Redds 101 Class Saturday January 7th

Otter · Senior Member

Redds 101 Class Saturday January 7th

SK60 · Senior Member

Where do we meet?

Cole Davis · Senior Member

I'm only coming for the burgers and buds biggrin LOL

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

I think I'll be there although our rugby season starts on the 2nd so my schedual from that point untill April is chaotic to say the least. Thanks Chris for setting this up, and Cole you mentioned buds, I thought you were a beer drinker of quality and distinction.....or did you mean something else! confuse Bono

Cole Davis · Senior Member

LOL Greg, while I do appreciate fine ales, I don't mind bumming bud lights of Otter. Are we planning on doing some food btw?? Or just cruising the creek? Let me know what I can bring.

jvento · Senior Member

I'll keep the date open... count me in as a strong possibility

Otter · Senior Member

We will be meeting at the upper parking lot just past the bridge on the right. I will bring some sodas and water. My company is donating a bottle of Pinot for the best spawner photo! I will be the judge. Hoppy Holidays!

-- Edited by Otter on Monday 19th of December 2011 10:14:31 PM

SK60 · Senior Member

Found this little lure while surveying redds. It can only have one purpose at that location-snagging large fish. Its 5+ inches long, weighted.

-- Edited by SK60 on Wednesday 21st of December 2011 08:43:22 AM

SK60 · Senior Member

Caught in the act! This gentleman is fishing a redd with fish on it. I watched him for more than 15 minutes cast and drift his flies over and over again, without success. I know many of you know where this is: PCT will be watching this area and others very closely for the rest of the season.

iamamultitasker · Senior Member

Steve,

Did you say anything to this guy? Just curious.

Also, I think I'm going to try to make this Redds 101 class if I ever recover from this mean virus.

wally7 · Newbie

Hey All,

Greg and I just talked on the phone. Good chat. Among other things, we discussed this Redds 101 opportunity. Unfortunately, I can't make it on the 7th, but perhaps one of you guys would be willing to take me (and whoever else) on another day. Let me know.

And, maybe we can fish, too...but not on the redds, of course. And, certainly not with 5-inch long weighted deep sea lures as pictured above! GEEZ.

- Sean Wallentine (wally7)

drifter · Senior Member

Did you stand behind him and try and cast and snag him and his goofy hat off? Should have.

You should carry around a boom box and record a tape that just says on repeat "I love fishing for spawners, I'm a douche-bag, I suck at life" and just let it blast until the guy leaves. ----Seriously

SK60 · Senior Member

Clay I didn't talk to him because I was on the road above a steep bank with my waders off, and late for a work call. He wasn't trying to snag, just drifting his flies over, so I don't think there was much of a threat to the fish with the strong current. An important point is that location is not a typical redd area. The tailout above used to be heavily used for spawning before the silt and weeds built up the past three years and covered the gravel. The fish are using subprime areas all over the creek this year. That means wading is going to be more of a threat in some areas during the 50 day post spawn egg development I crossed the creek at that spot earlier in the fall (before the spawn); I won't do it this spring.

It was just pointed out to me by a long time PC FF that my post of the fisherman has put those fish potentially at risk from night time poachers. I have to accept the responsibility for that and that making a point can be double edged. No more pics revealing locations.

I should also point out that the pictured lure was from an entirely different site.

-- Edited by SK60 on Wednesday 21st of December 2011 03:59:35 PM

-- Edited by SK60 on Wednesday 21st of December 2011 04:01:54 PM

Rossflyguy · Senior Member

That's really sad you found that lure and it was probably used for snagging. What a shame.

iamamultitasker · Senior Member

SK60 wrote:
It was just pointed out to me by a long time PC FF that my post of the fisherman has put those fish potentially at risk from night time poachers. I have to accept the responsibility for that and that making a point can be double edged. No more pics revealing locations.

-- Edited by SK60 on Wednesday 21st of December 2011 03:59:35 PM

-- Edited by SK60 on Wednesday 21st of December 2011 04:01:54 PM

Now there's something entirely outside of my imagination: night time poaching for trout. Huh? confuse That's got to be the lowest of the low.

