It was a dark and stormy night, well it was cloudy, windy, and threatening rain. I fished from 3:30 to 7:00 above #1 in a couple of spots and saw only one other fisherman on the opposite bank. It was actually very beautiful out, colors and contrast.
I had some action, 3 little ones and than a 12" and 13"er. Very lit up colors and all wild. They fought hard. So it was a good night but I am still looking for where the pigs are hanging out.
The pigs are all over the place. Without getting too specific, most of them are hanging in slow water near fast water, especially on the edges of shallow and deep water.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
um ya far from specific, that pretty much leaves the whole river.
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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.
Yeah that's like saying the fish may be next to a boulder which sticks out of the water a little but sometimes is submerged. Right behind it but sometimes directly in front. See that seam there the fish is either on the other side but often on the close side near the choppy water. Good form JT, good form.
Hey JT, Your a gura now. I beleive theres big trout all along the creek. I also think that the trout move around alot, So it pays to try different places. Theres lots of good water all along the creek.
wow flows are almost at 200, theres a alot more stops to be uncovered now, still being new to this creek its all about tryin new places and stickin to it, eventually you will figure it out, but one more thing, stick to this forum as well. you will get a lot of guidence and knowledge from these older wiser chaps, older meaning time spent on putah. hahaha
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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.
Just so mykissman doesn't get the wrong idea, the above reply was not intended to be rude or misguiding. If you read it quickly, it appears to be jibberish. However, if read carefully, there is some meaning to it. It isn't very specific, but does not include the whole creek. Actually, it's far from it. I guess if you replace "near" with "next to" it is a little easier to understand.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
If you read back on one of my posts (maybe the epic day part deux) or the one before that, I talk about a HUGE MONSTER FISH that took my fly in a back eddy. Back eddies match JT's description. Slow water on the edge of fast water. Back eddies are even better though, because the fish don't even have to move into current to get food. They just sit there and let the insects kind of float by. Back eddies are usually pretty deep too, so the fish aren't easily spooked from above.
OK ok Ok ..lets get one thing straight...what do you consider a pig....To me it aint big unless its over 20"...and you cant say what size it was unless you land it ...get offs dont count....I have hooked monsters that got to net and shrunk down to 15"....My biggest is 27" ...So i say anything over 25" is a monster...If anyone lands the big 30 they get a free pass and get to join Jt $ as a guru... I sure as heck aint sharing all my secrets...you got to put in your time boys and girls....I spent more hrs at putah last yr than i did at work....so whos up for a pig hunt...
I agree mx. 14-16" good fish 17-19" pretty much great fish. 20-24" pigs, anything over that=monster. I also agree about putting in your time folks never share all your secrets just the ones you dont like anymore and the 30"er wow makes me think I should always carry the camera which I dont anymore.
I am always up for a pig hunt and I agree that they are definitely getting easier to find now that the flow is down. Caught one yesterday...probably 22"...had a bigger one on that ran upstream, then downstream, then upstream again...had the bait guys on the opposite side of the creek and the guy on my side standing with their jaws on the ground....had it within a foot of the net and could see it was foul hooked on the belly...then it came unbuttoned. Had to be at least a 24 inch fish. Damn though it was a wild ride. And I hooked it exactly where JT described.
Those 30"ers are lurking around there somewhere. I just hope they don't show themselves until after bait season. I've seen some true monsters in the creek. Most were hanging in slow water, right where nobody else likes to fish.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
There are a lot of things I REALLY like about this forum!
I am very new here, but I appreciate the "clues"! It shouldn't be too easy! No body should be able to walk out and take the "prize" without working it out a little.
As new as I am, I have been concerned, yet grateful, that this forum exists.
As a kid, my family lived in Denver for a time. One of my dad's favorite "secrets" was a stream called the So. Platte. He'd fish it on the way home from work 1 to 4 nights a week.
He'd talk about how often he'd have a fish get up on its tail and do a "flipper"! Pretty cool!
It was his favorite spot until some idiot sports writer for the local paper wrote a feature about the "incredible, trout stream south of town"! That was that. He said it was never the same.
As grateful as I am that I've discovered the creek, and this forum, I'd hate to see it become an interstate!
While I benefit from your awesome feedback, I believe not being too straightforward is being a good "steward". Maybe a little corny, but that's how I feel.
Ever see a 5' 9", 210lb tree stump wearing a reddish brown vest, you've spotted me. I really try to stay out of people's hair on the water, but I look forward to meeting any of you folks I might run into on the trails.
You guys are clever ... I respect that!
Ed.
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"You tell yourself that it will be both educational and spiritually uplifting, as all imaginative excuses for goofing off are." John Gierach, "Music of the Spheres".
