Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Tahoe-Truckee Region...Fall Journal 2019

Let'em Breathe!
9/29---SCOUTING:
I was looking for signs of early, migrating Browns...too early.

About 1330 I fished in intermittent sleet and snow....everything was damp. Regardless, for the next 1-1/2 hours I saw steadily rising, in-the-film or just below, slurping trout.

I believe the heavy rain/sleet/snow prevented any emerging aquatic bug breaking through the meniscus with the heavy pelting of sleet and wet-snow....amazing that the trout could pick-out a food item.

Worked a disperse pod at Papa's.. Unbeknownst to me, during about 15" of casting to the working feeders, I realized that I been fishing...fly-less!  a #18 BWO, foam-top-emerger fly I'd had attached to my 5X tippet must have popped-off on my back-cast because of my inattention to the high willows behind me....duh.

It was getting nasty; so I decided to make a hasty retreat from the weather. On the way-out I observed a minimum of 1/2 dozen upper-water-column feeders at both the 610 and Richard's Pool.

9/30---SCOUTING:
Snowing again! Hope it melts soon and I'll have an opportunity to get my drift-boat "off the mountain"...Where? I haven't decided yet, favoring Greg's place in Auburn, so it will be in close proximity for drifting the Yuba.

I'm guessing the Boca dam's re-enforcement work for the season is finished or on hold for completion in 2020. LT's Boca inlet is rising-up-river; inflow recently up-ramped to 132cfs (40 is historical average) with the out-flow at Boca at 92cfs (110 average)...hence rising pool of Boca.

10/1---Retrieved net in Sparks...amazed at Sparks; reminding me of developments in the East Bay once BART increased its tracks/

TO FISHING FRIEND:
"...Wednesday and Friday I'll be 'dialing-in" (exact times of hatches and surface-feeding) for fall fishing."

10/3---fished the BT along Glenshire Drive for all of an hour. I'm getting to old scrambling up, over and through boulders in a freestone stream...no fish.
BT in the canyon...Water too cold.

 10/4---Well, I'm sure I will not be lucky again...lost the net again!!! I'm looking for blame and blaming it on ORVIS for not putting a center belt loop on their light-weight wader. Hence my long-handled "de-liar" net slips out and away if goes downstream. Had to buy an expense net at ACE for my guiding in Friday.

10/5---SCOUTING:
checked-out the LT inlet to access conditions today. Two fly anglers there and one hooks into a heavy fish. He didn't have his camera and I took a "grip & grin" for him before the release of a 24"-25" RB. It ate a #20 non-descript nymph under an indo, sans lead and in a shallow riffle. We're still waiting for the Browns to "stage" before going up-river.

10/6---GUIDING:
Guided a 1/2 day on the LT today with a first-time client from Georgia. I love guiding anglers from the east-coast or southern states because they seldom catch wild trout beyond 12". He was elated that he hooked 4 and netted three wild RB's; two at 15" and one at 16". The productive flies were a #20 silver-beaded, Black Zebra Midge while  indo-fishing with two BB's and #18 copper-bead, generic BWO emerger pattern via a dry/dropper rig.

There were few rising trout and sparse adults in flight. All four aquatic orders of adults were observed; second-brood BWO's and an unknown larger mayfly, the ubiquitous midge, three different sized  caddis. the largest one is what I call the "False Fall Caddis" or Cinnamon  Caddis...people mistake for the real October Caddis (Discomeous), which in my opinion is larger and has a darker colored wing. The last bug viewed was the Olive Stonefly. Interestingly, JR  stomach-pumped a brown trout that had numerous little dark stonefly nymphs.


10/7--I've actually refused 4 days of guiding for this week and the next. Guess I'm getting a bit burnt-out PLUS I'm not receptive to guiding on a short-notice basis especially new clients...not to my liking; exception being long-term clients.

