South Side Hype
What would normally be considered the “dog days of summer” is something we are surprisingly looking forward to this summer. The East Carson, West Walker, and even the East Walker are all coming into play and are flowing cold, clearish, and have largely been un-fished. While the Truckee and Little Truckee are still fishing well, angling pressure has made it more difficult to be successful. The backside of the Sierras received a ton of snow and the rivers that have remained stubbornly high are settling down and we have started to catch fish from the West/East Carson and the West/East Walker.
Carson River:
East Fork: The East Carson dropped below that magic 600 CFS number, which is now what many of us would consider fishable. The flows will still be big, and largely the river is uncrossable, but at least now you can begin to look for soft water behind boulders, bushes, and in tail outs. Fish are lazy and will be in various depth water, as long as the current is slow. Try any deep buckets, long even flowing currents, and behind natural water breaks such as boulders and logs. As far as bug selection, think big and/or bright. Flies to try are large black or golden stoneflies, (Pat’s Rubber Legs, Tung. Golden Stone, Iron Sallys), large prince nymphs or pheasant tails and their modern variations, flashy perdigons, and the classic San Juan worm. White and black wooly buggers, sparkle minnows, and crayfish patterns can work really well in the higher flows as well.
West Fork: This river has received a lot of angling pressure as its been the closest fishing option to the basin, but the fish are still there. Stealthy approaches and good presentation with lighter tippets and longer leaders will help. Also try fishing either early morning or late evening when the sun and shadows are off the river. Dry dropper or single dries are probably the best option as the water has shallowed up and indicator rigs will start to snag on the river bottom. Small wet flies or streamers swung through the pocket water can be a fun way to fish this river as well.
Truckee River:
Lots of smaller fish and whitefish are being caught as the large wild fish have seen plenty of flies and are getting smart by mostly feeding at night. Some stocked trout have washed out of the Fly Casters zone so fishing below their private stretch might result in some larger, less educated trout. The canyon section near and into Nevada has also been producing some nice browns and rainbows as the flows have come down and this section is fully wadable. Flies to try are small black or olive midges, natural PMD colored pheasant tail variations, and small yellow sally stoneflies. If you’re indicator nymphing, one trick is tie on a caddis Pupae (soft hackle) and let your flies swing at the end of your dead drift which can work great if the fish are keyed into emerging caddis.
Little Truckee River:
It’s that time of the year where the fish have seen every PMD dry, nymph, or emerger and are extremely selective about what they eat. Down sizing tippet, using long leaders, and minimizing weight can help, but the fish are smart and the refusals are common. Be considerate to your fellow angler or guide out on the river and give each other some space. No one likes the guy who tries to elbow their way into the same zone someone else is fishing.
East Walker River:
The flows have been consistent at ~570 CFS, which is a tough flow to travel all the way down there for. However if you want to try for some larger trout, or practice more advanced fly fishing techniques, this may be a good option as the river has largely been unpressured. Wading will be difficult so cover lots of ground until you come across that slow moving bucket or run. The water clearity has improved a lot, so you may be able to get away with smaller, more natural nymphs and streamers.
West Walker River:
One of Californias last true Freestone rivers has started to drop and is another river we are setting our sites on. Mono county does an excellent job planting this river and some jumbo trout have recently been put in, so look for the slow water. The section near Sonora Pass has come down to 750 CFS which is fishable but big. Not being able to cross will make access tough, but if you find yourself down in the area, I think it’s worth checking out.
Stillwater Options:
We have had some hot weather which has raised the surface temperatures on many of the lakes in the area, so fishing early morning or better yet off a float tube or other watercraft will increase your odds. Try shallow stripping or nymph rigs in the morning, moving to deep stripping or long line midge rigs with slip indicators as the day progresses.
Hot Lakes:
Sawmill Lake - BOOK NOW! Open and fishing hot!
Fallen Leaf - Fishing well especially near the inlet
Prosser Reservoir - Fishes well from shore or boat for trout and small mouth bass.
Bridgeport Reservoir - Big Carp near the dam!
Caple’s Lake- Fishing well near the inlets, chance at a big fish!
Tahoe - Not a numbers game but when we fish Tahoe we are looking for that fish of a lifetime
