Redds

Xnjb707X · Senior Member

Redds

AfricanAngler · Senior Member

Well said ...... for the fly tiers there are are a lot of boxes that need filling for summer and and for the non fly tiers ....Steelhead!!!

Another one I would like to throw out there now, as I know this usually takes a bit of time to get sorted, what about a Redds 101 class??? I would volounteer but I think I need some more help on this matter myself!!

mx19 · Senior Member

Im getting really close to throwing some names up of the punks that fish putah redds....The first will be super poster.....straight up not messing around this year.....Who wants to see this post blow up...

mx19

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

Well put Nic thanks for bringing this to our attention again, I too would really like to see the creek shut down for a couple of months to let these fish procreate in peace.

CJ · Senior Member

Rod building, fly tying, fish porn,swinging the 8 wt. close to the ocean, sleeping in, more fly tying.....lots of better things to do right now. smile

Interestingly enough I was just on another popular message board and noticed in the events section the cleanup on the 20th is posted. The owner of the fly shop and message board has left an invitation for everybody to meet and FISH the creek before the cleanup at access 1. Not that I haven't done my share of winter Putah fishing, I definitely have but I am trying to stay away during the winter months last couple years.

-- Edited by CJ on Saturday 13th of November 2010 11:23:26 AM

AfricanAngler · Senior Member

mx19 wrote:

Im getting really close to throwing some names up of the punks that fish putah redds....The first will be super poster.....straight up not messing around this year.....Who wants to see this post blow up...
mx19

I don't know much about the biology of it all but the fact of the matter is even if you are not fishing the redds the fish that are being caught this time of year are on there way to spawn. One might say they are only targeting smaller fish but who are we kidding!! Anyone that truly cares about the creek will just lay of it for a while over these months.

So in essence, as I have said before, go steelheading and leave the creek in peace!!!!

SK60 · Senior Member

SCWA did an unpublished survey 2 years ago of spawning activity/redd locations. 75% occurred in the first mile below the dam. Anyone that's going to fish over the spawners knows this as well. Smaller, nonspawners, are throughout the 4.5 mile reach. So fish below Access 1 and you will avoid a lot of the spawners. Even there, avoid the areas that have spawning fish. Otherwise be polite to those that are unaware.

I will say that the fishing over spawners has not gone unnoticed by DFG.

MX19 has led redd classes in the past. What do you think Steven?

mx19 · Senior Member

redds 101.... I Can do one.....wanted to do one last year but it was safe to say the spawn was horrible....I know we will have a better shot this year...Seem that a few of the spawning areas have magically opened up this year......

mx19

AfricanAngler · Senior Member

wormfree wrote:

This is just my two cents, but the Steelhead also are re-entering the fresh- water systems so they can spawn.

I do understand that Putah is a small fragial system compaired to say the Rogue or the Smith, but the fact is your still fishing for spawning fish , and it can have adverse affects on the fish populations.

I do fish for steelhead on occasion, (guilty as charged) as my parents live just minutes from the Rogue.

I'm just saying pick your poison, they all have side-effects and someone will always find falt in it.

I too think Putah fish need a break during these crytical months of spawning.

-- Edited by wormfree on Sunday 14th of November 2010 09:00:03 AM

Wormfree... what you say is so true, and is good for us all to remember that anything we do while fishing, in spawn or otherwise, can and will impact fish populations. I suppose I hold a special fondness for Putah as it is where I learned to flyfish for trout and through PCT have met most if not all my fishing buddies. I did not intend to get up on a high horse but I did ....so sorry for that. For me now my poison will be steelhead and fly tying and I will leave everyone else make there own decisions.

Otter · Senior Member

Seem that a few of the spawning areas have magically opened up this year......
mx19

I believe SCWA workers are removing the hideous sea grass or whatever it is called.... I don't what else it could be....

AfricanAngler · Senior Member

Otter wrote:

Seem that a few of the spawning areas have magically opened up this year......
mx19

I believe SCWA workers are removing the hideous sea grass or whatever it is called.... I don't what else it could be....

A job well done to all the SCWA workers!!! ....I think??

-- Edited by AfricanAngler on Monday 15th of November 2010 01:36:41 AM

lightfoot · Senior Member

SCWA?

How many people show up for creek cleanu-ups? What would it take to be able to do a weed abatement "clean-up" with those same volunteers?

Otter · Senior Member

Just to clarify things. SCWA is not taking weeds out in the fly fishing area. They were just pulling weeds out of the canals.

I can remember a time when somebody was arranging rocks on the creek to build mini weirs for spawning fish. In those years there were spawners all the way across the creek in some spots!

It should be noted that legally, permission is needed to alter the creek.

ONEWEIGHT · Senior Member

Not only that, you need SCWA to get a permit from the Army Corps. of Engineers to do work that in any way alters the streambed. SCWA has volunteered to assist PCT with any needs in this area.

I'll bet more work gets done with e few midnight streambed snipe hunts that would clear that stuff up.

Bob

lightfoot · Senior Member

Otter wrote:

Just to clarify things. SCWA is not taking weeds out in the fly fishing area. They were just pulling weeds out of the canals.

I can remember a time when somebody was arranging rocks on the creek to build mini weirs for spawning fish. In those years there were spawners all the way across the creek in some spots!

It should be noted that legally, permission is needed to alter the creek.

Then I deny ever doing such a thing.

There was a buch of gravel placed in the Sac a few years back to help with the salmon spawn. Granted with the flows of the Sac I don't see things silting back up like with Putah. It would just be nice to do a little habitat work.

brian clemens · Senior Member

I am all about some night time military WCU ops. (Weed Clean Up).

