Fishing Report 10-29-24

Middle Fork Feather River

Fall in the Northern Sierra is in full swing. We had our first storm of the season passed through yesterday with a touch of snow and less than a quarter inch of rain. Not enough moisture to bring up the flows yet, but the next system due Wednesday has the potential to do so. The storm a week ago gave a slight bump, but that has moved on and the gauge in Portola reads 18cfs. While low it’s still very fishable in the Clio and Graeagle areas. Flows are a bit better below Jamison Creek and in the Camp Layman area.

Water temps are steady at 48 degrees and there is a really nice BWO hatch in the mid to late afternoon. We are catching fish on the dry dropper rig then switching to single dry fly when the hatch gets going. Tight line jumping is also working well right now. We pulled streamers on a couple occasions this past week with no success. Bugs are king at this time.

What’s Working:

Nymphs: Plastic Surgeon (14-16), Electrolyte Baetis (14-16), Jiggy PT (14-16), Crystal Warrior (16-18), Raindrop (14-16), Jigged Bunny streamer (10), Rusty Jig (14-16) Dries: Sparkle Flag (16-18), Film Critic (14-18), Parachute BWO (16-18), Parachute Adams (16-18), Chubby Chernobyl Orange (10-12)

Truckee River

A taste of winter returned this week with a bit of snow and rain. While this didn’t effect the flows a recent bump in flows out of Donner Lake has added about 50cfs in flow to the Truckee below Donner Creek. A nice bump but the river is still very bony above Boca, Below boca the river is somewhat higher with the gauge at Boca reading 465cfs. The next storm has the potential to give a nice bump in flows. Water temps have gotten cold in the morning ranging in the low to mid 40’s increasing to the low to mid 50’s on the warm sunny afternoons.

Dry dropper is still my go to on the Truckee River. The orange Chubby has been getting eaten at least once a day and when lucky, multiple times. The fish are chowing on baetis mayfly nymphs mostly and caddis nymphs and pupa on occasion. A mid day baetis hatch has fish eating on the surface to a well presented dry. One thing about fishing the low clear conditions, if you beat the water with your fly line you will put these wary fish down. Shorten your cast and put the fly in the zone where the fish are. Not the fly line!

I’m finding fish in the deeper slower riffles and runs, not as much in the pocket water. Indicator and tight line tactics are working as well, but consider down sizing indicators and tippet size in the low clear conditions.

What’s Working

Nymphs: Plastic Surgeon (16-18), Electrolyte Baetis (16-18), Jigged PT (16-18), Crystal Warrior (16-18), Raindrop (16-18), Sparkle Caddis (14-16) Dries: Sparkle Flag (16-18), Parachute BWO (16-18), Parachute Adams (16-18), Chubby Chernobyl orange (10-12)