Maybe a good time to try a fry imitation, maybe something like a silver fry.

It sounds like you are talking about alevins.  They imitate trout fry emerging from their egg sacks.  I have never had much luck with them, but they are used by steelheaders on the American about this time of year.  The little minnows are definitely trout fry, I have been noticing quite a few lately.  I would have to say I learned just about everything I know about Putah Creek and other local fly fishing areas from Toby and the rest of the crew at Fly Fishing Unlimited.  One spot John from Cal/Alaska guide service told me about was the fly fishing only section of the Stanislaus by Oakdale.  The flows have been too high this year so far, but it is a great little spot to catch big fish.  I was sad to see Fly Fishing Unlimited close.  Does anyone know of any new fly shops between Berkeley and Vacaville along I-80?

My theory on why fly fishing is slower in Feb and March is that only the bigger smarter fish are in the wadable holding areas right now.  I have had to change flies frequently to fool these fish.  They have seen every fly in the book, by this time of year.  I believe the bigger fish also scare off the smaller fish to the slower deeper water.  That is just my theory after floating the creek this weekend, and wading the creek the past few weeks.

Mike Mercer has a fry imitation called the Sac Fry.  I've never used one.  I've attached a picture of one below along with an actual trout sac fry.

As for the shop in Dixon, it is pretty much gone.  At least it was the last time I was in there.  I was pretty disappointed how they just let it go, and I haven't been back since.  That's been a while now, though.  Maybe they've increased their inventory since then.

Kiene's in Sac. carries a bunch of alvian flies this time of year of the American River guys. Pretty good little patterns. A quick note on alviens though; they swim vertically in the current immediately after they hatch as there swim bladder inflates. Afterwords they make frequent trips to the surface to inhale air to continue to inflate the bladder. Just some behavioral stuff to help with presenting an alvian fly in a convincing manner.

In my experience floating the creek, I haven't floated from one spot to the next.  I hang in the slower areas floating downstream with the current and riding the eddies back upstream.  There should be plenty of room for that.  I use a float tube (U-shaped) to fish these slower areas on the creek and the lake.  I have also kayaked in the lake.  I just checked out kickboats online.  I had seen them before but never researched them.  They look pretty stable and versatile.

-- Edited by JT at 14:49, 2007-03-15

• Yea you're  right the Dixon shop has blown out everything as far as the flyfishing stuff is concerned,but another great shop for flyfishing and hunting is Sweeny's Sports in Napa.I've got them linked to this site with Kienes in Sacto.   Bono

ChucktheDuck wrote:

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Hey Otter what do you float the creek with? It seems like it might get a little tight at spots for my 9' kickboat. I have been thinking about using it on the yuba or lower sac though.

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 I know Bono has a story or two to tell about floating the creek in a canoe.  Putah rafters show up on the 6 o'clock news from time to time as well. 

Putt around below the dam or from the big island down to lake Solano all you like.  There are a few slow sections inbetween as well.  Others may agree or disagree but I've lived here and fished Putah long enough to know better to try and float any distance or fast water.  I prefer to avoid the helicopter ride or the obits.

Somebody mentioned the Yuba.  Floating from the hwy 20 bridge down to Sycamore is not a problem in a raft, canoe, kayak or kickboat.  Leave the float tube at home.  Even floating from Engelbright dam down to the hwy 20 bridge is fairly safe and easy in a canoe or kayak but I would leave both the float tube and kickboat at home for that one.

Wow, I'm amazed you got out in one piece!  I've hiked the stretch from the deer sign down to the flat stretch above access one and there is some rough water there.  I had thought about taking my pontoon boat out above access 4, where the water is very similar to Solano Lake and might try that this summer.

Phil

Funny I usually only hear dueling banjo's when I'm up in the sierra's alone, If you listen really really close you can hear pigs squealing as well . Seriously though the lower yuba isn't a river to play around with in canoes and kayaks or float tubes. Theres a ton of trout fry in putah right now.