Truckee River
The Truckee River is starting each day off cold and warming through the afternoon. In Reno, the river is about 45 degrees in the morning, warming up to the low-mid 50’s in the late afternoon. This drop in water temps has dropped the fish out of their metabolic feeding zones for the early mornings. I haven’t been getting onto the water until noon or later. Fish are still trying to put on weight for winter so they’re in faster water than you might think. As always they are deep in these faster moving runs.
CURRENT FLOW AT FARAD GAGE
CURRENT FLOW AT DOWNTOWN RENO GAGE
European Style nymphing has still been the most effective way to fish the Truckee. It allows you to fish deep quickly in the drift while searching faster moving water. We have gone to indicators when fishing slower deeper water and when trying to reach farther seams. We have been focusing on smaller darker flies. MIdges and smalle Baetis patterns have been key. Because of their small size they can be difficult to get to depth so split shot or tungsten putty is a good addition to any rig.
Guide Tip to Double the offering with the same fly!! We have been fishing streamers in low light conditions late in the day with good success. Try fishing a sculpin pattern or other heavy streamer as a point or anchor fly in a nymph rig in an UPSTREAM direction through a pool/riffle sequence hitting all of the seams, slots and buckets you typically would with a nymph rig. When the riffle shallows and quickens to the point that nymphing is difficult change directions and swing the streamer back through the same water while fishing in a DOWNSTREAM direction. This allows you to fish the same water with the same fly with two different techniques. You might be surprised how you will pick up different fish in the same water you have have just been through.
You can pick up the following flies here in the Shop or online at the links below.
Flies That We Suggest: Perdigon Black, Quill Jig, CDC Red Tag, Hot Cheek, Hot Cheek, Masked Marauder, Sculpzilla, Complex Twist Bugger, Cheech Leech
Pyramid Lake
The fish are getting shallow! This is great news as the next couple of weeks look like they have some wind which would force us off of our float tubes and onto the beaches. Shore fishing has picked up, and early mornings will bring the fish close enough to cast too. Mid day is still best to get into a float tube or other floating device as the fish push into very deep water around 2.
From tubes, We are marking fish in 40 to 70 feet of water but they are suspending at 25 to 35 feet down. YOu can use weighted lines and cast parallel to shore and count down the line until you believe it is at the desired dept. Always keep track of your count that way when you do hook a fish you can easily repeat the count and depth that you did to achieve hook up.
The LCT are also not focusing in as much on the tui chub as during the opener. Though tui-chub patterns will still work changing things up a bit will help anglers to be successful. Midnight cowboys, boobies, and beetles will all do well as we get into November. Floating lines with or without indicators is a technique that is also getting more action. BAlanced leeches are key with only a few fish on the midges, but it won’t be long until that’ll be the most effective way to fish.
You can pick up the following flies here in the Shop or online at the links below.
Flies that we suggest: Jans Tui Chub, Cat Whisker Booby, Dirty Martini Booby, Spanish Olive Booby, Midnight Cowboy, Complex Twist Bugger, Balanced Leech