One of the highlights of every year is the 18th annual Kids Fishing Derby held on June 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Coldstream Pond behind Donner Memorial State Park.
The event, sponsored by the Truckee Noon Rotary, Nevada County Fish and Wildlife Commission and Mountain Hardware and Sports, is free to ages 12 and younger. Older kids are welcome to help out the younger ones.
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“A spool of lighter line than the main line is recommended for a leader, along with some weights, such as split shot and egg sinkers.”
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The Nevada County Fish and Wildlife Commission arranges to get permits and the catchable rainbows for the pond and the Truckee Noon Rotary pays for a load of trophy fish from Mt. Lassen Trout Farm.
According to event chairman Jim Dill, organizers have a limited amount of equipment to loan out to those who don’t have fishing gear. This equipment goes fast, so people are encouraged to bring their own gear.
Parents should stop by and register at Mountain Hardware and Sports in Truckee. Pre-registering for the event allows the organizers to get an idea of how many children to expect.
Truckee Noon Rotary will be selling lunch items to benefit this annual event. Be sure to stop by there and get a lunch to support them.
Parents should inspect fishing tackle beforehand. One of the most common problems is not having an adequate amount of fishing line or old line on the reel. Not having enough line will cause 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. Mountain Hardware can provide tips during your sign-up. While lighter line casts further, it is not as strong when it comes to playing a fish. Six-pound test is a good compromise.
Having old line can cause problems, as well. Old monofilament line tends to be brittle. In fact, it breaks so easily that you can snap the line while casting out the bait. Even worse is that it can break when your child has hooked a fish.
A spool of lighter line than the main line is recommended for a leader, along with some weights, such as split shot and egg sinkers. I suggest egg hooks No. 8 to No. 12 and simple baits. Berkeley Powerbait in pink or chartreuse is hard to beat.
FISHING REPORT
Boca | Inflow is at 372 cfs and the outflow is 340 cfs. Powerbait, nightcrawlers and lures are all working. Fly-fishers have been catching some fish near the inlet with nymphs, streamers and dries.
Donner | Fishing has been fair to good. Kokanee fishing has been good, although the fish are small. Nightcrawlers and Powerbait seem to be the main baits. Mackinaw fishing has been good. Fly-fishers are catching some fish with streamers.
Lake Tahoe | All tributaries are open to fishing from 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 fishers use inflated nightcrawlers.
Little Truckee River | The flow is at 372 cfs. Be prepared to share the water with a lot of anglers. The river has been busy. With the water at this level, nymphs are your best bet. Hatches similar to Truckee River.
Martis Lake | Zero kill. Catch and release only with barbless artificial lures or flies. Fishing is the best early in the season and again the fall. There are still a few nice fish in this lake that has severely declined. Warming temperatures and invasive species, such as the Eurasian milfoil have doomed the once-productive fishery. Smallmouth bass are now also part of the fishery.
Prosser | Fishing has been fair to good. Anglers using bait, lures and flies have all caught fish. Fly-fishers have done well near the inlet areas. Bass fishing has been fair.
Stampede | Fishing has been fair to good from shore. The ramp is getting enough water to launch larger boats. Nightcrawlers, Powerbait and lures have all produced from shore. Fly-fishers have been doing well near the inlets with nymphs and streamers. The Kokanee fishing has been fair to good. Smallmouth bass fishing has been fair.
Truckee River | 69 cfs from Tahoe City to 880 cfs at Boca Bridge. It is not flowing out of the lake at Tahoe City. The flows through Truckee are at 347 cfs. Great early season flows in the river. Fishing has been fairly good. Baetis, March Brown, Caddis imitations and streamers are your best bet. PMDs are starting to show. This is special regulation, artificial only with barbless hook water. Catch-and-release fishing is encouraged in this section, but an angler may keep two fish with a minimum size of 14 inches during the regular trout season from the last Saturday in April to Nov. 15.
Other Waters | Davis and Frenchman lakes are now if full swing. Boat, shore and fly anglers are catching fish. Reports from Davis are only fair. Blood midge and Callibaetis are the main insects presently. Frenchman Lake fishing has been good. Try the same hatches as in Davis Lake.
Bruce is a long-time area fly-fisherman and past president of Tahoe Truckee Fly Fishers. Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com to read more.
