well i am new to this site and as of yesterday new to putah. lets just say i am glad that i met up with jt, yes i probably would have caught some stockers with my nymphs like what i use up in tahoe, on the truckie and on the carson, but after talkin to him, i would have never of thought to use such small and such a different set up. well after i got some what used to how it works, went to this whole that he was fishing about 30 mins early, and first roll cast, BAM fishing one, right around the 18-20 inch mark, ofcourse lost him, not used to fish that are that fat and that strong, i have to get used to these putah rainbows. a few more cast later, another one with a big o belly, 18+ inches, and again got off. so after that second fishing on within a few mins everyone and there mother came over and started watching me about 7 mins after that last hook up, i hook up into the biggest rainbow that i have hever hook into (on a fly rod) and faught that big ol hauss for a good 10 mins. i didnt know what to do, between having to reel up my slack which stupid me i had a lot, and keeping the line tight on him, and him doing his lil YOU GOT ME HOOKED SO I AM GONNA DO MY HEAD SHAKE BODY ROLL DANCE OUT OR THE WATER, i lost him, i did get him within 10 ft of me and that was that, he took off giving me a fly line burn on my finger, and one last jump to let me know who was the boss and was off. everyone on the bank was clappin, and i was hittin myself. tellin myself that i wont loose a fish again for the rest of the day. i was completely imbarrased, but from what i have read this big guys arent easy, but i just dont loose fish, so i think i am gonna invest in some of the flies that jt showed me, maybe get a few with barbs for now, but all i can say, for my first time being there. i will not be drive 2 hrs anytime soon.
again new to this site, new to putah, and new to fly fishing, any help, comments, or even hey i am going here you wanna go. please let me know.
thanks brian clemens
-- Edited by brian clemens at 11:23, 2007-09-01
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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
Welcome to the board and the creek. It was nice meeting you yesterday. I hope those flies worked. How long did you fish? We had to take off around 10:30AM. I helped my friend more than I fished, but it was cool seeing him hook into some nice fish.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
hey i pm you a lil while ago, but those flies worked great, fishing till about 2:30, and was catching fish most of the day, did switch it up a lil bit to catch some stockers it the first spot, but then went to that whole and used that 2 fly set up you showed me and killed um, never brought them in, but just close enough to see how big there where, and then they was gone, all well over 18 inches, and then the big one was around 6 lbs. ill be there again sometime soon, probably about a week. when are you going again. well i gave you my number in the pm. give me a call or shoot me a line. id love to hook up with you and learn this creek, i wont be going to tahoe anytime soon. well let me know. oh ya looks like i am making a fly buyin trip to pick up a few of those tiny flies.
again thanks soooo much brian
-- Edited by brian clemens at 14:29, 2007-09-01
__________________
Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
sounds like putah is fishing good this week. WOW, 6 lbs. that has got to be around 28 inches ! I'll be hitting it early tommorrow morning with some very tiny flies. Hope to get there early so as to get one of my goto spots to myself. What size rod you guys been using lately ?
about my rod, just a cheap sports authority rod about 40 bucks, with a cheap martin reel, right now my gear for fly fishing is cheap, with be up grading soon, oh ya its a 9 ft rod. but again nice the most expensive but it works, will be gettin a 8-6 lami fly rod with a nice reel very soon. unless someone has other suggestions. most of my money goes into salmon fishing, but ill have to put some money into the fly fishing fund now too. well good luck
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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
Putah is fishing good right now. BWo's been coming off steady in the afternoons. Capt. I too am using a 5wt. 9' lamiglas that loves to roll cast real long. Brian look into 9 foot rods that extra 6" is worth alot.
ya well hopefully soon ill be able to invest into a better set up, but since i am still new at this ill stick with what i have for now, but will be gettin a new set up soon, as far as salmon fishing i know for a fact i am not ready for that, dont have the gear, and i can even handle a 6 lb rainbow let alone a 20 lb salmon, the give me a run for my money on my set up that is made for salmon let alone a fly rod, but i am always down for something that give me a challange, hey jt when you hittin up putah again. i am hoping to hit it up tomorrow if my boss decides to close up the dealership for labor day. if he does i think i will take him and his son up there tomorrow morning, if you are going let me know, and if i can make it in the morning i will sure try to get there in the evening. all i know is with all those 20+ inch fish that i missed, just seeing my rod bend like that i am freaking hook, all i have been thinkin about since friday is when i am i going to go again. so give me a call jt and let me know.
