Truckee River 411-worth it?

**Wannaskipownow** · 09-02-2010, 09:45 AM

Thinking of heading up to the Truckee River next week, been told it is very tough fishing and not good access to the best spots in the Wild Trout Section. Worth taking a shot? Any comments? Thanks.

**schwerty** · 09-02-2010, 10:12 AM

I don't have too much experience there but the few times I've fished the area I have really enjoyed the Little Truckee. The Truckee is what it is. A good fishery but most of the water I have found has been crowded and hit hard. The Little Truckee seems to hold some great fish. It is off the main drag, plenty of access, easy fishing for smaller fish and still offers a more technical approach for the larger beasts.

**NMmatt** · 09-02-2010, 04:00 PM

The little Truckee is great but can be quite crowded and technical as well. The big Truck has a motherload of water to fish in the canyon, and much of it is not accessed often. However, the access is challenging, pulling into a dirt lot from a freeway at 65 MPH, and scrambling down to what can be difficult wading. My kind of water!! Prepare for some suffering. Rewards can be big. Other places are easier to get to for sure. Don't discount stretches right by the freeway - if they look good, check 'em out. Pay attention to the temperature of the water. There are huge fish hiding in both rivers.

**Alkasquawlik** · 09-02-2010, 04:16 PM

The Truckee is my home water and while it's "Toughee" nickname is well deserved, there is huge fish in there, the water and scenery is beautiful and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite rivers to fish. Access isn't really that tough and I've never once had a problem with crowds. Never seen more than a few people ever on the water.

The Little Truckee has easy access but has been really low this year and the fishing has been sub-par this summer. Unless the flows start to go up prepare yourself to be skunked by lots of fish you can see.

Anyways, do some research before you go, prepare to get down deep into faster water riffles and deep pocket water at this time of year. A Tim's Dead Drift Crawfish with some sort attractor nymph dropper can be a useful searching rig around now. My recommendation, go to the Boca Lake outflow and fish down river from there. If that isn't appealing or not producing, drive toward Reno for about 10 minutes and pull out on many of the dirt roads off of exit ramps and right off the highway.

Be prepared for a skunk or one fish day and working a bit for the fish, but if you do catch fish, I guarantee it'll be a sweet one. Some of the best fish I've ever caught have been pulled out of the Truckee.

Check this site out: http://gilligansguideservice.blogspot.com/

**snapt** · 09-02-2010, 05:31 PM

^^^Cody's recommendation for Matt Gilligan is a good one. He's a good guy and really fun to fish with.
LT is low and warm right now, do the fish a favor and stay on the Big T.

**Wannaskipownow** · 09-02-2010, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by snapt

^^^Cody's recommendation for Matt Gilligan is a good one. He's a good guy and really fun to fish with.
LT is low and warm right now, do the fish a favor and stay on the Big T.

Great beta guys, confirms my research. I had in fact stumbled on Matt's web page and exchanged some e-mail with him yesterday. I have no concerns about working for my fish and prefer to get away from the easy access spots and really enjoy the "hunt", as much as the catch. While my home waters in Mammoth Lakes can be very productive, they are also heavily pressured and I've also had my fair share of "selective" fishing and being shut out on more than a few occassions. As we all know, it's not called "catching", after all.

I'll post an update once I get dates firmed up if any of you maggots want to split a guide or otherwise share some water. Planning to pass thru for a few days on the way to Ketchum, Idaho to hit Silver Creek and the Big Wood.

**Pimpin Panda** · 09-02-2010, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by Wannaskipownow

Thinking of heading up to the Truckee River next week, been told it is very tough fishing and not good access to the best spots in the Wild Trout Section. Worth taking a shot? Any comments? Thanks.

Here is my take on it. I learned to flyfish from my dad. He did not know how to nymph and while he could cast was NOT a good teacher. Therefore I was a horrible caster. I learned in the eastern sierra, bishop creek, the owens, Hot creek and the San Juoquin. The flies I tied were SHIT, but little size 20 flies with some hackle and elk hair for a EHC were NOT refused by fish on hot creek. I easily caught 10 fish a day on hot creek. One of my best days ever was as a dumbshit teen fishing on the san juoquin past devils postpile where trout were boiling over. The Owens was a BITCH since I only knew how to dry fly, but I still had one in the mid 20 inch range, with 6 pound tippet, that I Had tired out and was getting it in by walking backward, when it got off. I checked my fly and and it was still on, just straightened out. When I happened to be on the Owens during elk hair hatches I did decently.

As a adult, I became a educated fly fisherman. learned about nymphing and steelhead and salmon, and caught enough salmon and steelhead that catching a 28 inch steelhead was not a rush. Fished 50 plus days on the upper sac, where I landed 2 fish around 25 inches, and one 16 incher on a dry that jumped 3 feet high a couple of times. I had anadronymous rivers and the upper sac dialed in. Still Fishing the truckee two times I had only a couple of fish.

