Just fished putah this morning and afternoon and had NO luck. Not even a single bump for me or my buddy. We're both pretty new to fly fishing, but I usually at least get one fish and a bunch of hits when I go.
Wondering if I'm doing something wrong, or fishing the wrong areas.
We started up near the bridge, and fished probably 1/2 mile of that stretch. Then spent some time and #4 and 5, and #1 later in the afternoon. Throwing out micro mays and some zebra midges, 18-22s.
Hopefully you guys have some good advice for when I go out there next time. It's so close to the city that I need to figure out how to fish it!
Reading back through the forums, looks like maybe I should've tied on some buggers after no luck with the micro mays.
At least I got some good blackberries out of the day :)
I'm no expert at putah but I have caught some fish there. I don't know if you were using a dropper off one of your midges or nymphs and that always seems to be the ticket. Along with a split shot a few feet above the fly depending the depth you want to fish it at, and an indicator seems to be the rig of most anglers out there. It sounds like the flies you were using were a typical fly I would toss out there, but also try some small 22 midges. They can be a simple pattern with just some black thread and a small wing made from yarn. Hopefully this helps, and good luck.
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"In the long run, fishing usually amounts to a lifetime of pratfalls punctuated by rare moments of perfection"
The best way to learn how to fish any new water - and especially Putah Creek - is to go with a guide.
I'd call Bono and split the cost with a buddy. Other than that you will spend a lot of time wasting your time, if that makes sense...
Hang out on this board and you will learn a ton! Also the fly shops will help you out too. When I was younger I read up on everything I could about waters I wanted to fish, but a guide will dial you in right.
9 foot 4x tapered leader (was more like 8 feet) Attached 1 foot of 5x tippet to the leader, with a split shot above the knot Had a 18 or 20 micro may on the tippet.
I kept the indicator pretty high, probably about 8 feet above the nymph.
I only used a dropper for about an hour, ended up snagging and losing it, and never put another one on. Do you guys all use droppers out there? I suppose I should've been, increases your odds for getting a strike I guess.
I tried fishing all different types of water, we hit spots all over the river. Fished riffles, some deepish holes, tossed out towards the bank, under brush, etc...
What do you guys do in a situation where you're not getting any hits on what normally works? For example, I saw that most people on here are using micro mays, so I pretty much stuck to those all day even though they weren't doing anything for me.
When you tie on a dropper, will you normally use another micro may, or a midge or what?
I really appreciate the advice guys! Hopefully I can learn a thing or two and hook some fish next time I head out to putah!
Heres my opinion, And i'm sure others DO NOT SHARE IT. At this time with flows at or near 700 cfm your gonna need ALOT of weight, Maybe not at #5, were its pretty shallow, But on 90% of the creek you gonna need alot of shot. In my humble opi nion standing there chucking a bunch of weight isn't flyfishing, Its using a flyrod to chuck a bunch of weight. I'm sure some negative posts will follow but just my opinion. Stop wasting time and get up to the mountains were its prime time. save putah for winter fishing.
What are the flows like on the Putah in the fall and winter?
I'm heading up to the Truckee this weekend, sounds challenging, but also reading that the fishing has been great the past couple of weeks, and should hold for another couple.
What other rivers do you guys recommend (Especially for beginners).
The first river I fished on my own (I'd fished the deschutes with my buddy who's a guide, and got hooked on fly fishing before) was the Pit. Still managed to catch fish, and didn't fall in.
What are some recommendations for more beginner friendly streams? I'm not dead set on the truckee this weekend, so if there's anything that's going to be easier to fish I'm all ears!
So your fishing Putah for the first time and the Truckee. Good luck bro. I really enjoy your enthusiasm.
-- Edited by cole at 18:32, 2008-07-07
Seriously!
Might wanna start out on some smaller streams and work up to a solid foundation (and patience level) before playing with the pro's....Think forks of the American, Deer Creek (Hwy 32 is closed at the moment), and NF Yuba.
You might do OK on the Truckee but the water is flowing pretty warm. I'd hit it first light and last light and figure out something else to do during the day...PM me if you want additional info, I grew up fishing that area.
spencer wrote: What do you guys do in a situation where you're not getting any hits on what normally works? For example, I saw that most people on here are using micro mays, so I pretty much stuck to those all day even though they weren't doing anything for me.
If you're not getting any hits, CHANGE. I change my indicator depth, amount of weight, flies, and location (in that order) if I'm not catching any fish.
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"Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."
Of all people on this board, he is the guy that probably underwent the greatest transformation. His first post was just like this one - got totally skunked, how do I catch fish on Putah, give me some tips, etc.
He's probably one of the top guys on the creek now.
He'll definitely pay it forward.
For my part - go with Fox Poopahs in green and orange as the summer progresses, use micro mayflies right now, fish the seams, find the fast water in the heat, fish where others don't, etc.
Seriously!
