April 25th, Fly Fishing Report for the Truckee River, Little Truckee River and Pyramid Lake
Spring fishing is in full effect this week. Complete with a couple of days of rain and snow before becoming sunny and in the mid-60’s for the rest of the week. Unpredictable weather is typical for this area during this time of year. The cold fronts are a welcoming sight to us because it keeps snow on the hill later into the season, in turn keeping the rivers and creeks cooler and the hills greener for longer. Town is quiet as we see most of the ski resorts close for the season. Truckee is in its shoulder season, meaning little angling pressure on our local rivers, despite conditions being pretty darn good. Ah, springtime in the Sierra, it’s hard to beat this time of year.
Guided Spring Fly Fishing
April is one of the best months of the year to fish the Truckee River. The days are longer and water temperatures are on the rise. With spring, we start to see our first big hatches of the year and the fish begin to come out of their winter doldrums. The Skwala stonefly emerges and the BWO's are hatching in mass. The fish are hungry, and we see some of the best opportunities of the year to find good numbers of quality fish.
Book a trip this spring and see what the Truckee has to offer!
Truckee River Fishing Report & Forecast
With cooler days last week the runoff has slowed. We are seeing flows drop on the Truckee River and the snow is on the hill for just a bit longer. Around Glenshire we have seen flows drop from 750 to 575 CFS in the last 7 days. At Farad they have dropped from 900 to 700 CFS. These flows will make the river easier to fish in multiple ways from easier wading, increased clarity, and more holding water. With the river running pretty clear still, we have been catching most of our fish on medium sized perdigons, blowtorches, and duracells. We are still pairing these with larger offerings such as stones, worms, eggs and crawdads to help sell the smaller stuff and provide some more weight for your setup. Most of the river is fishing well, but we are still recommending the canyon section mostly because of the abundance of good deep runs. Considering how few people are in town right now, it would not be unrealistic to fish an area of Truckee and not see anybody else, especially if you’re heading out there mid-week. With the clear water, the streamer bite has been a bit tough and once we see the water come up and turbidity increases it may get better. Streamers will also fish better east of Reno around Lockwood, Mustang or Patrick than say, here in the canyon.
Recommended Flies for the Truckee River
Little Truckee River Fishing Report & Forecast
The LT is fishing great right now. Flows are at 150 CFS, making for great conditions for nymphing, but also keeping the dry fly bite good. The mainstays of baetis and midges are still putting the majority of fish in the net, but we are also seeing winter stones, mother’s day caddis, skwalas and some green drakes that are a bit early to the party. We are probably a few short weeks away from the PMD’s starting up, and when they do, they will be quick to replace the BWO’s once they start up as the main course for these picky trout. Worms, eggs and maybe the occasional skwala nymph will round out your selection out here. We encourage 6x tippet when nymphing out here, a small piece of splitshot and a white or clear indicator. These seemingly small adjustments can make a huge difference. As this is a tailwater, the temps do not fluctuate like they do on the main Truckee, so fishing early mornings or late evenings will still remain good, at least for the nymph fisherman.
Recommended Flies for the Little Truckee
Pyramid Lake Fishing Report & Forecast
The bite at Pyramid is in a bit of a limbo right now. With the majority of the fish focused on spawning they are mostly lock-jawed, at least the ones you can see. Fishing with indicators and putting it past the fish tight to the shore will better your odds by putting your flies in front of fish that may still be interested in eating. Midges are still the best option to fish under the bobber right now but once they start to push back into deep water, the leeches will have their day once again. Stripping is also a great option right now, with the classic bugger beetle combo putting a lot of fish in the net. As the days get longer and warmer, expect those morning and evening windows to provide the best fishing.
Recommended Flies for Pyramid Lake
Spring Euro Nymphing Clinic
Sign up for our Euro Nymphing Clinic with TCO Guides Nate Cutler and Mike Doubek this May. This will be a two-day intensive workshop on the fundamentals of Euro Nymphing on the Truckee River. The clinic will include both on-the-water and off-the-water instruction.
Participants will receive a selection of flies, leader building materials and a swag pack in addition to quality instruction from our guides.
Anglers are asked to provide their own Euro Nymphing rod & reel for this clinic. A small number of rental rods are available through the shop. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions regarding what kind of rod is best suited towards Euro Nymphing.
$700.00 per person for two days of instruction and guiding.
Dates - May 31st & June 1st
50% Deposit to reserve your spot now - limited spaces available!
