Little Truckee

[Travlar]

I saw that the flows were up today on the LT (272) and was wondering if it was fishable at these levels?

[bigfly]

Depends on how you fish......I speak only for myself....
Watch till it has a day or so to stablize.
Fish have to make adjustments in what is a good lye and what the bugs think.....
I love to fish 200-300cfs on the big T...I'd call it a sweet spot.....
But we fish up to 1000+....
Won't be a lot of competition from the dry fly guys on the LT at those flows....
I've fished the LT at 600..and had it all to myself, and I won't fish it below about 100cfs....just too skinny for me.
But you will see guys that indy fish the T, sampling the waters on the LT at higher flows.. Bigger water means it may be harder to find them, but it also means bigger fish can move around better. Shallow and clear is tough when fish know you are there.
So larger water is an advantage to being sneaky and doesn't have a "shooting fish in a barrel" feel to boot....
If you find a local fishing an indy to effect, watch and quiz.....
It's small bug season...
But, if you do see a rise, it's ok to fish a dry....


Jim

[Travlar]

Thanks Jim, again I really appreciate your insights to these streams.

[Travlar]

Fished the LT yesterday and had a reasonable day. Hooked 3 and landed two (18in brown and 18in rainbow). The higher flows made things tricky for sure. The water was moving fast so getting everything down deep was a challenge. Even figuring out what they were eating was rough. My friend and I threw everything in the box we had at them and I finally hooked the brown on a size 18 prince. In the afternoon there was a solid BWO hatch and that is where I landed the rainbow on a dry. For the last hour of light we headed over to the big T at the Hirshdale bridge and my friend landed a 12in rainbow on a size 18 prince there. All in all a good outing.

[cdevine]

Good stuff. Thx for sharing. If you are getting into fish on the LT there is nothing wrong with that. I like the LT a little bigger because fish aren't as leader shy and they spread out which makes it a tad more challenging but that is a good thing. You can get away with 4-5x which helps landing those bigger fish. How was pressure out there? I know with the light weather the road is pretty wide open.

[Travlar]

There were a few other people out, but we never had to pass a hole because someone was already fishing it. I was torn in how I felt because this time last year the LT was completely inaccessible due to the amount of snow, but its nice having such an amazing place to fish in the middle of winter.

[Frank R. Pisciotta]

Travlar----Yes, the LT is a wonderful fishery.

Personally, I have never been pleased that the LT was opened to winter angling since March '07 or '08 (I forget which). I'm of the opinion that it should be closed to angling during the winter season (November 16-last Friday in April). It is, as Jim (BigFly) says, being "...loved to death".

During the '12-'16 drought the LT's wild trout got hammered for 48+months! I say give them a break. Now we have another mild-winter thus far...hoping it is not precursor for less snow/precipitation. Unlike the BT (20+ miles from Trout Creek to CA/NV line) the LT special reg-section is only 3-1/2 miles. Again, I say give the poor trout a break; close it to angling during the winter.

Frank R. Pisciotta

[cdevine]

Frank, I'm sure this isn't something new or that you haven't encountered but I was fishing there in the winter during a decent snow year and this happened. I snapped on some snow shoes at the boca damn and walked in. Its actually a pretty far walk in the snow from the damn. I want to say 4-5 miles..... I don't recall exactly. Anyway, I landed a nice brown and noticed a size 18 griffin gnat and a similar size zebra midge stuck in the fish lip when I had him in the net. It was at this time I realized I probably should do my part and back away. I started going into Nevada to fish the big T after that more during the winter. Some good stuff down there. Just remember to get your license in both states. (i'm sure most the Truckee anglers have both)

In any event I tend to lean your way with the "rest" period during the winter. We have good options and a lot of water on the big T. But I will say this. Everybody who has helped restore the Little T and does his/her part to pick up trash and keep it pristine should be commended. (TU103 and all groups). Its really an amazing Tailwater.

[Ralph]

Frank - My read is that most people who fished the Little Truckee "back in the day" (how ever that might be measured) agree with you. It is one of California's crown jewels. In progressive states such as Montana, the fishery would be closed in the winter and AUTOMATICALLY closed during very low flows (maybe anything under 30 cfs?), and commercial fishing would be strictly regulated. The Big Hole is an example of a river that was being loved to death and despite initial push back, even the flyshops and guides are now on board with regs that have helped bring the river back to sanity.

[Frank R. Pisciotta]

Ralph----We're probably in the same choir when it comes to the LT. I've taken heat for some people because I was a big proponent for special regs on the LT below the dam.

My recollection is that TU had a national convention in Reno in '98 or '99...correct? At the time you commented in TU's TROUT that the LT below the dam was a prospect for special regs. Concurrently, I gave a presentation to, at the time, NCFFF BOD suggesting support for special regs on the LT. My understanding is that you bought a stack of hard-copy letters to the F & G Commission meeting in Redding.

At the time there were two intellectually, logical reasons why not to have special regs:

1---Special regs brings notoriety and such beings crowds, thus more impact and therefore diminishing the existing ambiance of the LT...true.

2---Why have special regs when there is no enforcement?...true again

But, something had to be done and eventually special regs started in 2000.

I never supported opening it for winter, that was a CA F & W decision. Locally we proffered protective regs for Prosser & Martis creeks to protect the brood-stock that created the progeny for the main Truckee...Trent Pridemore was TTFF's (Tahoe-Truckee Fly Fishers...www.ttff.org) representative. He received 5-0 decisions supporting such at the Nevada county BOD and the Nevada county F & G commission. He coordinated with CA F & G and they are the ones who wanted the LT to open in winter.

For reference we had this discussion here on Dan Blanton's BB; 7/30/2011. There I presented the gist of what I call "Frankie's Manifesto" on the LT.

Yes, both the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers in MT have regs protecting the fisheries. IMO, if CA F & W wants to be visionaries...the LT is a great place to start.

There is a lot of "revisionist history" out there relative to fishery activism in this area...I feel I'm well-versed in it.

Frank R. Pisciotta...da LT Curmudgeon