Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3822 Oct 11-25 | Page 16
14
FRESHWATER
Oct 11 - 25, 2019
VOL.38 • ISS. 22
Catch & Release Fishing!
Hook More & Bigger Fish With Flies...
Sponsored by Kiene’s Fly Shop
916-483-1222 • www.Kienesflyshop.com
By Cal Kellogg
If you want a chance to catch quality trout in a scenic big river setting, the
Truckee River is a superb prospect.
“I advise you to go down to the Truckee if you ever think you know it all,”
quipped Steve Soulan, an experienced fly fisherman at Mountain Hardware
in Truckee. “Fishing there can be good, but it can also be a very humbling
experience.”
The Truckee offers fly tossers, lure fishermen and bait anglers a chance to battle
large German browns, rainbows, and mountain whitefish. The rainbows and
browns hooked on the Truckee average 14 inches and go up to above 20 inches.
The section of river from the mouth of Trout Creek to the Nevada border is now
restricted to barbless single hooks, artificial lures only, while only the section from
below Lake Tahoe to Trout Creek is open to the bait angler desiring to take some
fish home.
“Day in and day out, the Hirschdale section of river produces the most consistent
fishing,” Soulan stated. “However, anywhere off the beaten track where there is
less fishing pressure is a good place to try. The Truckee is technically a free stone
river, but the Truckee is so regulated by dams that it functions more like a tail
water fishery.”
For most of its length the Truckee is for all practical purposes is what you
would call a
wild trout water.
Trout plants of
hatchery fish
(Rainbows
and Lahontan
Cutthroat) are
limited to the
upper ten mile
stretch which
runs from its
outlet from
Lake Tahoe to
its confluence
While big trout are always possible on the Truckee there are
with Trout
plenty of small trout around to keep things exciting.
Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Fish Sniffer Staff. Creek located at
the lower end of
the town of Truckee where the special regulation (wild trout) section begins.
The twenty miles between Trout Creek and the Nevada state line the special
regulations limit tackle to artificial lures with barbless hooks. There is also a
size and bag limit of two trout with a minimum size of 14 inches from the last
Saturday in April through November 15th. For the winter season which runs from
November 16th through the Friday before the last Saturday in April, no fish may
be kept. The wild trout water is home to Rainbows and Browns, some that get
very large.
I
This rainbow blitzed an Elk Hair caddis during a late summer fly fishing adventure.
While the best fishing on the Truckee is had by guys working subsurface flies, dry
flies can produce results too.
Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Fish Sniffer Staff.
Access points are easy and numerous along the Truckee. Though there is some
private water (San Francisco Casting Club) along its length, there is plenty of U.S.
Forest property in between so that you can always find a way to get to the water.
The upper section begins at the outlet from Lake Tahoe and is some of the most
beautiful water one can fish, but unfortunately its beauty also has made this a very
popular rafting run.
With the arrival of summer the flows settle down and all of the bugs that we
know and love show their faces. Caddis, Golden Stones, Little Yellow Stones and
Pale Morning Duns are the most common. Also of mention are terrestrials such as
hoppers and very importantly the huge Carpenter Ants that blow up slope from the
valleys below.
Fall means fewer fishermen,
particularly on weekdays, and
cooler water temperatures.
Cooler water temperatures mean
fishing will remain good all day
and as with other waters located
where there is a harsh winter
environment, the trout’s feeding
habits change from selective to
opportunistic as they bulk up for
winter. The Baetis are beginning
to show again and the October
Medium to large size nymphs like these are the
Caddis are preparing to leave
the comfort of their pine needle most effective offerings on the Truckee on a
daily basis all season long. If you are looking
homes to pupate into huge moth specifically for a trophy trout, big streamers may
like creatures.
be your best option.
Photo by CAL KELLOGG, Fish Sniffer Staff.
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f you want to fish Pyramid Lake,
but don’t know anything about
the lake it would be wise to hire a
guide and Captain Sam Shallow is a
top choice.
Sam runs Deep Water Guide
Service and he plans on spending the
fall winter and early spring months,
trolling, jigging, casting and fly
fishing for Pyramid Lake trout.
Sam has a new 24 foot Regulator
center console boat teamed with a
pair of 150 horse Yamaha motors.
For more information or to book
your trip, give Captain Sam a call at
(530) 277-0288.
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