Truckee Tahoe Fly Fishing Report May 28, 2021
While conditions for fishing are currently looking great for fishing in the area. We are starting to see signs of the mild winter in the low flows of some of our creeks. We will likely see some very low water and dry creek beds later this year and it will be up to you as an angler to know when to step away from these waters and switch to different options. This spring will hands down be the best time to target trout, if you’ve been holding off to start fishing don’t wait much longer or you might be missing out! Please be aware of this and look to start trying more still water fishing and warm water species such as smallmouth bass in the coming months.
Truckee River Fly Fishing Report
Fishing on the Truckee remains strong as we have a great combination of good flows, good water temps and lots of active bugs. With the various types of bugs present, a good amount of fly patterns are putting fish in the net – and as usual – on the Truckee the biggest factors will be using a good amount of weight, fishing deep and getting a good drag free drift with your nymphs. This week we have seen a good number of golden stones, caddis, PMD’s, baetis, march browns, green drakes, carpenter ants and even a few grasshoppers starting to get active. With warmer weather in the forecast we recommend focusing on fishing during the low light hours when the sun is off the water and when both the bugs and fish will be most active. Most of the river is in great shape and with a busy holiday weekend expected your best bet to finding good fishing will be to find quiet sections of river with no other anglers, so get out and do some exploring!
Recommended Flies for the Truckee River
Pat’s rubberlegs #8-#10, Stonedaddys #6-#8, Poxy Back Stones #8, Two-Bit Stones #8-#14, Iron Sallies #14-#16, Micro Poxy Back Stones #14-#16, G6 Caddis #14-#16, Caddistrophic Pupa #16, Fox’s caddis poopas #16, Hunchback Green Drakes #8, Splitcase PMD’s #14-#16, TNT PMD’s #16, Jigged PMD’s #14-#16, Carotene Nymphs #12-#14, Pheasant Tails #12-#16, Prince Nymphs #12-#16, Copper Johns #14-#16, Carpenter Ants #10, E/C Caddis #14-#16, Hackle Stacker PMD’s #16
Little Truckee River Fly Fishing Report
The Little Truckee continues to improve as most fish are done spawning and are actively feeding most of the day. We did spot a couple of fish still on redds here however, so we ask you to please be cautious when wading as to not disturb these fish or step on their redds to promote a successful spawn. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you are unsure what to look for here. We have seen great numbers of green drakes, cased caddis, PMD’s, baetis, and march browns when flipping rocks and you definitely have some choices when fishing out here although playing around with fly selection here may become more important as these picky fish can be very selective. This is great euro nymphing water here and at the current flows a good nymph fisher can productively pick apart any potential holding water. The dry fly fishing has also improved on the LT and we are starting to see some good mid-morning hatches of PMD’s as well as good hatches of caddis after the sun goes over the hill, so as usual we recommend having 2 rods rigged with a dry and nymph set up to cover all of your bases. Even better don’t count out the big dries such as carpenter ants or caddis with a small nymph or emerger as your dropper, this can be a very effective technique when fishing the shallow riffles or slow flats out here.
Recommended Flies for the Little Truckee
Juju Baetis #18-#20, Anato-mays #18-#20, Splitcase PMD’s #16, TNT PMD’s #16-#18, Jigged PMD’s #16, Zebra Midges #18-#22, Flexy Floss Worms #14, Glowbugs #14, Hunchback Green Drakes #8, G6 Caddis #16, Caddistrophic Pupa #16-#18, Carotene Nymphs #14, Pheasant Tails #18-#20, Copper Johns #18, Prince Nymphs #16-#18, RS2’s #18-#20, Dandelion Midges #22, Silhouette duns in BWO or PMD #16-#18, Mole Flies #18-#20, Hackle Stackers in BWO or PMD #16-#18, Griffith’s Gnat #18-#22, E/C Caddis #16-#18
Tahoe Truckee Local Lake Fishing
Spring still-water fishing is in full effect right now and its an excellent time to dust off that float tube in your garage and explore one of the many lakes in our area. In general, we prefer using indicators when still water fishing and while bug selection and depth can vary, using midges, caddis, callibaetis and balanced leeches anywhere from 4-10 feet under your indicator should put fish in the net most everywhere. Stripping streamers on a sinking line is another exciting way to cover water and pattern size and color can also vary quite a bit so feel free to stop in the shop and we would be happy to point pout some streamers for your next still water outing. Dry fly fishing has begun to be very consistent on most of our lakes and we have seen good hatches of midges in the mornings, while callibaetis and carpenter ants have been good during the day and caddis will be making their appearance in the evenings. Look for the dry fishing to be at its best on days with little to now wind, and if wind is present switch to a sub-surface presentation.
Flies for still-water fishing
Ice cream cone midges #12-#16, Chironocones #14-#16, Zebra Midges #16-#18, Flexy Floss Worms #12, Pheasant Tails #14-#16, Hare’s Ear #14-#16, Bird’s Nest #14-#16, Balanced Leather Leeches #8, Pyramid Beach Leeches #8, Woolly Buggers #6-#8, Bellyache Minnows #10, Simi Seal Leeches #12, Ultra Damsel Nymphs #12-#14, Carpenter Ants #8-#10, E/C Caddis #14-#16, Elk Hair Caddis #14-#16, Para Adams #14-#16
Enjoy the extra long weekend and remember to share the river respectfully. Do us a favor and pick up a little extra trash out there if you can. Every little bit helps.
We’re starting our Gear Rental Program soon so watch for that – and we promise to kick start that photo challenge soon too. We love your shots and appreciate everything you share with us.
Tight lines! Miles and the TCO crew