Flies we suggest: Sparkle Minnow, Tui Chub, MopCorn Beetle, Booby Fly, Popcorn Beetle, Balanced Leech, Belly Ache Minnow, Pyramid Lake Bugger, Pyramid Lake Fly Selection
Ready to tie your own? Here is a quick demonstration on how to tie the MopCorn Beetle. Tied by Matt Cullen
Materials available online and in-store. Hook Firehole 637, Thin Fly Foam Strips, ESTAZ, Mop Body
Truckee River
We have been fortunate to be experiencing a mild summer so far. Flows and water temperatures are perfect and the fish are biting! Flows have been averaging 350 CFS through the downtown gauge. There are a lot of bugs the trout have to choose from. With the cooler temperatures all the hatches seem to be a little late this year. The crayfish bite is heating up as the Truckee river is consistently above 60 degrees through most of the day.
PMD May flies are a summer staple and can be represented either with nymph patterns, Redemption PMD, or with adults patterns, Hair Wing PMD. They are typically a size 16, but a few hatched adults have been close to a size 14. The Caddis hatch has also arrived and happens each evening. The G6 Caddis is a staff favorite to cover life stages of pupa through emerger. We are still waiting for the large golden stoneflies to appear, but as I said earlier, some hatches may be a little late this year.
If you are lucky enough to get a windless evening, the dry fly hatches that I have seen have been some of the most prolific hatches in recent memory. Mayflies, Caddis, and even some tardy little yellow sallies are piquing the trout interest. It’s a short window, only the last hour of light or so. Dry dropper/hopper dropper has become more effective too as the water levels have dropped making most riffles and heads of runs shallow enough and fast rough to really make this technique work well. Steamer fishing has been ok. I think the trout are focusing more on the crayfish in the last couple of weeks.
Truckee River Flies We Suggest: OCD Caddis, Joe’s Mini Crayfish, Hot Cheek, G6 Caddis, Mini Jig Leech, Hair Wing PMD, Elk Hair Caddis, Jigged Bugger, TJ Hooker, Drunk and Disorderly, Truckee River Dozen
Other Area Waters
With a few warmer days in the books, higher elevation fisheries are opening up and fishing well. I like to focus on using a lot of terrestrial dry flies on higher elevation creeks and lakes where there is not a lot of food diversity. Because these fish get so little pressure they are usually pretty eager to take most flies. Many of the same dry flies we suggest in the Truckee River portion should work well on these creeks. Wet wading is the best approach as you jump from rock to rock and bucket to bucket chasing these wild trout. Check out our wet wading guard socks from Adams Built we have stocked for just this purpose.
As far as our other local still waters are concerned, fishing is in full swing! It’s best to be out during lower light time like morning or afternoon as the fish will tend into deeper water as the sun gets higher in the sky. Terrestrials on high elevation lakes can be a ton of fun on a windy day. Fly selection might be a bit more critical as the fish have a bit more time to inspect our offerings. Take your time and identify the hatch and match it the best you can. When fishing from a tube or boat, vary your depth often trending towards deeper water as the day goes on. As always the windward side of the lake is best as it pushes all the food in that direction.
Flies We Suggest: Red Eye Damsel, Hale Bopp, Elk Hair Caddis, Panty Dropper Hopper, Gilled Nymph, Yankee Buzzer, Holo Midge Brown/red and Red/Gold, Micro Booby, Thin Mint Bugger
The Reno area has some exceptional trout fishing going on right now. The Truckee River has had prolific hatches of multiple insects in the last few weeks and fishing has benefited. Runoff has subsided and the river conditions have improved. With noticeably clearer water we suggest fly size and tactics must change in order to catch fish throughout the day. Have a great weekend and we hope to see you on the water.
Report prepared by: Aden Breckner
Truckee River
The Truckee River has fished very well in the last week and should continue to do so through the end of June. With runoff in the rearview mirror, true summertime fishing is taking place. As the days have gotten increasingly warm, a number of anticipated hatches have started and provided good dry fly fishing. On the Nevada side of the river, Yellow Sallies have been hatching in large numbers just prior to sunset. These small stoneflies are enticing meals for trout on the surface as the sun goes down. You’ll want to look for slower water with structure mixed in if looking for rises. Flies such as the Snowshoe Sallie or a small Stimulator will get the job done.
Additionally, Caddis have shown themselves on a steady basis over the last few days. Caddis such as the E/C Caddis have worked well in the evening. These flies work best when bounced or twitched slightly to replicate the natural movement of a caddisfly depositing eggs.