10/9--FISHING ADVICE FOR LT/BOCA INLET FOR A TTFF MEMBER:
  "…generally if no surface, showing fish; indo with 4’ drop to #4 lead, worm trialing #18-20 midge pattern (silver-bead Zebra Midge) or generic small fly. If showing fish “bulging” at or near the surface; a visible dry indicator fly, trailing by 18”-24” a midge pupa an/or larva or JuJu Baetis…Fish the first riffle entering the lake, the vertex of the two converging currents OR the 'slick' water.

10/12---FEEDBACK FROM TTFF MEMBER ON LT/BOCA INLET ANGLING:


"Your advice worked wonderfully! I used a worm on top and one of those midges on the bottom fly with 5X tippet close to 18” behind. I had an indicator on and a bit of lead and caught a fish on my first cast!  Bam indicator down and I’m like what the heck set the hook and game on. Then I removed the lead when I moved to the faster water near that riffle where the LT feeds into the lake. I hooked three fish there on the midge. First two came unbuttoned but the last one I kept a lot of pressure on and landed a nice 14” rainbow. It fought like crazy. I kept him wet and he survived but I managed to get a quick photo of him. Thanks again!"  

10/16--Unbelievable Sam found my net where I thought I lost it. I'll pick-up at TU office in town. Promised Sam some flies or fishing time as the reward per note on my net handle

10/17--my PP for the club went well, bigger attendance the I anticipated...No one fell asleep and It went about 35"-40". Larry sent me an e-note (he's was in Mexico) and he said "...sounds like you hit it out of the park"...Well, I was confident that I would...da Dean speaking

10/19--too windy to fish...Boca inlet filling. There was a nice  cloud-cover, what I've been looking for, but not the gusts o f wind!... especially when I'm targeting surface-slurpers. Was not in a mood for sling heavy stuff.

10/25---FISHING WITH A BUDDY:
Worked dimpling trout at LT inlet for an hour; not a touch, down to 22's and long, wispy 6X leaders...Then Dutch and I did lower meadow; nothing...Sure a nice Fall day...lots of psuedo's, Little Olive Stones and a lone October Caddis...gentle breezes as opposed to the inlet

Fall-time PsuedoCleons on both the LT and BT
                                    
10/28--REPLY TO E-NOTE FROM  ANGLING AQUAINTANCE SEEN IN TOWN:
"Pat---Nice seeing you...As I mentioned I'll not be at Pleasanton this year.

My booth, "Truckee Guide NetWork", will be occupied with people I work with fly fishing-wise with in Truckee...So I'll miss seeing Fanny in 2020; Remember when I gave a presentation to GWWF at the Fanny's house in the mid-90's?...When Mel was in the "dog-house".

Via a family friend, for his birthday, I got Stefan his first, three fly fishing books when he was in high school. He now lives in Reno.

GGWF has always been dear to my heart...I remember the unbelievable buffet/fundraisers they had at Fort Mason...the food was unbelievable. I was there when you ladies started as well when the International Women Fly Fishers was started at a dinner at the Yet Wah (sp?) restaurant on Clement Street. I gave a talk at the IWF's 10th anniversary at Squaw Valley (2005 or 6?).

Have any GWFF contact me anytime for an update on the ffing conditions..."

11/2----
Had fun guiding/instructing for the TU fundraiser on the SFFCC...numerous fat trout caught by the 8 who each contributed $1500..$12000 for the trout! 

11/3---
Grape-vine report of a 29" Brown...

11/4---
Saw an image of a minimum 24" RB netted on the LT ..a very rare RB.

11/5--- Been fishing with Al and Dom in the afternoons on the LT. Tough fishing, no numbers and tiny 20-22 JuJu Baetis & Black Zebras. Bugs at surface & lots of sippers; dark-side has produced Dom has landing  a couple of 18” RB’s…Yesterday he did 7/3 (one break-off) during the 3 hour 2-5PM session. Al hooked-up 2-3 times, lost them after extended battles…he has to develop his skills on fighting the fish. He got a 16”-17” RB on the BT earlier in the day. 

11/12--Haven't been on the water is several days...diverted by football and politics.
Small Creeks...past their prime