And none of these streams compared to hot creek, a small 20 foot wide 2-3 feet deep creek with 6000-10000 fish per mile. Not even steelhead rivers where in the summer I could catch steelhead in the mid 20 inch range on a size 20 Trico or EHC.

Lake Tahoe is awesome. If you are in the area definitely fish the truckee. But from my experience, the Mammoth area is the best fishing in the state (hot creek, east walker, lake crowley, june lakes, owens). And I lived on the upper sac and fished it almost every day. Incredibly beautiful area, but no where near the amount of fish as hot creek. On hot creek, you can take a beginner and they will catch 10 fish and have 50 rises. And in my opinion the walker has the same monsters as the truckee, as does Lake crowley, twin lakes, plus several high country lakes where you will not catch monsters but will catch goldens which are a wonder to catch.

**snapt** · 09-02-2010, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by Pimpin Panda

Here is my take on it. I learned to flyfish from my dad. He did not know how to nymph and while he could cast was NOT a good teacher. Therefore I was a horrible caster. I learned in the eastern sierra, bishop creek, the owens, Hot creek and the San Juoquin. The flies I tied were SHIT, but little size 20 flies with some hackle and elk hair for a EHC were NOT refused by fish on hot creek. I easily caught 10 fish a day on hot creek. One of my best days ever was as a dumbshit teen fishing on the san juoquin past devils postpile where trout were boiling over. The Owens was a BITCH since I only knew how to dry fly, but I still had one in the mid 20 inch range, with 6 pound tippet, that I Had tired out and was getting it in by walking backward, when it got off. I checked my fly and and it was still on, just straightened out. When I happened to be on the Owens during elk hair hatches I did decently.

As a adult, I became a educated fly fisherman. learned about nymphing and steelhead and salmon, and caught enough salmon and steelhead that catching a 28 inch steelhead was not a rush. Fished 50 plus days on the upper sac, where I landed 2 fish around 25 inches, and one 16 incher on a dry that jumped 3 feet high a couple of times. I had anadronymous rivers and the upper sac dialed in. Still Fishing the truckee two times I had only a couple of fish.

And none of these streams compared to hot creek, a small 20 foot wide 2-3 feet deep creek with 6000-10000 fish per mile. Not even steelhead rivers where in the summer I could catch steelhead in the mid 20 inch range on a size 20 Trico or EHC.

Lake Tahoe is awesome. If you are in the area definitely fish the truckee. But from my experience, the Mammoth area is the best fishing in the state (hot creek, east walker, lake crowley, june lakes, owens). And I lived on the upper sac and fished it almost every day. Incredibly beautiful area, but no where near the amount of fish as hot creek. On hot creek, you can take a beginner and they will catch 10 fish and have 50 rises. And in my opinion the walker has the same monsters as the truckee, as does Lake crowley, twin lakes, plus several high country lakes where you will not catch monsters but will catch goldens which are a wonder to catch.

Lol at how full of bullshit this post is.

Mid 20 steelhead on 20 tricos? Sounds like you harass smolt on the fly only Trinity with all the other gapers and have a distorted sense of scale. Only one true summer run in CA with fish in the mid 20's.

No rush from a 28" steelhead? Blower pow and getting laid must be a drag then. But then again from the sounds of it you were probably nymphing for spawned out fish.

And 25" fish on the Upper Sac are quite rare, as in Bob, Freddy, and Joe can count on their fingers how many of those there are and they've caught most of them.

End rant

**Pimpin Panda** · 09-04-2010, 02:09 AM

Originally Posted by snapt

Lol at how full of bullshit this post is.

Mid 20 steelhead on 20 tricos? Sounds like you harass smolt on the fly only Trinity with all the other gapers and have a distorted sense of scale. Only one true summer run in CA with fish in the mid 20's.

No rush from a 28" steelhead? Blower pow and getting laid must be a drag then. But then again from the sounds of it you were probably nymphing for spawned out fish.

And 25" fish on the Upper Sac are quite rare, as in Bob, Freddy, and Joe can count on their fingers how many of those there are and they've caught most of them.

End rant

You are kind of a asshole.
1) 28 inch steelhead on the low flow of the feather, a chromer, measured it.
2) caught 2 fat nicely colored rainbows in one summer in city park. To be fair while they had nice coloring of a native, given how fat they were and the condition of the fins and tail I would guess they were "special" fish.
3) have caught 5 -10 mid 20 inch trout in june and july right in the middle of Oroville. The trico's are out at dusk and there are some big assed fish to be caught on a dry. If you have never fished the feather, go to where the gazebo is, their is a trail about 15 feet downriver from the gazebo. From where this puts you there is a nice hole about 10 feet downstream. Have caught many mid 20 inch trout in this hole in the summer on drys. That is MEASURED trout 23, 24 inches. If from here you look at the hatchery, you will see another fork of the river. Follow that to where it meets the fork you are at, and more great summer dry fly action (as well as great winter action).

