The Truckee River has dropped into shape nicely after a large storm around the middle portion of March. While the river did blow out for a few days following the spike in flow, clarity has improved drastically and fish have settled into feeding lanes. At the time of this writing (3/23/23), flows at the Reno gauge are reported as 722 cfs. This is a fantastic flow and allows for a variety of techniques to be effective. 

Nymph fishing is your best bet for putting wild trout in the net. Fishing a tandem rig with two heavy nymphs has been working well. While there is still a slight tint of green in the river, rainbows and browns have been eating small flies well. When fishing two nymphs, try using a flashy or big fly followed up by a smaller fly. The attractor could be something such as a Squirmy Worm, TJ Hooker, Polar Jig or any other flashy nymph. For a trailing fly, the Carot, Red Perdigon, Hot Spot, or Spanish Bullet would be a great choice. Fish have surprisingly eaten flies down to a size 18 in the higher flows and off color water conditions. Feel free to experiment and try different presentations as each day is different.

Streamer fishing has also been productive in the last week or so. The high flows tend to push fish toward the bank. From the anglers perspective, this can be an opportunity to catch a big fish off guard in a non-typical holding spot. Streamer fishing in and around cover along the bank is a great tactic for finding a big fish right now.

While streamer fishing in these conditions can be difficult- a little persistence can go a long way. Flies such as the Heisenberg in white or the Cheech Leech in tan will grab a brown trout’s attention and set off the predator-prey instinct. With spring runoff looming, take advantage of the great conditions we currently have!

Flies we Suggest: Squirmy Worm, TJ Hooker, Polar Jig, Carot, Red Perdigon, Hot Spot, Spanish Bullet, Heisenberg, Cheech Leech