By Bruce Ajari ·
I cannot believe that this year marks the 26th year that the Annual Truckee Kids derby is going to occur. This year, the Derby will be a little earlier due to the low water conditions and the concern that the Department of Fish and Wildlife has regarding warming water temperatures.
The event on June 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Coldstream Pond is for children 12 and younger, and is free. The organizers ask that you sign-up in advance at Mountain Hardware and Sports so that they can have an adequate number of prizes. Children will need to have their own tackle.
My own kids began fishing at the local Kid’s Trout Derby in the beginning. My son was 4 when began fishing at the Derby, 26 years ago. My daughter also fished in the Derby and is now pursuing a career in the Fly Fishing Industry as a guide.
Since Bob Tilton founded this Derby in the 1980s, it has become one of the premier youth activities in our region. Tilton and his family are not involved this year, but their passion continues with Noon Rotary and the Nevada County Fish and Wildlife Commission represented by Ray Butler.
Tilton felt that the Derby was an opportunity to give youth something to do and to keep them out of trouble. He observed that kids that got into fishing seemed to be able to stay out of trouble. With so many things competing for children’s attention these days, a simple connection of fishing and the outdoors seems like a really good one.
The fish that are supplied by the Nevada County Fish and Wildlife Commission are augmented by a load of trophy fish purchased by the Truckee Noon Rotary. Volunteers also are needed to help out.
Here are my tips to help make the experience a good one:
- Arrive early to get a good spot to fish and park.
- Have plenty of snacks and liquids to keep them hydrated. If you forget them, not to worry since the Rotary will have a snack bar selling drinks and lunch items. This money helps fund this event, so it is important to support them.
- Have some other things, like board games, for them to do to keep them occupied before the beginning of the event.
- Patience on the part of your child and you is a necessary component. The more of this that you have, the better the experience will be for you and your child.
- Before the event, check out the fishing tackle. One of the most common problems that I see at events like this is not having an adequate amount of fishing line or old line on the reel. Not having enough line will cause lots of problems in casting, and your child will not be able to reach the fish. Most people place 4- to 8-pound test line on their reels. Any one of the locations listed for sign ups can provide more tips. While lighter line casts further, it is not as strong when it comes to playing a fish. Six-pound test was always a good compromise for me.
- Having old line can cause problems, as well. Old monofilament line tends to be brittle. In fact, it breaks so easily that you can break the line while casting out your bait. Even worse, is that it can break when your child has hooked a fish. Please do not leave any monofilament line behind as it causes problems with wildlife. Dispose of it in a trash receptacle to keep it out of the environment.
- A spool of lighter line than the main line is recommended for a leader, along with some weights (split shot and egg sinkers are good), hooks (#8 to #12 are a good option) and simple baits (Berkeley Powerbait & salmon eggs are the easiest and effective).
FISHING REPORT
(For water levels visit troa.net)
BOCA: Inflow is at 260 cfs and the outflow is 224 cfs. Try powerbait or nightcrawlers. Throwing lures from shore also has been working. Fly fishers have been catching some fish near the inlet, mostly nymphing and with streamers.
DONNER: Fishing has been good. Nightcrawlers and Powerbait seem to be the bait of choice. Mackinaw and Kokanee fishing has been fair. Fly fishermen are catching some fish with streamers.
LAKE TAHOE: (Lake Tahoe Tributaries are closed to all fishing until July 1. The Lake within 300 feet of a Tributary also is closed. Tributaries are only open July 1 to Sept. 30.) Fishing has been fair to good for mackinaw. A guide is highly recommended if you are fishing for mackinaw for the first time. Toplining and shore fishing is fair. Most shore fishermen use inflated nightcrawlers.
LITTLE TRUCKEE RIVER: The flow is now at a 260 cfs. This is down from the previous week. Fishing has been fair to good. Keep an eye on the flows here. At the higher level, the LT fishes best with a large and small nymph combination. Anglers have been using SJW, Stoneflies, BWO and PMD imitations.
MARTIS LAKE: Zero kill. Catch and Release only with barbless artificial lures or flies. Some small cutthroats and an occasional large brown or rainbow can still be caught here. Smallmouth bass have been introduced in this water. Try fishing here before mid-June.
PROSSER: The lake is fishing fair to good. Powerbait and nightcrawlers are the best bait. Lure and fly-fishermen also are taking some fish from shore and near the inlets.
STAMPEDE: Stampede is low. Fishing has been fair to good from shore. Kokanee fishing has been good. Mackinaw fishing has been good.
TRUCKEE RIVER: Fishing seems to be fluctuating like the flows in the river. Fish have been caught on nymphs, emergers, dries and streamers. The water has come down some so the dry fly fishing should be better. The water is still a little higher than I like for dry fly fishing, but it is doable. Midges, craneflies, caddis, BWO, March Browns and PMD’s have been observed. I saw a nice hatch of termites recently, as well. Your best bet is to nymph or streamer fish at these flows unless you see an active surface feeding fish.
Bruce is a long-time area fly fisherman and past president of Tahoe Truckee Fly Fishers.
