Time to Fish Putah Creek!

[chemdoc]

Just kidding guys. I was up today to see the flows at 7000+ and it was quite impressive. Sadly, it doesn't look like it will be fishable for a while, as the pictures below show.

The Glory Hole

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/chemdoc/P1010311.jpg

Glory Hole Outlet

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/chemdoc/P1010312.jpg

Putah Creek from the 128 Bridge

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b369/chemdoc/P1010313.jpg[/img]

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Great photos ......thanks

[SteelieD]

WOW! Having some time figuring this whole FF'ing thing out at Putah, I would get a little shakey wading when it reached 300 cfs as I recall. It's now listed at over 6000 cfs!! I wonder what it'll do the valley, streambed, and fishing? I see where it was this high back in the spring of '04, before I fished it, did it change things much back then?

Stay dry down there!

[SullyTM]

chemdoc...Stay safe if you're out there. Hopefully, the flows will be down to the usual winter levels soon. I know there are some brownies out there! SullyTM

[Ryan]

Great pictures Phil! I saw it like that I think 2 years back when it was closed in January... it was at 8,000! It's pretty impressive... anyways.... Bill, I'm sure you will be able to answer this question... do you think these flows will ruin the eggs the spawners worked so hard to make? I keep thinking about the low flows when the fish are spawning and how the bed's water is about a foot to 2 feet deep at max... and now it just looks like the lower sac in putah! That can't be good. Does this mean that a generation of fish will be lost? Or a good portion of it? Or will they find a way to survive? To be truthfull... I haven't noticed a huge amount of small 6 inch fish this last year in putah... maybe it's because of the 8,000 cfs I mentioned earlier? Just a thought... does anyone have any oppinions or information on this... anything will be appreciated... thanks...

[chemdoc]

Good question Ryan. I really don't know, but certainly hope not. Perhaps Greg Bonovich or some of the posters on Kiene's can offer some thoughts. I just wish it was fishable now, with all the rivers blown out. I had plans to fish there a whole lot during my last week of Christmas break next week, but it doesn't look good.

Phil