The Truckee River is undoubtedly one of California’s most notorious trout streams. To some, its challenges embody all the reasons serious fly fishers are drawn to the sport. To others, the suggestion of fishing the Truckee might be met with eye rolls, frowns, and unenthusiastic groans of protest.
The fish are often larger than your average trout. They are wild and well-educated. Part freestone, part tailwater, and generally complex, the river is large for a mountain stream, and the landscape can be rugged. It ranges from a gentle mountain stream in its uppermost reaches to rushing canyon runs with a variety of trout habitat. Within a half-mile stretch, you might find yourself fishing seams, eddies, riffles, long deep runs, long shallow runs, pools, and pocket water. From the canyon, it descends into a desert landscape that Sierra fly fishers might not immediately identify as trout water. But, not before making a straight shot through busy street fairs and the urban river walks of Reno and Sparks, where the fishing can be surprisingly good.
This river offers no magic runs, magic flies, or magic bullets. The truth is that fishing the Truckee requires you to bring your best as an angler.
At the shop, we are often asked about the best stretch to fish on the Truckee. I regret to inform you that there isn’t one. This river offers no magic runs, magic flies, or magic bullets. The truth is that fishing the Truckee requires you to bring your best as an angler.
After fishing this river for several years, I am convinced that there are, in fact, fish in every run. Whether or not they respond to your offering is generally a matter of minor details. No, not necessarily the fly. Remember, there are no magic fly patterns. It’s about refining your trout fishing skills and employing a variety of techniques at a high level to find consistent success.
I find that fishing the Truckee is often like fishing for steelhead. Covering water and diligent probing are prerequisites for success. Patience and understanding that these fish will make you work hard for a dance is also required. Opportunities might be limited but can pay off with some of the largest rainbows and browns you’ll find anywhere in the West. A proper trophy fish might well be your reward.
However, fishing this river differs from steelhead fishing in one key way. The challenge of steelhead fishing is often that there just aren’t that many fish in the river, but those that are present will likely eat even the gaudiest fly drifting into their strike zone with a dubious presentation. On the Truckee, the problem is the opposite. There are fish everywhere, but they are so well educated that they may refuse every drift put past them on that day.
Here are a few tips to help you land more fish on the Truckee:
- Master indicator nymphing and fly line control. For two-thirds of the year, indicator nymphing is far and away the best approach to fishing the Truckee. Success will require being willing to make constant adjustments to depth and weight while patiently observing the subtle currents that pull fly lines, causing drag. Personally, I always use a Jaydacator when fishing the Truckee. Having an easily adjustable, in-line bobber allows me to fish and make adjustments efficiently.
- Don’t let catching a fish determine your success. Knowing that this is such a challenging river, don’t feel discouraged if you find yourself struggling. Struggling for some time is to be expected on this river until you have it dialed in. Even then, there will be some days that are tougher than others. If you hook a quality fish and it breaks you off, consider that a success and find some takeaway or silver lining to make you a better angler going forward.
- Pay very close attention to your drift. Many of the runs on this river suddenly go from being very shallow to very deep. Learning how to use the fly line to slow your indicator down by stack-mending line upstream is a valuable skill to master here. The goal is often to slow your drift down so that your indicator is running, without drag, slower than the surface water. While that may sound counterintuitive, once you learn how to identify a good drift, your odds of success will increase dramatically.
- Don’t become fixated on fishing one run or one zone. There are great fishing opportunities from Tahoe City all the way downriver of Sparks, NV. The key is not “finding a zone” but rather learning how to identify good holding water, wherever you are, and making a good presentation within that run.
