Today i fished btween areas #4 and #5, at least 15 fish hooked and 9 landed, all between 14 and 16 inches with one going 17 inches, this was a really good feeling after going the last 3 trips without a single bite, all fish were caught in one specific run, they were stacked up like cord wood most of the fish were hooked on a #18 red copper john and a fly that resembles a pheasant tail but has a white rubber leg on each side, i dont recall what this fly is called so i provided a pic. of it. I hooked alot of fish on plenty of other fly's, but those 2 were the most consistent, i found that after hooking a few fish on a specific fly i had to change to something else to keep em interested, it was nice to be able to hook fish on alot of different patterns, and they would not touch a red or zebra midge, and those have been my goto patterns lately, maybe thats why i havent done well in the past few weeks, they wanted somethin that looked "buggy" today. All fish were really healthy and hard fighting, I'm still grinnin ,one of my best days ever on any trout water !!!!!! PUTAH ROCKS !!!!
Fished this same spot today and hooked 5 fish, landed 3, the two that i lost were huge, i got a good look at one it went at least 24 inches, i thought i was snagged, i was standin there jerkin my rod up and down tryin to get unsnagged and all of a sudden this guy realized somethim was wrong, had em on for about 5 mins. but he got into fast water and it was all over, the other i didnt see and was only on for about 10 seconds, this guy took off straight up stream like a rocketship and came off, both of these were hooked on a #16 red serendipity, first time i've tried this fly, i like it. The other fish were caught on a #18 light tan wd40, other two on a #18 flashback pheasant tail, these were all about 15 inches. Had several other bites that didnt stick, probably had the most bites on a natural #18 hares ear and a few ona #18 hares ear emerger. My entomology is very weak so all i can say is there was a very good caddis hatch around noon. So a few people posted that a good report makes the creek crowded, you are wrong ! I had the access #4 and 5 area completely to myself all day long, the same area i reported catching several fish last weekend, maybe thats true for the bridge area, but i wouldnt know because i refuse to fish that area. One other thing.....the last several weeks i had gotten into a habit of fishing only globugs and tiny midges it wasnt workin for me, So guys dont get into habits of trying only o few fly's that you have had luck with in the past, i find changing offerings about every 15 to 20 mins. is key, keep showing em somethin different, well thats my 2 cents worth for all its worth, good luck... I dont know why this picture has moved down to this post, this fly wasnt used on this day.
It's good to hear that somebody made it out to the creek today. I took my brother-in-law to a little pond for bluegill and bass today. I know it's not time for warm water species yet, but it was nice to get out there and do some scouting. Because of the lack of rain, the water was pretty low. The fish should start moving into the shallows in the next month or two, and the fishing will be awesome. We both managed to catch a few fish--nothing of any good size, though. I'm going to have to get him out to Putah. We would have gone there today, but he doesn't have any waders. We're going to have to fix that soon.
__________________
"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
You were fortunate Captain. Today there were 8 other fishermen nearby in the couple of hours I went to the creek. I did meet a number of nice people and we took turns fishing an area so everyone got a chance to catch fish. I think we all hoped everyone else would stay home for the game, but apparently fishing is better than watching football (definitely!)
what area were you fishin chemdoc? I was thinkin that most people would stay home for the stuper bowl as well, but couldnt make it up there today. Anyways i got sand in my reel yesterday so it took a little time to get it cleaned up.
I was out at access 5 today. Crowded or not, it was a beautiful day to be out, and I did meet a lot of nice people as well. Maybe I'll run into you out there one of these days.