The last bug to keep an eye out for is the Pale Morning Dun Mayfly (PMD). These mayflies are typically a pale yellow with a hint of green, and can hatch during the early and then the late hours of the day. Cloudy days will help amplify the hatch and fish may key on these adult mayflies mid-day. Look for slow water similar to where you’ll fish the Yellow Sallie. A great imitation for the PMD is the CDC PMD Dun or the Hair Wing PMD. Lets not forget the “Trusty” Rusty Spinner either…
Nymph fishing will continue to be the most productive method of fishing the Truckee River. As flows have diminished, fish have been caught on smaller and smaller flies. When fishing in the morning hours, try a mix of small mayfly nymphs in the 16-18 size range. Flies such as the Redemption PMD or the Micro Mayfly. As the day carries on, start mixing in caddis to your nymph rig. The Carot has been a top producer with some anglers running two when the bite is on. If trout are not keying on the Carot, smaller caddis nymphs such as the G6 Caddis or the OCD Caddis in a size 16 have worked well.
Bigger nymphs such as Nemec Stones, TJ Hookers and Mini Crayfish Jigs have fished best in the heavy pocket water associated with summer fishing on the Truckee. In the last few days we’ve caught many fish around rocks in fast water. Additionally, they have been eating at the tops of riffles and any other fast water available. Don’t be afraid to fish shallow water as big fish use these areas to ambush their food.
The California side of the Truckee River has also fished better as a result of the warmer days and decreased flows. Bug life is similar to that of the Nevada side with the addition of Green Drakes. This large mayfly is both green and yellow, size 8-12 hook. The Sir Francis Drake is a great option when bugs are actively emerging and hatching. This dry fly incorporates foam into the tie and can suspend a lightly weighted nymph below. While the dry fly fishing is limited to certain conditions, trout will continue to gorge on nymphs below the surface. The size 12 Jigged Bugger in Olive is a great Green Drake nymph pattern. This fly can be fished effectively on both an ESN and indicator rig.
Flies we Suggest: Snowshoe Sallie, E/C Caddis, Sir Francis Drake, Redemption PMD, Micro Mayfly, Split Case Jig, Carot, Nemec Stone, TJ Hooker, Mini Crayfish Jig, Jigged Bugger
Other Waters in Our Area
Many waters have opened up in the high country in the last few weeks. Hobart Reservoir in Nevada has fished well in the last week. The reservoir has come alive with many different insects. Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, and Tiger Trout all live in the lake and are more than willing to eat a well presented fly. The shallow end of the lake consists of continuous weed beds. A dry/dropper rig can fish very well in this zone and will rack up numbers of brook trout. A simple Parachute Adams in size 12 or a Para Madam X in a size 8 will get the job done. Below the dry, you’ll want to place a dropper anywhere between 1-3 feet below. If moving over to the deeper end near the dam, intermediate and sink 3 fly lines will get flies down to feeding fish. Leeches, buggers,and damsels will all put fish in the net.
Flies we Suggest: Parachute Adams, Parachute Madam X, Hale Bopp, BH Wooly Bugger, Red Eye Damsel, jigged Mini Leech, Panty Dropper Hopper
Truckee River
The conditions on the Truckee River have changed a lot from our last report. Flows have dropped considerably and are holding steady around 600-650 cfs through the downtown gauge. We are seeing some spikes in flows and turbid water, but these are isolated events and the water clears quickly. Fishing seems to be best on the downward side of the graph. As the water recedes more obvious channel structure is taking shape. This concentrates the trout in more obvious locations and makes them a bit easier to target.
There are still a lot of bug varieties available, and during afternoon/overcast skies you can find dry fly action. Most of the fish are targeting mayflies on the surface in a size #12-14, but I’ve seen rises for caddis and little yellow sallies as well. As far as nymphing goes, the smaller stoneflies like the Masked Marauder are key. The Yellow Sallie Stonefly hatch is short but dense and the trout are looking for them. Searching nymphs in sizes #12-16 have been working too.
Streamer fishing has been less predictable, but on most days it is worth a fish or two, and some days it’s the main food item they are looking for. I like to combine soft hackle nymphs with streamers as this smaller presentation can sometimes change a territorial strike into a feeding one.
