Fly Fishing the Truckee River

NEW BLOG UP

2013-02-14T15:38:00.003-08:00

NEW BLOG HERE

My blog has moved to a new web address! Please use the link for future blog updates… again thanks for being a dedicated reader!

THANK YOU!!

Tightlines,

Maher's Guide Service

Been Some Time....

2013-01-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the belated post, but things have been very busy as of late. Unfortunately, my 14 year old Golden Retriever had to be put down and that put a damper on things for my family. Soon after I tore my MCL skiing...so that also didn't help much. But now I am back, fishing and hunting in the Tahoe area. Now that the holiday rush is over, my work schedule has slowed allowing me to get out and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Truckee has posted some record low temperatures lately, so most of our fishable water is either frozen or hard to access via foot. Snowshoes have been the best method to access the river. Lately, fishing down in Hirschdale/Glenshire bridge area gives an angler the best access. If you have a Nevada license (expires on Feb 28/29) thats when the better fishing has been, due to warmer water temps. When the temperatures are negative, it is hard to get out of bed, let alone fish! Your guides on the fly rod will freeze up, as well as your hands. That isn't a great combo when looking for feeding trout. Ideal fishing temperatures right now are in the 45-50* range, but those are hard to come by with another storm on it's way. Patterns that have been working for me lately are; midges & baetis. Soon to be skwalas...stay tuned.. Get those down under some serious weight and hold on!

Duck season is almost at a close, so you can find me out hunting for food and feathers until the closure.

If there is anything specific you would like me to talk about, please comment! Tightlines, Chris Maher

Fall Back

2012-11-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

The clocks were set back an hour on Sunday and now it gets dark early. Water temps are good, but sleep in a bit. I haven't been on the water until 9 AM or so. Streamer fishing has been productive if you pound the banks. There are plenty of trout sitting on the edges and a streamer will hopefully trigger their predatory instincts to strike. Most rivers close on Nov 15, but several stay open with different regulations. Typically, barbless and C&R. With some snow in the forecast, Friday - Sunday could be good, really good! Some flicks from the last few days...

Fall Fishing Report - Like Steelhead Photos?

2012-10-29T15:07:00.001-07:00

It's still Fall in Truckee, but with a bit of snow on the ground. Mornings are brisk, so wearing multiple layers isn't a bad idea. The water temperature stays fairly cool, until the sun shows over the peaks, about 9 AM. The weather for the upcoming week looks good, maybe a bit of moisture on Thursday with temps in the high 50's. Indicator fish has still been the best. I took the weekend off with my Dad to swing some flies up North. The weather was great, as well as the fishing! Flicks below...Oh yeah... GO GIANTS!!

Switch Rods are fun!

Grey Ghost

See the net damage on the face? Glad this wild buck got free... an amazing journey for these Grey Ghosts.

Name that bug!

Wild Hen

Release 2

Fall in Lake Tahoe - Check out some photos!

2012-10-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

Lake Tahoe

Fall Aspens

Lake Tahoe

Bikini Rock

The snow is here...Backcountry fishing report with Golden Trout

2012-10-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

Several friends and I loaded up the backpacks and headed to a high alpine lake for Golden Trout. The fishing was tough as the wind was consistently blowing 20+ mph steadily all throughout the day. Roll casting with a heavy sink tip did the trick. On the way home, we stopped by the East Walker for a quick visit. There were multiple cars at each pull out and anglers on each section of the river. The weather finally decided to show up, snow is upon us now...water temps are cooling off fast, so fish mid-day for best results around Truckee. November is shaping up to be pretty good...

Truckee River Fly Fishing 10/16/12

2012-10-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Temperatures have been brisk in the early AM hours. Fall is here, but without the rain. The flows are still prime on the Truckee. Look for water temps in the 57-60 range. I've been seeing caddis, crays (great thing!), small stones, midges, & baetis. I've been a few Oct caddis as well, but they are pretty elusive right now. Fish the fast water, back eddies, and pools. Some from the last few.