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

Count me in Brian, its been a while since I've applied my covert ops navy seals/ninja aquatic weed erradication skills. On another note I was involved a few years ago with stream restoration for salmon spawning habitat on lower Putah between Diversion dam and the city of Davis.These areas have been fairly sucessfull and this was accomplished with lots of help from Putah creek council and Lower Putahcreek Co-ordinating Commitee also of course the DFG.I wonder if we can tap into the same rescources and see if we can do similar work between the dams.

SK60 · Senior Member

Lets hold these thoughts for a while until they can be brought up to the right folks. Maybe something can be done openly and legally.

Xnjb707X · Senior Member

It is true that we should wait so everything is done legally... but sometimes rules have to be bent. Just like telling the people not to fish when the bows are spawning, or in redds, legally they can but morally it's just wrong. Altering the stream to better trout habitat without permission is illegal, but it is the right thing to do, Unless we have another harsh rainy season like we did back in the end of December to the beginning of 2006! Now that really cleaned out the creek good.

- Nic

mx19 · Senior Member

some areas have been cleared but its getting to late into the spawn season to do any more for this year....fish have moved up to most of the big spawn spots and more will be moving up every week...any more weeding would in danger the current fish on redds....

I Dont know why I know any of this...sounds fishy to me

SK60 · Senior Member

More than the weeds, its the fine sediment that is a bigger problem, covering the gravel and allowing the weeds to anchor their roots. It is too late to do anything this year, except hope for a high water event. In discussions with DFG, the best solution is to increase suitable habitat; how to best achieve it is the problem to be solved. There isn't a lot of prime area to work with for augmentations. Where does funding come from and who's going to do the on creek work?

lightfoot · Senior Member

Late Summer weed abatement followed up with bringing in a LOT of gravel seems like it would provide needed spawning habitat. Weed abatement would be cheap, as in free volunteer labor. Gravel aquisition and dispersal would be another story. Even if it was only done once it would help bump that years spawn...kind of like a fingerling stocking program without the stocking.

I don't even want to start to think about the legal and logistics side of it.

SK60 · Senior Member

Amen to your last statement, but its doable-we just need enough volunteer commitment from Fishin' Folk for the heavy lifting involved in execution.

mx19 · Senior Member

I dont think we need gravel.....When using a rack to pull weeds you will bust up all the silt and the fine gravel under is easily exsposed....I think leaving a big patch around cleaned up spawn areas makes it much harder for others to fish for the spawners...It will also give the fish a little bit of a hide out......

brian clemens · Senior Member

Well lets not plan on hooking up next yr to do something like this.

Rakes and Volunteers is easy to come by though.

hobbs · Senior Member

Im new to this area and have been really enjoying fishing Putah Cr. I moved from Truckee, CA where I could walk from my house to the river and fish any time of year thanks to a change in the regs. Now I live 45 minutes away from Putah Cr. which is the only good trout fishing around. Its nice to see concern for the fishery but telling people not to fish during the best time of year (favorable water conditions in particular) is ridiculous. In my opinion (and this goes for any species/fishery, including steelhead) follow the DFG regs, dont fish for actively spawning fish (i.e. fish that are on redds) and practice good catch and release techniques....and go out and enjoy the experience of fishing. When someone loves trout fishing they arent going to "do something else" when they have an opportunity to fish in the winter for nice trout. Personally, my job allows very little time to fish in the summer so I cherish my winters. I appreciate what people have done to make Putah a quality fishery but everyone who purchases a fishing license and follows the regs has a right to fish anywhere they want without being brow beat by others. We all have our pet waters but remember that they belong to all that enjoy casting a line.

hobbs · Senior Member

-- Edited by hobbs on Monday 6th of December 2010 12:55:05 PM

hobbs · Senior Member

-- Edited by hobbs on Saturday 18th of December 2010 12:11:36 PM

hobbs · Senior Member

SK60 wrote:

SCWA did an unpublished survey 2 years ago of spawning activity/redd locations. 75% occurred in the first mile below the dam. Anyone that's going to fish over the spawners knows this as well. Smaller, nonspawners, are throughout the 4.5 mile reach. So fish below Access 1 and you will avoid a lot of the spawners. Even there, avoid the areas that have spawning fish. Otherwise be polite to those that are unaware.

I will say that the fishing over spawners has not gone unnoticed by DFG.

MX19 has led redd classes in the past. What do you think Steven?

Thanks for this helpful and sensible information.

hobbs · Senior Member

AfricanAngler wrote:

Well said ...... for the fly tiers there are are a lot of boxes that need filling for summer and and for the non fly tiers ....Steelhead!!!

Another one I would like to throw out there now, as I know this usually takes a bit of time to get sorted, what about a Redds 101 class??? I would volounteer but I think I need some more help on this matter myself!!

Remember, steelhead are spawning too. Again, follow the regs, dont cast to fish on redds and always practice good catch and release technique. Now go out and fish and enjoy yourselves whether it be on the Gualala or Russian for steelhead or for winter trout fishing on Putah. And as for redds, just avoid wading and fishing relatively shallow gravel bottom areas with moderate current. Obvious redds or not, just avoid these spots and you will avoid active spawners. Fish deeper, faster, rocky bottom spots and you wont be fishing over redds. This is my philosophy and if you approach me on Putah over the next couple months I will be happy to share it with you. Im always pretty nice and friendly at first so lets keep it that way with everyone we run into on the creek or "talk" to on posts like this.

-- Edited by hobbs on Monday 6th of December 2010 08:04:27 PM

-- Edited by hobbs on Thursday 9th of December 2010 06:58:41 PM