Fly fishing in the Reno/Tahoe area has improved following the storms of early January. The sunny skies as of late have given way to exceptional trout fishing across multiple waters in our area. Pyramid Lake continues to heat up as the midge bite has finally arrived. With cold water temperatures, fishing on the Truckee River has been within a narrower window each day but is still producing quality wild trout.
Pyramid Lake
Fly fishing at Pyramid Lake has been hot following the string of storms that hit the region through mid January. With weather conditions shifting now towards sunny days, the effective tactics have shifted a bit. The “midge bite” is anticipated every season around this time and I can tell you it has begun! Midges can be seen hatching around the lake as temperatures increase late in the morning. With midges hatching on a consistent basis now, smaller fly patterns have become increasingly effective. Balanced Leeches are still playing a role at Pyramid Lake, but are more limited to the low light times of day. As fish begin to surface before sunrise, try fishing a balanced leech at a shallow depth of four to six feet under an indicator. This has been an effective technique in low light when fish are not too critical of fly presentation.
Wave height may dictate the size of fly when indicator fishing. When fishing on a calm and sunny day, try downsizing to a Micro Midge. The smaller profile of the Micro Midge fishes best when the fly is only moving up and down with the waves a foot or less. Cycling through different colors can help when fishing transition times from dark to light. Before the sun hits the water, midges with either black or white colors incorporated tend to fish well. As light begins to fill the morning sky, flies with more natural tones like brown or wine become more effective. This time of year can be fun to tie flies for Pyramid Lake as combinations of midge bodies, beads, and ribbings, and gills are virtually endless. Swing by the shop or call and we can help you get set up to tie flies for the spring ahead.
Stripping flies has also been effective at Pyramid Lake on any given day. Regardless of wave height or weather condition, the sinking line presentation will put flies down on the lake bottom where Lahontan Cutthroat cruise and feed. The new color variation of the Mopcorn Beetle has found early success as the white and chartreuse color combination continues to produce. If algal growth on the bottom of the lake becomes an issue when stripping flies, try lengthening your leader slightly with a slightly longer pause between strips. Additionally try fishing two floating flies like the Booby Fly, Pyramid Lake Beetle, or Pyramid Lake Tadpole in combination.
Flies we Suggest: Holo Midge, Micro Midge, Mini Jig Leech, Balanced Leech, Pyramid Lake Tadpole, Pyramid Lake Beetle, Pyramid Lake Bugger, Booby Fly
Truckee River
Fly fishing on the Truckee River has improved since the last fishing report as a result of dropping flows. The storms that pounded the region in early January have shifted and made way for sunny days here in the Reno/Tahoe area. As a result, clarity has improved greatly as tributaries to the main river have settled down and cold temps have stopped snow melt.
Most days lately on the Truckee River have started slow as a result of cold water temperatures. Fortunately, the fishing has improved throughout the day following warming water temperatures. In the winter, trout respond to even the slightest temperature increase in a positive way.
As January comes to a close, the Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s for short) begin to make their appearance. Hatches of BWO’s can come off midday and make for some fantastic dry fly fishing or nymphing in the winter. When targeting a hatch, flies like the Baetis Cripple and the Pullover BWO work great when dressed with a bit of floatant. Since dry fly fishing is not always a reliable option every day, it is a good idea to carry a variety of nymphs on every outing. BWO nymphs such as the Micro Mayfly and the Hot Cheek have been reliable when fished near the bottom.
Tip: Cloud cover and light precipitation can improve the BWO hatch significantly. While not super comfortable for the angler winter temps, cloud cover and a slight drizzle can produce some of the best dry fly fishing of the year on the Truckee River.
Flies we Suggest: Hot Cheek, Micro Mayfly, Jig TNT, Neon Jig, Duracell, Hot Butt, Baetis Cripple, Pullover BWO,
INTRODUCING the NEW Integrated Switch Fly Line
The Reno Fly Shop and Scientific Anglers are proud to announce a collaboration on the NEW Integrated Switch Fly Line. This floating line is designed to fish indicator setups at Pyramid Lake and other stillwater locations. This line is designed specifically to fish on switch rods and combines a floating running line, floating head, and floating tip all into one fly line. This line does NOT require a MOW Tip, TC Tip or any floating tip to fish effectively. The advantage to the Integrated Switch is that it eliminates loop to loop connections, resulting in a smoother cast and a more efficient transfer of energy when using a heavy indicator and two fly rig. The Integrated Switch Line was built with a smooth running line (Tufa color) and head (Beach color) with a high contrast textured hang marker (Black color).
The Integrated Switch is available in three grain weights:
540 grains (6wt) | 585 grains (7wt) | 670 grains (8wt)
These fly lines were a unique collaboration with Scientific Anglers. Our intention was to provide a purpose built fly line that took a proven and effective fly line setup and make it better for the angler. We set out to improve the angler experience by making the fly line easier to use, more effective when fishing stillwaters and more pleasant to cast by removing junctions along the entire length.
It is anticipated that there should be no reason to “up-line” the Integrated Switch Line when purchasing. If you are unsure which line weight to choose for your switch rod, please stop by or call the shop and we will try to work throught the selection process with you.