Truckee River Flies We Suggest: Perdigon red, Masked Marauder, Snowshoe Yellow Sallie, Jigged CDC PT, Assassin, Parachute Adams, Para Madam X, Psycho Mayfly, Prince Nymph, Truckee River Dozen
Local Stillwater
Our local still waters are fishing very consistently. Fish are in shallow water in the early morning and late afternoons the fish will tend towards deeper water as the sun warms the surface, but they will probably not be deeper than 10 feet. Look for weed lines and fish parallel to them. It is suggested to use a float tube this time of year as the fish are going to begin moving into deeper water as we continue to get warmer days. Always remember, the trout will towards the lee side islands and points to hide from wind. This is crucial in being effective especially if you intend on throwing dries.
Flies We Suggest: Red Eye Damsel, Mini Jig Leech, Elk Hair Caddis, Flying Ant, Gilled Nymph, Yankee Buzzer, Holo Midge Red/Brown and 49’er, Micro Booby Fly, Micro Beetle
Memorial Day weekend is here and the beautiful weather has turned stormy. It is almost reassuring to have this element of consistency in a rather unpredictable world. This stormy period isn’t supposed to last long and if there is any silver lining is that the cooler temps and light precipitation will all help to delay runoff farther into the summer months. With all of that said, our area waters are really waking up. The Truckee and our area lakes are all fishing well and the typical seasonal hatches are showing up. We hope that you can get out soon and enjoy some great time on the water.
Truckee River
The Truckee river is flowing around 900 cfs through the downtown gauge. This is good for extending our summer fishing season and keeping flows we are hoping into August. It does make fishing a little difficult as there is more water in the river and more room for the fish to hide. We suggest that one should cover water effectively and methodically and assume the trout are everywhere.
There are a lot of insect varieties in the river, flying ants, PMD, Caddis, and Little Yellow Sallies are all starting to appear. We’re finding the fish are active on the pale morning dun nymphs which are usually a size 16 and are a light brown to tan coloring. We have some great patterns to represent these. Staff favorite. Crawfish and other baitfish are getting active as well so we are seeing more activity on streamers.
Fish are still in medium to slow water at the moment, but they are venturing into faster water during warmer days and later in the afternoon.
Truckee River Flies We Suggest: Perdigon red, E/C Caddis, Masked Marauder, Redemption PMD, Psycho May, TJ Hooker, Drunk and Disorderly, Flying Ant, Truckee River Dozen
Local Area Stillwater
Water temperatures are starting to warm nicely, bringing hungry trout into shallow water to feed. Look for fish to be chasing prey items along weed lines. Damsel flies are getting active, as are terrestrials. Carpenter ants will be active on warmer days. Look for ants to fall into the water during windy afternoons. They will stack up on wind lines and be blown into coves. Callibaetis are still hatching in the mornings and evenings, as are caddisflies. Fish will be closer to shore until the water really warms up. Having a boat or a float tube is not necessary this time of year.
Stillwater Flies We Suggest: ID Theft, Red Eye Damsel, OCD Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis, Flying Ant, Callibaetis Nymph.
– TJ HOOKER TYING KIT AND TUTORIAL –
We have prepared a tying kit and tutorial for one of the shop staff favorites, the TJ Hooker. This is a variation on the classic, the Pat’s Rubber Leg. New to this version is a barbless jig hook, Life-Flex legs and a premium Marabou tail. Follow along with Mike Anderson as he ties the TJ Hooker.
Overview
Low flow conditions persist and National Forests are reopening soon. This should be just in time to enjoy late summer and early fall fly fishing. The Truckee River has been mostly open (outside of the national forest areas) and fishing very well. Overnight temps have kept water temps in a good range and if you find water you can find the fish. Read details below.
The Pyramid Lake season opener is just two weeks out. We have the best Pyramid Lake fly selection anywhere. These are available in store and online. We also have an extensive selection of rod, reels and fly lines for your Pyramid Lake set up this year. To celebrate the opener we are offering a special promo in our online store. Read below for more info.
Truckee River
As we said in the last report, the Federal Water Master has begun throttled down flows on the Truckee River. To maintain as much water as possible in the river TMWA and the irrigation companies have been asked to shut off the power and irrigation ditches. This has left us with 65cfs through the downtown gauge. Temperatures on the river are staying cool even with the lower water. A significant cold front is forecasted for next week and should further improve things.
