Lake Solano on Putah Creek

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Around 1970 we started float tubing on Lake Solano west of Davis and Winters and just below Lake Berryessa. It was my brother Dick, George Farrell, Galen Geller and some others from the Davis Flyfishers.

Actually we found out that Chuck Campana and Neil Hansen had been fishing there even before then.

We had those old round float tubes and sometimes we would put in above the camp ground and float down into the lake.

Around 1:00pm there was a big Callibaetis mayfly hatch for an hour or so. We used an Adams, Blue Dun or a Red Quill #16 standard dry on 6x tippet. Then we learned from Neil Hansen one day that we could be throwing nymphs at them too. We used a standard #16 Hares Ear nymph on 5x tippet until we pumped the stomach of some later. We started using a pale olive dubbing with a very dark wing case.

I don't think those hatches are still going that strong but in the summer you might take a look for rising fish on all that flat water from noon on if it is not windy?

From there we next moved to Lake McCumber and Manzanita east of Redding on Hwy 44 in the mid-'70s.

http://www.kiene.com/images/amy.jpg

Lake McCumber in the mid-'70s

[Tracy Chimenti]

You ought to write a book. Hell, maybe we all ought to collaborate. That was also a great picture of the kids jumping from the tree. I'd blow that one up and put it on the wall at the shop. Nostalgia.

[Ryan]

Hey Bill,

I fish Lake Solano from a float tube every once in a while. It is alot of fun for the planter rainbows, and I have witnessed a huge fish caught. My friend Roberto... when he first started fly fishing got an 8 pound brown on a #16 PT with 6X tippit! It was when he first started and unfortunatley he had to kill the fish because he fought him for like 45 minutes and it wouldn't swim away. But now it is stuffed in his living room which is cool because it was probabley the best memory of fly fishing he has ever had. I have also seen him land a 24 inch rainbow which was truly amazing to see a wild rainbow of such size in Lake Solano.

Anyways... I used to love to fish Lake Solano with dry flies for the stocker browns two summers ago, but this last summer, they never planted them for some reason? I wonder if they will plant this summer? Lake Solano really is a sweet little place when the flows aren't too low. When I used to bait fish, I was lucky enough to witness seeing a huge browns back and tail half way out of the water shooting around in circles for about 30 seconds strait! I'm sure it was chasing a hatchery rainbow. It was an awesome sight. I will leave this post with a picture of my friends 24 inch bow... the picture doens't justify the fish 100%... it was actualey on my first camera role of fly fishing, so I was new and I didn't know how far or close to take the pic. Great memories though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Rwilliams06/RobertoLakeSolano001.jpg[/img]

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

http://www.kiene.com/images/solano.jpg

Me in Lake Solano down by the dam in 1967

Old picture that got damaged

[andanb]

Are you sure those big browns wern't carp??? They have some large carp in Solano Lake. I didn't know they planted browns but last year they did plant many rainbows which are a blast to catch. (green wooly buggers and damsel fly nymphs)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

My friend Al Hulbert has a 10 pound Rainbow Trout from Lake Solano that is mounted in his office. :o

He caught it in the '70s from a float tube with a big black leech.

I think it was near the picnic grounds just below the lower bridge.

I might have a picture of it somewhere?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

There were big Rainbows, big Browns, big Carp and even bass down in the lake.

Very weedy and very fishy........very cold too.