Rolling right through Winter on the Truckee River.

Very cold at night to somewhat warm in the afternoons. Dry and cold. Very stagnant weather pattern. Hopefully, by the end of the month we see some undercutting of the high pressure ridge that has been in place. I’m sure we’ll have another monster month before Winter is done.

For now take advantage of the nice weather. I haven’t been too excited about the fishing on the CA side. Just too cold out. The Nevada side is much different though. Much warmer and night and during the day. The dry fly fishing is starting to take off down there. For about 3-4 weeks it can be super good. Obviously, it’s best on a warm cloudy day. Fun to streamer fish and then post up on a pod of risers. The nymphing is good in there too this time of year. Years ago, I’d spend 90% of the time nymphing, and 10% streamer fishing. It’s opposite for me now. We catch much less fish, but I find the baddest biggest trouts. Been a lot of folks down in the Mustang/ Lockwood stretch. Remember, the Nature Conservancy has done restoration work almost all the way to Derby Dam. There’s trouts all through there.

The storms stopped, mainly clear and cold on the Truckee River.

Looks like we may have an almost shut out for January snow wise. Kinda a good thing actually as everyone needed to dig out. Winter will come back.

For now, enjoy the nice weather. Been on the cold side, but it’s been nice. You’ll be able to get better access to the river now that some of the snow has melted and has packed down. In Nevada, there is no snow, good to go.

Mostly, that’s where I’ve been. The streamer fishing has been pretty good this winter. It’s just about that time for the good dry fly fishing out East on the lower river. For about a month we get some solid blue wing hatches and lots of fish looking up. Fun to grab the dry fly rod and post up on some risers.

Buried.

What a storm cycle that was. One of the bigger ones to ever come through Tahoe in December. I’ve seen some good ones, and man, we got hammered. Everyone is digging out. Even the foothills got snow. 80’s been closed for a few days, power outages, kinda gnarly. When the storm train gets rolling, she don’t stop. We got at 5-6 feet here in the Hirsch, and we’re only at 5,500 feet. I’m sure they got well over 200” inches above 7,500 feet in the last 2 weeks on the crest. Money in the bank for the Truckee River.

No ones been able to get up here, and no ones been able to get out. Scary when you almost run out of beer.

We should get a duster on Wednesday, one foot of snow maybe, and then a break. It’s been cold, so you ain’t missing out on any fishing. You ain’t gonna be able to park anywhere and get to the river anyways, anywhere on the CA side. Just way too much snow. You ain’t catching any fish when it’s 20 degrees out anyway. It’s been very cold here. If you go, go to the NV side.

The long range ensembles are looking like the storm train could chug right along through January.

Just takes one big storm cycle.

Now we’re sitting at about 150 % of average snowfall for the Truckee River drainage. Of course we need more, and next week looks to provide some more rain and snow. It’s amazing how quick things can change in Tahoe. Can we get out of the drought? There’s a good possibility we can. Every friggin meteorologist painted a doom and gloom Winter for Tahoe, but as we stand now, they were all wrong. Mother Nature does her own thing.

Flows have largely stayed the same on the CA side. Flows have bumped up a couple 100 cfs out East on the lower river. Good fishing flows.

Cold, could warm up next week if we get a tap of subtropical moisture. Feels like an old fashioned December in Truckee.

The calm before the storm on the Truckee River.

It just takes one big storm cycle for us to get back in the drivers seat. Things were pretty bleak, snow wise, back in November. Mother Nature saved us back in October, and she looks to do it again next week. A little cold duster yesterday, and now cold temps and definitely feeling like a Truckee December. Remember, Truckee on average is one of the coldest spots in the country.

This is when things will get exciting on the river. Flows will come up, and we’ll have favorable pressure, low, for some good streamer fishing out East, on the lower river. That’s my jam in the Winter. Sure, you can bobber fish with an egg and most likely do real well anywhere up and down the river. Trust me, I did my share, but post spawn brown trout need the protein. You may as well hand them one of my streamers.

If you just moved to the area, get the gas for the snowblower and the generator, this will be a good one.

Mild November weather on the Truckee River.