Truckee River Fly Fishing Update - 10/1/12

2012-10-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Fishing has pick up over the last week or so, mostly on the nymph rig with several fish looking up for those hoppers. We had several nice bows chasing from under the alders. The dry fly fishing hasn't picked up yet, hopefully soon! Crays, hoppers, baetis, oct caddis, small olive stones, & small tan sedges have done the trick. The flows are decent through town, but below the Boca confluence is the place to start. Work your way down the canyon towards Reno. You might have to billy goat some of the trails, but chances are you won't find another angler along the banks. Here are some photos from the last few days...

Cool Mornings & Warm Afternoons

2012-09-20T09:59:00.003-07:00

Sorry for the belated post, but I've been busy catching up on some fishing out of state! Montana & Oregon have been the destinations as of late, but it feels good to be back on my home waters, the Truckee River! The flows dropped right after Labor Day here in Tahoe. That raft hatch is gone for the most part, but you still see some cheerios here and there. The best fishing in town has been below the Boca confluence. Flows are a steady 520 cubes in the canyon, but gets a bit larger with every tributary that feeds the Truckee River. Big stones, tan caddis, & crays still seem to be hooking fish, but landing them is a different story! Mornings have been fishing better. Afternoon is a bit harder, but the fish are still eating. Try fishing the fast water when the sun is high. Faster water holds more oxygen, thus allowing them to move to food without having to work too hard. Try a streamer, the takes tend to be pretty hard this time of year and it's only going to get better... This past weekend I headed out with a good friend of mine to catch some Lahontan Cutties. The backpacking was prime and so was the cliff jumping! These fish are truly beautiful...this fish also qualifies for the Heritage Trout Challenge for CA. Lahontan's are a native specie to the Tahoe area and are hard to find...Call me if you would like to know more about these fish! Patch those leaky waders, clean that fly line, & get ready for some good fishing very soon!

Photos courtesy of Adam Broderick - you can find his site here - Adamisstoked.com

Muy Caliente

2012-08-10T10:31:00.001-07:00

The temperatures have been pretty warm lately, with more heat coming our way. The weatherman are also calling for isolated thunderstorms for the next few days. With overcast skies, the fishing has the potential to be epic. If your looking for the big boys, streamers have been the ticket. Switch rod + sink tip + your favorite cray pattern = deadly. Follow that equation for success. Fishing has been good in the morning on the Truckee, but by the afternoon the water is too warm and the fishing slows dramatically. Swing some flies in the AM, then hit the beach in the afternoon. If your looking for dry fly action, hit the Truckee in the late evening around 7:30. Look for caddis and small stones coming off. Takes will be splashy for caddis and subtle for the stones. I'm off to fish the Big Horn in Montana for a week.. see the full report with photos next week… PEACE!

SLAB O' SALMO

2012-08-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

The summer heat is on! Mid-day the heat has been beating down. Cover up well with sunscreen and a long sleeve shirt. A big hat is also key, along with a good pair of POLARIZED glasses. It is probably the best tool an angler can have, unless you are Hal Janson of course… The trout have been whacking the crays with intent lately. Crays molt in order to grow, in that process they are very susceptible to fast current and lurking trout. Small stones, big stones, caddis, PMD's, midges, & hoppers have been on the menu for the trout. Sometimes when there is a big hatch happening and you can't seem to hook one. Switch up the bug and throw them a hatch "buster", typically smaller than the bug hatching. I've had success with Adams, Wulffs, & Humpies. It never hurts to throw something big up top and drop a small nymph a few feet off the back. August is shaping up to be epic fishing! Here are a few photos from the last few days…