Captain didnt you say you were fishing acess #5 the day before? I wonder why there were 8 people there the next day? I dont think its a coincidence? Of course you had it all to yourself saturday because no one reported the whole week, but then once again you talk about the spot and how well you did and that exact spot got really crowded? When you post like that and give exact locactions you kill that section for the next days fishing. Please be more vague when you report. Here is an example fishing was good, I caught them on this pattern, and there was a nice hatch of baetis around noon that had the fish looking up. Also thanks for the private message I guess I will be that moron. Anyways fished friday on putah and did well, there was a nice hatch of bwo that came off for a couples hours around noon but didnt see any fish rising? One thing happened that was pretty wierd though I hooked and landed a fish around 16 inches that had a little midge dropper in its mouth and a san juan worm above it, just wondered if anyone broke off a fish on friday using that setup? It was a nice fish. I cant believe he hit having that fly already stuck in his mouth. edog
edog7 wrote: One thing happened that was pretty wierd though I hooked and landed a fish around 16 inches that had a little midge dropper in its mouth and a san juan worm above it, just wondered if anyone broke off a fish on friday using that setup? It was a nice fish. I cant believe he hit having that fly already stuck in his mouth. edog
I caught that guy Friday, but got swam off as i was getting ready to unhook the dropper! I was shocked too. He ate my fly with one still in his mouth.
Please make your reports vague, especially when it comes to spots. I finally found solitude on Putah the other day, until 4 PM when everywhere I looked was guys fishing
Talk about good patterns and hatches, but leave the spots alone. Say you had a good day, if someone ask where you were fishing, say the bridge. I'm with edog and Yukon Mike.
Guys, I feel your pain about the crowds, but I don't think it's the best idea to ask people to self censor their posts. It often turns out ugly, and it never works. For better or for worse, this is a totally open and potentially anonymous forum. If someone wants to post a report containing gps co-ordinates, pictures of the hole, and directions to the nearest parking spot, there is really nothing anyone can do to stop him. Take it from me, it's pointless to get worked up over something said in an Internet post.
Besides, PC is within easy driving distance of both Sacramento and the SF Bay Area, and that is what is really driving crowds to the creek.
I only get worked up when I see some of the crap I see on the Creek due to some stuff posted here by some dude from the south bay. No offense but if you think blabbing makes a spot you like to visit a better place, I'd hate to be your enemy. Many of us who fish Putah are from the local area, and welcome guests from out of the area. We also know each other on the Creek and not just from this website, so often the postings made on this site are done among friends. If you want to fish here, you are welcome as a friend. But friends share concerns about where we fish hopefully without the result of the trashing of the area by the unwashed masses. If you share that sentiment, then all will be well.
1) Despite my handle, I'm not from the South Bay, and from what I can tell, neither is anyone else on this thread.
2) I'm not in favor of crowds or trash on the creek. No one is. Personally, I try to leave the creek a better place than I found it every time I visit. (In fact Mike, we've met on the creek more than once, and always gotten along)
3) I'm not advocating posting every last detail of every last fish that you catch. I'm merely pointing out that trying to regulate people's posting behavior is like trying to herd cats... At best it's futile, at worst it drives you nuts.
I still think fishing will benefit from omitting access points from your report. Look what happened on Superbowl Sunday. Everyone thinks that game day is a good day to escape the crowds, when it is usually quite the contrary. When someone says a particular spot on any stream is fishing well, people flock to it. With only a few miles of stream to fish on the Creek, given one spot extra pressure is not in the best interest of us. If Putah had more miles of stream to fish, I'm sure many of us wouldn't give a damn if you gave GPS coordinates. But it doesn't, were limited in our spots, and ultimately our fishing/solitude. We are not trying to regulate people's post, we are trying to keep spots open, or should I say less crowded. Instead of being 10% of the anglers who catch 90% of the fish why not shoot for more people who go home happy the hooked into a few fish? Putah is a cool place to fish, lets keep it that way.
I agree, it IS a cool place to fish and I want to preseve it as much as you do. However, I just don't agree that asking people to self censor their posts is going to have the effect you are looking for.
Take Superbowl Sunday for example. I can't find a single post on here that was submitted before the game saying "Gee, I think most guys will be watching the Superbowl today. I bet if I go down to the creek there will be less of a crowd." But that didn't stop the crowds from showing up on Sunday did it?
Besides, web audiences are much more sophisticated than people tend to give them credit for. If everyone said that every fish they catch was taken up at the bridge, we might see a very temporary spike in crowds at the bridge. However, sooner than you think people will figure out what is going on. When that happens it won't take people long to realize that the bridge is overcrowded and filter down to the other access points.
