Now that the flows are starting to go down for Fall (currently at 204cfs), I wanted to share my thoughts on fishing Putah and discussions on the board. I think there is a balance that we should strike regarding discussing fishing success on the Putah and ensuring that we aren't contributing to the phenomena of "Hot Spotting". This is obviously subjective. Putah Creek is NOT a secret to the local fishing community and should be cherished and celebrated by ALL of the community. That being said, it is an extremely small fishery - only ~4.5 miles much of which is fishable due to vegetation and topography. It is the closest wild trout stream fishery to the Napa, Bay Area, and Sacramento metropolitan areas. This can lead to significant fishing pressure (duh).
So, before you post a report - consider the impact of showing fish in photos - especially "hero shots" featuring large fish. Highlighting a particular access/spot is guaranteed to crush it. Sharing tips and tricks are always appreciated. What was the hot fly for you? What technique was working for you? Did you see anything unusual on the creek during your visit?
Just some musings - what do YOU think?
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I think people either love Putah or hate it. Those that love it have figured things out and had success. They are the ones that don't rely on hero shots or fishing reports to decide if they should fish Putah. Other people give Putah a few tries, have less than stellar luck and decide to fish other waters. The occasional hero shot or online report draws some of them back from time to time and eventually they settle into a seasonal low flow fisher. I found Putah to be more difficult to fish in the later years.
I'd love to see fishing pressure data from the early 90's compared to current. I only pick the early 90's as that is when I started flyfishing Putah, and also when the internet started to kick into gear. I honestly believe I saw more people fishing Putah in the early 90's than in 2018 when I left California. That could be in part to differences in willingness to fish during the spawn past and present. I think more and more people are using discretion when posting fishing reports and or pictures, or just not making the posts at all. Peer pressure over the years has made an impact.
Lightfoot
-- Edited by LesCheneaux on Friday 23rd of September 2022 05:46:29 PM
Yep, that ding dong Rob Russell was just on social media last week complaining about people giving him **** for posting about PC every other day. He said it was our parents fault the creek is packed, not his.