First's All Around

2012-07-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

After last weeks thunderstorms, we get a week of great weather! The high has been in the 70's/low 80's with a mild breeze. Wet wading has been rather refreshing lately, even through the evening. The fishing has been hit or miss. Get away from the crowds and find some "untouched" water.. (somewhat hard to do in the Truckee area). Nmyphing has been the most productive means to catch fish on the Truckee. Dry/dropper combo in the fast pocket water has been producing. Caddis #14/16, crays (go big), & yellow sallies have been the ticket. You would be surprised, but streamers are still producing mid-day when there isn't any visible action on the surface. The Little Truckee is fishing rather well, but the fish have been difficult to hook. Green drakes are still present, as they have been here just over a month now. Typically they are only show for 2 weeks or so. Fish a cripple, size #8, in the fast water and hold on! PMD's have been coming off right around 11 AM through 3 PM or so. The trout look like they are eating off the surface, but they are actually sipping PMD emergers sub-surface. 5x is key here…Pictures from the last week on the river…

Vlad with fish on!

G-drake

Dylan styling the river

Matt with his first fish on the fly! What a beautiful fish!

Still flowing

2012-07-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Truckee River is still pumping at a steady 380 cubes in town. Other tributaries also help feed the flows. Fish below a tributary of the Truckee. The water temperature tends to be a bit cooler and the food sources are plentiful for trout. Streamers & nymphs have been working well for me as of late. Yellow Sallys, caddis, crays, Prince nymphs, Hares Ear, & hoppers have been working. (to name a few) With the increased flows, add more weight than your used to. Fish the sides, slicks, boils of the fast water for some grabs. The Little Truckee has also been fishing pretty well. Flows are at a steady 100 cubes. PMD's, caddis, and surprisingly a few green drakes have been the dry fly action out there. Lots of "salad" in the water, so ease up on the weight if you are nymphing. Dry/dropper typically works best for these flows. With the temps in the mid-80's this week, get out early or fish late when the sun is low. The past few days have been great with the cloud cover and brief thunderstorms we had last night. Time to go streamer fish…have a great day! *Beginning of August is shaping up to be prime dry fly action, book your trip today!

Red, White, & Blue

2012-07-02T09:07:00.002-07:00

It's almost the 4th and the weather appears to be cooperating with warm temperatures! The rivers in the area should be crowded for the next week or so, but you can still find some untouched water. Flows have dropped a bit in the area; 350 out of the lake, 425 in town, & 625 in the canyon. The LT has also dropped to a steady 165 cubes. Dry fly action has been pretty good lately...Fish are being hooked on PMD's, caddis, little golden stones, & drakes. Nymph, drp/dropper rigs have been producing fish. Mid-day, fish the pocket water with a dry/dropper setup. Look for rising fish in the evenings. I like to use a downstream presentation, if I know the fish is on the larger side. Careful wading, as the rocks are very slick right now…

Evasive Maneuvers 101

2012-06-27T10:05:00.001-07:00

This is a story about a brown with amazing evasive maneuvers when hooked with a fly. Last week I found a nice slot and hooked a nice brown several drifts later… this brown was full of piss and vinegar. She shook her head with such force snapping 4x, like a pitbull with a chicken bone. I was flat out shocked and amazed. Now she had some official "jewelry" in her lip.. I had to come back for round two and my fly…The next night I took my buddy out to give the slot a go. Sure enough, he hooked that same fish on the first drift. The take appeared to be a snag, but once it started moving my buddy was amazed. His 6wt switch was bent, like a kid without ice cream at the fair. I knew it was that same fish by the way she fought. The fish ended up spitting the fly a minute later. I looked at my buddy and we both were dumbfounded and white in the face. Alright, time to put on the gloves for this fish… Now it was war! She haunted my dreams for the next few nights... I had to go back. I let the slot rest for several more days and ended up checking it out last night. Flows were perfect, bugs were out, and it was time to land this bad girl. I rigged up my friends rod..I kid you not, we hooked that fish again - first drift. I grabbed the net knowing that we are going to land this fish. She jumped completely out of the water to reveal her true size or maybe give us the "fin." She ran down river with help from the current, we were in pursuit. Back and forth head shakes were dished out, but my buddy maintained tension on the fish with perfection. After 5 minutes or so, she looked ready to come to the net, but we were wrong - one more run 50 yards downstream. We were in pursuit again. I yelled to my buddy to get her in a back-eddie. The trick worked - she was in the net!

