Beautiful Fall weather has been dominant the past couple of weeks. Only the occaisional passing storn have stirred things up. It doens't take much and when the cloud cover does arrive the fishing can be very good at both Pyramid Lake and the Truckee River. Hope you get out there soon and enjoy some great Fall fishing.
Pyramid Lake
The lake has been up and down depending on weather and time of day. Mornings and evenings have been fishing the best, and on overcast/stormy days the bite has been active throughout the day. Surface temps have been peaking at 60°F. We had some algae at the beginning of last week telling us that the lake has “turned over”,but with warm weather in the forecast another smaller thermocline might form causing a second smaller flip later in November.
The LCT have been suspended from 6-18’. This is where a castable sonar is invaluable. Both techniques are working with retrieving flies having a slight advantage. Typical flies for this time of year, beetles, buggers and balanced leeches. The olive color has been pretty consistent with white and chartreuse and midnight Cowboy colors a close second.
Water temps will continue to cool even with warmer weather, this is due to lower sun angle sun and less daily sun duration. We expect the LCT to begin cruising very shallow soon, as we are no longer seeing bait balls and food sources are becoming more scarce.
Flies we suggest: Pyramid Lake Beetle, Pyramid Lake Bugger, Balanced Leech, Balanced Chub, Mopcorn Beetle, Booby Fly
Truckee River
The Truckee River is fishing well as we finish off the month of October. Fish activity seems to have picked up quite a bit with the cooler temperatures. We hope you get out on the water this weekend!
With November beginning, we urge you to wade with a keen eye. Brown trout have begun their spawn in many parts of the river in shallow water. Avoid spawning fish when possible and let them be. These spawning fish are critical to the future of the Truckee River trout fishery. Typically you will see multiple fish grouped together in shallow gravel chasing each other around. The spawning trout will clear the gravel of sand and algae before laying their eggs. These cleared off areas are called redds. They are often easily seen and identified as areas to avoid walking through.
The dry fly fishing has heated up with daily hatches of midge and small mayfly in the lower sections of the river. Water temperatures tend to be slightly warmer downstream as opposed to above the Truckee Meadows. Fish have been keying on Blue Wing Olive patterns such as the Baetis Cripple and Parachute Adams. If you are having difficulty getting the fish to key on your fly, a Purple Haze or Parachute Pink will stand out from the rest and earn a take. Consider lengthening your leader from the standard 9’ to around 10-12’. This can greatly reduce the drag on your fly and give you a longer drift without drag. A 5x tippet is your best bet for the dry fly.
Nymph fishing has remained the most productive lately with fish keying on BWO nymphs like Galloup’s Jig BWO. Pairing a natural pattern with an attractor nymph such as the Perdigon in red can get fish to feed. One of our more popular attractor patterns this time of year is the Pearl & Orange. This fly does a great job imitating a variety of insects including mayfly and midge.
We have both Walk/Wade and Float Trips available through fall and winter on the Truckee River.
Flies we suggest for the Truckee River: Galloup’s Jig BWO, Pearl & Orange, Perdigon, Baetis Cripple, Parachute Adams, Thin Mint, BH Zebra Midge
New Pyramid Lake Patch Hats
