return of the little guys!

Lahontan · Senior Member

return of the little guys!

yukon mike · Senior Member

I never knew we had stoneflies at Putah, but you never know. I've seen them all summer
in the Sierras and up in the Redding area. I used a Stimulator to hang a midge emerger
off of once and it got attacked, at Putah.

Mike

SK60 · Senior Member

The creek has a number of different stone flies, mostly smaller. If you turn over rocks in cold creek above where it empties in by the dam, you'll find the black colored winter stonefly nymph. Thanks for reporting the small fish; hope you also completed the survey at a box or online-DFG is collecting data on the size (age) distribution of the wild fish that are caught. Every report is important in determining if the wild population distribution is top heavy in older (eventually senile) fish. Encourage the bait fishers to report as well, as they do catch fish other than plants.

mx19 · Senior Member

there are going to be a lot young fish in another month from now...you wont find any mixed in with the big fish..If you know where to look you will catch a bunch...Iam going to fish it on monday and I will stop at a few of the spots that always hold the 6" and under size.little guys like shallow mid speed water that the other larger fish dont hang out in..the are safe there and can feed ..they like the shaded long shallow runs that are not very deep..
� mx19

SK60 · Senior Member

Knowing their location/holding areas will be very useful later on when DFG schedules fish surveys, if you don't mind sharing them with� the Putah Creek Trout team/DFG.

JL · Senior Member

Lahontan - that was me - I post as JL.

Good meeting you.� As L said, there was a killer hatch of little yellow sallies... in fact, it was the best stonefly hatch on the creek I've ever seen.

Having said that, I did an insect sample right where you cross the creek below the parking lot at access five and I didn't see but 3 or 4 green small swimmer may fly nymphs... I usually find a ton of caddis larvae this time of year as well as a boat load of midges and mayfly nymphs.

Could have been an anomoly, but by way of comparison, I fished the Yuba sunday and did a sample there, and with barely any digging I saw more bugs than I could count.� The Yuba is BACK BABY.� 3 years ago, that net yielded NOTHING.� Now it's like it was 4-5 years ago.� Tons of mayflies, caddis, and stone flies, as well as red worms.

The two fish I got to hand the day I met L were both 12-14 inch planters.� Got them on an olive bugger, their favorite meal.

JL

Otter · Senior Member

Nice to hear you got to go fishing Ed. The little guys are in. Caddis dries in the evening will get those uneducated fish to jump. If that doesn't work try a fox poohpah in a size 20 to 16. Over the past few weeks there have been big hatches in the evening. Big Callibaetis, small mayflies, caddis, yellow sallies, and even a few big brown stoneflies like size 10.

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

Yes Yukon there is quite a nice population of little yellow stone flies especially this time of year around access #5 and #1.Otter mentioned a size 10 brown stonefly,that one puzzles me we should ask Ken Davis and see if he's sampled any larger stoneflys in the creek.Jerry mentioned a lack of mayfly or BWO nymphs recently and I would have to totally agree.I dont see the numbers of nymphs or the reliable hatches that I used to,not even close.