A small storm this weekend should bring back some clouds and maybe a bit of precip. We expect this to be helpful both at lake and Truckee.
At the lake we anticipate the fish will feel much more comfortable coming into the shallows and on the Truckee the BWO hatch will take shape with the trout looking up on the surface.
March 8 will be our annual International Fly Fishing Film Festival at Revision Brewing Company. It will be a great time with the Reno Fly Shop X Revision Beer available, raffle prizes and of course great movies.
Pyramid Lake We’ve had a lot of blue bird sunny days at the Lake this month. Sounds like we are expecting a short window of stormy weather this weekend and then more high pressure.
To make the most of your time during these bluebird days.
Here are a few tips to make the best out of calm days.
- Find deeper water – When there are no clouds or wind the sun penetrates the water more. Even though the LCT will often feed in shallow water, they will seek out deeper water to feel safe. We look for drop offs near 10 feet or more to have the best chances. The Garmin Striker is a great tool to accurately and quickly know the depth of water in front of you.
- Decrease your tippet – We typically fish 2x tippet for indicator fishing. On calm days it is not uncommon to drop to 3x and on the rare occasion 4x to make the presentation more stealthy. When using these smaller tippets you might have to take your time when fighting fish.
- Fish smaller flies – The typical midge is a size 10 and Balanced Leech size is 8, but you can drop down to size #14 and #16 midges and size #12 for leeches on sunny days. Usually with a little flash so that the fly can catch the fish’s attention from further away.
- Twitch your flies – Adding movement to your flies can make them look alive. Sometimes it will also trigger a predator prey response. Quickly twitching your fly line and thus the bobber gives the flies adequate movement.
The days that have been overcast and windy, the fish have responded in kind and the fishing has been good. Midges have really begun to pick up, just remember that midges are much lighter than leeches so adding a split shot to your leader will keep you better connected to your flies when the waves pick up. The cutthroat are beginning to get shallow too. On those same overcast/windy days we were having most success between 6-8 feet.
Don’t count out the retrieve either. A lot of the Summit strain LCT are starting to color up, getting ready to spawn in a few months. As the season progresses the fish will be more apt to chase flies in shallow water on the overcast days. Try to fishing boobies and beetles this time of year as they have the most action and elicit the biggest response.
Flies we suggest at Pyramid Lake: NEW Tungsten Balanced Leech, Mini Jig Leech, Holographic Midge, Micro Holographic Midge, Jiggy Fat Minnow, Booby Fly, Mopcorn Beetle, Pyramid Lake Beetle, Tadpole Truckee River The Truckee River is beginning to see its yearly emergence of Blue Winged Olive (BWO) mayflies. This hatch can get some of the large fish on the surface and make for a fun afternoon of dry fly fishing. Timing is very important when seeking out the hatch. Mornings and evenings have not fished as well as the early afternoon time frame. This is due to a few factors including water temperature and bug activity.
Nymphing seems to be the most effective and consistent methods with the bite starting around 9-10am. As the day progresses, you may find fish moving into different water types. We have found them holding in frog water (almost completely still). As the water temperature gradually increases, trout are creeping into slow riffles and finding feeding lanes. One of our favorite methods in the winter fishing the Nevada side of the Truckee is the drop-shot method. By placing your split shot or weight below your flies, the weight bounces off the bottom and keeps your flies a fixed distance from the bottom. This is a great method when you want to present small flies in a deep run near the bottom.
We’ve seen a good midge hatch nearly every day over the last week or two. While there have been a few fish here and there eating midge dries, the Blue Wing hatch gets their attention much quicker. Cloudy weather helps immensely when targeting fish on the surface. Most days the Blue Wing hatch is beginning around 12pm and peaking around 2-4pm. Wind may make it difficult for fish to feed on the surface with consistency. Some of the factors that you want to look for are slightly warmer air temps, cloudy skies and calm winds.
You’ll want to carry a variety of patterns right now on the river. Nymphs that have worked in the last few weeks include the Perdibomb, Micro Mayfly, BH Squirmy Worm, and the Miller’s Plus One.
Dry flies to carry include both Blue Winged Olives and midges. We recommend the Baetis Cripple, Parachute Adams, Pull Over BWO, and the Griffith Gnat.
IF4 Showing at Revision Brewing on March 8th, 2025.
Doors open at 6:00
Doors open at 7:00
We are co-hosting the International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) with Revision Brewing on Saturday, March 8th at the Revision Brewing Company facility in Sparks, NV.
[This event will showcase a number of selected films and will be accompanied by a raffle, beer, and a good time. Each event ticket is good for one free beer from Revision Brewing.Tickets are avaiable at the Reno Fly Shop, and online.
BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE HERE
This year proceeds will be donated to our local partners: Walker Basin Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy (Nevada).
Event is 21 years of age and older. We hope you can join us!
