Managed to get out for a couple of hours on Saturday, and despite an ugly encounter with a couple of baitcasting poachers (more on that later), had a great day.
I fished under the highway 128 bridge starting at about 10:30.... For the first hour or so I threw every midge pattern I had out there, but there was nothing doing. A quick shift to mayfly patterns produced immediate results. In the next hour I hooked 6 fish, landing 4, including two 18"-19" fish and a monster 25 incher (after an epic battle). Of the two I lost one was another 20"+ fish that broke off my 5x tippet without even breaking a sweat. The two largest fish both took #18 black micro mayflies, the others took a #18 mighty may, a #18 copper john, and a #18 prince nymph. All told it was one of my better days on the creek.... I even met Yukon Mike and a few other guys that post on this site while I was out there.
As for the poachers.... They were two white guys driving a white toyota tercel: one about 5'8" with a shaved head and the other about 5'10" with a goatee. They threatened one of the other fly fishermen, so I would steer clear of these guys.
I'm sorry to hear about your poacher report Josh. I seems as if Putah has had its share of bad experiences lately (and in the past). If I had a set of phone numbers in my cell phone to call either fish and game, Winters police or the sheriffs office, I would use them. After hearing these recent reports, I think something needs to be done. Doesn't the keeper of the access areas patrol the creek and report to the authorities?
Saturday, I watched Josh net one sea monster after another. I asked him what he was using, and so I put on a prince. I threw it in and immediately it got mugged by a decent sized rainbow. I saw the alleged crackhead poachers. What losers. But if some white trash has starving children to feed, or something of the sort, let em have the fish. I still wish fish and game had some oversight of the creek. I have yet to see one ranger or warden out there.
I have fished putah at least 50 times and have never seen any kind of police, or f & g presence. I think it just goes back to what Bono was saying about the 3 county lines that putah crosses. I think it is definately a good idea, and I am going to look into it, to find some phone numbers to get an immediate response from law enforcement agencies; the only problem is its impossible to get any reception out there. I can't believe that people would stoop so low, to steal things out of cars like that, but incidents like this always remind me that I still live in California.
