, we'll do some shooting.

Ed

[bigfly]

Mrs, glad to hear you hooked up, and.... had back-up clothes. I've had to use mine a couple times. Not a good time to swim.
Pretty small window for fishing. 11-2:00.
Beautiful time of year though. No combat fishing now.

Ed, did you have a wading belt on?
Jim

[EricW]

I was out Sat on the lower river below Reno photographing some friends (shoulder is busted at the moment). Icy shoreline and guides. The fishing has dropped with the temps down from very decent just a few weeks ago to pretty slow. The wind, or lack of it actually, is a pretty significant contributor to top water action during the winter months. In the stillest warmest afternoons if you find risers, try a tiny #18 on long shank 200R trude type emerger (touch of black dub, speck of flash, tiny natural snowshoe wing, and 1-2 wraps of furnace hackle) rather than a high floating dry. It'll work for both the winter baetis and midges. Otherwise, nymph slow with a fair size stonefly and small grey/silver beadhead. Have had some amazing days in Jan and Feb.

[bigfly]

Eric, hope the shoulder heals by Jan.
You are so right, it can be "amazing" on the T in mid winter.

[EricW]

amazing for Jan/Feb

I think its because the early season storms melt and temps are changing. Jan and Feb can be pretty fair-weathered, and it's cold enough that any precip stays white and fluffy.

Here's flow for the last 10 years. Red is average, Orange the deviation (how much the flows vary year to year). Jan-Feb is as stable as it gets.