I arrived at the river yesterday at 1.00pm to whitewater conditions at three of my best sites. There was a small BWO and caddis #18 hatch and some trout taking them subsurface at the bridge. I got lucky for about 3 seconds with a cripple on the surface and an explosive onetime only take.
The rest of the day was spent walking through thick, well waxed, oily fields of p-oak. My waders are now completely soaked with the oil...hurt my eyes to even look at them let alone touch them with anything but a pair of B.B.Q Tongs. I have yet to see any river in Nor Cal that has more evil looking p-oak on it.
I met one guy who was standing in the middle of a mess of it and pushing through with his bare hands and arms. When I pointed this out to him he suddenly realized he was screwed.
FYI to anyone going in the next few days...lot's of p-oak, high flows, and frisky trout. I think I will go back when the flows drop a bit more and or the fish have a chance to resettle...in the meantime does anyone know how to get p-oak juice off waders?
My guess would be the Formula 409 dissinfectant that is used to get rid of the NZMS (New Zealand Mud Snails). That way you could kill two birds with one stone (so to speak).
Good luck and let us know if your efforts prevailed. Sorry to hear about the other guy.
As far as the waders go I've been pretty deep in poison oak at putah, and I usually just spray em down real good and use a little laundry soap in a bucket to wipe em down, I guess it's worked so far. As far as the flows go I dont think they are gonna come down much from here on out, I think there filling up solano lake for this years irrigation needs, So there probably only gonna get higher as the year go's on, personnally the flows are right about were I like them to be. I have typically done better when the flows are coming up rather then going down.
Having just recovered from a nasty case of P-oak picked up on the American, I'm now sadly well read on the subject. 5 weeks now, and the remains are still visible. For the waders, you can only cut it with solvents like paint thinner, gasoline, lighter fluid...you get the drift. Nasty stuff. Soap and water won't work. I gave my Simms the paint thinner treatment, although I'd imagine the mfg would cringe at the thought. For your skin, you need to act within minutes, 1 hr max. It cuts thru the top layer of skin within minutes and chemically binds with sub layers making it impossible to remove, short of sanding off your skin. Although I just heard there is a sandy feeling product that's supposed to work after it breaks out. Then your immune system kicks in destroying the oil and every good skin cell in sight, infected or not The blisters and weeping are your immune system doing what it thinks is its job. Humans have a highly tuned immune system that sometimes goes into overkill. Most drug stores have (expensive) stuff you can use to wash it off your skin that does not stink like paint thinner (although I think it is a petroleum distillate). I now carry some in the car ---Eric
It's going to be a challenge after the last 4 months of low flows. I had just got the river mapped out with some nice low flow hidey-holes. With this warmer weather I am very much looking forward to dry fly season in earnest.
Oh waiter, I'll have some more shot weight please!
PS: Regarding p-oak, I ALWAYS carry Oak and Ivy Cala Gel in the car this time of year. A few years ago I had p-oak all over my hands and did not know about it, then took a satisfying leak by the river. The result was rather unpleasant.
The flows are up for good now. Some of the irrigation canals are full already, so I don't see the flows coming down until about September. A lot of spots we've become accustomed to fishing are a lot different now with more water. That happens every year, though.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
