Beaver Ponds, Brooks...

and Brookies;

with a sprinkling of an occasional RainBow or Brown. Fishing small brooks with active beavers provides the rare opportunity "hat-trick" of all of the aforementioned trout...during one session on the same water. It is fast action, dry fly fishing; flicking dries at prospective spots or longer casts while fishing the beaver ponds.

A recent 30+, 2-1/2 hour session entailing a short-drive excursion out of Truckee to a still un-pressured brook re-enforced my fishing MoJo a bit after getting battered during the last couple of weeks by the other more well-known waters in the Truckee area.

Admittedly, you'll find no large trout, but they are numerous and  they're vibrantly colored, stream-bred little jewels. My "hog" was a 9" Brookie; most being in the 5"-8" range with a couple of dinks pushing 4". I used a #3-8'9" Sage SLT.

All were aggressive feeders and they unhesitatingly ambushed a well-presented fly. The productive flies were classic attractors; an Elk-Hair Caddis, a Royal Wullf and when-was-the-last-time-you-used a traditional Adams

 

 

Glowing, SHAMELESS Fly Rod Endorsement for Sale...;-)



Recently, I was going through some of my hard-copy files; reviewing and purging. I came upon a letter. About the late-90's a fly rod company sent me a fly rod to field-test. Well, I did so and fished it for over an eight-week period. I sent the company a glowing, field-test report; because I actually liked the rod and was impressed with its performance under varying conditions. They never used my report in their marketing (...I felt it was pretty well-written!) and actually discontinued the rod a year later?!

So, is there a rod company that can use the below to tout a new rod? The copy is for sale/barter....How shameless!!...yes indeed. Remember, it is copy-righted. Merely fill in the blank:

"The--------------is an  ideal all-around fly rod for angling in the Sierra. It has performed flawlessly; regardless of the diverse scenarios it encountered. What's unique about this rod is that it loads efficiently; long or short. It has subtle strength and back-bone to power-punch a long cast into high-mountain gusts, whether over rivers or still waters and finesse for close-in presentations while 'short-lining' dries in pocket-water".

...and more:

"The rod you've had me field-test this season is:

.....Strong enough to prevent a Little Truckee river 20"+ rainbow from rushing towards submerged willow roots, thwarting its attempt to disappear; deep into a cross-river, undercut bank.

.....Sensitive enough to protect a long, fine tippet while casting a #22 Griffith's Gnat to 16"-18" Rainbows on the inlet flats of California's Martis Lake.

.....Long enough to 'high-stick' while 'lob-casting' #6 BeadHead Golden Stonefly nymphs, along with two BB; combat-wading in the heavy, spring flows of the Truckee River.

.....Accurate enough to present  'in-the-lane' drifts to wild Browns ingesting Green Drakes emergers and adults in the glassy and squirrelly spring creek flows of Humbug Valley's Yellow Creek". 

E-Quickie Report #11

I'm receiving positive comments on my "E-Quickie Reports" so I'll continue if I'm providing useful, timely and reliable info for friends and clients. The quoted e-communication  say it best and are to the point relative to my assessment of conditions in the Truckee area.
3/30---"The 'general’ trout season is here so explore. The BT and LT have been pounded up to now (close the LT for the winter!!)…so fresher, dumber fish can be found in other local waters…

Two considerations right now; water-temps and flows. I’m opting for the former right now, although fishable flows are to be considered (water-Master is trading-off such with down-ramps of Prosser inflow)…a reason why I’ve been concentrating on the water above the Glenshire bridge to Tahoe City; warmer flow in the afternoon and friendlier flows.

