I got out of lab early today, so I had to make a run for the creek. I took a look in one of my fly boxes and realized that I was running low on two of my favorite patterns--that figures! I tied a few of each and a few of a new pattern that I've been working on (a drowned bwo). Then, I was off to the creek.
I got there about 5:30PM. It was partly cloudy, so there wasn't much light. The wind was down, too, another plus. The first half hour was pretty good. Fish were rising all over the place, and I could see bigger fish flashing beneath the surface. There were a few bwo's in the air and some on the water's surface, so I tied on an old faithful--a tan micromay. In the first couple of casts I hooked a 16"er. He ran straight downstream. I applied side pressure, but he ran straight across and then upstream along the opposite bank, leaving a huge bow in my flyline. I tried to lift the line out of water to catch up with him, but he used the bow to his advantage as I couldn't control him anymore. By the time I caught up with him my line was wrapped around a rock or a bush, and it was only a matter of seconds before he was gone. I was left with a frayed section of tippet.
I retied my setup and went for it again. A couple of casts later I hooked his twin. This time I kept control of the fish and brought him to net. It was a nice fat fish. About ten minutes later I hooked and landed another, the same size as the first two. The next one I hooked was a little bigger. It appeared to be around 18". He didn't pull too hard, just kept shaking his head until the hook popped loose. I had another one on as well that was a little smaller than the first couple, about 15". This fish was going crazy. He went totally spastic! He was running and jumping all over the place. It wasn't long before he threw the hook, though.
After that the fishing died. The fish were still rising, but I couldn't find any takers. I might have had more luck if I had fished the surface film, but I kept going deep. It started getting dark pretty fast, and I still had homework to do, so I decided to head home.
The drowned bwo appears to be working well. It hooked all but one fish today. It landed the biggest fish on my last trip as well. It still needs work, though. I'll probably never stop tweaking it. That's usually how it works. I also managed to avoid the hatchery fish today. That's always a plus. All of the fish were fat, wild fish.
-- Edited by JT at 21:46, 2007-10-10
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
as usual jt, always doing well on the creek. was you in your normal spot this time, the one we fished that one day. well ill be out there tomorrow. hopefully i do as well as you. gonna try a few new spots, and use bigger bugs and see how that goes, been talkin to jl of and on, seems like bigger bugs in not so fished areas is workin well. we shall see.
ill post sometime tomorrow or saturday on how it goes.
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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.
JT Nice job! I was also out there last night after checking on a project at your school. Met shark diver nice guy and a neighbor out in Marin. He hooked up with a big one that took him into his backing. The shark was chomping! What is a drowned midge or BWO? I have often sunk rusty and black spinners with good results. Usually in the slower water next to fast water. That other post on hints where the pigs are was great. Don't tell them where the fish are, just give them a few hints.
Everyone already knows were all the putah creek pigs are at, dont they ? There between solano lake diversion damn and monticello damn. You learn quickly around here to keep your spots low key. Sounds like another successful putah trip JT, Good job.
I love days like that. You can just 'sense' the fish. When they're rising and you see them flashing, they will eat most good presentations. That's fun fishing.
I may be up there in the laterish afternoon / eve. tomorrow. I'll let you all know if I can make it.
Otter, The drowned midge and bwo were both created to imitate drowned adults. I guess it would be sort of like a cripple, but I don't fish them dry. After watching tons of mayflies and midges float around the eddies, I got to thinking. If there were tons floating on the surface, there must be tons getting pulled under in the choppy water as well. I tied up a few midges and tried them out a couple of months ago. I used them as a dropper under a caddis pupa or a mayfly nymph, and the midge got most of the attention. It surprised me, because the midge was a #22-24. I have since caught quite a few fish on it. The bwo is similar in style to the midge but has the coloration and shape of a bwo. We'll have to hook up sometime and I'll give you a few.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