Interestingly, the flow in the river varies depending on where you are. It doesn’t follow typical convention where water flow increases moving downstream. Because the cities of Reno and Sparks receive about 85% of the municipal water supply from the river you will find some reaches with water and some with virtually none. This is unfortunate and admittedly, unnecessary. There are more creative diversion and management options do divert water. Especially, as TMWA states, water quality and biology is a management priority.
Fishing in sections that have water has been really good with a lot of fish eager to eat with the cooler temps. The steamer bite has picked up, and nymphing has remained productive as well as Hopper/dry dropper.
Our nymph choices have been about the same over the past several weeks. Smaller nymphs #16-#18 but the sweet spot is a size 16 Perdigon in olive or black. We have also have had good production on jigged steamers and mini leeches as well. My go to steamer size is just under 2 inches. This allows smaller fish to eat it, and is more attractive for the larger fish because a smaller steamer is less work to hunt and eat.
Truckee River Flies We Suggest: Hot Spot, Perdigon Olive, Perdigon Black, Frenchie, Jig Assassin, Splitcase PMD, Parachute Madam X, Stimulator, Mini Leech Bellyache Minnow, Wooly Bugger, Truckee River Dozen
Local Stillwaters
The U.S. Forests that are closed due to fire management are scheduled for reopening on Sept. 17. This is tentative and it is strongly encouraged that you research and confirm the forest you are accessing is in fact open. Here is a good article on the closures . When many of our local reservoirs reopen, we anticipate that, colder shorter days will have moved the fish into shallow water for longer. They will retreat to deeper water later in the day but from sun up to 1-ish the fish will shallow feeding along structure like drop offs and weed lines. Suspending a couple of nymphs and midges along these areas will be productive, as will retrieving smaller streamers and woolly buggers. Just like for our river report these fish are starting to get into fat storage mode and will feed heavily until the winter comes.
Stillwater Flies We Suggest: Red Eye Damsel, Bead Head Woolly Bugger, Gilled Nymph, Carot, Yankee Buzzer, Parachute Adams, Zebra Midge, Balanced Leech, Mini Leech
WATER BOTTLE GIVEAWAY WITH $100 PURCHASE FROM OUR ONLINE STORE
Are you getting ready for the Pyramid Lake opener (Oct 1)? We are and we thought it would be a good idea to help you prep with a special promotion in our online store.
With any $100 purchase you will get a FREE 32oz. Reno Fly Shop Nalgene water bottle ($20 value). These colorful, virtually indestructible bottles are a great thing to have in your kit, on and off the water. 5 different custom color combinations are available and will be added to your order upon shipping. Be sure to select the Promo coupon at “check out” to claim your water bottle.
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Stay tuned for more Pyramid Lake content and special offers coming up as the season gets going!!!!
Truckee River
It might be a bit early to get excited about a change in the weather but I am sure everyone is excited about some cooler temperatures and a reduction in smoke. At the time of writing this the river is at 200 CFS through the downtown gauge. We have been in communication with the Federal Water Master and while the river will begin to drop due to lack of upstream reservoir storage flow conditions will not be as low as was observed in 2015 during the last major drought. As flows fluctuate the trout will begin to relocate and will move to different areas seeking refuge in deeper water with continuous flow. Most importantly anglers should be prepared to monitor water temps and understand the suggested temperature threshold criteria for the waterbody and state of which they are fishing. The Nevada Department of Environmental Protection published a paper in March 2018 that identifies the acute and chronic temperature thresholds for most gamefish species in the state of Nevada.
Hopper dropper is a great technique in lower water when searching out deeper areas of the river. This can be an interesting/fun time to explore new waters that you haven’t fished before or are newly accessible due to reduced depth and velocities.
Fly selection has been on the smaller side #14-$18s. Streamer fishing will pick up as we head into fall and as the water fluctuations reorder the fish, allowing smaller or weaker fish to become easy prey.
Truckee River Flies We Suggest: Hot Butt, OCD Caddis Pupa, Carot, Duracell, Split Cased Jig, Brush Hog, Spanish Bullet, Hot Spot, Bellyache Minnow, Sculpzilla, Truckee River Dozen
Local Still Waters
Higher elevations are still your go to destination for still water fishing, though a nice cooling trend is setting in this week with overnight lows in the mid 50s to low 60s. A lot of our local lakes and reservoirs will begin to really pick up with activity as we cool down. Indicator fishing, stripping burgers and damsels should be very productive. Dry fly fishing will continue to get better as the days get shorter and the thermal effect of the sun begins to taper off.
