Fly fishing along 395 (Northern Cal - Western Idaho - Oregon - WA)

Don’t overlook small creeks you might pass over two feet wide. Many browns grow pretty big eating little trout in these. Sometimes a tiny stream is so full of little trout that are quick to take anything that it’s fun to crawl on hands and knees close enough to simply set the fly on the surface. Enjoy practicing your casts in different conditions even if it’s frustrating. Some brush lined creeks can only be fished with tiny roll casts or by pulling the fly back and shooting it a short distance like a bow and arrow (archer cast).

A great companion to a fly rod for brush lined creeks and big or swift rivers is a small spinning rod with a small casting bubble 5’ leader and black wooleybuger or other leach imitation. If there is a big rock in a river I get excited since first cast hookups are so common. You’ll see the biggest trout come out of hiding to eat this big juicy morsel. Don’t overlook the casting bubble and a nondescript fly like an Adam’s or PMD retrieved quickly like a wet fly for areas with a lot of little stockers. It seems to work better than it should.

You’ll cross some big fast deep rivers that are hard to fish - don’t overlook opportunities for adding significant split shot to a streamer or big nymph to get it down in deep pockets near shore. Some water that looks like rapids on the surface has pockets of calm water in front of or behind big rocks down deep. Guys that joy this kind of fishing pull out some big fish that others don’t even try to fish. On a fly rod it doesn’t resemble fly casting, and on a spinning rod it’s more like fishing lead heads.

Unfamiliar water is generally just an excuse to stop and doesn’t produce much without local knowledge, but mixed in with dashed hopes and unfulfilled day dreams, some of my most memorable afternoons were spent experimenting in oddball spots near the highway that hid fish others ignored.

🙂
Thank you! I appreciate the detailed info.

I've never heard of the bubble + fly on a spin casting rod. Very, very cool.

I may have to try that kayak fishing this summer.
 
dude if you're coming to reno you need to get down on the truckee. anywhere in town at any of the urban parks are great spots to fish. easy parking and lots of river access. some of the biggest fish in the river are in town.

as you're coming in, you'll be by the feather river too which has some good fishing in it. If you're up for still water, you'll be passing by Frenchman Lake and Lake Davis both are great for fishing and have some creek around them.

Depending on how long you're in reno, you can also make a trip west on i80 to the Little Truckee which isnt an easy place to catch a fish but they are all wild big and beautiful fish!
Awesome! Between friends and family, my social calendar is full when I'm in Reno. None fish. That's why I was planning on making a couple stops on the way down through WA-OR-ID and taking a slightly longer route CA-OR-WA on my return. It'll just be me and a couple hours driving break to get out, stretch, and enjoy getting a line wet.
 
I should say that if you take a side tour down 70 and then up 89 and back over to 395 at Susanville you'll fish some pretty country along through there. The middle fork of the Feather has trout and smallies, largemouth in the calmer spots, Spanish Creek has trout and some big ones to boot as doe greenhorn creek but the good fishing is largely private property. A little further out of the way is Bucks lake. Almanor is off 89 and 36 back down to Susanville has numerous lakes and creeks. Stop in Susanville at Idaho grocery for a sammich and a pack of their Basque chorizo. Hit the Brass Rail in Alturas and/or Louis' Basque Corner in Reno for some good food. If you're coming from the South and go through Gardnerville you got to eat at the J&T. Order a picon
Thanks! I used to live in Vegas and loved heading north to Elko for the Basque food (somewhat) and Picons (always). Gorgeous country in the Rubies.
 
Thanks! I used to live in Vegas and loved heading north to Elko for the Basque food (somewhat) and Picons (always). Gorgeous country in the Rubies.
Hopefully you fish the marshes when you're up that way. I used to work at the hatchery there
 
Hopefully you fish the marshes when you're up that way. I used to work at the hatchery there
I will keep that in mind the next time I head that direction. I need to find an excuse to get over there in the fall for some chukar chasing.
 
I will keep that in mind the next time I head that direction. I need to find an excuse to get over there in the fall for some chukar chasing.
There's birds between the refuge headquarters and the hatchery, all through that rim rock. If you go a little further north in the valley there are huns too
 
There's birds between the refuge headquarters and the hatchery, all through that rim rock. If you go a little further north in the valley there are huns too
Thanks. My first and only chukar hunt was in Elko many years ago. Been dying to get back. This thread is now getting my gears turning on planning a fall bird hunt in northern Nevada. Hit Reno area to visit friends and family and chase some desert quail. Then head east to Elko for chukar. Work my way back home to WA through Boise.

