Got out for a couple hours today. Arrived up from #3 about 2pm.
Water is still dropping. It's surreal to see the "subsurface" features of this creek become visible. First time for me.
What were long slow draws back in August, are turning into "martian pocket water" bordered by HUGE boulders.
Looks like the water police have dialed the flows back even more. 46 cfs tonight. If I read the site correctly, that's 25% of the mean for this time of year. Does that disturb anybody? ...just curious.
Was real slow for me. Started out in one draw, where I could "see" 10+ 10-12" bows. Could get them to charge my flies, but would fall back before any takes.
Moved on to a productive looking pool under a riffle. Tried 6+ patterns, nada! ended up stripping all weight, went with two #20 gnat like flies, one with "luminous" hackle. Lubed em to keep them on top, hit a 10" native on it, on top. That was cool, but that was it!
Holy cow there were a lot of bugs in the air. TINY white gnats, almost "noseeums". Saw what looked like TINY mays. Tried a #18 bwo cripple, no interest. Left about 6:15.
Yup, school is still in session, I got SCHOOLED today. Left wearing dunce cap.
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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".
Lahontan these super low flows do make it tough, I dont particulary like them this low but you get what you get at Putah and you have to adjust if you want to catch fish. I'm hoping they bump the flows back up a little after they clean the canals, but not sure as the lake is pretty low this year.
I made it out to the creek yesterday evening fished from 5:45-7:00. Lots of fish rising saw lots of those little white bugs too, some bwo's and some good sized caddis. With these low flows and fish looking up late in the day I rigged up a soft hackle emerger, just one fly no weight no indicator. Went 6 for 9 with my first fish being the biggest a nice 17"er on the 3rd cast. One of the lost ones was that big or a little bigger, just came unbouttoned after I got a great fight out of it. the rest were in the 12-15" range. All fish caught on the swing which is my favorite way to hammer them.
Matt I'm new to this forum and just getting back into fly fishing after a long hiatus. I've had good luck fishing emergers in the past but always on a dead drift, could explain in greater detail how to fish the emerger on the swing?
Emerger welcome to the board. I pretty much fish an emerger like a dry. Sometimes I use emergers with a very small bead. I too catch fish on a dead drift. Basically I cast out straight in front of me let it dead drift get my line right and at the end of the drift let er swing across the current, sometimes I let it hang at the end of the swing and pick up fish. Other times I dont dead drift I just simply cast downstream at an angle and the fly starts swinging on the surface or just under it immediately. This is effective cus your presentation is usually right on, the only downfall is you do alot of casting cus the drifts are really short.
Way to get em Matt. He's talking about a very good way to catch fish. The worst thing I think about the low flows is handling fish. I lost soooo many pigs last year in the winter cuz once you hook em what can you do? There's no water in front of you to play out the fish and then they're gone. That's what happened with my magazine cover fish last time.
Man, good thing I think we don't all run into each other often... Nobody would get anything done!
I'm with you Whipper...I suppose I'm in shock a little seeing some of these different stretches for the first time since the drop. Good to know none of you "vets" are freaked by it! Will it go lower?
Welcome Emerger! I am very new as well. I find the crew here to be very cool, in an appropriate "cloak and dagger" sort of way! I've learned a lot, reading and hitting it hard combining what I've read with my own trial and error. As much as a workin' stiff can hit it anyway.
I haven't said it yet, but I think Bono deserves props for developing and continuing to support the board. I will likely take him up on an outing, I need to accelerate my learning a bit. Will wait til the end of "open" season. Thanks Bono!
Matt: Good about the swing! In hindsight, I think 2/3 or better of my takes are on the swing. I was out yesterday as well, your results were better. You "saw my cripple and raised me an emerger". Nice!
Captain; thanks for the call on the dry/midge dropper set up. I only learned today how to better "dress" my dry's so they are more buoyant. I keep making these little adjustments. I appreciate the tips.
Cole: I am still trying move into "pigdom"! I think I've "connected" with 3 fish that were 14-17" (in as many months), each was a quick, but memorable disappointment. Learning more about what NOT to do.
You guys are fantastic, thanks
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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".
Lahontan, last saturday was the first time I fished Putah when the flows were that low. In one way I didn't like them as much, and in another way I liked them better. Most of the holes I fished before are now a foot or less deep, but all the fast water that I couldn't fish before has now slowed down and opened up new holes....Plus wading a 10 times easier.
Last week when we were at the Yuba. I hooked a 2 pounder that hit when I was reeling in my fly line. I let my flies dead drift down the riffle.... that was gonna be my last drift then I was leaving. At the end of the drift I started reeling in my line to go home, and he hit the egg. I was surprised... How often do you see an egg swimming against the drift...lol
-- Edited by LilWhippersnapper at 22:38, 2007-10-24
The flows shouldn't go any lower. They've been at 46 cfs for a few weeks now, but this is normal. Every year around this time the water levels on the creek drop drastically to clean the Putah South Canal. The flows should go up a little after the cleaning of the canal is complete. Then, they'll probably drop again if the Glory Hole doesn't spill this year.
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