Cold nights, mild afternoons. No rain and snow in sight, at least for now. Maybe mid month? Hopefully, because we need it. The rivers clear and low and cold. She came up there for a bit, but with the lack of rain all month, she’s back down. Tough fishing for the most part on the CA side.

The Nevada side of the Truckee River is the best option right now. Out East past Reno, there’s more, water, water temps are warmer, and the rivers not as clear, like in CA. It’s actually been pretty good down there. Streamers and nymphing. Lots of good water in the Nature Conservancy and not much pressure. Of course you do need to know where to go. Lots of long, fish-less stretches down there. Great fishing when you do find the spots.

We still have a lot of winter left. Moderate La Niña’s for us, historically, are backloaded Winters.

November came in like a lion on the Truckee River, with big high flows, after basically a trickle. Now we’re settling back into late fall, early winter flows.

Cold nights, and mild days. Continued warmth on the forecast, fingers crossed we get more snow before the end of the month. It’s looking like the end of this 21 day dry cycle might bring another AR type event near months end.

Flows are just under 300 cfs, here in the Hirsch. The Floriston rate is 300 cfs for November. We’re pretty much average. That October storm put us back in the drivers seat. Without it, man, don’t know what would have happened.

Nymph with the usual Winter suspects. Streamer fish the frog water and see who shows up. The East side of the river has been fishing well in Nevada. It’s always good down there in the colder months. Most trouts on the CA side have moved back into slower water. It may be Fall at most folks house, but it’s Winter in the mountains. It’s cold at night. Adjust accordingly to the lower water temps. The Truckee River is a great Winter trout River if you target the correct type water. Ha ha, you have to target the correct water on any river, but you know what I’m saying.

Streamer Clinic, Saturday November 27th.

If I could access my old posts, I’d have a long write up on what to expect for the streamer clinic. My sites still a bit jacked. Anyways, kinda last minute clinic, but the weather is supposed to be nice for a few weeks and streamer fishing sure is fun going into Winter.

In this clinic we will fish streamers on my rigs, or how I like to do it. It’s a bit different. You will learn the mono rig, and floating line techniques. The term is now coined, vertical jigging. It seems to have caught on. Anyways, instead of a long winded write up, give a call, and I’ll sign you up. We’ll start at 11, and go to about 3:30. $250.

• We’re finally having a real Fall in the Truckee/Lake Tahoe/Reno area. The kind where it’s cold, and you actually feel like you live in the mountains. It definitely ain’t t-shirt weather like the last few years. Looks like November is shaping up to be cold and wet too. Thank God.

Fishing is downright real good. Over 500 cubes here in the Hirsch on the Truckee River. Good down into Reno, and out East on the lower river. I’ll start spending a lot of my time on the lower sections of river. However; these are very good flows for up around here, so we’ll see. For whatever it’s worth, I’ll be mainly streamer fishing until next April.

Looking back, September had low flows, but fishable flows. The smoke was the big thing. October pretty much sucked for flows. Still, lots of shmucks out fishing and of course guides, guiding. Whatever.

On overcast days, look for blue wing olives, and mahogany duns. Streamer fish, if you want a big pre-spawn brown, and of course nymph with the usual Fall suspects. Worms, eggs, and smaller baetis patterns.

We’re back in business on the Truckee River. Sorry for the lack of reports. My web site has been jacked for the last few months. I finally got it worked out, and will keep up on the reports again once I get this new WordPress theme figured out. There wasn’t shit to report anyways, we had no water. Thankfully, through a miracle, we got hammered with rain and snow. Best f’ing October storm ever! There’s snow on the mountains, and water in the river. Fishing is great. I’m working again, the kids are healthy, and life’s good.

The smoke has cleared.

Lower flows this week on the Truckee River.

A couple changes on the Truckee River.

Tight Line Nymph Clinic, Saturday September 18th.

Not much change since last week on the Truckee River.

Good fishing on the Truckee River. 

Much cooler weather and happy trouts on the Truckee River. 

Nice mellow weather on the Truckee River. Gonna hit 90 this weekend, but it looks to cool right back down again. Low 80’s, I can take, 90’s, I can’t. 

The heat wave is over, thank God. 

Still hot on the Truckee River, and another heat wave looming.