Since the last big storm event we have seen flows stabilize, but it did take longer than we had initially thought due to warm overnight temperatures prolonging melt. With air temps dipping this week, we should see flows continue to trend downwards and water clarity improve. As of today, the river is still running high and there is a tint to it, but this is beneficial to us anglers, as is pushes fish into any soft eddy, often towards the bank, and the stained water allows us to fish larger bugs with heavier tippet, upping our odds of landing that dream fish. It is worth noting that water temps this week are in the low 40’s which typically initiates the rainbow trout to begin spawning, se we should see that really ramp up over the next few weeks. Please keep an eye out for redds on the Truckee and avoid walking near these spawning areas, or fishing to these vulnerable fish. This is vital for our wild trout populations. 

 

Other than indicator fishing the typical runoff bugs such as worms stones, eggs and maybe the occasional flashy nymph like a duracell or blowtorch, this is also an excellent week to put in some time on the streamer. When rigging up a streamer for fishing the Truckee this week, you can either set up a sinking line on a 6-7 weight single hand rod or use a mono rig on a stout 4 weight euro rod. For the sinking line set up, we recommend either a sink tip or a full sink line instead of adding a sinking leader. The sink rate on the line should be fast, something like a type 5 or 6. Using a short and heavy leader, about 3-5 feet of 8-12 pound Maxima Clear will be sure that you don’t loose that large fish once hooked and that you’re connected to your flies. It also give you better odds when trying to dislodge your $10 streamer on a snag. This setup is what you would use for the more traditional style of streamer fishing where you are striping them, whereas using the euro rod is better for dead drifting, or jigging your flies. For this approach, use a euro rod with good back bone, such as a 10’ 4 or even 5 weight and set up a mono rig of 12 to 15 pound mono down to your tippet of choice. For this setup we would recommend fluoro going with slightly less breaking strength than the leader. We would say a sighter is optional. Your fly selection will also be a bit different, and the weight of your setup should come solely from the fly instead of the sinking line. Using this approach allows you to remain connected to your fly for the majority of your drift and impart a variety of movements to it, including jigging or twitching, changing the head direction of the fly or raising or lowering the fly in the water column. Both methods can be effective and both are fun ways to change up your normal fishing routine. When fishing last week, the fish were happy to chase our large articulated streamers on the sinking line. The grabs are electric, we highly recommend trying it!