Her

Another on the night

Shot a few rounds in the AM - Geary getting after it!

Fishing & Fathers Day...

2012-06-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

Fishing has been good lately in the Tahoe area. Flows on the Truckee are a steady 260 after being pumped the last week or so… Flows in the Hirschdale canyon are around 750 cubes, which fishes well. Throw on a sink tip with a streamer or hit them down low with some nymphs. Caddis (#16), PMD's (#18), Green drakes (#10) have been working well lately. Stones (#8/10) also have been producing. Fish the seams with a dry/dropper combo with a high-stick for best results. Bring sunscreen & a good pair of sunglasses with you, it's been hot in the Truckee area. Fish the fast water during mid-day, fast water hold more oxygen and tend to be cooler for the trout. Drys have been coming off in the evening, nothing too consistent yet…Look for long flat spots to cast your 5x/dry combo...Little Truckee is fishing well with flows in the 330 range. Add more split shot than your used to and fish some new water. You may get a surprise tug…Some photos from the last few days…

About that time...

2012-06-08T21:24:00.000-07:00

Been on the water a lot lately, mostly the Truckee. Everything is fishing prime right now; lakes, rivers, & small creeks. Caddis started popping about noon on Tuesday (size 16). The PMD hatch has been great this past week. We were getting them on drys, streamers, & nymphs. I like to bring two rods out when your expecting a hatch. One rod rigged dry fly & the other nymph. Saves time and you can fish the water with more efficiency. Saw a few green drakes, but don't expect those in large numbers for another week. The weather looks to be great for the next 10 day forecast with warm temperatures in the mid 70's. Lakes will be warming up soon and the fish should be active. Flows are ideal below the Boca confluence for high-stick nymphing. Tie on a big ugly streamer if you want a shot at a big brown... Sun & Mon are available… #1. Dan LeCount with a Truckee River rainbow #2. Rod arsenal #3. Truckee River

Ideal Conditions Soon...

2012-05-29T15:41:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day weekend was a wet one! We got some snow Friday night along with some rain here in Truckee. This kept some folks away from the mountains, but the ones who were out fishing (hopefully) were successful. March browns, dark stones, midges, PMD's, & small caddis have been getting fish on the surface. Soon the green drakes will be out and about. Look for those midday with overcast skies or in the evening right before dark. Size 10, 12 typically get the job done. Casting your dry downstream will provide the best presentation. Truckee is flowing great for all types of fishing. The Little Truckee flows have been ramped up to a steady 600+ cfs for several days now. Fish are holding along the edges in the slower currents. Bring a wading staff, as the flows are quite a bit high to wade at the moment. Weather and the fishing looks great for next week, come on up! Some photos from the last few…

Officially Summer… Well Almost

2012-05-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

It officially feels like summer in Tahoe, although summer doesn't technically start until June 20. With the weather and fishing warming up, things are only going to get better! I saw some march browns, BWO's, small caddis, & plenty of midges out and about. Pat's Rubber Legs, Hare's Ear, soft-hackls, Bird's Nest, zebra midges, & Prince Nymph's have been working well lately. Streamer fishing has been producing with a nice slow strip all the way to the river embankment. If you strip the sink link fast, look for a take on the pause. I prefer to use 0x tippet off of my sink tip. This lets you pull up some sticks/river debris without hesitation of losing a fly. Here are some photos from the last few days. The raft got it's maiden voyage yesterday, things are good! Fishing is on, come get some!

Sunshine in Tahoe

2012-05-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

Sunshine, fresh air, and fish have been on the menu lately. Temperatures are rising to the low 70's this week, which means more snow run-off will be filling our rivers. High flows should help move the fish around. Nymphing the riffles, deep pools, and back eddies have been productive. Jean and Jeanette came up with some friends to fish and they had a great day. A few fish were also brought to net. The next few weeks or so will be productive, so grab a friend and head on up to Tahoe to fish! A few pictures from the last few days….