This section is a great section for about 100 yards, the bottom of this (just upstream from where the out of bounds spawning creek is) has a great hole that is a bit deeper, with a good sized tree on the bank of the island. Make a long cast and you can be rewarded with a mo of a trout.

The park, the white gate ( in the wildlife section, drive on the dirt road past shithouse riffle, past the next riffle, the road take a right turn to avoid a swamp, when you get past the swamp you will make a left, then another left going back towards the river, when you get to the river the road will take a right, and end at a white gate. That is also great fishing, as is the palm riffle,
but those areas described above, from the gazebo down a couple of hundred yards, offer AWESOME summer dry fly fishing for 2-5 pound steelhead.

I hope you aren't always such a shitty excuse for a human being and are just having a bad day

And the point of my original post wasnt look at me, I have caught all these fish, it was I have caught my share of fish, and I have to say Hot Creek is just a phenominal stream, is only about 20 feet wide, is about 30 cfs, and has had verified electro shocking studies of up to 10,000 trout per mile!! From a stream that is only 30 cfs

**Pimpin Panda** · 09-04-2010, 02:28 AM

Originally Posted by snapt

Lol at how full of bullshit this post is.

Mid 20 steelhead on 20 tricos? Sounds like you harass smolt on the fly only Trinity with all the other gapers and have a distorted sense of scale. Only one true summer run in CA with fish in the mid 20's.

And if anyone wants to verify what a asshole this fucker is, just call the Chico FLy shop at 530-345-9983 and say "I heard someone say that they catch a decent number of steelhead in the 20 -25 inch range in the lower feather from where the picnic tables are up to around the gazebo on dry flies in june and july, but someone else said they are full of shit."

I bet most of the staff at CFS have caught mid 20 inch steelhead on dries.
You are just a flaming asshole Snapt.

Oh, and a big

to you jackass

**Underoos** · 09-04-2010, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Pimpin Panda

As a adult, I became a educated fly fisherman.

I laughed.

Originally Posted by Pimpin Panda

The trico's are out at dusk

I've never fished the river you are talking about, but I have seen lots of tricos in my day and I ain't never seen a trico hatch at dusk. That's a morning/midday hatch.

**snapt** · 09-04-2010, 11:21 AM

Lol keep digging yourself in a hole dude. I've been making a living at this a long time and my bullshit meter is pretty dialed in. If you want to get all bent out of shape, it aint no sweat of my back. Edit to add my steve sullivan, aka superdupergaper meter is also going off.

Back to the original poster, check this link to wet your appetite
http://www.danblanton.com/viewmessage.php?id=144473

**Wannaskipownow** · 09-04-2010, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by snapt

Lol keep digging yourself in a hole dude. I've been making a living at this a long time and my bullshit meter is pretty dialed in. If you want to get all bent out of shape, it aint no sweat of my back. Edit to add my steve sullivan, aka superdupergaper meter is also going off.

Back to the original poster, check this link to wet your appetite
http://www.danblanton.com/viewmessage.php?id=144473

Thanks for getting this thread back on track, I was not asking about Hot Creek. Confirms that there are pigs to be had on the Truckee, no matter if it is tough fishing or not. Skill is clearly an equilizer.

**Pimpin Panda** · 09-04-2010, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by snapt

Lol keep digging yourself in a hole dude. I've been making a living at this a long time and my bullshit meter is pretty dialed in. If you want to get all bent out of shape, it aint no sweat of my back. Edit to add my steve sullivan, aka superdupergaper meter is also going off.
[/URL]

You are right, I am Steve Sullivan. Wait, no, I am jer. No, wait I am ....
You have been making a living at this for a long time? So you have worked at walmart for 10 years? No, wait, you are Simon Gawesworth! No, Steve Rajeef. Wait, anyone you want to say given we are all anonymous. I gave the phone number for the Chico Fly shop, who will tell anyone who calls that there are mid 20 inch size steelhead to be caught in june/july (note the upper section closes the middle of july) on elk hair caddis and Tricos in the evening.

I am just an anonymous person, should people take my word as gospel? No. You are just some anonymous person (who acts like a fucking asshole) who claims to be a big time professional, should people believe you? No. I gave the contact info for a local fly shop who will verify what I have said, they will prove you are wrong, a asshole, and much more.

People, I gave the phone number for Chico Fly Shop, give them a call you will see that their are steelhead in the mid 20 inch range to be caught on dry flies in june and july in the area I have given. This will come from actual experts, not some anonymous asshole who claims to be a big wig yet no one knows.

