FRESHWATER
18 August 21,, 2020 VOL.39 • ISS. 18
Catch & Release Fishing!
Hook More & Bigger Fish With Flies...
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Truckee Trout! By Cal Kellogg
If you want a chance to catch quality trout in a scenic big river setting, the
Truckee River is a superb prospect.
“I advise you to go down to the Truckee if you ever think you know it all,”
quipped Steve Soulan, an experienced fly fisherman at Mountain Hardware
in Truckee. “Fishing there can be good, but it can also be a very humbling
experience.”
The Truckee offers fly tossers, lure fishermen and bait anglers a chance
to battle large German browns, rainbows, and mountain whitefish. The
rainbows and browns hooked on the Truckee average 14 inches and go up
to above 20 inches. The section of river from the mouth of Trout Creek to
the Nevada border is now restricted to barbless single hooks, artificial lures
only, while only the section from below Lake Tahoe to Trout Creek is open
to the bait angler desiring to take some fish home.
“Day in and day out, the Hirschdale section of river produces the most
consistent fishing,” Soulan stated. “However, anywhere off the beaten track
where there is less fishing pressure is a good place to try. The Truckee is
technically a free stone river, but the Truckee is so regulated by dams that it
functions more like a tail water fishery.”
For most of its length the Truckee is for all practical purposes is what you
would call a wild trout water. Trout plants of hatchery fish (Rainbows and
Lahontan Cutthroat) are limited to the upper ten mile stretch which runs
from its outlet from Lake Tahoe to its confluence with Trout Creek located
at the lower end of the town of Truckee where the special regulation (wild
trout) section begins.
The twenty miles between Trout Creek and the Nevada state line the
special regulations limit tackle to artificial lures with barbless hooks. There
is also a size and bag limit of two trout with a minimum size of 14 inches
from the last Saturday in April through November 15th. For the winter
season which runs from November 16th through the Friday before the last
Saturday in April, no fish may be kept. The wild trout water is home to
Rainbows and Browns, some that get very large.
Access points are easy and numerous along the Truckee. Though there
is some private water (San Francisco Casting Club) along its length, there
is plenty of U.S. Forest property in between so that you can always find a
way to get to
the water. The
upper section
begins at the
outlet from
Lake Tahoe
and is some
of the most
beautiful water
one can fish,
but unfortunately
its
beauty also
has made this
a very popular
rafting run.
With the
arrival of
summer the
flows settle
down and all
of the bugs that
we know and
love show their faces. Caddis, Golden Stones, Little Yellow Stones and Pale
Morning Duns are the most common. Also of mention are terrestrials such
as hoppers and very importantly the huge Carpenter Ants that blow up slope
from the valleys below.
Fall means fewer fishermen, particularly on weekdays, and cooler water
temperatures. Cooler water temperatures mean fishing will remain good all
day and as with other waters located where there is a harsh winter environment,
the trout’s feeding habits change from selective to opportunistic
as they bulk up for winter. The Baetis are beginning to show again and
the October Caddis are preparing to leave the comfort of their pine needle
homes to pupate into huge moth like creatures.
FRESHWATER REPORTS:
CONTINUED FROM PG 18
RIO VISTA cont.
with deep diving Yozuri Crsytal Minnows.
“As soon as we put the lines in, we
hooked up on a double,” he stated. “We
ended up with 10 keepers and 3 shakers.
We kept a 9-pounder, two seven-pounders
and one 21 incher. We also released two
8-pounders.”
The bite continued on the San Joaquin
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the following day, when Dave Houston
caught and released 12 stripers to 9
pounds. The bite slowed down, but then
veteran troller Mark Wilson found a school
of fish on the Sacramento around Decker
Island, catching and releasing 20 keepers
to 9 pounds.
On Monday, another angler, Buddy,
reported catching and releasing 15- and
12-pound stripers, along with 6 other fish,
while trolling around the Antioch Bridge.
- Dan Bacher
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Bass Available, But Fishing
Slow Overall
COLFAX - The weather has been
hot, water temperatures are warm and
recreational boat traffic is heavy. All of this
adds up to limited fishing opportunities for
anglers visiting Rollins Lake and Scotts
Flat Reservoir.
“The topwater bass bite at Rollins has
been decent recently, while trout fishing
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has been pretty much nonexistent,”
disclosed Jason Pleece of Meadow Vista.
“Rebel Pop Rs and Yo-Zuri Poppers are
both working. Early in the afternoon you
can get bass holding in shade near wood
and rock structure to come up. The key
is not working too quickly. That’s why
poppers are working better than walking
baits.
At Scotts Flat, catfish are providing the
most consistent action for anglers fishing
early, late and after dark.
The shoreline near the campground
has been producing well, but the other
spots like the corners of the dam are
holding whiskerfish too. Top baits include
anchovies, worms and mackerel fillets.
SACRAMENTO AREA
Anglers Struggle for
Sacramento Kings
SACRAMENTO – If you want to catch
a salmon during the dog days of August,
you can expect to put in your time on the
Sacramento River in the capital city.
“Every few days a flurry of salmon move
through the Sacramento area,” revealed
Uncle Larry Barnes at Sacramento Pro
Tackle. “When that happens, shore
anglers tossing out Mepps Flying C
spinners are picking up a few kings at
Sand Cover across from Discovery Park.”
“An occasional salmon is also being
CONTINUED ON PG 19