Spent yesterday (Jan. 22nd) out at the creek. Hadn't been there since Jan. 3rd and what a difference in water clarity. The color is mocha brown with 9-10 inch visibility and areas where there was a gravel bottom are coated in a layer of boot sucking mud up to 6 inches deep.
Looking at the water data, on Jan. 16th there was a huge surge which came down the creek, it peaked at a little over 1100 cfs and with a water level rise of 3 feet in a matter of hours . It appears to have resulted in a massive amount of silt being deposited in the creek at the mouth of Thompson Canyon (at the top of the campground) which extends in an alluvial fan nearly half way across the creek. The water coming out of the dam isn't that clear either but at least it isn't brown.
While we were there you could see and hear chunks of mud breaking off of the fan shaped deposit and further adding to the discoloration. It looks as if it is going to be quite a while before this mess
All talk of the spawn aside, consider this; the increase in water temperature from the inflow of side streams and the noticeable sediment have decreased the available oxygen to the trout. Ergo, let the water settle down and allow the flow from the lake to restore oxygen levels. Go fish the Stanislaus or Yuba.
Guys, your concern about the redds is understandable and commendable but please believe me, that fisherman in the photo has long been part of annual surveys of the redds in the creek for Putah Creek Trout. He has done as much as anyone to improve the health of the creek volunteering 4-6 hours a month for every month for the last two years. He knows what a redd looks like and was as disheartened as the rest of us by the current conditions. At the time that that photo was taken the redds in the area where he was standing had been buried under 4-6 inches of fresh silt/mud and were no longer discernible if at all viable. The mud flow from Thompson Creek has completely obliterated the gravel that he helped lay down in that area a few years ago to promote redd development. Perhaps I should have offered this information in my original post and I hope that this explanation will help to alleviate any concern or confusion which I may have generated with my photo.
Well... People really shouldn't be fishing the creek until March or April. But... That's a whole other story. And while I'm at it, don't get me started on the 3 or 4 fly nymph rig guys during the regular season. They might be just as bad as the winter time puddle pitching spawn hunters. I mean how many flies do you need to hook one fish? Just a friendly jab at the nymphers out there, so don't get all offended. I'm just sayin. But seriously tho. Nameste!
For me, greed is a factor in using 3 flies. I call it my Christmas Tree set up. I usually always use two flies for nymph fishing. Sometimes when I'm not doing much I'll put on a third fly trying to see if something else will work. It usually doesn't last long (the Christmas Tree set up), because I spend a lot of time untangling the knots. It finally stops when I lose the whole set up on a snag. Now, I've been fly fishing for over 60 years and I in reality I know it is a bad way to fish because, for me, strikes are usually a function of where I'm at in the water column. If I put on 3 flies, one of them is usually too high. I've had success with it only rarely, but from time to time I still do it. I think another reason is after I tie a few new flies. The urge to try them out is too much for my low will power. Age and experience is no match for an overpowering curiosity to try one more fly.
We should have a contest with the following rules; One nymph, no smaller than a size 6 that we all agree on
(the more outlandish , the better), fished for no more than 2 hours in any single access EXCEPT NO. 4. It's off limits. You can pick only 3 of the access lots , and yes, no. 3 left and right, count as 2. No go backs to a previously fished place. Biggest fish wins, smallest fish takes the monkey award. First place is a good beer, monkey award is a six pack of Keystone.
Nameste!