Fly fishing on the Truckee River has continued to be stellar through the beginning of April! Flows have come up slightly and that has fish on the feed. Looking forward into the week, we have a storm system coming in from Friday through around Sunday. Temperatures are expected to drop and this should bring flows on the Truckee down a bit. With colder water temperatures this weekend, you can expect to find fish in a bit slower water than they’ve been the last few days.

Nymphing continues to be the most productive method of fishing. Your fly selection for this time of year should be diverse and include attractor flies as well as natural patterns. For an attractor pattern it’s tough to beat a Squirmy Worm or the new Squirminator right now. Water clarity has gone up and down along with flows so worms are your best friend when the water is off color. Our Skwala Stones have tapered out almost entirely as of now. While they aren’t hatching anymore, stonefly patterns still get the job done and work great to present your rig near the bottom. The Tunghead Stone has been a favorite lately and will continue to fish well. On days with better water clarity, mayfly nymphs have produced well. At this point in time we have a mix of Blue Winged Olives (cold days) and March Browns (warm days). Spanish Bullets and Jigged CDC PT’s in a size 14 do the trick for a March Brown while Jig TNT’s and Hot Spot’s in a size 16 work for the BWO. 

Dry fly fishing has been surprisingly good on certain days. Look for fish within 1-2 feet of the bank in gentle water. By no means are fish eating off the surface everywhere- but a keen eye will find a few. Brown trout are the primary feeders in these water types and there have been multiple reports of browns eating dries the last couple days. Midge, BWO, and March Browns make up the bulk of our dry fly fishing. We did feed a brown trout a Purple Chernobyl a few days ago which was pretty cool! 

Streamer fishing has been solid and should continue to be into the next few weeks. Fish are hungry and are ready to eat a big spring meal. It seems like a combination of white/ olive on sunny water days and yellow/ olive on cloudy days has worked best. Fish have been pretty close to the bank. The key to success here is covering water. Make one cast to a piece of structure (rock, woodpile, overhanging tree) and keep moving. The Articulated Trout Slider and Kreelex have been best.

Flies we Suggest

Squirmy Worm, Squirminator, Tunghead Stone, Spanish Bullet, Jigged CDC PT, Jig TNT, Hot Spot, Parachute Adams, Baetis Cripple, Purple Chernobyl, Articulated Trout Slider, Kreelex