Truckee Fly Angling Update

Let it snow! As for fly fishing...fogetaboutit!

After six (6) weeks of a relative La Nina dry-spell this current dump of "white gold" is welcome. At my 6500' elevation we've received 2 feet...good forthe trout. If you're really jonesing head for Reno.

UPDATE: as of 6:45 AM on Friday the 18th: 4 feet of new at my place since last Monday night! Yeah!

Chilean Patagonia Report/Images

Here's a quicky e-report to Jon (http://jonbaiocchiflyfishingnews.blog/) who has also had the pleasure of fishing Chilean Patagonia waters (specifically in & around the Rio Cisnes) near the Picacho Lodge (http://www.picacholodge.com/) where I stayed from 5-12 February:

"...The weather was almost too warm for me. We (the 7 anglers at the lodge) got some nice trout; there was one Brown netted that was 28” (or 80 centimeters) and several in the 23”-26” range, Saw the stag beetle. The two largest trout I personally landed were both Browns to 22”, on dries (#8 Black Fat Albert and # 6 Beige Chenobyl Hopper). My largest Rainbow was 21” ( #8 Damsel, dry). There were 5-6 landed by the group that were in the 24”-25” range; mostly Browns and one RainBow".

I haven't mentioned streamers, and yes I did use them. They produced best on the lagos (rivers) and "lagunas" (smallish ponds) They accounted for most of the larger trout by the group. Rubber-Wiggle-Legged streamers in Black, Rust & Olive produced best. We used 20'sink-tips at 200 grains with the sub-surface imitiations. The "group" consisted of myself & Al Smatsky (http://www.excellentadventures.com/) and five (5) Hungarians. I thought my flights were long; it took them 42 hours from Budapest Hungary!

The food, as usual, was fabulous. The staff was as helpful, professional and fun; becoming family since I first went to the lodge in 2008.

Al & I will be "hosting" groups there in 2012. If anyone wants info contact me and I'll provide fees for the 7night/6day day that you "...can't refuse".

Yes...even chinooks were present in very sparse numbers...we didn't target them...way to deep.

Note: The Picacho Lodge started operation in 2005. It is a fly fishing lodge. This year the owner allowed the Hungarian group to fish with conventional gear (spoons & spinners...single-hook only, barbless and strictly catch & release)....only the second time since the lodge opened. The salmon above and the largest Brown imaged were caught via "hardware". I wanted to disclose this and not mislead the reader. For sure the big guys are there and we are figuiring how we will adjust our fly fishing techniques & gear to dupe them. Essentially they are down deeper in the lagos & rio pools and we could not get down to them...this year.