Truckee River Fly Fishing Report

Matt “Gilligan” Koles Reports on 11.30.2017

Flows are way up on the Truckee River.

The weather was very mild last week, record-setting. I was wearing a t-shirt up here. Things are changing this week and we are getting some snow and more seasonable weather. Seasonable for us here this time of year should be cold, like really cold.

Yes, flows are up. They’ve been working on pouring the footings for the new bridge going over the Truckee River in Tahoe City. They’ve had the water stored back in Lake Tahoe to work on the bridge, now Tahoe is pretty much at the top. The gates are open and the river is pumping. Can’t go into winter with Tahoe that full.1,500 cubes here in the Hirsch and higher down river. Those are pretty high flows. Not high like last year, but high nonetheless.

So look for the soft water. If you can find it, you’ll find some fish. Really no need to cover a lot of water this time of year. Fish a run and work it hard. Nymph up on it. Fish some steamers, etc. Slow your retrieves down and those streamers, water be cold this time of year.

Usually we just hook big fish this time of year in colder water. Lately we’ve been hooking a shit ton of small fish too. Weird, but I think we have a lots and lots of small fish in the river these days coming out of the drought and subsequent good water years. I’m thinking the rainbows spawned really well in the spring’s during the drought and the eggs didn’t get washed out. We have a ton of fish in the system and our hook up rates are way up. We’re still getting them old wild fish, but it’s fun seeing all the new faces.Flows are way up on the Truckee River.The weather was very mild last week, record setting. I was wearing a t-shirt up here. Things are changing this week and we are getting some snow and more seasonable weather. Seasonable for us here this time of year should be cold, like really cold.Yes, flows are up. They’ve been working on pouring the footings for the new bridge going over the Truckee River in Tahoe City. They’ve had the water stored back in Lake Tahoe to work on the bridge, now Tahoe is pretty much at the top. The gates are open and the river is pumping. Can’t go into winter with Tahoe that full.1,500 cubes here in the Hirsch and higher down river. Those are pretty high flows. Not high like last year, but high nonetheless.So look for the soft water. If you can find it, you’ll find some fish. Really no need to cover a lot of water this time of year. Fish a run and work it hard. Nymph up on it. Fish some steamers, etc. Slow your retrieves down and those streamers, water be cold this time of year.Usually we just hook big fish this time of year in colder water. Lately we’ve been hooking a shit ton of small fish too. Weird, but I think we have a lots and lots of small fish in the river these days coming out of the drought and subsequent good water years. I’m thinking the rainbows spawned really well in the spring’s during the drought and the eggs didn’t get washed out. We have a ton of fish in the system and our hook up rates are way up. We’re still getting them old wild fish, but it’s fun seeing all the new faces.