The creek was SUPER HOT today!!! Go to 38 degress north by 127 Degrees East and then take 4 steps backwards and 3 to the right. That is where the fish were on Putah today. Gimme a break! I dont think anybodys posts are really affecting the amount of fishing pressure on Putah. Say it like you want and tell what you want!
The creek was SUPER HOT today!!! Go to 38 degress north by 127 Degrees East and then take 4 steps backwards and 3 to the right. That is where the fish were on Putah today.
This must be code for "MotoGP didn't catch a damn thing today"Probably didn't even get on the creek today
I am not asking anyone to censor their post. Please read over the thread, and sit back and think about how your post may or may not affect the traffic on the creek...
In your detailed accounts, don't you think that advertising a specific spot would initiate more angling pressure? Again, look what happened after a hot report and the creek gets slammed on Superbowl Sunday. It's not just Putah, any creek will get hit like that if good reports come in.
EbayJosh - The original post said the spot was productive, so it very well may have accounted for the traffic it got on Superbowl Sunday.
Honestly, if you guys think that blabbing about hot spots isn't going to bring more traffic, watch and see what happens. Post whatever you want. It's unusual that so many of you don't seem to mind the crowds...but then many of you may be from the Bay Area and crowded is normal (at least when I lived there).
I finally got to fish the creek the other day in solitude and it was great. Great until 4 PM when everybody and their mother showed up.
I had been planning to head out on Superbowl Sunday anyway, hoping you jocks would stay home and watch football! Actually, when I arrived at noon, there was only one person fishing, Lou from Vacaville. He had been fishing all morning and was kind enoough to let me jump in a riffle he had already fished. That kindness was appreciated, and in return I gave him a couple of flies that were working particularly well for me (a BWO nymph and Mercer's micromayfly). It got progressively busier as the day wore on, so after an hour I gave up my spot to some guys from out of the area so everyone could have a chance to catch fish.
I am not one to post intimate details, for the reasons dtp916 stated. I also love to fish in solitude, and often can find it on the creek. I usually avoid the weekends, but that is the only time I can fish afternoons, and my buddy Andan had told me of some good hatches in the pm. Since I began fishing Putah in the fall of 2004, which was my first year flyfishing as well, I have benefited greatly from the information provided by the regulars. I quickly accumulated a box full of small nymphs based on the posts which would suggest the hot flies of a particular week, and over time have got a sense of how these cycle through the year.
I was, however, being a new flyfisherman, not very clear on where to fish on the creek. It was actually a few months before I discovered there was a back side to access five! The way I learned was by communicating via private messaging with those posters who seemed knowledgable. In almost every case, my messages were received kindly and with much useful information. I still share information with other members that way. I have met many of you folks on the creek, as I ask everyone if they post on this board to see if I recognize the handle. I particularly appreciated the help of Ryan Williams, who I was surprised to learn was only 16 years old and a very accomplished flyfisher. I have met many of you and fished with some as well.
In return, I am always happy to help a newcomer I meet on the creek. In this way information can be shared without concern for the entire region reading it and showing up on the weekend. I was out yesterday morning, and one thing I can attest to is that the fish move around. In the past week my best luck has been in a different spot each time I went out. I met a guy yesterday who was finding it slow, so when I headed to work, I pointed him to a spot where I had caught a couple of fish.
Hope to meet many of you on the 24th for Greg's meeting on the creek.
most of the fish were hooked on a #18 red copper john and a fly that resembles a pheasant tail but has a white rubber leg on each side, i dont recall what this fly is called so i provided a pic. of it. I hooked alot of fish on plenty of other fly's, but those 2 were the most consistent, i found that after hooking a few fish on a specific fly i had to change to something else to keep em interested, it was nice to be able to hook fish on alot of different patterns, and they would not touch a red or zebra midge, and those have been my goto patterns lately, maybe thats why i havent done well in the past few weeks, they wanted somethin that looked "buggy" today. All fish were really healthy and hard fighting, I'm still grinnin ,one of my best days ever on any trout water !!!!!! PUTAH ROCKS !!!!
