The Putah humbles/ how deep is too deep?

DrDan · Administrator

The Putah humbles/ how deep is too deep?

Xnjb707X · Senior Member

When fishing holes that deep on Putah, I add more tippet and more wieght. I roll with 10-12' (or more) leader rig when fishing that deep that is if you want to hit the bottom. Also a fast sink tip with even a little added wieght with streamers in those deeper holes would be fine. Also the fish in Putah move around alot. If you had great day in a hole and next time nothing, then you gotta move, and move and move... tell you find fish.

- Nic

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

Also keep in mind that what you experienced is very typical of Putah and has been for as long as I've fished it (20 plus years).The increase or decrease in the flow rate has alot to do with the bite as well', I've found that the more stable the flows the better the fishing, it seems to really affect the baetis hatch. Bono

Nohackle · Senior Member

There is a way to fish water that is 15' deep, but I must admit that I have never tried it at Putah. Instead of using a regular indicator, there is something called a "slip indicator". They are sold by Hendrix Outdoors in Nevada. The "slip indicator" allows you to set the indicator with any length tippet. When a fish strikes, the tension of the fish on the line allows the "slip indicator" to slide up and down the tippet. Thus, you can set the indicator 15 feet above the flies and when you hook a fish, the indicator will slide down the tippet. I have used these indicators at Pyramid with mixed success. Sometimes the indicator "slips" when casting and sometimes it doesn't free up when a fish strikes. Nonetheless, it can work properly when set up exactly right. The main problem you will have is casting an extremely long tippet. "Slip indicator"s are used more on lakes where there is plenty of backcast room. Brian Chan, a British Columbia angler, uses these "slip indicators" with extremely long tippets.

lightfoot · Senior Member

In water that deep I loose the indicator and high stick it with whatever amount of weight is required (often a LOT). If you think your getting bit but can't feel the take then, you can put the fly on a dropper and the weight underneath.

The above method I used on the Yuba, with great success.

DrDan · Administrator

Thanks for the ideas! I'm going to try all of the above at some point. The flows actually went up the last few days. I'm surprised that anyone can get to anything wading!

Dan

lightfoot · Senior Member

I went to the clean-up today...the flows in the areas I worked at looked very manageable and I doubt That I would have any trouble crossing in a few of them. A LOT less water than I anticipated.

Rossflyguy · Senior Member

I seen some fish actively feeding at access one while cleaning. God to see that. By the way, your jeep is awesome. Im trying to accomplish that to a future jeep.

Otter · Senior Member

Nice to see a bunch of people out there for the cleanup!!

Just as a clarification on regs in Cali. You are not allowed to attach weight below a hook. I saw a guy on the Smith get a very substantial ticket for having weight at the bottom of his rig. See the regs below. I have found the best way to get around this is to use a big weighted fly like a rubber legs as the bottom fly.

2.10. HOOK AND WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS.

(a) Definition of Gap: For the purposes of this section, "gap" means the distance measured from the point of a hook to the shank.
(b) Maximum Gaps and Gear Rigging for Rivers and Streams unless otherwise provided (does not apply to lakes and reservoirs, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (see Section 1.71 for definition of the Delta), and the Colorado River).
1. No person shall use any single hook with a gap greater than 1 inch or any multiple hook with a gap greater than 3/4 inch.
2. It is unlawful to use any hook which is directly or indirectly attached closer than 18 inches to any weight exceeding 1/2 ounce.
3. It is unlawful to use any multiple hook or more than one single hook on non-buoyant lures exceeding one ounce.
4. It is unlawful to use any weight directly attached below a hook.

lightfoot · Senior Member

Seems it would be wise to read the regs once in awhile. Thanks for the heads up Otter. Weighted dropper it is evileye

Rick Russo · Member

So as i read this, it is unlawful to have split shot interposed between your upper fly and the dropper fly. Since this was the way I was taught by several guides in the past, I wonder if that was inadvertently illegal. Is this the interpretation of others and/or the intent of the regs?

yukon mike · Senior Member

If you get caught with your dropper that has twenty wraps of lead ( ok, non lead) along with a big whopping tungsten bead on a nice heavy black nickel hook let me know what happens.

aKidatheart · Newbie

It says directly to the hook. If you go as follows: it should be acceceptable as this is how a lot of bait guys do it:

line ---->dropper loop --line--->dropper loop --line--> weight

| |

line line

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fly fly

But to me flipping a rig like this would be difficult and not worth the effort to rig and de-rig for a single hole.

-- Edited by aKidatheart on Friday 30th of September 2011 07:11:36 PM

maodiver · Member

Directly below the hook usually means less than an inch. Snaggers attach the weight to the bottom of the treble to aid in casting and retrieve thru the fish. Otherwise, most bait dunkers would be in deep doo doo