Fish will still be in deeper water but will move into the shallows early and late day or during any cloud cover. Look to weed lines and drop offs as the trout will begin to ambush smaller fish and invertebrates as they try to also migrate to deeper water.
Stillwater Flies We Suggest: Red Eye Damsel, Bead Head Woolly Bugger, Gilled Nymph, Carot, Yankee Buzzer, Parachute Adams, Zebra Midge, Balanced Leech, Mini Leech
Truckee River
Flows are still holding around 250 CFS through the downtown gauge. Fishing has still been very good in the early mornings. Nymphing has still been the most productive technique both indicator and euro. Smaller flies have still been key. I’ve been fishing 18-14 with the size 14 only as a soft hackle to represent smaller fish. Swinging flies was not as productive this week. This could be a sign the trout are moving away from eating smaller bait fish, but I would continue to fish with them until the fall. There are still some midday hatches that are bringing some nice fish to the surface. The hatches are short and the fish do not react to them for a long time. I would stick to dry dropper with an unweighted small nymph or soft hackle if you want to focus on fishing the surface more.
We are getting very busy with the summer temperatures beginning to drop off. Check your calendar and call the shop today.
Truckee River Flies We Suggest: Hot Butt, Soft Hackle PT, Carot, Duracell, Split Cased PMD, Brush Hog, Spanish Bullet, Hot Spot Truckee River Dozen
Local Still Waters
Make sure to check local restrictions due to past and active fires that have caused some closures to our local still waters. Fishing continues to be ok for most reservoirs. Fishing early is really your only option unless you get into the higher elevations. The trout are holding in 10+ feet of water and are really only active during lower light times. With the fish starting deep sinking lines and slow retrieves or slip indicators and nymphs are going to be your best bet. We have not seen a lot of surface activity lately though it is not impossible.
When using sinking lines make sure you know your sink rate and count your Fly to depth every time. Nothing is worse than forgetting to count and homing a fish and not being able to reproduce that depth.
Stillwater Flies We Suggest: Callibaetis Nymph, Gilled Nymph, Carot, Yankee Buzzer, Parachute Adams, Mamba Ant, Chernobyl Hopper, Zebra Midge, Balanced Leech, Mini Leech
Truckee River
Flows are still holding around 250 CFS through the downtown gauge. Water temps have dropped this week with overnight lows in the high 50 and low 60s. Fishing has been good with a lot of fish coming on wet flies both dead drifted and in a swing. Fish have also moved into a lot of different water types. Some are in fast while others have been in deeper slower water. The bite has been best from sun up until about 11 when water temps begin to rise.
Smaller streamers have worked well as have dry flies. Fish have been rising pretty consistently around 8-11. Hopper dropper or dry dropper techniques have Beth been effective. I usually fish my hopper to my dropper around 3 feet apart, and my hopper is always on its own short tag.
Truckee River Flies We Suggest: Carot, Duracell, CDC Red Tag, Jigged Assassin, Perdigon (black and red), Hot Butt, Chernobyl Hopper, Parachute Adams, Cahill, Cripple PMD, Mini Leech Truckee River Dozen
Local Still Waters
Higher elevations are the way to go for still water fishing. Warm surface temps have driven fish deep. Early mornings will work on our local waters but once the sun gets high they will retreat to the depths. In the higher elevations temperatures are perfect. The trout are active feeding both on the surface and below. Terrestrials and mayflies are good choices for dry flies and for nymphs callibaetis nymphs and midges are on the menu. Higher elevation lakes are usually more sterile as far as bug life goes making the fish more agreeable to take a fly.
I really like a terrestrial dry with a nymph suspended below. The depth of the nymph will depend on the conditions but I like to start around 2 feet with a decently weighted fly and increase my depth to try and find the depth the trout are comfortable in.
Stillwater Flies We Suggest: Callibaetis Nymph, Gilled Nymph, Carot, Yankee Buzzer, Parachute Adams, Mamba Ant, Chernobyl Hopper, Zebra Midge, Balanced Leech, Mini Leech
Truckee River Flies We Suggest: Spanish Bullet, Carp Tickler, E/C Caddis, Split Case PMD Jigged, Carot, Pat’s Rubber Leg, G6 Caddis, Truckee River Dozen
Stillwater Flies We Suggest: Yankee Buzzer, Elk Hair Caddis, Parachute Adams, Flying Ant, Panty Dropper Hopper, Red Eye Damsel, Callibaetis nymph
