As the flows have gone down..so has my fish count.

bwag · Veteran Member

As the flows have gone down..so has my fish count.

Otter · Senior Member

Watch the flows!! If you look at the flow chart today, the creek dropped from about 100 cfs to about 50 cfs. I should have known, I was out today and as I was driving by Putah South Canal it was empty. Canal cleanout day. When the flows bump up the fish are happy. Bigger flows=better days!

bwag · Veteran Member

Yeah I came home and looked at the USGS website, probably should have done so before heading out to fish, looked at it for the year as well and seems to be the pattern. Also searched the forums and read about the Canal cleaning. Wish there was some way to know the dates they are going to do it.

SK60 · Senior Member

It's the month of October, mainly but it will vary between 60-120 cfs all Winter. There will be a 5 day pulse of 100 last week of November to send more water down the lower creek to help the salmon move up to spawn

Ty · Senior Member

True, these flows can make it tougher. The other day, I had my "go to" fly, at my "go to" spot and couldn't hook up. I knew there were fish cuz there are always fish in that spot, so I changed my fly and hooked up on the very first cast. I'm moved to another spot, same fly that I just used and got no love. Snatched one of the bugs out of the air that just hatched, switched to a nymph form of that bug and hooked up another fish. I'm thinking that the bugs also change as flows fluctuate. Any thoughts on that?

DrDan · Administrator

I am not an entomologist so take this for what it's worth: the predominant hatch that I saw yesterday was a very small pale mayfly. I'm not sure exactly what a BWO should look like but these were neither blue winged or olive bodied. What I would consider a PMD? Fish seemed to be rising for them quite actively. Size 20 - 24?

Dan

georgek · Veteran Member

I have caught 6 fish in about 6 hours over the past two weekends using a small mayfly on the top. Ill leave the specifics a little bit of a mystery. Missed/didnt land at least that many more.

bwag · Veteran Member

Thanks for the replies fellas, I'm still going to make my way there and try new flies and different areas.

SK60 · Senior Member

Went out today primarily to check the spawning areas at 50 cfs-not a good level/depth at the main spots. Then tried the "holes" where theres always a fish or two-nothing on a variety of nymphs, bottom showing everywhere (good way to locate the slots and other subsurface structure). Lots of small fish rising to a sparse hatch of PMDs and BWO and a small gray caddis in the runs and riffles. Hadn't brought my dry box, but put on an emergent caddis pupa, stripped it through a few riffles just subsurface (some little more than a foot deep) and had 6 small fish (up to 10") in less than an hour and twice that many on briefly/missed strikes.

Really nothing to brag about; the point is the small fish are available in these spots at these flows in water you might wade through to get to a piece that is more "attractive" looking. IMO, a lot of water is 'spooked' by careless wading of the Creek.

A second point is these small fish attack stripped subsurface flies like Birds Nests, Elk Hair Caddis dries, Soft Hackles in #16 and smaller. In the shallow riffles, you don't need any weight, otherwise a single small split shot will do. For those that are new to the mysteries of PC fish, this is one way to have success while climbing the learning curve.

Xnjb707X · Senior Member

I was out also yesterday, and one thing I noticed was above access 3 there is a downed tree blocking any access for fish to get through at these low flows. I didnt see any possible way for the fish to get through this section. Any thoughts, or has anyone seen what I'm talking about? I did see quite a few fish when I was out, Even got into some nice action. The fish are there you just have to be very sneaky to see them. I did manage to pull out a inflated raft and some other misc trash out of the creek. Why do I always find abandoned rafts at the creek? When will people learn that Putah is not the ideal stream for that. It's a little risky if you ask me. Anyways I will be enjoying my last few weeks on the creek because once December rolls in, I give Putah a 3-4 month brake to let the fish spawn in peace. Everyone else should do the same. <- I had to throw that in there smile . Peace.

