Man I can't believe the way the flows just keep going up??? Usually this time of year the flow stabilize at around 300-400 cfs and the fishing is great. It seems the flows will just keep going up to 800 or 900. When is the opener 3 more weeks...
I fished last thursday for 4 hrs and landed a huge 18 in plus bow I am guessing 4 to 6 lb in a hole we all fish ! right on front street all i have is my word it was big . I left for the day right after OOPS ! RGLOFT <@)))><
-- Edited by prettyfly on Wednesday 27th of March 2013 02:37:46 PM
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Great for fish. Hard for fishing! I have yet to figure high the high flow fishing.... It seems like there was no window this Spring. last year, PC fished well into at least the end of April. Anyone have tips?
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Yeah I cant believe these flows either, it's really too bad. We need to conserve resorvoir water cus the creek need the hole to blow one of these winters, soon like.
As for tips, when the creek is off, I try to fish he majic hour only.
I went out this past weekend. I hooked into a few. Think deep and heavy. It's definitely tough though. Many places aren't fisherman friendly anymore. Be careful when you wade out!
First of all, let me say that fishing high water flows is generally much tougher than fishing low water levels. Historically, I’ve probably caught only ½ to 1/3 of the number of fish that I’ve caught during the low water season. On the other hand, the average size of the fish I’ve caught during high water has tended to be larger than during low flows. Here are some ideas for fishing high flows:
- High flows mean faster currrent. Thus, it’s pretty obvious that you’ll need more weight to get the flies down to the fish and to slow the drift down.
- Because of high water, you can’t just wade up and down the stream wherever you want. Thus, you can expect to do more walking to get from one fishing location to the next.
- Generally, the current is faster in the middle of the stream and slower near its banks. Thus, fish may tend to lie close to the banks to avoid the faster current. Casts should be made close to the bank, especially when the bank is steep and the water next to it is deep.
- Another good place to cast is the seam between the faster current and the slower current next to it. Often fish will station themselves in the slower current looking for food drifting in the faster current.
- Speaking of seams, whever you see a backeddy, try fishing the seam between the main flow and the backeddy.
- Sometimes a pool is formed by a jut of land sticking out into the water perpendicular to the shore. Fishing immediately above the jut of land can be productive because fish will lie in wait there because the water is slowed by the jut of land. The fish get the benefit of all of the food drifting by without fighting a stiff current.
- Don’t ignore the pond-like water. Pond-like water has the slowest current speed in the stream and also has good depth. Some of my best fishing during high water has come from pond-like water. However, fishing pond-like water can be difficult for the following reasons:
--- Pond-like water is very abundant at Putah. However, most of Putah is bordered by trees, bushes, high banks, and high weeds. Pond-like water is best fished making long casts so finding fishing spots with enough backcast room is surprisingly difficult.
--- Fishing pond-like water is more like fishing a lake than fishing a stream. You have to make a lot of casts covering lots of water. If you don’t enjoy fishing a lake with a nymph, you probably wont like fishing Putah’s pond-like water.
--- Unlike fishing the rest of the stream, it is very difficult to "read" pond-like water. One section of the pond may look very similar to another section. Yet, the first section will produce consistently while the second won’t produce a single fish. Thus, it can take a considerable investment of time to find out which spots are productive and which are not.
