TCO Fly Fishing Report – April 23, 2021
Truckee River Fishing Report and Forecast
Conditions on the river remain good this week as we have the trifecta of good flows, good water temps and good visibility. With the low snow pack this year we speculate that the fall may be less than ideal in terms of temperature and flow on the river, so get it while the getting is good!
We have not seen any signs of Skwalas in the last week and it looks to be this hatch is mostly done for the year, the main bugs recently have been Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) and Midges as well as the start of the ever-consistent Caddis. Look for Caddis to be a big player in the next few weeks as days continue to get both longer and warmer. Streamer fishing has been great the last week as fish are now more on the move for their meals. We have been moving fish on both big, bright and articulated streamers in the 3-4 inch range as well as the much smaller and more subdued patterns fished on lighter lines. This will depend on what type of water you are fishing and in what section of the river, as the water gets larger and clarity diminishes further downstream you can often upsize both your offering. Don’t be afraid to use stout tippet (0x-1x) to avoid breakoffs on the hookset or while trying to free your fly from the bottom. Downsizing your tippet while nymphing has been helping to get more hookups however, and when fishing the smaller BWO nymphs and midge pupa we have noticed that 5x tippet has been helping our hookup rates, while 4x will be best for your larger attractor nymphs. However, further down in the canyon this will be less of a concern as visibility decreases and it becomes much more a game of using enough weight to find the fish. The window for the best fishing is now shifting to mornings and evenings and we’ve noticed a significant drop-off in action during the warmest points in the day.
Recommended Flies for The Truckee River
Micro Mays #16-#18, Juju Baetis #16-#18, Olive Mic Drops #18, Pheasant Tails #14-#18, lightning Bugs #16-#18, Prince Nymphs #14-#18, Copper Johns #14-#18, Zebra Midges #16-#18, San Juan Worms #12, Gummy Worms #12, Flexy Floss Worms #12, G6 Caddis #14-#16, Z-Wing Caddis #16-#18, Caddistrophic Pupa #16-#18
The Little Truckee River Fishing Report and Forecast:
The fishing on the Little Truckee has continued to improve this week in large part to the lake-run fish that have now made their way to the upper stretches of the river. We haven’t seen any signs of these fish starting their spawn just yet but its just a matter of time, so if you fish out here please be very cognizant of giving the spawning fish plenty of space and avoid targeting, harassing or disturbing these fish. If you are unsure what to look for, please ask us and we are happy to explain the signs of spawning fish as well as the best practices and policies to fish during this time of year.
We have been seeing good hatches of BWO’s and Midges here and having a dry fly set-up as well as a tight line nymphing set-up is a great way to cover all of your bases and effectively cover all water types here, as these fish can be sitting most anywhere. Fishing a dry dropper set up with an adult paired with an emerger when the hatch is coming off is a great way to get those pickier fish keyed in on the emerging bug. We highly recommend 6x tippet when fishing out here for both your dries and your nymphs as these fish are incredibly line shy. While some people may use 7x, we feel if you tie into a large fish your odds of landing it are slim and you risk over-exhausting the fish which can lead to a delayed mortality.
Recommended Flies for The Little Truckee
Para BWO’s #18-#20, Mole Flies #18-#20, BWO Hackle Stackers #18-#20, Hi-Viz BWO Emergers #18-#20, Dandelion Midges #20-#22, Griffiths Gnats #20-#22, RS2’s #18-#20, Palomino Midges #20, Zebra Midges #18-#22, BH Back Midges #20, Don King Midges #20, San Juan Worms #12, Gummy Worms #12, Flexy Floss Worms #12, Micro Stones #18, Copper Johns #18, Juju Baetis #18-#20, Pheasant Tails #20
Pyramid Lake Fly Fishing Report and Forecast:
Spring fishing at Pyramid Lake is in full force as the fish are consistently in shallow, although they can be tight lipped from time to time. This time of year is much more a numbers game than a game of size, as we have been seeing some 30+ fish days as of late if your giving them the right bugs. As usual both the indicator and stripping have their moments, but recently is seems that the indicator is king. As fish school up and hang in shallow water most of the day is hard to beat the suspended nymph in 3-6 feet of water. If you find their feeding lane and the right bug you will most certainly find some fish. Midge patterns in smaller sizes as well as some typical attractor nymphs in sizes 10-14 have been working well, while they seem to be mostly uninterested in the larger offerings. When stripping streamers we recommend using a floating line with a long leader, or a intermediate sinking line and sight fishing the fish cruising along the beaches or you can use your fast sinking lines on the drop offs in search for the fish in deeper water. Remember for every fish that you see swim by you there are hundreds more you can’t see, so if you’re having a tough time getting these skittish fish to bite try for the ones just out of sight.
Recommended Flies for Pyramid Lake
Cut Bait Midges #10, Ice Cream Cone Midges #10-#12, Albino Winos #10, Copper Johns #12, Pats Rubberlegs #10-#12, Maholo Nymphs #10, Woolly Buggers #8, Midnight Cowboys #8, Estaz Woolly Worms #8, Simi Seal Leeches #8, Pyramid Beetles #8, Booby Flies #8
Thanks again for following our fishing report and being part of the greater Truckee Fly Fishing Community. We’ve just expanded our hours at the shop from 7am to 7pm to help bridge these longer days and help you get on the fish more often.
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