Is this really a problem at PC?

SK60 · Senior Member

If its for real. No one was actually observed night fishing, but some circumstantial evidence was presented to me. I am not going to lose sleep over it, just file it away for now.

A big problem? I would doubt it, but who knows?. Lots of unhappy people around these days.

jvento · Senior Member

Last year and the year prior, that guy would've been walking all over redds. I haven't been to the creek since Summer. Even in the deep riffle section to his left there were redds in 2 - 3ft deep water

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

Steve that lure you found is larger than alot of fish I've caught on the creek lately....UNBELIEVEABLE.You're right jvento, that whole area that he's standing in used to be full of redds. This "may" be someone that just has no clue that he's doing a no-no. Thats why I'm a real proponent of approaching somebody like him and just telling him nicely whats going on and why he should'nt be doing what he's doing. I have done that numerous times on the creek and so far its always been a pleasant exchange.Probably half of those people I encounterd I assume knew they were doing wrong (fishing for spawners or bait fishing ect) but that simple encounter I think would make them less likely to break the rules again. Or on the other hand you can do what my buddy Danny O did years ago (Rob L you probably know this story). He confronted a couple of bait guys and informed them of the regs, they in turn told him to f-off. So Dan threw some large river rocks where they were fishing and at them which knocked over their ice chest, he then ran back to their car, flattened the tires and then called the sherriff. Danny has always had some REAL BIG HUEVOS! Merry X Mas. Greg

SK60 · Senior Member

Next year we are making spawning the PCT focus: signage, cameras, rehabilitation of the old beds-silt removal, gravel augmentation, education.

Rossflyguy · Senior Member

Im in for helping with spawning rehabilitation.

WytEurp · Senior Member

Otter, Id love to goto your class but will be out of town on the 7th. If you put on another one I will be there.

WYT

iamamultitasker · Senior Member

Is this still on? If so, I'm in.

Otter · Senior Member

The class is still on!! Saturday the 7th Starts at 10:30. Upper parking lot by the bridge. Large lot by Cold Creek on the right. Basically I plan to walk and drive from the Dam to Access 3. Topics to be covered are spotting redds and spawners. Ethics of fishing during the Winter. Flies for Putah Creek and some other great rivers that just opened up.

SK60 · Senior Member

I'll bring the donuts!

BennyS · Member

Sorry for the late post. New to the site. I will be attending the class, looking forward to it.

Benaut · Newbie

I am also new to this site and was planning on fishing Putah creek tomorrow. Thankfully I came across this site and blog and the class sounds exactly the intro a newbie needs. Not sure if there is a charge but happy to contribute whatever is required. Thanks

SK60 · Senior Member

Here's a couple of Pics from the 101 redds event. Thanks to all and we hope it was a useful way to spend a beautiful Saturday morning.

iamamultitasker · Senior Member

Many thanks to Chris (and Steve) for putting on this class. I really learned a lot about avoiding spawning fish and the redds. Chris was also nice enough to dispense information about some of the fishing spots and techniques that work on Putah. Well worth it. It was great meeting many of the people that post on this board.

I fished for a couple of hours after the class and saw 2 guys wading out toward the redds - the spot where SK last posted the pic of the guy. I yelled from across the river (I yelled because I was far away) that they were fishing on spawning trout and they seemed to halt, but continued to fish although they avoided the redds which is better than nothing. I was still disappointed that they kept fishing.

Not a lot of action for me although I managed to almost land 2 in the 16-inch range that came off a second before I could put my hands on them.

Otter · Senior Member

Thanks to everyone that showed up!! It is great to see that people want to see how to ethically fish and wade around the creek! The future of the creek really depends on the people that are fishing it. Thanks Cole for showing up and helping out! Putah Creek Trout will be having some labor intensive projects this year on the creek, so if you want to volunteer send SK60 or me a PM. Tight lines!

-- Edited by Otter on Sunday 8th of January 2012 08:55:10 PM

Cole Davis · Senior Member

Lots of fun. Good to meet some new folks. I could watch those fish all day long.