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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
A fish like that will wake you up quick. Matt's right about that rod. Every time I look over he's roll casting the hell out of it. I was at the shop today and I was impressed by the quality of rods in the lower price range. I was looking at some of the Redington's and Scott's which I usually pass over. Both very nice.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION NOW IS soory about the caps, my question now is, since i am new to the fly fishing sport, dont want to spend a grip of money, what is a good price for a decent set up that i can roll cast the hell out of, which i am not to great at yet, and then ofcourse cast well with also, which i am decent at. so again, suggestions on that, and where to go to get the best deal. but again dont want to spend a grip. and if they take fresh salmon for barter i can deal with that. i get salmon all the time. hahahaha
well any help will be greatful, either post it or message me privately.
thanks everyone brian
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Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
Here's the deal Brian. A decent rod that will last you awhile will run you from about 150-200 bones. The closer to 200 you get the more choices you have. St. Croix, Loomis, Sage, Winston.....the list goes on. All the top end rod co.'s have a decent rod at around 185 now. You can get a good reel for 70-100. If you've got more money for a reel do it. The reel is more important in my opinion. Go with a slightly larger arbor and nice drag system. Cast a few rods and see what you like. I've been chuckin a five in some spots and a six wt in the windy stuff. I like em fast action myself. Remember one rods action is not nearly as fast as another comp rod. Certain ones are known for being slower than others.
My personal take is that you should first decide what weight rod you'll need. For instance, if you want to fish Putah almost exclusively you'll probably want to go with a 4 or 5 weight rod. If you want to fish some of the smaller Sierra streams, you'll want to be in the 3 weight range. I prefer a 4 piece rod (a little more expensive) because I like to hike into some more remote areas.
Alot of guys like the Scott brand for its versatility and price. You could also check out Cabelas where you can get outfitted pretty easily at a decent price.
Personally, I would go to a local fly shop and ask them to demonstrate some rods for you. Most will be more than happy to help you. Also, try to find a rod that has a life-time warranty with a good customer reputation. I have broken a few Sage tips and they have been great in taking care of all repairs.
I wouldn't rule out a custom built rod either. I have found custom built rods to be much cheaper (often several hundred) than factory constructed. Not to mention, an experienced rod builder will do a better job than the factory (e.g., no slopped epoxy, bubbles in the wrap finish, etc.). You also get to pick you guides, cork, real seat, and so on. The only other thing to remember about a custom built rod is that some rod manufacturers don't offer their new blanks for sale until a year after the factory built version has been on the market.
Last year I bought a Fenwick HMG graphite rod for Pyramid Lake. It was $179, but I had a $20 discount coupon. This rod is about as fast as you will find, but I like a fast rod. It came with a 25 year unconditional waranty, meaning that you can break the rod by closing your car door on it and it is still covered. Since Putah has a lot of hazards (bushes, tree limbs, slippery rocks, etc.), it would be worth it to get a rod with an unconditional warranty.
Brian, This is the time of year to find a good rod at a decent price. I always buy my rods in the Fall during the clearance sales. The last couple that I've bought, I picked up for half price. This year I picked up a pair of waders, so I'll have to wait until next year for another rod.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
I'll second that on the fenwick hmg nohackle i got a combo from cabelas as my first rod a fenwick hmg, cabelas prestige reel and line, i replaced the line with a rio and that setup works great, it is a very fast action rod. Been using a 4 weight medium action rod lately, they both have there place. As far as reels go i like my abel super series quit a bit. Good idea JT, know is a good time to buy fishing gear, i got pair of waders and boots at this time last year at 1/2 price.
i have to admit you guys are talkin greek to me, when it comes time for me to get a new set up, either local at a sports place or on cabellas i may be messaging a few of you, most of my fishing is pretty much putah size or less, so i think a 5 wt rod would suit me the best, once i get into salmon and steelies then i will have to get a set up for them, but i think i need to learn how to handle the pigs in putah first then i can move up to the big boy level. but in a few weeks ill be getting a much better set up and will be coming to you veterans to help this veteran out. veteran being military that is.
thanks everybody, and jt your a life saver, have fun on vacation send me some pics, and when you get back lets hook up and do some pig huntin.
__________________
Fishing isnt about catching fish, its not about who caught the most, or who caught the biggest, its about the experience that you have on the water, and the life long bonds you make with others on the journey to becoming a better person inside.
LOL Brian. I know the feeling. By all means, feel free to message the peeps on this board and they will get back to you with sound advice. It can be quite daunting to say the least, but just remember to enjoy yourself and hopefully you catch lots of fish... Right? :)
Brian...I suggest you cast some rods before making an investment. Go up to Sweeney's in Napa. During the week ask for Brent...on the weekends ask for Ryan or Mike. Tell them I sent you, they know my cookies well. They will let you go out into the parking lot and cast anything you want. I use a 6 wt 9 in a half foot. The extra length works for me because I am little and the weight works for me because I have a tend to have a heavy hand (tennis player). Definitely can't come close to roll casting like Matt, but I am working on it.
Anytime you want someone to hook up and fish with let me know...I am always looking for company. I like fishing alone, but being female I have to be careful where I go up there by myself. I also have a Sage Z-Axis 9ft 5wt you can try if you want to. It's a nice little rod. You can get a hold of be by email at akubicka@aol.com.
Sage rods in my opinon is the best way to go. The Sage launch or fli rods are inexpensive and have a lifetime warranty. If you snap it they will replace the rod section for life. I think the rod is more important in fresh water fishing, if your salt water fishing and you need some serious drag on your reel then the reel is more important(cork drag).
Cole,
It was good to meet you on Saturday the 1st. I ended up catching 5 rainbows, one about 14 inches. Super fun.
