Boca Fire, Hoot Owl Closure & Other August/Truckee Matters

Milton Brown

...been awhile. The trees, low vegetation and ground around my home are saturated from yesterday's late-afternoon heavy rains...keep it coming!

NOTE: I you want a fly fishing update, scroll to the bottom

August started warm and remained so until there was a bit of relief during the second week which provided welcome rain; then hot days followed...again.   As I was talking on the phone on my back-deck during the third week of the month I saw a CDF helicopter and then an aerial-bomber pass overhead...I kept my fingers crossed because of the tinder dry fuel in the area (...after the short-lived wet weather events) The eternal hope is that it was nothing threatening. Well it was the early-stages of a brush fire near the Boca Dam that was quickly put-out by firefighters and consumed only 84 acres. Thank you CDF and other agencies involved for the quick and efficient response/suppression.

During late July and into August the BT flows were getting lower and the water temps were progressively increasing to stressful levels for the trout. Locally there was a proposed voluntary Hoot-Owl-Closure. It entailed leaving the Truckee River before noon and/or when the water temps were breaching into the high 60's and not returning to the river until the next day starting at 0600 . I volunteered and during the period I declined 6-7 guide dates. For sure it cost me money, but, the health of the fishery always comes FIRST! trumping the $$$.    

LT...upper Meadow

IMO there was a bit of misplaced hysteria induced by what I viewed as misinformation on both the Internet and regional TV about the severity of a fish kill/rescue/relocation below Boca dam.  The implication was the main river had experienced a major fish kill. Granted it was an issue, but not in the context that the short stretch before the inflow into the main river...IM-unscientific-O...is not an important brood-stock spawning area; unlike Prosser, Donner and Martis creeks. In the short reach below Boca, progeny/nursery area yes, important spawning area....NADA.

...now to the fly fishing.

Glenshire Bridge

During the hot-water phase I done personal fishing at Milton Lake and the LT and admittedly on the BT leaving at the latest 1100. Early fall-like weather has occurred during the last week and concurrently angling conditions have improved. The reason being is that most water temps are lowering and not as lethally threatening to the fish.

Trout are active and being fooled with either dry-dropper combos in the pocket-water and riffles or indicator rigs in the deep pools or run (if you can find them). Standard fare; attractor dries sized 12-16 trialing 16-20 BH generics and in the deep water, 2-4 #6 lead, Flesh-Juans trialing non-descript, 14-18 trailers. No big fish, to 16", but satifying numbers of 8"-11" browns and rainbows.

LT RainBow

There has been sparse surface feeding and few bugs. A few BWO's are being observed with a rarer,small  cranefly adults. Caddis activity has waned.  Seining requires several sweeps and even then there is not a lot of edible-sized fodder. What bugs that appear in the screening are in their early in-stars...tiny. Although we'll occasionally fine a large golden stone nymph. Crayfish and Sculpin imitations are worth a try if looking for the big-biter/high-caloric-intake, monster fish that trophy hunters covet. As fall approaches we're now looking for increased, late-brood BWO emergences, October Caddis and Little Lime stoneflies...plus don't forget beetles.

the LT's Bat Cave

The hope is that the "second-season" arrives sooner than later and the fish will sense such and start bulking-up for the up-coming winter. Anticipate remaining low water levels in both moving and still-waters and, most important, cooling water
temperatures and hungry trout.