Quickie E-Fishing Report #1

Current Fly Fishing Update:
Yesterday (Sunday, 19 September) we experienced really gusty wind, which made it difficult to cast; especially guiding/instructing beginners. The previous day a relative beginner hooked and landed trout...there was no wind. Bugs on both the BT and the LT were veeeery sparse; seeing both caddis & an occassional BWO. Water temps are comfortable for the trout's feeding metabolism...and they are eating...providing you can make the right presentation & the right fly. So, what else is new.
HINT: Locals are waiting for the big Fall Browns to gather, start moving and getting active.




...my requested advise-reply to a fella who will visit from Marin county later this week:

"Nice time to visit, the autumn colors are just starting to show and we’ve had a few morning frosts….Plus the crowds are gone!

Yes, for sure erratic flows on Little Truckee; being almost too low. There is lots of “gunk”, even when doing a dry/dropper. Trout are holding/congregating in the deep water only; so pick such water OR search the shallow riffles in the absence of showing fish. This past week (even with the low flows) clients have landed Browns to 19” (#18 Psycho Prince) and 6-8 Rainbows in the 16”-18” range. The latter being duped on dries as large as #12 SawMill Ants and small as #22 BWO Organza Spinners. There has been no really specific ideal time since we’ve hooked & netted trout as early as 8AM to 6PM. If I had to pick one time-frame I’d say 12-4PM.
There has not been any consistent rises to bugs. We’ve been seeing very sporadic BWO in the 18-20 size and caddis from 12-18 range. There are tons of midges and the “surface-sippers” (the old SS; Nazi trout we call them) are leisurely ingesting them. A client said he actually saw a trout jump-out of the water after a low–flying dragon-fly…interesting, never thought about them…even knowing they are an effective top-water pattern in some lakes in Chilean Patagonia. The big Truckee is now in really fine fishing shape. The water temps are ideal. We’ve been on the water as early as 8 AM; generally leaving about 1PM. Some bugs, nothing really notable and few rising trout. Largest trout this past week has been a 17” RainBow which ate a #16 Red Copper John. Other productive flies have been #14-16 Elk-Hair Caddis with smallish droppers such as #16-20 Rubber-Legged Copper-Johns in various hues. We hven’t netted any Browns. I can’t tell you what’s happening at dusk because I haven’t been there.

I’ve been “working” the lower Glenshire stretch (getting a bit too low) and preferring the venue between Boca inflow upstream to the Prosser creek inflow; there being about 200 cfs. Below Boca it is 500cfs; hence, for me, “combat-wading”. If you have the stamina and sure-footedness venture into the canyon below Hirschdale because the largest trout in the river are there. Best options would be indicator nymphing with generic big/small patterns...plus lead.

So far the Browns have not been gathering for the spawning rituals, but that can be occurring soon as we continue to get the cooling, early fall weather.

I am busy…today doing “administrative” stuff at home; then occupied with “work” to Sunday. Then, Tuesday the 21st, I leave Silver Creek and will return the 27th …for some personal fly-fishing (with my bamboo rod)…I’m getting a bit excited."