Little truckee river question

[Dan LeCount]

Most of Thursday I was one of 2 cars on the LT. There were roughly 10 cars along Glenshire when I drove past that evening.(and Im pretty sure only 1 or 2 were dog walkers) Similar water volume and similar length of river (4 miles or so.) Much of the last few months its been like this. Should Glenshire be closed to guiding? It receives equal if not more pressure most days. Is guiding the cause of the increased pressure? All the major waters up here are heavily pressured at times now. It just seems like one or the other is more in vogue at one time or another. Example- Last year one of Gilligans clients got a really big brown. The next weekend I drove down below Hirschdale on the dirt road and there were roughly a dozen cars. Every pull out had a car until we got to the old train bridge at the end. I found this pretty funny since I knew the fish was from Nevada, but many people identify Gill with his house in "the Hirsch." Another example- Last season after the video "The Clinic" was released, there were people parked all up and down where they had held the clinic a few days before. And this is not at all a slight against Gill and Doug O, They're rad dudes and great to fish and guide with and if I was so inclined to hire a guide, they'd be one of my first choices. Ive also had similar situations happen myself as well. After telling someone I had a awesome day on the green drakes on the river by myself, before the week is over that same stretch is crawling with a dozen guys.

I think its mostly a problem with the internet and how effective our communication is now and how quickly people react or use it. As soon as people see a large fish/good fishing they charge out and try to find that exact spot and try to catch that fish, instead of trying to explore a new spot and a new fish. Like if someone tells a buddy that he did good with march browns along Glenshire, he tells his buddy who tells his buddy who goes there, he catches fish, takes pictures and posts them on instagram, his buddy sees those pics then he tells his fishing club. Next weekend 10 people are cutting each other off and trying to fish the same half mile of water. I really have no idea whats the best solution for any of this other then trying to instill in people a passion for exploring new waters and exploring the backcountry.

[bigfly]

Dan, you are totally correct....and I don't often say that. Although I haven't heard about overcrowding on the T....
One way to catch more fish.....don't fish where everybody else is fishing.
I have a don't ask/don't tell policy.....Don't ask me, and I won't tell you, on the internet.
I'm not likely to tell which rock to stand on, or fly to buy.
A movie isn't in the making.......
And, I admire the guy who gets his Topo out and tracks them down.
This sport should have a little studying involved, not just the score......

Jim

[James W]

I've heard this problem described in SoCal as "hotspotting".
Are we headed to a time when you simply don't post a fishing report?
Perhaps that's best.
I don't know . . .

[bigfly]

With the price of gasoline I think it's easier to go on-line before you drive.
I think, in the race to be fish Hero's, it's not going to let up until egos and fishermen and maybe fish, are all gone......
Of course, that's the way it been throughout history.
My goal, is to let you know they are here, if you have the game to catch them.
(And maybe help, if you need to develop the game.)
Mostly, because I remember when folks here thought the T wasn't worth their time......including me.
The LT is too small to even publicize. 3 miles of LT versus 30 of the T.
And I crop my photos, when I post them.....I would feel bad (for the fish), if every body went to the same spot to fish because of me....
If it turns out I'm giving too much away.....I'll stop.
Treat'em nice.
Hope you are getting out....
Jim

[Ralph]

Is guiding the cause of the increased pressure?

No, but there has to be some fair and equitable way to limit the pressure on the LT, especially mid summer and spawning season. One guide generally represents three people on the water (albeit 2 rods). If, for example, Tuesday and Thursday were guide-free days, it would take some significant heat off those fish, not only because of fewer rods, but fewer EFFECTIVE rods. I'm not too concerned about the social impact of crowded fishing because, as Jim points out, those who want solitude can find it without undue effort. The trout don't have that choice.

I totally hear you about the internet. It's ridiculous how a fish can be caught, photographed and uploaded before it's released. I recently "unfriended" a guide (who is a friend) from my FB page after receiving near real-time images of every shad he was catching with his clients. I guess they call that advertising, but I'm not in the market for a shad guide.

[Dan LeCount]

Personally I think a winter closure on the LT would probably be a good idea. With winters like this one the fish don't get much of a rest. A winter closure would somewhat cut back the Clownshoes beating on the trouts head when they're spawning too(especially with the rainbows.)

