Truckee River
The Truckee River has seen dramatic shifts in flow due to the holiday storms that rolled through the West Coast. Targeting the times with lower flow below 800 cfs at the Reno gauge is your best bet. Fish have been keying largely on attractor patterns with the off-color water conditions following a storm. Bright attractor patterns like the Squirminator are great for grabbing a trout's attention in lower water clarity. For nymphs representing other aquatic insects like mayflies, try using a Firestarter, Duracell, or Hot Cheek. When clarity is good, opt for more natural looking nymphs in the smaller sizes, #16. When clarity is not as good, move to a #14.
The river has already returned to a blue-green hue here in town and fishing has been much more productive as of late. The forecast shows a high-pressure system over the next 10 days that will stabilize river conditions. If we see this weather hold, it is possible we see a return of Blue Winged Olives (BWOs) that can be fished both above and below the surface.
January and February can surprisingly offer the most productive dry fly fishing out of any month on the Truckee River. While you will see BWOs through town and up onto the California side, we typically target this hatch east of Reno.
When targeting rising fish, it is critical that you read the water. Simply, slow down as you walk up the water and watch what is happening. Identifying active fish will help you hook and land a higher number of trout. Slow pools, tailouts, and recirculating currents/eddies are great places to start. When fishing a dry, it is best to size down to a 5x tippet and a total leader length of 10-12'. This longer leader reduces drag and gives your fly more time to dead-drift before being pulled on. Flies we recommend for the BWO hatch include the Baetis Cripple, Pullover BWO, Purple Haze, and the classic Parachute Adams. Size 14-18 are your best bet.
Flies we suggest for the Truckee River: Duracell, French Nymph, Fire Starter, BH Zebra Midge, Pullover BWO, Purple Haze, Baetis Cripple, Parachute Adams, Squirminator, Hot Cheek
Pyramid Lake
Pyramid Lake has fished very well to begin the new year. The storms over the holiday encouraged fish into the shallows—resulting in a lot of feeding fish. Both the strip bite and indicator bite have been good at Pyramid Lake on any given day. Depending on the type of beach you are fishing, you will want to adjust your approach.
On cloudy days, the shallow and sandy beaches are a good bet with a sinking line. Flies that incorporate foam such as the Mopcorn Beetle or Tadpole can be paired with a traditional Midnight Cowboy or Martini Olive Pyramid Lake Bugger. You want to slow down the retrieve a bit now that lake temperatures have dropped compared to fall. Slight pauses between strips give the trout an opportunity to grab your fly. Try varying your retrieve cadence throughout the day and find what works best.
The indicator bite has remained good and is a preferred method of many anglers in the winter months. Fish are eating both Balanced Leech patterns as well as Holo Midges. If the lake is wavy, try fishing a Balanced Leech on the bottom of your setup as it will be moving a lot. Size 6 Balanced Leeches are a good bet on the wavy days. The best performing color has varied from day to day, but the Midnight Cowboy and Peacock variations are always a reliable bet.
The Midge bite is going strong and should only improve as we move towards February and March. Just like the Balanced Leech, the Midge is fishing in a variety of sizes depending on the day. On wavy days, sizes 8-10 are a good choice since the fish can find them easily in the turbid water. On calm days, Micro Holo Midges in a size 12 have fished well. This is the time of year to experiment with different presentations. On flat calm days, anglers have had success with midge patterns all the way down to a size 18. The Zebra Midge in Black/Silver or Red/Copper in a size 18 can work. Beware of such a small fly and a large fish—you're asking a lot of that small hook! Other flies like the Duracell or Hot Cheek in sizes 12-16 are good attractor patterns in the winter months.
Pyramid Lake flies we suggest; Balanced Leech, Micro Midge, Holographic Midge, Duracell, Hot Cheek, BH Zebra Midge, Pyramid Lake Bugger, Booby Fly
We have recently reloaded our used gear inventory which is available instore and online. We have quite a few used and Open Box rods and reels. These are marked down signficantly and are all in new or lightly used conditions. Well worth to take a look and reset your rig for a upcoming trip or your next adventure vacation! We must say there are some really cool items in the collection. One of a kind, prototypes and very hard to find gems are there for the taking!
And if you are interested in submitting your gear for trade, check out how this work here and please fill out this form or swing by the shop.
RE-UP PROGRAM
USED RODS
USED REELS
Here are some fun examples of what is available. There are plenty more on our website.