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.
Everyone on this forum is very friendly...at least I think. Usually they don't mind if you ask them a few questions while they're fishing. That's how I figured out how to catch em here. It's the bait fisherman you have to watch out for. They're a$$holes. On friday when I was fishing with Brian and flygirl, we overheard a couple of bait dunkers saying "There's a bunch of trout in that spot, but those fu**ing fly guys hog it." They were reffering to us. I wanted to say something, but couldn't bring out the cahones. Especially after hearing someone got a gun pulled out on them. I can't wait until november....what is it the 18th?
hey eric i think its the 15th, the only reason i say that its i think its one month after they close down salmon on the feather, with is tomorrow then one month after is the putah closing. hope all goes well and we will be knee high in steelies and trout on the yuba next friday. gonna have to do something for my awful day on putah on friday. just couldnt win.
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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.
Didn't make it out Friday, Brian. Was out 10-6 today, Sunday, 10/14. Holy smokes, it was fun!
No bigguns, but found a spot holding a mix of crazy 6-12" ers.
I am whooped. More on that later. 15 - 20 takes, 6-10 to hand. All released.
My pig hunting days are coming, my skills still need some work. I still need to change my drawers when I get a 14-15" on the line. Still haven't fought one of those bad boys to hand, today gives hope.
My goodness FlyGirl! ... props to you ... no offense ... you don't fish like any girl I've ever known. Wife; doesn't fish, girlfriends; hated it, daughter; no interest ... more power to you.
I've been that bait dunker, as a kid and an adult ... in the end I wanted to fish any piece of water in a way that yields fish. Do the "still fisherman" really catch many fish? Maybe in the long slow draws. I always try to be friendly and hope no body takes it all too seriously. I've seen and snagged fouled set ups with 1/0 hooks and 1oz. lead weights while fishing putah. I used this kind of gear night fishing small sharks in harbors as a kid ... but on a trout stream?
Just so we're clear ... I think this forum rocks! I hope everybody's safe, and has a great time on the water.
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"You tell yourself that it will be both educational and spiritually uplifting, as all imaginative excuses for goofing off are." John Gierach, "Music of the Spheres".
oh ya ...Brian..... You're luck will turn brother! Hang tough! Broken rod, big fish, broken rod (lowsey day)....see the pattern... your due for the big fish .... Just look out for the next broken rod!
Funny thing is ... I drove my car to 5 today for the first time since getting it out of the shop ... and was tail gated at 45mph again!
Didn't wrap it around the pole this time.
I'm riding out some bum luck too. A good day on putah cures most problems!
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"You tell yourself that it will be both educational and spiritually uplifting, as all imaginative excuses for goofing off are." John Gierach, "Music of the Spheres".
I would be careful classifying all "bait dunkers." Most fly fishermen were "bait dunkers" before and still fish with bait at times. There are a lot of jerks on the creek but not all of them are bait fishermen.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
well i am sure my luck will turn, should have my st croix back before my trip on friday to where ever i go with lilwhippersnapper and the captain. already talked to redington and it wont be a problem the redfly rod as a lifetime warranty on it, and i they said it sounds straight broke so they will replace the whole rod with a new one, which since i ahve the originaly redfly should be upgraded to the redfly2, we shall see. well need to get a fly box with some flies for putah again. after that putah watch out. i think ill just go out a few times, and test my luck with what flies i have left. but that will be more of a scouting for me than anything else.
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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.
I used to bait fish, until i wanted to do something that took skill. It's not my world, so i will share any body of water with anyone. Maybe we can start a fly posse.
we can call it FFB, i could make up a cool graffic for a shirt or something. oh ya what does it stand for
FLY FISHING BUMBS
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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 we go with the bait vs. fly fishers, Topic comes up often. I will say that bait in the hands of someone with a lil skill is probably the most effective way to bring fish to hand. I dont mind pickin up the ultra light spinning rod once in awhile. I will tell ya this, About 15 years ago I hooked and landed a huge wild rainbow on putah it measured a hair under 29 inches. It was truly an amazing catch. this guy had a huge kype and was really yellow, with a bright red band, I'll never forget that fish. It flopped out of the net 3 times cuz my net was to small. And that was my very last trip to putah creek up until about 3 years ago.
I don't mind the bait fisherman...I just hate when some of them don't give a crap about anything except their stomach. Some of them love to catch fish, but never stop to think, maybe if I release the wild fish there will be hundreds of more in the years to come. Then some of them will leave trash all over the place. I don't see why they have to come to little Putah to get some food when there is a huge lake just above full of fish.
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