While the flows have stayed much the same on the Truckee for a while now, the water temps are plummeting, and the clarity is improving. This is due to some very cold mornings this week. When we get into these types of winter conditions, there are quite a few important factors to consider for your best chances of success.

 

With the water being so clear along the entire river system right now, bringing a good amount of stealth will be important. This means, downsizing your flies, downsizing your tippet, using a natural colored indicator, or ditching the brightly colored sighter if you’re euro nymphing. We have seen greater success with fishing two small bugs this week over using the typical Truckee River “something large and gaudy, down to something small”. The best success we had was using a size 16-18 baetis nymph to a size 20 zebra midge and taking plenty of time to fish each run very thoroughly, to really try and bump these fish on the nose.

 

If fishing anywhere from Reno down, the worm will still remain a solid option if you’re looking to fish a larger fly. The water temps are now down into the high 30’s to start the day, that means that the fish are going to be pretty slow and won’t really wake up until noon or so most days. Focus on the 12pm-4pm window, as this is when water temps will be at their highest and the fish most active. The fish are not exclusively in slow pools just yet, as a matter of fact, we were still finding most in soft edges next to decently fast seam. Fishing the Truckee this time of year is definitely a game of patience and persistence, but the payout can often be worth it.