Jean with a nice brown

B&W

Pro tip - It is always a good idea with each new season to replace your fly line. Yes, they are a bit expensive, but worth every penny. From time to time you will snag your line in the bushes, rocks, trees, etc and will cause abrasions on the fly line. When your fly line cracks, water can be absorbed within the fly line thus creating a sub par drift. Replacing the line will help turn over your different casts with more accuracy, precision, and mending. Buy the RIO Gold line, you will have no regrets...

Tahoe Fly Fishing Report - 5/3

2012-05-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Things have been great in the Tahoe area recently! The seasons are transitioning from one to another, but the fishing never ceases to impress. Although the water levels aren't ideal for dry flies, nymphing still remains champ. I fished with a buddy today and he landed several rainbows and we got a double. First double hookup of the 2012 season! They both took a soft-hackle emerger under some lead. It rained a bit today, but the weather outcast for the next week looks to be low 60's, perfect for some trout fishing this weekend!

Start of the Season

2012-04-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday kicked off CA's fishing year for rivers, creeks, lakes, & any other bodies of water that may hold fish. Friday night was Fishmas Eve at Blue Coyote. A special thanks to Stefan, Dave, and anyone whom may of helped, thank you! It was a great event that helped raise money for our local Trout Unlimited Chapter #103. On that note, the Truckee is flowing a bit heavy in town @ 500 cubes and in the canyon @ 750-950 with snow run-off. I've been using the switch rod lately with a heavy tip. Getting that streamer down towards the river bottom is important. Finishing the drift will pay off, if you strip it along the sides of the river. The LT is fishing well. Flows are a big high, but you can still find some hungry trout. Lately I've been using Birds Nest patterns, zebra midges, Copper Johns, SJ's, BWO emergers, black stones, and soft hackle caddis patterns under lead. If you plan on nymphing, use quite a bit of lead and raise the indicator to proper height depending on the riffle, eddie, etc. Here are several that didn't get away…

Warm Temps & Cold Brews

2012-04-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

The warm temperatures recently sure makes it feel like summer in the Tahoe area. Most of the popular ski resorts will stay open just on weekends through mid-May. I've been out fishing the last few days and the snow run-off peaks around 3 PM on the Truckee. This makes for some great streamer fishing! The LT's clarity was a bit murky, but has since cleared up. Birds Nest, Coppers, SJ's, WD40's, BWO's, Skwala's, and sedges have been the go to flies recently. Golden Stones should be popping here soon. The crowds are out, that's for sure… try finding some new water and maybe you will find a few wild trout while your at it. Nick wanted to get out of the office and get a few tugs… good thing he drove up…it was a great day! Good work Nick!

Fishing Report 4/16

2012-04-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Got the afternoon off, so I headed to the Truckee. The weather was a bit overcast, but the fish were still feeding. I saw a few caddis & mostly BWO's. Skies should be good for the next week, but the wind could be a slight issue. Got a few fish on dries, but the nymph bite was better.

Jim getting it done

photo via Jim

Fish Face!

2012-04-11T13:55:00.001-07:00

We got a little weather headed our way the next few days, which should help with the Spring transition… BWO's, stones, san juans, coppers, and black/green streamers have produced several nice fish lately. The Truckee river flows are great right now, as well as the Little Truckee. Temperatures have been roughly around 42*, warming to 43-44 in the afternoon. I've been hooking fish in the tail outs & eddies. If your fishing a streamer, patience is key. Add a MOW tip (T-8) 10 ft and get that streamer down in the deep runs. Remember to hold on, because those browns will give you a ride! With the season around the bend, taking some time to clean your gear is important. I always invest in some new tippet as well. You don't want to lose a lunker to old tippet… it's a horrible feeling, hearing the infamous ZIGGG- POWWWW… This beauty ate a size 22 WD40.