- Nic

-- Edited by Xnjb707X on Wednesday 9th of November 2011 08:49:20 AM

-- Edited by Xnjb707X on Wednesday 9th of November 2011 08:50:12 AM

Kaju · Member

If you are speaking of the downed tree next to the metal platform upstream of #3 it has been there since the start of the year. The golf cart that was recently removed from the creek was right next to it. I don't believe it will prevent fish from getting by.

I was out yesterday as well, and I have to say the shear number of young trout is very encouraging. I have caught fish this season in an area where they tear up a #20 bead head flashback PT. Then I have moved 100 yards and they won't look at anything other than a #16 caddis pupa tied by Bono. And yesterday I had a great time catching 4"- 6" fish using a #20 BWO dry, a first for me on Putah! It appears the change to C/R only has really helped the creek improve.

Dave

Xnjb707X · Senior Member

The tree i'm talking about is further up stream from there.

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

Dave: Thanks for the plug on the caddis pupa, by the way I paid him 20.00 to say that!! biggrin I'm off to the creek to help do a class with Jordan Romney and saw the flows @ 47cfs......gonna be a looong day!

bwag · Veteran Member

Redeemed myself today, fished access 5 and caught a 4" rainbow on a #22 copper john. Seemed like that was all that was there, small fish, so I moved upstream and landed a 10-11' rainbow on the same fly.

Was up above the bridge for a while and it looked like a lot of bigger fish have moved up that way.

Anyone fish up close near the dam?

Sorry for the thread drift...

Ty · Senior Member

Big fish? I don't think there are any big fish anywhere............

-- Edited by Ty on Tuesday 15th of November 2011 08:26:53 AM

DrDan · Administrator

I PERSONALLY haven't had any experience with big fish on the Putah... Waiting, waiting, wai....

shon42073 · Senior Member

IF you want a big fish you'd better get out there and fish hard. about 2 to 3 more weeks and it probably would not be considered ethical to catch a big fish on putah. The low flow is making it tough now. The fish are super spooky due to the flow and the fact alot of migratory fish eating birds are moving into the area for the winter.

SK60 · Senior Member

These low flows are forcing the big fish to hide out rather than podding up for the spawn. For whatever reason SCWA has kept the flows below the usual 90-120 cfs for this time of year. Flows will go up the last week of November for at least a week to 100+ cfs, but likely will drop down to 60-90 afterward. Rain events may bump them up a bit for a few days all winter. Shon is right: spawn starts up in earnest in December through at least February 1. In my experience, and backed up by survey reports, the bite falls off quite a bit during the month of January for unknown reasons. Maybe the small fish will change that-they are always hungry.

Small fish (4-8") are rising to dries (sporatic small caddis, BWO, PMDS) during the early afternoon in runs, buckets, and riffles. Occasional bigger fish that are not rising are also taking-I just caught a 15"er in a small run while casting to a bunch of 4-6 inch fish. By the time I landed the hen on my stubby Orvis Rocky Mountain Flea 4 wt, the whole run was torn up and shut down. Biggest ever dry fly catch for me on PC (and on that little rod).

Take advantage of the warm weather while it lasts and before the spawn cranks up and have some topwater fun. Use small EH tan caddis (size 18), any BWO (18-20) or PMD (16-18) dun pattern. In buckets, riffles, you can strip/swing small soft hackles (18), tan, brown, or light pink, or off white-yes pink-for glossosoma caddis imitation.

-- Edited by SK60 on Tuesday 15th of November 2011 05:18:43 PM

Cole Davis · Senior Member

Sweet Steve, sounds fun. That must have been a sight to see that thing come up. Still haven't tried dries out there.

bwag · Veteran Member

Fished yesterday and landed two 10-12" rainbows, and missed setting the hook on 4 others. Seems like you can't be too slow at setting the hook in these low flows or the fish will have already spit out the fly and moved on...

Got there around 1:00 and by 3:00 the fish weren't interested in anything I was throwing at them.

I noticed there was a hatch and the fish were feeding off the surface, not jumping out of the water but scooping the bugs up, I picked up two and took a photo.

-- Edited by bwag on Wednesday 16th of November 2011 11:04:20 PM

SK60 · Senior Member

Trout candy: midges