-Jer
Er I mean Dec Hogan
wait Ralph Cutter
no I mean Steve Sullivan

**snapt** · 09-06-2010, 12:30 AM

Skipownow ran into some buddies this weekend that spend a lot of time on the T. California side is cooling back off and fishing has picked up. Not many october caddis out yet but should improve day by day. Streamer fishing has been productive for them. I've always enjoyed fishing streamers and crawdad patterns in the fall. Hope this helps.

Wait, no, I am jer.

And panda, no way you're Jer, at least he's good at being butthurt

**sunpower** · 09-06-2010, 10:07 AM

A little stoke for the Truckee!! Awsome river and well worth the challenge, come on out and fish and let us know when your coming!!!

**Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer** · 09-07-2010, 01:42 PM

Thanks to all - I have always wondered this as I have been heading North up by Shasta for my limited fly experiences (e.g., McCloud, Trinity, etc..). Was always wondering about the Truckee.

**Wannaskipownow** · 09-10-2010, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by snapt

^^^Cody's recommendation for Matt Gilligan is a good one. He's a good guy and really fun to fish with.
LT is low and warm right now, do the fish a favor and stay on the Big T.

Have a trip set on the Truckee with Matt this Sunday afternoon and evening, hope to be able to post some good results.

**teleee** · 09-17-2010, 01:13 PM

Bump for results? I am headed to Reno for work next weekand am wondering hoe the Truckee is fishing?

**Wannaskipownow** · 09-28-2010, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by teleee

Bump for results? I am headed to Reno for work next weekand am wondering hoe the Truckee is fishing?

Sorry for the delay in responding, just got back from a 2 week road trip thru Truckee and on to Idaho and Oregon.

We met up with Matt Koles of Gilligan's Guide Service on September 12th and fished the Truckee down well below the Boca Reservoir. Matt clearly knows the Truckee like the back of his hand and is a great guy. To my surprise, we were told to stash our 4 and 5 wts. and used Matt's 7 wt. nymph set ups with a big Stone, not my favorite way to fish but apparantly the right tool for the job. My wife hooked into two very large rainbows, one being easily 24+ inches and she did a great job battling it to the net, although it snapped the leader just before being netted. Unfortunately, no pics of the beast. I did not do as well, caugh one smallish fish but had a few on that slipped off. Not sure if the fish come to the surface much as we saw limited surface action,but there are definately some very large Bows in the Truckee. Expect to be back to give it another try soon. I also heard the area east of Reno is a very good spot in the spring. Get hold of Matt if you are in the Truckee area.

**Denny1969** · 09-28-2010, 08:46 PM

Hi Wanna,
Thanks for the report. I may be headed up the hill next week. Bummer on the loss of your wife's short distance release. There are quite a few big fish in the Big T.

Denny

**teleee** · 09-28-2010, 09:28 PM

Thanks Wanna, no worries about the delay. I actually went out just downstream from Boca. I stopped into the Reno fly Shop and was also told to throw a nymph rig. Managed to net 2 small bows and lost one that pulled like a truck before i wrapped him around a sunken tree. What a beautiful river!
I would loe to get back when i can chuck a streamer at some browns.

**mooseknuckles** · 10-21-2019, 09:23 AM

Bump...

Heading to Squaw later this week and was looking to find some fish friendly water Fri and Sat since the boss will be working. 2Funky tells me to hit the Little Truckee, I have never fished the area and it's been over a decade since I was in Truckee. My only current must stop is a return to Taco Jalisco's. Appreciate any other must hit spots, shops or beta anyone is willing to share.

**LightRanger** · 10-21-2019, 12:54 PM

The Little Truckee is right off Highway 89 and then the 07 Road. Access is dead simple and the trees up there at this time of year are gorgeous. No specifics other than that because my fly rod hardly ever sees any use, but, no joke, if you look at it on the map it's with a couple minute walk of the road for a long ways. It's also really not that far out of town either. See here (flows ESE): https://www.google.com/maps/@39.4839.../data=!5m1!1e4 Mountain Hardware and Sports has a pretty active fly counter.

Truckee has changed a lot in the last decade. Jaliscos is still good though (and has been remodeled/expanded). Full Belly Deli is solid to grab a sandwich to go, and is on your way out of town if you're heading to the Little Truckee.

**gnarbro365** · 10-22-2019, 09:01 PM

Little truckee has been getting hammered this year. Sneaky approach and perfect presentations can land you some nice fish, though.

Tons of access for the (big) Truckee. I’ve heard it called the “Tricky”, but the river is filled with fish, and plenty of hogs. I’d say the (big) Truckee would be a better bet...just walk a little further to be rewarded. Nymphing on both rivers and a streamer might entice a troot on the big.

Lil’ Truckee Troot