Hit the creek about 4 pm to see if the fish were still biting. I fished my go to spot and am happy to say the fish are still biting. Landed 3 on three different flies. One on a size 18 micro mayfly, one on a size 16 tan and olive Barr emerger and one on a size 22 neon green midge. The water is a little off color, but fishable. The drop from the indicator to the fly was only about 5 feet, and I used an AB weight. The fish that hit the Barr emerger slammed the fly. All other hits were fairly subtle. High stick and set on any movement. The Barr emerger is my new favorite fly on Putah. The big fish seem to like it too!
Thanks for the report, Otter. I've caught a few on micro mays in the past, but neon green never worked for me...yet there are small caddis that are bright green...to me at least. Nice work with the water being low and discolored!
Do you do any fishing from your float tube in these low flows, or strictly wading? I seem to remember that you favor the tube. I was also interested in your opinion on high sticking vs nymphing. When I was taught to nymph a few years ago I learned using a yarn indicator and have stayed with that. In these low flows is one method preferable? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
As a clarification the micro mayfly was a basic beadhead micro mayfly with olive thread for the body. The midge was tied with neon green thread with a CDC wing clipped short. I have used these midges in off colored water before and they seem to work better. I prefer to wade when fishing. Usually I don't break out the float tube until I can no longer wade, this is usually at about 500CFS. For silver creek I always let my flies swing out at the end of every drift. First I try to get the flies as close to the bottom of the run by gradually adding weight and lengthening the distance from the indicator to the fly. You will know if you have added to much weight if you keep losing flies on snags, or if you get too much moss. Once you know you are as close to the bottom as you can get, drift the flies through the run and let em swing at the end. You will always catch more fish if you do this. Today I was using a small yarn indicator and high sticking. It is easier to detect small strikes.
I've noticed that the takes have been really subtle lately. I've been using the smallest indicator that I could get away with (relative to the weight of my rig). The other day in the slow water I figured it would be best to just use a dry as an indicator. I figured the fish wouldn't hit the dry, but I knew a #20 Griffith's Gnat wouldn't spook them. It did help to detect those subtle takes, though. Just as I thought, all of the takes were on the midge dropper.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
Because the Griffith's Gnat has hackle wound the entire length of the hook shank, it can support quite a bit of weight. Just make sure you use floatant, and it should be able to support the weight of a bead head nymph easily. If you find that it can't hold the nymph up, try a bigger dry fly. I only use this set up in slower water. It helps a lot when trying to detect the subtle takes that occur when fishing these waters.
Otter, Do you tie the Barr's Emerger like John Barr does, or do you tie a variation of it? The fly is featured in one of the books that I own, and I was just curious. That fly has been around for quite a few years.
-- Edited by JT at 13:38, 2007-02-14
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
I have been tying it pretty much like John Barr. Tail is brown hackle clipped short. Abdomen is tan possum dubbing, thorax is olive fine dry dub or olive brown rabbit dubbing. I think the key is the wing/legs. I use a lot of light dun hackle tied in before dubbing the thorax. The hackle is then wrapped over the thorax and doubled back to form an emerging wing and legs. Some photos I have seen don't have a wing as the folded back hackle is tied off to the side to just form legs. I think the wing part holds air bubbles like an emerging insect.
you have posted some pretty awesome pics. lately otter, very impressive. Thank goodness the flows have finally come up to 68, this is were they were a few weeks ago when i had a little luck. Gonna be a great weekend for some fishin, and maybe some catchin ....check out what me and my buddy caught today, the sturgeon is 54 inches and the shark is about 56 inches the shark was a real bruiser, sal****er is really my fortay but i have just about gave it up for trout fishin.
These are some really great photo's. I have not caught my "Putah Pig" yet or one even close to the one your are squeezing Otter, that is a beautiful fish. Good Work.
Hey Captain, What kind of shark is that? I don't think I have ever seen that model before. Sure is cool lookin'
Thanks for the pics guy's. Keep up the great work.
I was fishin in s.f bay out of the san leandro marina, near the oakland airport, theres big herring spawns in feb. and the fish gorge on em. Looks like its gonna be a bueatiful weekend so im sure putah will be crowded, I'm gonna get up there very early to beat em, then in the afternoon probably move down to the lower creek around winters to see if i can pick up a smallmouth, this warm weather i think may turn em on, havent tried this in many years so i'll just have to see what happens.
Actually JT, I am heading to the Sierras with my sons, although I'm not sure how much snow we'll find. But it will be a chance to check out the streams in advance of the early season opener this year and to do a little target practicing in the woods. Our less than stellar reports yesterday may slow doen traffic on Putah this weekend. If you go, good luck.
....check out what me and my buddy caught today, the sturgeon is 54 inches and the shark is about 56 inches the shark was a real bruiser, sal****er is really my fortay but i have just about gave it up for trout fishin.