Don’t forget this stretch along state route #89 having just opened last week-end and it hasn’t been decimated by armies of “stringer-oriented” anglers...yet. There are untouched fish there now…a beautifully-colored 14”-15” ate a SJ worm today…mid-afternoon. In thin water a small fish was hooked via a dry/dropper rig...a good sign. Nevertheless, hope for a few more upticks in water temps on the BT…"   

Pancho and BT trout

4/1---“…indi-fishing, streamers and indi-less “tight-lining” are your best options right now on the local featured “big” waters…Remember that all Truckee area waters are open now with the exception of the inflow waters into Lake Tahoe; so it is a great idea to explore the smaller waters now…lake inlets produce some quality trout also…Martis?...haven’t been there…hmmm.”

4/2---"Fishing has actually been a bit more difficult the last 9-10 days. The flows on the LT has just been raised to 340 cfs…lots of lead. The BT is still a bit too cool for my liking at the low 50’s…I’d like to see a few more degrees higher.

 Now there are other options available since the general season is open.

Indicator nymphing is still the most effective technique… few surface feeders…small creeks dries are a play and worth exploring right now…I’ll find out the latter during the next two days since I’ll be “scouting” them and not guiding.

 …so be ready to appear here on a short-notice…things can start happening quickly…

 Tight Lines

Frank"

 

TRUCKEE TRIVIA #16

Question:
Where is Fornicating Rock?

Just Saying...A Question

I've been involved in  the fly fishing industry for numerous years. With the advent of the Internet things changed from a marketing and/or promotion perspective.  Of course it is a given that we're attempting to tout our services to attract prospective clients...some more blatantly than others. Some of us are low-key and others, IMO, self-possessed egotists. We decide how we want to promote our services. How we want to do it is an individual decision; bottom-line, it is business. This is as it should be.

 So what is the point of this post you ask?...Well,  recently I visited a high-profile, marketing guide's site. On it there were at least a dozen  "grip and grin", hero images of the guide with hefty trout, not a single image of  a client with a trout!......hmmm??...just asking.

 da Stick and Jim in the midst of a trout "flurry" at Papa's Pool

 A SIDE NOTE:

My take on a competent fly angling guide is that one has both technical and great communication/people skills...and the ability to move from one talent to the other...seamlessly. That translates into getting one's client into fish...for THEIR hero shot.

Pet Peeve #3: CHEATERS

Over the years I've broken-off flies on trees and sunken branches. Occasionally the flies can be retrieved. In the process there can be unforeseen bounty; such as other flies that have been captured by the same obstruction. What never ceases to amaze me is the percentage of those flies that are BARBED; even though the regulations mandate barbless hooks.

My unscientific fly-gathering, and those of other fly fishing buddies, confirms that 50% of retrieved flies are NOT DEBARBED.
How does one say....CHEATERS!!*

* Please refer to Definition # 7 on October 12, 2010

Truckee Area 2013 Prognosis

 

 

 

We were hoping for a "Miracle March" of lots of snow...hasn't happened. As of four (4) days ago the Truckee River Basin's seven (7) selected measurement sites are recording 64% of average water content of snow and 78% of total precipitation. Per my "Truckee Tips"; water content is a better indicator of the amount of run-off/melt that the area will receive. So, .64 X .78 equals the amount of water the basin will ultimately receive; in this case 49.9 % of normal water content.

So how does the above data pertain to the anticipated fly fishing this current season?
Everything will be minimally 3 weeks earlier than normal.

During the last two weeks we've been netting decent trout; Rainbows to 20" and Browns to 23". There have  been few occasions for surface activity; so most of the hook-ups occur via deep, dead-drifting San Juans...trailing smallish 16-20 sized BWO's and midges. In "da Grand Canyon of the Truckee" March Brown adults (forgetabout the adult; soft-hackles or nymphs) are around, Skwalas are fading and unbelievably dark Winter Stones are still about on the LT.

I'm getting reports of a few trout chasing and eating streamers. Now is the time to venture to the Truckee area*; anticipate "regular-opener" conditions. The run-off will cease  and we'll be experiencing "dog-days-of-summer"..unfortunately...as early as late July.

 

 

* remember!...running waters open to fishing are ONLY the Special reg sections of both the BT and LT; all others open Saturday April 27, 2013