Would be a fun way to spend a week and get the young dog all kinds of experience.
 
Thanks. My first and only chukar hunt was in Elko many years ago. Been dying to get back. This thread is now getting my gears turning on planning a fall bird hunt in northern Nevada. Hit Reno area to visit friends and family and chase some desert quail. Then head east to Elko for chukar. Work my way back home to WA through Boise.

Would be a fun way to spend a week and get the young dog all kinds of experience.
You don’t have to go all the way to Elko to find chukar. Lots of birds in between!
 
Thanks. My first and only chukar hunt was in Elko many years ago. Been dying to get back. This thread is now getting my gears turning on planning a fall bird hunt in northern Nevada. Hit Reno area to visit friends and family and chase some desert quail. Then head east to Elko for chukar. Work my way back home to WA through Boise.

Would be a fun way to spend a week and get the young dog all kinds of experience.
As stated above there's birds all over. Some really good hunting not far from Reno too. Get out by Lovelock and further east you'll run into a lot of birds and some huns. Pheasant too if you know where to look
 
North of Dale Oregon you will come upon the N Fk John Day River where it parallels 395 for several miles. Take the forest road that follows the river upstream to the wilderness boundary and you can fish upstream along a good trail from there. Lots of small rainbows but pretty good option for someone new to fly fishing.
 
North of Dale Oregon you will come upon the N Fk John Day River where it parallels 395 for several miles. Take the forest road that follows the river upstream to the wilderness boundary and you can fish upstream along a good trail from there. Lots of small rainbows but pretty good option for someone new to fly fishing.
Sorry, just realized you said you were coming through in May. The river may still be high and cold then, they had a big snow pack up that way from what I understand ( I don't live there anymore)...gauge off the flows you see by the highway.

Also, don't bother stopping at the middle fork which you will cross first on 395 further south. Access is tough and fishing where you can access typically poor.

Say hi to E Oregon for me, I miss it up there
 
Back from the trip and wanted to thank everyone for sharing their recommendations. I stopped at the North Fork of the John Day River in OR on the way down to Reno. Gorgeous area but the water was definitely running a bit high and fast. I succeeded in donating a couple of nymphs to the river gods and then found a dispersed camping site on the river to spend the night.

On the way back home I swung by Hat Creek in CA. Another beautiful location. And warm. About 90 degrees by noon. There were a handful of fly fisher dudes there on a weekday so I imagine it probably gets quite crowded on the weekends.

I started with nymphs and then moved to drys when the trout starting rising around 11 a.m.

Those trout had zero interest in what I was offering but it was cool to see them not pay attention to me or my flies. ;)

I chatted with a local guy who used to guide on that creek. He said those trout are so pressured that they have a Ph.D. in ignoring us.

Regardless, it was great casting practice and I hope to get to both spots again in the near future.

In the meantime, it's time to start planning a week-long bird hunt with my pup in eastern Oregon, northern Nevada (Reno and Elko), and perhaps Boise.
 
Back from the trip and wanted to thank everyone for sharing their recommendations. I stopped at the North Fork of the John Day River in OR on the way down to Reno. Gorgeous area but the water was definitely running a bit high and fast. I succeeded in donating a couple of nymphs to the river gods and then found a dispersed camping site on the river to spend the night.

On the way back home I swung by Hat Creek in CA. Another beautiful location. And warm. About 90 degrees by noon. There were a handful of fly fisher dudes there on a weekday so I imagine it probably gets quite crowded on the weekends.

I started with nymphs and then moved to drys when the trout starting rising around 11 a.m.

Those trout had zero interest in what I was offering but it was cool to see them not pay attention to me or my flies. ;)

I chatted with a local guy who used to guide on that creek. He said those trout are so pressured that they have a Ph.D. in ignoring us.

Regardless, it was great casting practice and I hope to get to both spots again in the near future.

In the meantime, it's time to start planning a week-long bird hunt with my pup in eastern Oregon, northern Nevada (Reno and Elko), and perhaps Boise.
Hat creek is hard to fish.
 
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