What's working on Putah Creek?

Kevinrelliott · Newbie

What's working on Putah Creek?

AfricanAngler · Senior Member

Not that sure as I haven't fished it in a while but small mayfly nymphs and midges, fished near the bottom are usually a safe bet. Hope this helps.

KW · Member

I fished for 7 hours yesterday, caught one fish on a #20 brassie tied in red wire behind a #18 copper john, saw a number of folks , nobody had caught a thing or wasn't telling.

good luck!

SK60 · Senior Member

Changing flows are probably not helping, regardless of the flies you are using. Fish are adjusting to the rise and moving around. Spots that were recently good for fish have turned off entirely. Part of the Putah Creek tough fishing legend.

viking · Veteran Member

Hi Wormfree! As I read your post and came accross the fly pattern you listed I immediately assumed you have embraced Tenkara. The picture of that lovely rainbow along side the rod verified. I've checked them out at Creative Sports in Pleasant Hill, as well as on the internet and will at some point pick one up. They look like a lot of fun. One thing that I'd been led to believe is that they're delicate and that a fish like the one you landed on Putah is pushing the limit of those tiny replacable 3 tip sections. I guess that's why they're replacable! Anyway, nice fish! Viking

viking · Veteran Member

Hi Wormfree, I actually purchased the Iwana model for my friend who turns 50 in July. Not only is he a hardcore fly fisherman, he's half Japanese. I think he'll enjoy it on many levels. While I was at Creative Sports purchasing the rod, Jamie offered to loan me one for a day so I might see if I'd like to pick one up for myself. I think I'll be taking him up on the offer. I recently picked up a conventional 10' 4 weight that I haven't fished yet and I think I'll hit Putah this afternoon and try my luck at 300cfs. Viking

viking · Veteran Member

Good eyes! I was in fact he who warned you about the ticks. We passed eachother as I was moving from one spot where I caught nothing to another spot which yielded no better. I haven't fished Putah with flows as high as they've been lately. I usually fish it in the late fall when the flows are 100 or less. Anyway, I wasn't able to see how my new rod felt with a fish on, but I did get to feed the mosquitos!!. See you , Viking

shon42073 · Senior Member

Caddis, When I dig around in the riffles of putah creek I always find white caddis larva, Orange/brown pupating caddis, And green rock worms. Quit a few very small BWO nymphs, And some PMD nymphs.

Kevinrelliott · Newbie

A little conversation on Tenkara and some tips on artificials... Good thread.

SK60 · Senior Member

Those white caddis larvae are the tortoise shell Glossosoma adherent like sand piles on the rocks. Shon, you just gave away a great pattern, but fortunately its mostly the small fish gobbling them up smile

P.S., break out the SSG's for the high flows.

-- Edited by SK60 on Monday 25th of April 2011 02:13:46 PM

shon42073 · Senior Member

Mothers day caddis coming soon to a theatre near you !!!

The Dark-side · Newbie

Hi Wormfree,

I have been using the “Hand Rod” (recently been advertize as Tenkara) all my life and when I first start using the hand rod 10 years ago on Putah Creek. Few people on this site have been calling my style the "dark side of the force".

This style of fishing has been enjoying by Chinese and Japanese for centuries. It is easy to learn and even my kids out fishes me from time to time. One major side effect is when people combine this method with bait, that may destroy the whole river system by over fishing (the average catching rate is about 2-3 cast per fish and that is why I been holding off teaching other people using this method). I actually do not agree with commercializing this fishing style like Tenkara USA is doing.

Oh by the way I am Taiwanese.

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

Those glossy caddis actually at times make thier little homes out of the mud snail shells, we started seeing this a few years ago. Access #5 has the largest population of these type of caddis, unfortunately the large juicy hydropsyche which used to dominate the creek has all but dissapeared I'm still finding a few mostly again near access #5 but the #s have dropped significantly, we wonder if there is some link with the introduction of the mud snail. Bono

crhoden · Member

The drop in hydros is the work of the mud snail. On the Owens and Hot creek we saw this happen within a few years of the snail invasion. The bigger caddis need a good deal of food, and the mud snails deprive them of that. However, the small 18-22 sized caddis like the glossys and weedy water sedges are still thriving. Same with the midges, they too have done very well since the snails came along.

wormfree · Veteran Member

The Dark-side wrote:
Hi Wormfree,
I have been using the “Hand Rod” (recently been advertize as Tenkara) all my life and when I first start using the hand rod 10 years ago on Putah Creek. Few people on this site have been calling my style the "dark side of the force".

This style of fishing has been enjoying by Chinese and Japanese for centuries. It is easy to learn and even my kids out fishes me from time to time. One major side effect is when people combine this method with bait, that may destroy the whole river system by over fishing (the average catching rate is about 2-3 cast per fish and that is why I been holding off teaching other people using this method). I actually do not agree with commercializing this fishing style like Tenkara USA is doing.

Oh by the way I am Taiwanese.

The Dark-side

Tenkara is just another way to fish. They are not a "magic wand". There is now way you can convince me that just because I tie my fly onto the end of a tenkara rod my catch rate suddenly goes up to one fish every 2-3 casts. They wont make you the Harry Potter of Putah Creek. They are no more effective than any other fly rod ,when eather are in the hands of an "experienced" angler.

I do however agree with you that bait fishing will destroy a fishery faster than any other method of taking fish. But again one bait rod is just as effective as the next in the hand of a good angler.

The very light tip of a tenkara rod isn't designed for fishing bait. They are for very light lines and flies. The rods you speak of for hucking bait are more likely than not Hera rods, Ayu rods or Carbon poles. These rods are much stiffer and will handle the extra weight of bait and sinkers. There is a big difference between tenkara and Pole and or Hera fishing or Ayu fishing. It's all in the history books you just gota translate and read em.

Regards

wf

-- Edited by wormfree on Sunday 22nd of May 2011 11:36:00 AM

-- Edited by wormfree on Sunday 22nd of May 2011 11:38:19 AM

rr1024 · Newbie

It does not matter what is working on Putah Creek anymore because there are very few fish.

I used to fly fish there and I could catch and release fish by the dozens but they have totally stopped stocking fish and rather than managing it and making Putah Creek CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY (because they stopped stocking it) they let people take the fish out and now there are very few fish at all.

4 years ago you could walk up the the bridge in lower putah and see 100 trout lined up down streem from the bridge setting up feeding lanes in both early morning and late evening. Right now you see NONE, absolutly NONE.

You will see a rare fish jump now and then but that's it, all they had to do is make it catch and release only if they were not going to stock it anymore....Morons...LOL

ALL IN ALL Don't fish here it's not worth the effort anymore , fun to camp and hike though. It's really too bad cause this was the best Fly fishing place in a short distance to the BAY AREA

-- Edited by rr1024 on Tuesday 21st of June 2011 08:38:07 AM

SK60 · Senior Member

Go to the Fishing regs and look up Putah Creek. This is the second year of C/R, zero limit, barbless artificials on Putah Creek. Go to our website and you'll find that PCT is working with DFG and others to bring the creek back (if you care to update your knowledge). Lack of planting isn't such a problem when people are poaching fish (and being cited for it by DFG, by the way), silt is choking out food insects and destroying spawning habitat. A perfect storm of problems, but the fish are there and those who have taken the time to figure it out are catching fish.

-- Edited by SK60 on Tuesday 21st of June 2011 09:06:12 AM

Xnjb707X · Senior Member

It didn't take much skill when the creek was planted. Now you have to have skill and put in time. People should stop hating and spend more time learning about the creek and what PCT works really hard for.

- Nic