Spawning Bed Cleanout Volunteer Request for November 17 and 18

SK60 · Senior Member

Spawning Bed Cleanout Volunteer Request for November 17 and 18

SK60 · Senior Member

I changed the permissions on the page that had been view only to where you can add your name. Sorry about that.

Fishnbeatsworkin · Member

I signed up. Where do we meet?

lightfoot · Senior Member

I'm surprised there isn't more people giving feedback in here. Currently there are ONLY 18 people signed up. The work done last year at the "deer sign" was a fantastic indicator that this idea works!!!!!!!

You want more fish in the creek to catch, help for a couple of hours to make that happen. Last year we did the rake work in just one location. This year F&G has given their blessings to work at 4 different locations. We have an opportunity to make a HUGE impact on the spawning success for this season.

Rossflyguy · Senior Member

Im 50-50 right now. Have house repairs to the new place and have the ladies bday on that weekend. Definitely want to help if I can.

Fishnbeatsworkin · Member

I saw the link on Kiene's forum & figured since it was in my backyard I'd sign up.

SK60 · Senior Member

There is just one week to go and we can definitely use more volunteers to make the work go more easily and quickly.

Here are some of the logistics:

1. We will meet at the Canyon Creek Family Lodge Parking Area between 9:30-9:45 a.m. both days. Park to the left of the store.

2. Bring standard garden rake or shovel, short-handled cultivating rakes with long teeth; pickax and long pry bar's are useful to loosen armored gravel. A 5 gallon plastic bucket may also be useful for weeds.

3. Bring lunch; water, sodas, Gatorade, and snacks will be provided

4. If you have them, bring cotton gloves to protect your hands from blisters. We have thin latex or vinyl gloves to share.

5. Weather forecast calls for rain, so dress accordingly. This is a go, rain or shine.

6. Sign-ups are still available at the link below. Please consider joining us for the sake of the fishery and for making new or renewing old acquaintances

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AtiIUgFCFVo9dEVacXZEZmVtUUZkS1JuTy1yWm5oRUE

-- Edited by SK60 on Saturday 10th of November 2012 09:38:59 AM

-- Edited by SK60 on Saturday 10th of November 2012 09:39:23 AM

lightfoot · Senior Member

Just a bump to the thread at the one week to go point. There are currently 20 people signed up.

The work is NOT hard but has huge payoffs. Obvious benefit of improved spawning habitat for the fish but an added bonus of awesome karma for participating in such a project. Come on down and be part of the solution that will help bring Putah back to the glory days of years past.

Bob Loblaw · Senior Member

I'll be there Saturday.

Surf Fisherman · Member

I am very interested in coming out and meeting some of you guys, but most importantly helping out the Putah creek fishery.

I'm at UC Davis and my roommate is also interested in coming out, however our only means of transportation is by bike. Is it not feasible to bike to this event? Any buses or public trans that can take us?

Thank you,

- Brendan

browndude3649 · Veteran Member

Gotta four tine and gloves. Will give me chance to try out my orvis rain jacket.
Cant wait!

lightfoot · Senior Member

Surf Fisherman wrote:
I am very interested in coming out and meeting some of you guys, but most importantly helping out the Putah creek fishery.

I'm at UC Davis and my roommate is also interested in coming out, however our only means of transportation is by bike. Is it not feasible to bike to this event? Any buses or public trans that can take us?

Thank you,

- Brendan

I'm in Dixon..not exactly public transportation but close enough if you don't mind stuffing into a Jeep or sub compact car. Send me a msg with your contact information.

SK60 · Senior Member

Brendan: email me your contact info @sk60. There is at least one other Davisite helping out. Sign up at the link below anyway and we'll get you a ride if need be. Robert is a good choice-he's an awesome volunteer.

SK60 · Senior Member

Canyon Creek Resort is providing hamburgers to volunteers on Saturday for lunch and is working on securing the same treat for Sunday.

Bob Loblaw · Senior Member

If anyone wants to carpool from Pleasant Hill I can take 3 passengers plus rakes, buckets waders etc.

Bob Loblaw · Senior Member

Thank you Steve, Chris and everyone at PCT.

Had a great time on Saturday building a big honeymoon retreat for our fishy friends. Damn hard work and my back still aches, but it was very nice to meet so many good people and hopefully we all banked some good fishing karma!

Looking forawrd to going back up there in a month or so with my daughter to see if we can spot spawning fish.

Matt

Otter · Senior Member

I would just like to say thanks for all the volunteers that showed up this weekend! The spawning areas were obviously in dire need of weed removal and gravel cleaning! Thanks Matt I think we made a great love shack for the fish in the upper creek!! Hopefully we can get some funding for some of the other upcoming projects!! Again thanks to all!

browndude3649 · Veteran Member

I also had a great time Sunday-learned a thing or two about a thing or two and cant wait to see the fruits of our labors!

SK60 · Senior Member

Thanks go out to 27 volunteers who helped with cleaning up and prepping 3 sites for the upcoming spawn. They include Cliff, Lowell, Robert L, Dan, Bob L, Donn, Cole, John, David, Mark, Enrique, Dylan, James, Matt, Joseph, Jordan,, Chris (Otter), Bob M, Shawn Y, Dave, Kip, Chris Y. David, Mark, and Robert worked both days-extra kudos to you three. Clubs represented included Fly Fishers of Davis and Solano Fly Fishers. Special thanks goes to Lisa at Canyon Creek Resort for serving us lunch on Saturday. Roger Bloom of DFG's Heritage and Wild Trout program supervised the operations-thank you Roger for being available for the whole weekend.

Two of the three sites will provide additional good spawning space; the third site was gravel starved, so we will have to see if it's utilized more this year after the cleanout. Heritage and wild trout were pleased with the outcome at the other two sites.

The follow-up to the cleanout is a three-month long survey of these three plus a fourth site that was not altered to act as control. PCT volunteers will be monitoring these four sites beginning December 1 for spawning activity as well as any fishing activity targeting the spawning fish. These four sites are going to be well marked with signage notifying everyone that each is a spawning study area- there will be no excuse that you didn't know any fish in/next to the sites are spawning.

An opportunity to help with the study will be advertised as soon as Heritage and Wild Trout finish the study protocol.

-- Edited by SK60 on Tuesday 20th of November 2012 11:29:04 AM

ONEWEIGHT · Senior Member

It was good to get out and meet some new faces, as well as see some old faces once again. I was able to make it Sunday, and we had some super weather. It was amazing to see the before and after looks of the spawning bed. Some great work was done, and thanks to Roger Bloom for making our efforts productive. I am interested to see how many spawners stack up on this cleared out bed. Seeing 6-7 pair would certainly be rewarding.

I took a couple of action photos as proof that we were actually doing somerhing.

Bob

Cole Davis · Senior Member

Had a great time sunday. Notice I am completely out of camera range.. probably leaning on a rake buls&%it*ing about something biggrin Great time and yes the before and after was pretty cool to see.

Fishnbeatsworkin · Member

It was great helping out for the two days & meeting some of you. Hopefully our work will pay off. I don't usually fish Putah, but I'd be willing to help out again.