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RETURN to Putah Creek Trout -> Putah Creek Fly Fishing Forum -> Putah Creek Fly Fishing -> The Forum's Most Controversial Topic Each Year: Fishing the Spawn
Post Info TOPIC: The Forum's Most Controversial Topic Each Year: Fishing the Spawn
SK60


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The Forum's Most Controversial Topic Each Year: Fishing the Spawn
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I believe Nic started this thread last year and, as always, it generated a maelstorm of differing opinions from "stay off the redds to"stay off the creek" altogether. I am convinced that a number of folks were so intimidated that they did give up fishing during the winter.

Starting this month, the bigger fish start thinking about sex and they start "coloring up", males begin their annual kype growing contest and fish are often visible in skinnier water than they would normally inhabit during the rest of the year. At this stage they are feeding heavily to try to put on those extra ounces. 

The controversies center around whether it is ethical to fish for the prespawners, spawners, then post-spawn fish, especially near or on the redds. The discussion of the ethics of targeting these fish in these locations has filled pages of posts in past years. I think last year generated over 130 reponses (key word search: spawning fish) to the thread "Redds", many of them quite angry. I suspect the controversy is not dead and I hate to potentially renew the anger, but the fish can't protect themselves-thats our job as stream stewards. So what to do?

Learn to recognize redds and avoid walking through them. Most are easy to see: shallow water above tailouts like above and below the bridge or at deer sign. Others may be in deeper water like around Access 3. They all have the general characteristic of being built in gravel that is (made) silt free.

If large fish are nearby, don't bother them-they are not going to take your fly and lining them could earn you a citation.

Every year we find a few people fishing for spawners, often standing in the redds to do it. They always claim "they didn't know". So this year PCT will offer some Redd 101 workshops for those that truly don't know what a redd looks like, where they are typically found, and how to avoid wading through them when moving about the creek.

For those that do know, we encourage you to pass your knowledge forward to others.

A sign up link for attending, with available dates, will be posted here soon. Anyone willing to lead a small group is welcome to email me.

 

 

 



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rgloft


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are we guna fish afterwards ?    LOL



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Xnjb707X


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My favorite topic of the year! Like I say every year peak spawning time is usually around Dec-Feb. It is a good suggestion to not fish the creek during these months. Help save Putah trout and let them have some sex in peace. You wouldnt want someone barging in your room and yanking you out by your lip when you are about to have some sex yourself would ya? Probably not. Just sayin.. biggrin And props to PCT taking the time to due a few redds 101 workshops! You guys do good work, and thank you for your hard work and effort for making Putah Creek a better place for everyone. Also I posted a picture below as an example of what a redd looks like in the creek.

 

- Nic  



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drifter


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Xnjb707X wrote:

 Help save Putah trout and let them have some sex in peace. You wouldnt want someone barging in your room and yanking you out by your lip when you are about to have some sex yourself would ya? Probably not. Just sayin.. 

 

         Trust me, its not that fun to get dragged out by your lip by someone when you are about to have sex with someone else.  My Girlfriend did that to me last week.



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Cole Davis


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Another good reason to have two bank accounts from different branchesbiggrin



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lightfoot


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Cole Davis wrote:

Another good reason to have two bank accounts from different branchesbiggrin

 And you do what exactly with that little n-9 the bank sends you in February?

 



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Winter eats heat the way darkness swallows light. The terrors of failed power and frozen stems are stymied with fire, smoke and white ash.

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SK60


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Nic-thanks for the pic. I'm glad to see a lack of raging prose leaping from this page.



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PCT Contact Info: putahcreektrout@gmail.com, SK60@putahcreektrout.org

Address: Putah Creek Trout, 1520 East  Covell Blvd, Suite 5, #331, Davis CA 95616

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Cole Davis


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As you know lightfoot, pimpin aint easy....



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joinassit


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Howdy, this has been an excellent informative article! I definitely appreciate all of your wisdom. Thanks alot .


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DrDan


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The last post was an exceptionally important and relavent one.  I think we all have learned something!  SPAM MUCH? hmm



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coolbee


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Was out yesterday w/ richard loft and we saw a buck digging a redd out up by the bridge. Definitely are some fish in pre-spawn mode in the creek right now. Was very cool to watch. Wish I could've snapped a pic but we didn't have a camera between the two of us.

Would've been nice to get a pic of his 20 incher too :P

In any event, wade carefully boys.

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DrDan


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I made a short YouTube video of a trout on a redd above the bridge. I took the video 10/13/2011. Sorry about the shakiness - I used my iPhone... The trout was definitely digging. Other trout were actually rising to something but I never saw what they were taking... Probably emerging midges. This was ~ 3pm!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=lbY1Mn73bAo



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