Mid Summer Tactics
Beautiful but hot days have changed the tune on some of our local rivers as the bugs and fish have been shutting off earlier and earlier. The rivers are still fishing good but early bird gets the worm. Try to be fishing before 7 am and take advantage of the few hours of cooler air and water temps is our best advice this time of year. The stillwater game also gets a bit tougher but a float tube/raft/paddle board will increase your success as the fish tend to go deeper when it’s hot. Another option is to try your hand at warm water species. Carp down in our nearby Nevada valleys, small mouth in prosser and stampede reservoirs, or small mouth in Topaz can be a lot of fun on a fly rod.
East Carson River:
Flows remain good at ~75 cfs but temperatures below hangman’s bridge are starting to climb into the afternoon so carry a thermometer and check those temps. Anything 68 or above reduces a fishes chance to recover, but this is generally when the air temps are above 90 degrees down there which is cold beverage at the car time anyways. Temperatures are more stable roadside and along Wolf Creek road so a half day downstream from Hangman’s and the remainder of your day spent upstream is a good way of fishing this river. As far as flies, try a medium (12 or 14) sized yellow sally/golden stonefly or a similar sized brown or white caddis followed by a small (18 or 20) mayfly nymph or midge. Dry dropper or small indicator nymphing seems to be working the best.
Truckee River:
Unfortunately Lake Tahoe’s temperature has jumped with the warm weather we’ve been experiencing so now this river is under voluntarily hoot owl conditions. This means it is advised for those that are practicing catch and release to only fish this river from sunrise to 2 pm at the latest. In some spots the temperatures are reaching lethal levels even before 2 pm so still bring those thermometers and check every hour or so. Flies that are working include caddis, teeny tiny mayflies (juju baetis, wd40s, etc.) and midges. Make sure to let that nymph rig swing out below you at the end of the drift to imitate an emerging caddis. Streamers down low have also stuck a few nice fish in the last week.
Little Truckee River:
Cool water with not so cool headed anglers. As our other waters begin to warm people often flock to this small stretch of tail water. Try to maintain traditional fly angler etiquette and give room to the person already fishing that run. “High holing” and “low holing” are unavoidable but same holing is never warranted. On the flip side don’t be the guy who stands in the same run for hours at a time. If you find yourself out there on a busy day, try working the in between stuff with a larger dry fly or streamer, basically walking and casting at the same time. Big fish can hold in shallow water if there’s even a hint of structure they can feel safe next to. Summer time hatches of PMDs and midges remain the primary bugs.
East Walker River:
Get up early if you want to fish this river as temps are non lethal only between sunrise to about 10:00 AM this time of year.
Stillwater Options:
Bust out those float tubes and slip indicators as our rivers begin to slow and the lakes become our best option for all-day fishing. Strip full sinking lines or deep water midge in 20-40 feet of water. Still water is often considered boring but the fish are often bigger, have more room to run, and can still make for an awesome day of fishing. Also just like our rivers there’s often a window of dry fly fishing in the late evening so if you are looking for that dry fly fix, don’t forget about lakes.
Hot Lakes:
High Elevation Lakes - Stop by the shop for more information
Blue Lakes - Lower is fishing great
Prosser Reservoir - Trout and Smallmouth
Sawmill Lake - BOOK NOW! Private Lake with large rainbows and browns
Lake Baron -Stocked!
Bridgeport Reservoir - Carp time. Drop a line by the dam.
Silver Lake - Stocked!
Caple’s Lake- Chance at a big Lake Trout
Tahoe - Not a numbers game but when we fish Tahoe we are looking for that fish of a lifetime
