Truckee River Fishing Report April 16, 2021
Truckee River Fly Fishing Report
The overall conditions on the Truckee remain great as the water is running cold and clear, although it is currently on the lower side for this time of year. As spring presses on and we are seeing sunny days in the mid 50’s to 60’s, these upcoming months can make for some of the better conditions of the year.
Fishing will be good most of the day right now with very little fluctuations in water temps. The Skwala stoneflies are hanging on again this week and we are still catching fish on these nymphs with regularity although the bite on top has seemed to slow even more. The most consistent action remains on BWO nymphs and these are best paired with a larger “attractor nymph” although, fishing two or three smaller bugs under the indicator can be best if the fish seem to be on the pickier side that day. We are still seeing good action on winter bugs such as midges and winter stones as well, while caddis and march browns are just starting up and will continue to be on the menu in the coming weeks. Streamer fishing has been very good here on the California side of the Truckee and using various sculpin or trout imitations in a range of sizes has been working, the fish don’t seem to be very picky in this department. If you’ve been tying streamers this winter and you’re looking for a good time to fish them, get out there! Please continue to watch for redds on any water that contains rainbow trout as they will continue to spawn for the next month or longer.
Recommended Flies for the Truckee River
Pat’s Rubberlegs in brown #8-#10, T’s Drummond Stones #8, Poxy Back Stones in dark #8-#10, Olive Mic Drops in #16-#18, Micro Mays in Olive #16-#18, Juju Baetis #16-#18, Zebra Midges in red or black #16-#18, Lightning Bugs in pearl #16-#18, Rainbow Warriors #18, Pheasant Tails #14-#18, Prince Nymphs #12-#16, Copper Johns in black or red #14-#18, G6 Caddis #14-#16, Z Wing Caddis #16-#18, Caddistrophic Caddis #16-#18, San Juan Worms in red or pink #12, Gummy Worms in red or pink #12, Flexy Floss worms in red or pink #12, Unreal Eggs #12, Glowbugs #14
Little Truckee River Fly Fishing Report
Fishing on the Little Truckee has been improving quite a bit over the last week as it seems the lake run fish have finally started to make their way to the upper stretches of the river. Fishing larger offerings for these “less educated” fish will often work well and don’t count out big bugs such as Skwala nymphs and worm or egg patterns although you might consider running these on 5x for your best odds. If all else fails go small, try midges and BWO’s down to a #22. There has also been fair dry fly fishing here with hatches of midges, BWO’s and winter stones coming off throughout the day, so make sure to have that dry fly rod ready for when this happens! We have yet to see many redds here just yet but it’s only a matter of time before these fish start their annual spawn, so please fish here with caution.
Recommended Flies for the Little Truckee
Para BWO’s #18-#20, Mole Flies in olive #18-#20, Hi Viz BWO emergers #18-#20, Silhouette Duns in BWO #20, RS2’s in olive or gray #18-#20, Dandelion Midges in RS2 #20-#22, Stimulators in black #18, Elk Hair Caddis in Black #18, BWO soft hackles #18-#20, Griffiths Gants #18-#22, Zebra Midges in red or black #20-#22, BH back midges in black or gray #20-#22, Palomino Midges in black or red #18-#22, Flexy Floss Worms in red or pink #14, San Juan Worms in red or pink #12, Gummy Worms in red or pink #12, Pats Rubber Legs in brown or olive #10-#12, Skipper Stones in Skwala #10, Unreal Eggs in pink champagne or orange #12, Glowbugs in pink or orange #14
Pyramid Lake Fly Fishing Report
As the season continues to wind down here and these fish get into “spawn mode” the bite has been relatively slow, although windy overcast days can still provide some solid days of fishing here. The most consistent action has been on size 10-12 midges under the indicator fished 4-6 feet deep although it is worth having some other general attractor nymphs such as Copper Johns, Pat’s Rubberlegs, worm patterns, etc. to mix it up when midges aren’t producing. Another method this time of year is to use a floating line with a long leader and lightly weighted streamer to sight fish for the fish cruising along the beaches, this method can both be fun and frustrating as they can get very tight lipped in this situation. As fish remain in shallow water most of the day and the days continue to get longer and warmer, now is a great time to head out here with for a family camping trip, introduce a newer angler to this lake or if you’re more of a fair weather fisherman, get out there yourself!
Recommended Flies For Pyramid Lake
Albino Winos #10, Cutbait Midges #10-#12, Ice Cream Cone Midges in red or black #10-#12, Maholo Nymphs in red, wine or black #8, Copper Johns in red or black #12, Pat’s Rubberlegs in brown #8-#10, Gummy Worms in red or pink #12, Pyramid Beach Leeches in black or olive #8, Balanced Leather Leeches in peacock #10, midnight cowboys #6, Estaz Woolly Worms in pearl or chartreuse/white #6, Booby Flies in chartreuse/white #8, Pyramid Beetles in chartreuse/white or black #8, Woolly Buggers in black or white #8-#10
With all that in mind, and with more friendly weather ahead of us, make your plans to get out on the water this spring. Remember to be considerate to your fellow anglers and space out while finding new stretches of river with less pressure. We continue to receive new gear at the shop weekly including a wider selection of flies for spring and summer hatches. Stop by or call the shop if you have any questions.
Tight lines! ~ Miles
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