We Need Snow...a follow-up

The below excerpt from the Sacramento Bee was sent to me from g-rob...Thank you Rich!

“The National Weather Service noted on its website today that since 1878 in Sacramento there have been 25 months of February with an inch or less of rain.

The following March in 23 of those 25 cases was wetter than usual. The average March precipitation following the dry months of February was 2.54 inches, forecasters stated.

The biggest recent turn around from dry February to drenched March occurred in 1995. That year, Sacramento received only .19 of an inch of rain in February – followed by 7.84 inches of rain in March.”

- The Sacramento Bee

TRUCKEE TRIVIA #9

Question:

If the Truckee area gets lots of snow next month (March)...What is this phenomenon called? 

This is an easy one.

Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show

I'll be at the Pleasanton FFing Show, 24th-26th...next week-end. I'll be in the Truckee Guide NetWork booth, E-10. Also, I'll give presentations entitled "Tahoe-Truckee Fly Fishing Opportunities" on Saturday & Sunday. Come by the booth and say hello.

For me this is party...seeing lots of friends.

A Graph...We Need Snow!

               

Need I say more!

Here is the headline in today's local paper, the Sierra Sun:

'We're way below average'

Snow surveyors: Second driest year in more the six decades

selected excerpts:

"...15.6 inches of snow at Phillips Station near the entrance of Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort...snow contained the equivalent of 3.8 inches of water, just 19 percent of the long-term average for snow at the survey site...measurements make 2012 the second driest year for the site since the Department of Water Resources began  keeping records in 1946. Last year at this time...28.4 inches of water in the snowpack at Phillip Station, more that seven times what was on the ground this week.

This winter season has been similar to 1958, but not as bad as 1963...Snow survey sites within the Lake Tahoe Basin fared slightly better than the Echo Summit site...with measurement sites running between 26 and 48 percent of the of their long-term averages...There is little hope of change through the end of February...

...We have good reservoir storage thanks to wet conditions last year... Mark Cowen, Director of the Water Resources..."

TRUCKEE TRIVIA # 8

Question # 8:
What do these "snow" hieroglyphics mean?

Belated Fall 2011 & Early 2012 Fishing Report.

Back deck of my place during the front-end of the recent snows

Well, finally after 3  weeks into 2012 we finally have received significant snow! The fish need it. Now I'm into my winter-hibernation mode and I don't mind it because the local economy and the trout needed the percipitation.

As for the 49ers...the old ABC Wide World of Sports program said it well in its intro:

"The Exhileration of Victory and the Agony of Defeat!" Enough said from this life long '9er fan.

"White gold" is what fuels the  Lake Tahoe economy...winter, spring, summer and fall. December to the 3rd week of Janurary we witnessed  blue skies, scattered clouds and normally light breezes. Air temperatures had been in the high 40's to mid-50's in the Truckee area. So, winter outdoor activities were a bit limited. Prior to the most recent snowfall, a ski patrol buddy says that skiers had to ski to on the "snow islands".  Locals adjusted and participated in an extended period of biking, hiking, jogging duck-hunting and...fly fishing.

BT near the CA/NV border

We experienced one of the better Fall fly fishing seasons in quite a few years on both the BT and LT . I’m speculating it was the result of the bountiful water we received during the previous winter.
About the 3nd  week of December the fly fishing in the Truckee area definitely sloooed-down. Granted, access to the waters was still open, but the really cold weather and early AM air-temps were in the high-single-digits to teens afforded optimum fly fishing times a very narrow window; 10:30 am - 2:30 pm. Hoped-for preferred conditions were scattered clouds as opposed to clear azure skies without…and this was a key…very little wind. When the winds started, the wind-chill factor came into play. If, even during sunny days, the winds appeared,  it became very uncomfortable. Obviously proper winter clothing helped, but it still wasn’t pleasant.

The BT produced RB’s to 17”; most were wild in the 8”-11” range. I'm talking in the upper river above the Boca inflow to Trout Creek; having received "grapevine" reports of heftier 2-5 pounders in the "canyon" to the stateline. The water was really cold(and remains); 38-42 degrees. The fish were/are not moving and you had to hit them on the head. Productive flies are #18 Olive Micro-Mays and BHFBPT, #16 Rubber-Legged Copper John and Olive Bird's Nests trailing a # 14 Flesh Juan....under an indicator with 5-6 # 4 shot. Only dry fly hooked fish was on a #14 Elk Hair, in the upper stretches via  dry/drop rig. There were /are few bugs in flight and an absence of consistently rising trout.

The LT had the most consistent, rising trout during noon to 2:30. There were sippers that moved to sized 22-24 Organza Spinners, #20 Olive,Thorax-No-Hackles and FlashBack WD-40's. The water was really low at 40-44 cfs so nymphing was limited to a few selcted runs. Late December into January we were hooking and netting both Browns and Rainbows to 20 inches. In Fall, Browns to 23" and RainBows in the 12"-20" range were encountered; mostly indicator-nymphing and eating various-colored San Juans, Eggs and sized 20-22 dark midge larva and pupa.

The LT...upper Meadow...

...a "20-20"

TRUCKEE TRIVIA #7

Question #7:
What Truckee River Watershed body of water has been nominated
to Congress for "Wild & Scenic" status?