As far as pics, every guide has his or her way of promotion and if they're excited and want to share photos, good for them. Taking lots of pictures is sensible and is usually good for business. Personally I should probably take more pictures of guide clients with the big camera. I usually don't since almost every client I've had for the last few years has had a smart phone with a pretty good camera, so if they want pics we usually shoot them with the phone and I leave the big Nikon at home. I give them some coaching on how to hold the fish and take a good hero shot if they need. I usually give them some insight with nature shots if they need any. I keep some plastic bags around so they don't have to worry so much about dunkings. It works pretty well for me and we haven't lost a phone yet.

I think the big issue is the need to copy everything a person does to catch a big fish. What they used, where they did it. It all goes a bit far sometimes. I think every guide up here rigs somewhat differently. We sometimes fish the same stretches but we all seem to have different "favorites". We all catch fish and get others into fish, without copying what someone else is doing. We develop what works by fishing ourselves or vicariously through a client. The emulation thing gets a bit weird at times for some people. I remember Andy B used to have people recognize his car all the time and follow him wherever he went fishing. He called them "the Stream Stalkers." I knew Andy liked peace and quiet on the river and it was kind of a bummer for him at times. Truthfully there's big fish all over the place up here if you really look, and you can catch them a lot of different ways. The most successful anglers I've met are the ones that develop more independent, strategic thought and try to pay attention to their surroundings and stay dedicated.

[Ralph]

Speaking of hero shots. Last night at Bill Lowe's birthday party a friend of ours recounted how he was taking the hero shot of his client and was so focused on the fish he didn't notice that Bill had snuck in twenty feet behind the client, had dropped his pants and was standing wide legged with his johnson hanging long. Kind of captured the moment. Classic Bill. They'll never make another one. Love him.

[Frank R. Pisciotta]

I've been following this thread. Below is an excerpt to an individual who requested I provide his business with an on-line, weekly report on the LT. I refused. It was written and e-noted in February 2014. It pretty well expresses my opinions about what should be done on the LT.

Personally I do feel that guides are an issue on the LT. IMO, self-regulation hasn't seemed to work.

"Thanks for asking about my reporting on the Little Truckee. But I respectively decline; being the wrong person to publicize the LT via an on-line report. Reason being…

During the last 4-5 years I’ve been a very high-profile proponent of minimizing guide activity on the LT below Stampede dam and having it closed to “winter” fishing. Simply, there is too much impact on this small stream’s fishery. IMO the biggest impact is guides, plus the trout need a break from year-round pressure. The Tahoe National Forest’s Truckee Ranger district and a few CA D of W personnel are aware of my opinions.

I’d like to see the CA F & W mandate no commercial guiding on the LT 4-8 days per month. This, IMO, is concurrent with the Public Trust Doctrine. Locals and visiting fly anglers who do not have the inclination nor the funding to hire a professional guide do not fish the LT because it is too crowded; again because of too many guides. Jon Baiocchi is one of the few guides in this area who agrees with me on the aforementioned.

Here are my priorities for any public fishery: The health of the fishery come first, DIY fly-anglers come second and commercial guiding a very distant third.

Suffice it to say that most guides in this area are not happy with my thinking and lobbying."

Frank R. Pisciotta

[Doug O]

I agree that the Little Truckee should have closures. It would make sense to close it to all angling in the winter, and in the spring when the rainbows are spawning, and again in the fall when the browns are spawning. The situation on the Little Truckee has been out of line for years now. In the mid 1970's along with some other concerned conservationist I helped plant the willows that are still growing on the banks of the Little Truckee. We saw things get much better especially after the no bait regulations were in effect, special thanks to Ralph Cutter. Again, I believe new legislation should be considered.

[Dan LeCount]

I’d like to see the CA F & W mandate no commercial guiding on the LT 4-8 days per month. This, IMO, is concurrent with the Public Trust Doctrine. Locals and visiting fly anglers who do not have the inclination nor the funding to hire a professional guide do not fish the LT because it is too crowded; again because of too many guides. Jon Baiocchi is one of the few guides in this area who agrees with me on the aforementioned.

Here are my priorities for any public fishery: The health of the fishery come first, DIY fly-anglers come second and commercial guiding a very distant third.

Suffice it to say that most guides in this area are not happy with my thinking and lobbying."[/COLOR]

Frank R. Pisciotta

Not to speak for other people Frank, but I think most if not all the guides in the area would be fine with more stringent regulations. I don't know who would enforce it, but I think we can all agree that protecting the fishery should be the priority for sure, whether the LT, the Big T or any other water.