VOL . 42 • ISS . 13

September 8 , 2023

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FRESHWATER REPORTS :

CONTINUED FROM PG 15

TRUCKEE / LITTLE TRUCKEE RIVERS

the confluence of Boca Reservoir all the way through Reno is fishing excellent . While the temps east of Sparks are currently good , the clarity is an issue for now , due to some of the lower tributaries dumping in some dirty water . If fishing in Nevada , we recommend focusing upstream of Steamboat Creek . Here on the California side , we continue to see low water from the outflow of Lake Tahoe . It ’ s not until Glenshire Bridge that there is much , if any , fishable water . Prosser is bringing a decent amount of water to the system ; however , it is not really until you reach the Boca confluence , adding roughly 230 CFS , that the river contains more ideal flows . Because of this , fishing will tend to be better downstream of Hirschdale , all the way down to Sparks . The streamer fishing during last week ’ s overcast days was great and a hint at what is to come over the next few months . While the sunnier days ahead may slow this down a bit , it ’ s still worth a try especially if you ’ re fishing during the low light hours or if / when cloud cover is present .

Olive , White or natural colored sculpin patterns are always a great place to start , but these fish will hit a variety of streamers , and don ’ t be afraid to go big or flashy if nothing else seems to produce . There are a lot of crawdads , and nocturnal stones out . We are even seeing a few adult stones moving around the rocks . This little-known family of stoneflies are one of the biggest bugs in our river . While they may not come off enmasse , making their presence known to the angler , you better believe that the fish know about them . Nocturnal stones grow up to three inches long , and look a lot like a Double-Double ( Animal-style ) to the trout . Few fish , or fisherman , would pass that up . In much the same way , the

crawdad is one not a lot of out-of-town anglers think of with fly selection . We consider it one of the best year-round options on our river system , and a must have in our box . We have also seen the return of BWO and midges this week , along with the cooling trend . There were fewer summer bugs such as PMD ’ s and caddis last week , so for your small flies think smaller and darker like a size 18 Juju Baetis , Perdigon , French Nymph , or Zebra Midge . However , on warmer days , it will help to keep PMD and Caddis patterns on deck . Little Truckee River Fly Fishing Report & Forecast : The flows on the Little Truckee remain great despite predictions of a decrease starting in the middle of the month .

The colder water and air temps as of late have seemed to throw the hatches off a bit and the dry fly fishing has been unusually sporadic for Late-August . Like the big river , the LT seems to be switching from summer bugs to the smaller fall bugs . The main difference here seems that the adults have not been hatching as consistently , making the nymph your best bet for now . With the current flows , it can be tricky to present a nymph to these spooky fish . We recommend using a small dry dropper set up , a small clear or white indicator , yarn , or one hell of a stealthy approach with a euro stick . 5x is often good enough if you make your first few drifts count , but for those fishing a busier beat of the river , 6x is not a bad idea if you feel comfortable landing a fish on light tippet . The name of the game here will be not letting the fish know of your presence , so walk up on a run slowly and observe before you begin casting . Sit down , take 5 minutes and watch , you ’ ll be amazed what clues you can find in that time , it could be the piece of the puzzle it takes to land that fish you ’ ll never forget .

- Miles Zimmerman , Trout Creek Outfitters

The mackinaw bite on Lake Tahoe has slowed down but it didn ’ t keep these two anglers from landing these two nice fish .

Photo Courtesy of Chris Ditter , Sierra Fin Addicts

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CALIFORNIA ’ S LONGEST RUNNING OUTDOOR TALK SHOW !

Brett Brady was throwing a lipless crankbait on the delta when he found a nice school of quality sized stripers .

Photo Courtesy of Ernie Marlan