Truckee Area...Late Winter

Let'em Breathe!

My wish is a March Miracle (...not Miracle March!). It has been 3-4 weeks since we received any significant precipitation that deposited snow on the ground that didn't melt-off in a day or two.

Back-yard forest...Normal snow amount in late February...Ain't happening!

Right now, my prognosis is the fishing will start in earnest 4-5 weeks ahead of normal...assuming we don't experience my above wish. I'm thinking...hoping...we're currently experiencing a "false spring".

Truckee's watershed's eight (8) monitoring sites are cumulatively measuring 60% of average snow-water content. Total seasonal precipitation is also not spectacular at 56% of historical average to date.
My unscientific snow-melt calculation .60 x .56 equates to 34% of normal melt.  Yikes!! Fortunately, we've had two of three "good water" years.

My preferred "early-season" flies...

via "old-school" High-Sticking"

There's been no dramatic change in the fly angling since my last post of 1/31/20. There are less Little Black Winter Stoneflies flitting about and a slight up-tick in sightings of its larger relative, the Skwala Stonefly. BWO's are a good choice to imitate; either on the surface; during the sparse hatch/rise activity you can encounter, or, trailing a large Stonefly nymph or Flesh Juan Worms when dead-drifting "Low & Slow"; probing the bottom on the stream...where the  trout are. Sleep-in, simply fish the most pleasant time of day, 11AM-4PM when you'll find the progressively, warmest water of the day.

 Don't forget streamers now, they are always a good choice in early season for out-sized river trout.