Tuesday, August 4, 2020

A Missed Opportunity in Truckee Area



  excerpt from Sierra Fisherman magazine...Spring 2009:

"Looking down from the high bluff I saw the bright, white mouth of an 18”-plus rainbow inhale a bug at the surface.  I then observed several mayflies flying above the stream. I thought, “Right on time!” I hastened my pace down the trail, crossed the stream and got into position for my first cast to one of the rising trout. This occurred during what is now known as the “hatch of ’96”; six weeks of a prolonged and consistent 11AM- 4PM, Pale Morning Dun hatch…and rising trout.

This event occurred on the Little Truckee River, below Stampede dam. The “hatch of 1996” is considered the one important event that propelled the Little Truckee River to its status as one of California’s premiere fly fishing venues. At that time, it was still a “secret”; and the locals wanted to keep it that way.  But, the word spread out of the area and a lobbying campaign started for “catch & release” regulations.”

A "610" RB duped at the surface by a "DILLON" 
Well the 2020, late-June through July’s, high flows during and the PMD/Green Drake may now become as legendary as the “hatch of ‘96”.  As the illustrious Tahoe-Truckee Fly Fishers president, Trevor Fagerskog recently hinted at the end of July16 BOD meeting;  "Dillon is ‘wackin’em’ on the LT”. Yes indeed, and he’s graciously shared it with a TTFF member or two.
John Marcacci with a "fatty" from Papa's Pool
The images of Paul Dillon and John Marcacci occurred during a mid-morning to mid-afternoon session on July 26. They netted a dozen quality Rainbows via dry flies, indo and Euro-nymphing. The Rainbows ranged from 16” to the 22” buck Rainbow first imaged....plus a smallish 14” Brown.  The trophy Rainbow ate a “Dillon”; an emerger pattern that Paul has been fine-tuning during the last six weeks.
What’s unusual about this year’s fishing on the LT is that the flows were as high as 600 cfs as of June 30, the ramp-downs commenced July 1st and are currently at 175 cfs. Not a lot of anglers were on the water because the BT had been fishing well and the LT water was unusably “big” for this time of year.
Big LT Flows of 500 cfs for early July
Unbelievably, during these unusual high flows, dry fly fishing was by far the most productive method during the period; if one could find the soft-water, shallow feeding-riffles and slicks during the late-morning to mid- afternoon PMD hatch.  Head-hunting became the game.

So, by the time you read this, you’ve missed the event.
da Shadow knows...

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

e-Quicky #23...Truckee Summertime

Let'em Breathe!

This is likely my shortest ever e-Quicky. The Big Toughy is warming and the Little Tricky is slippery.

I believe my longest and most varied e-Quicky ever is last August 29, 2019 
https://flyfishingcalifornia.blogspot.com/2019/08/e-quicky-22mid-july-late-august.html

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Throw-Back Truckee River History

*translation below


Above is an image of a rare, still posted, washed-out Truckee River regulation sign; circa 1985 or 1986.  It was a "second-generation" Truckee regulation sign graciously produced and posted by Ralph & Lisa Cutter; during their early, active days of their well-known  California School of FlyFishing.


The first special regulations on the Truckee were instituted, I believe in 1982. A couple of years later, 1984, the first BT regulations were printed and posted by members of newly the formed Tahoe-Truckee Fly Fishers. They were printed, laminated, stapled on ply-wood, and then encased in chicken-wire. Then we heavily screwed them in, high-up via ladders, into the trunks of the local evergreens along the river. Us TTFF members attempted to make the signs as "bomb-proof" as possible since there was resistance locally for these "elitist",  C & R regulations. A couple of the first-generation reg signs are still present along the river...washed-out and illegible...similar to Ralph and Lisa's signs.


*FISHING REGULATIONS
TRUCKEE RIVER

TROUT CREEK TO GLENSHIRE BRIDGE
and
100 YARDS UPSTREAM OF HWY 80 AT UNION MILLS TO BOCA BRIDGE

1-BARLESS ARTIFICIALS ONLY
2-BAG LIMIT: TWO
3-MINIMUM SIZE 15 INCHES

Here, I can't read it either!...If you insist, PM me and I'll go to sign and re-read it!

