I've Moved!

As of today, I have a new blog. If you're a follower of this blog, I hope you'll come over to the new site. It will be the same old stuff, me hearing myself talk, but hopefully you can get something out of it pertaining to the Truckee River. Please just copy and paste this new address.

http://gilligansguideservice.com/blog/

Wait Five Minutes

You know the saying about the weather in the mountains, wait five minutes. It can snow every month of the year in the Tahoe area and after six months of snow, this time of year, it's a bummer when it does. Though it messes up the singletrack around town, the fish don't mind. If you have some Skipper Stones and fish the right kind of water they're there, and they are willing. The water's high, that ain't changing, but the clarity's good, and if you can hit the spots like Gordon did today you should catch fish. Gordon did well and ended up with some nice browns and rainbows. If you don't want to fish, come up and ride some pow, I'm sure they're getting a foot up top again.

High Water Rigging

The Truckee River has been and will be high for sometime. There are still fish to be caught if you adjust your tactics. Go get yourself some Rio indicator leaders in 2, or 3x. The Rio indo leaders are all level fluorocarbon tippet and sink to where the fish are. You can make your own, leaders that is, but this is much easier. Then go into Mountain Hardware in Truckee and get my Skipper Stone Golden, tie it on about 9 feet down, or wherever you want it to sink in the water column. Go about 14 inches and tie on a wire worm if the water's dirty, or something like a prince nymph if the water's clear. Remember, you sould go down a tippet size on your dropper fly. Put a few BB shot about 8 inches above your top fly. Loop some trapped air technology about a foot from your fly line. Fish inside slots and softer winter type water. My guide tip of the week, use Dinsmore tin shot, they won't slide up and down your leader, and you won't have to tie a knot to hold it in place. Sometimes, I'll bust out the old Water Gremlin lead shot and stack them behind the tin for the real deep slots. Dry dropper rigs will be next.

Not To Shabby

The fishing ain't to shabby now on the Truckee River, that is if you stay above Boca. Water clarity's pretty good, and though the water's high, the fish are there. On the plus side, there's pretty much nobody out fishing except for a few locals. I fished the dry dropper set-up today as it forces you to fish the inside, inside, if you no what I'm saying. I did quite well. The water down here in the Hirsch is right about 1700 cubes, still to high, but it will come down once they stop pouring so much water out of the reservoirs. There's still a lot of river to fish above Boca though, and if you don't like crowds, now would be a good time to get your fishing on. I'll post some high water rigs and flies to use this week. A nice hardy "esqe" sound came from the reel of my Red Truck Diesel today. The 5wt has enough backbone to toss a large chunk of change around. These are from today on the middle stretch of river.

Over The Crest?

I think we've got past the heavy crest of water and we won't see the Truckee over 2800 cubes anymore, which it was most of last week. Of course that's barring any uncontrollable circumstances such as rain, or an extended heat wave. We've had a nice slow melt, hell, the Truckee's been blown since mid-March. Though the river's high, the "Dean" and I are guessing three weeks out for good fishing on both the LT and the main stem of the Truckee above Boca. It could be another month for any real fishing to happen down here in the Hirsch, and even then the water will be high. Get your boxes full of stones, green drakes, and all your favorite attractors. Big and ugly dries should be in there also, PMX's, etc. Remember, most of these fish haven't seen a fly in months, and they are going to be willing. Right now, the fishing's not the best, that is unless you got an inside scoop on some runs to fish in high water. The bottom photo is from up along 89 the other evening, and the top rainbow came from above my house the other day. Both came on my Skipper Stone Golden which has been crushing it around here lately.

3-4X

Managed a few hours with a neighbor and some friends yesterday on the LT. I say managed only because it felt like Antarctica again up here yesterday. I really don't like posting reports on the LT as the place gets pretty hammered and me posting about it doesn't help. The fishing was decent if you put enough weight on and got your flies down and dirty. Lots of blue wings, but no fish on top, not even in the 610. Flows are back in the 600 range, still very high for out there, but I think we've seen the height of the crest coming out of Stampede this last week. Go 3-4x on your nymphing rig, anything less than that is pointless. We got fish on rubberlegs, worms, and baetis nymphs. This brown ate my baetis nymph in a sz #16.

It Takes Me Back

I put the boat in up along the 89 stretch the other day with some old friends. Dudes I've known for a long time, but lost touch with over the years. We had some PBR's, and talked about old times while they pounded streamers on the banks. Things are different now, marriage, families, careers, but the more things change the more they stay the same. The fishing part wasn't the best, water came up a bunch, but who cares, that's really not what it's about. Life's a full circle, it's weird how people and things come back in your life. I did manage to get this pretty little brown with his mouth stuffed full of my Skipper Stone where the wife and I got married a few years ago.

Run-Off

Yep, we're in the midst of it, run-off. The LT is up over 600 cubes and the Truckee is up over 2000 near my house. Funny thing though, it does have pretty descent clarity and there are places to fish above the inflow of the Little Truckee (Boca), but the best bet on the Truckee is anywhere above Trout Creek all the way up towards Tahoe City. You could get creative and get off the grid, Stampede, Prosser, and Boca all fish well this time of year in certain arms of those lakes. I think we will have sustained high flows for awhile. For me this is a good time of year to cut wood, get the chores done, and fish a run or two in the afternoon before the real guiding season begins. Once the water comes down it will go off on every river and stream in the Tahoe area. Got this guy today, of course, after getting the garage cleaned up first.

Finally..

Finally, some spring weather here in Truckee. Seems like once you make it through winter nature slaps you in the face and the wind then pummels you all spring. Today a slight breeze and highs in the 60's, a good day to run the boat through the miracle mile. Though the rivers pumping over 1600 cubes through the Hirsch it has good clarity. I've actually been hooking fish in the high flows and today was no exception. Don't get me wrong it ain't for everyone, but if you can find a good spot where fish can get out of the current there's usually a fish there. My rig of choice lately is my Professor Stone Golden #4 followed by a big red wire worm. I have been getting some good whacks on streamers, but not much love in that department. Use a lot of lead and get your flies down and dirty. Not every fish has been big, there's a lot of youngsters, browns in about the 13-16 inch range that I've been catching lately. A sign of a healthy river is having fish in all age classes. The fish are eating and getting big and it's going to be a great summer. These are some photo's from the last few days.