WILD TROUT WATER
 practice
CATCH & RELEASE

REPORT POACHERS
1-800-952-5400

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF FLY FISHING
PO 8212, TRUCKEE CA 96162
916-587-2005

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Throw-Back Thursday Thought


Let'em Breathe!

"The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive, but attainable... A perpetual series of occasions for hope."

Anonymous

Hope'en
...and Wish'en
and Solitude

Monday, June 8, 2020

The Drakes!...The Drakes!...Truckee



Western Green Drake

The 2nd of Truckee's infamous BIG BUGS OF JUNE made an appearance yesterday, June 7 in the "middle" section of the Truckee River (BT). At 3:40 PM, amidst grey skies and light snow-flurries, I viewed the first of only two Drakes appear during a multiple mayfly emergence; PMD's, BWO's and a larger, unidentified up-wing (...late March Brown?).

The water temps were 54 degrees. A couple of upticks in the temps and it is "Game On!" for dry fly angling on the the BT; regardless of what section you fish. Do not forget an essential tool when fishing the big river; your THERMOMETER.

There was a pod of sporadic risers at the tail-out of a long pool.
'Cus Jeff' bent
The one beautifully-colored, 14 inch RainBow hooked/netted ate a #8 down-wing pattern; in the absence of an up-wing pattern... in a fly-box left in the SUV!`  My preferred pattern for the Drakes is a #8 Green Drake Quigley Cripple. As always be aware of classic "making hatches" during this period of increasing aquatic bug emergences.

Looking forward for you committed dry-fly purists; do not forget about the anticipated adults of the 3rd "Big Bug"...the Golden Stone Fly.
Let'em Breathe!



Thursday, May 28, 2020

The Ants!...The Ants!...Truckee

With this warming weather the Winged Black Ants have made an appearance in Truckee...in substantial numbers. How long they'll be here is anyone's guess; they're unpredictable. They can make an intense 2-3 day appearance and quickly fade. Or, not as intense, but spread-out over about 10 days...then gone.

These huge ants (#10-12's) are the first of the Truckee's "Big Bugs of June" to make an appearance locally. Now we're looking for the other two Big Bugs; Western Green Drakes and Golden Stoneflies. Both adults can be "phantoms"; most especially the Drakes.
June is an angler's first chance of "searching" the water and hooking a large trout at the surface.

All the stream occupants are aware of and on the look-out for the Big Bugs, and the opportunity to ambush such high-caloric meals. The Truckee's out-sized trout in the 18"-25" range, are known to leave the bottom and eat aggressively on top...most of the time. A client once had the rare exception of a subtle take; on the flat-water of the LT's Bluff Slick. A perfectly dead-drifted #8 Green Drake Quigley-Cripple simply disappeared, sucked-down and absolutely no water displacement.

Historically, the Ants always proceed the Drakes and the Goldens. The Green Drakes and Golden Stonefly adults are seldom observed in great numbers; but the trout are aware of their presence in the top-water-column where they haphazardly land on the water's surface.  Toss your big dries along cut-banks, under overhanging stream-side vegetation, in riffles and boulder fields. You are prospecting for an opportunistic feeder.

And since I've mentioned a "water-column", rest assured, dislodged large nymphs of both of the Golden and the  Drake are ALWAYS eaten. Remember the Goldens have a 2-3 life cycle; making them readily available during their progressive instar-growth up to a size 4. Fishing the Drake nymphs (#'s 6-10) are most productive prior to their emergence since most of them migrate towards the shallows and quiet water in lieu of clinging to the bottom in heavy water. As for the huge Black  ant (winged or wingless); fish it dry or sunk (HINT).

Attractor/impressionistic patterns of all three Big Bugs are sufficient to dupe the trout.


Monday, May 25, 2020

Honoring the Fallen in Truckee

     Honoring War Dead In Old Town Truckee. 

Less we forget, many have made the "ultimate sacrifice" with their lives; preserving the freedoms we have in the US.

I may have unintentionally ruffled some feathers today when I innocently made a comment on FaceBook to clarify who is honored on Memorial Day. Today is the day for  those who literally lost their lives while in foreign combat zones. This is a very special day for them and their families. It is not a "Happy Memorial Day!" salutation that our tone-deaf chief of state intoned today. All of us military veterans, some who lost friends and served "right or wrong" are honored on Veterans Day in November... not Memorial Day in late May.