Where to go for Father's Day?

[Alosa]

I am going fly fishing for Father's Day, but I need advice as to where to go. I live in Santa Cruz, so driving will be an issue, but I've driven as far as Oroville and back in the run of a day, so I'm willing to put in the time behind the wheel to get where I need/want to go.

I'm kind of tired of the shad run on the American (it's a whole lotta skunk for that much driving), and was hoping for some trout fishing. I'm considering Putah Creek, but I've never been there and don't know if it's worth my time. Perhaps the north Fork Feather would be a better option (never been there either). Advice please?

Thanks alot.

[Jet]

I have not fished the Putah in a very long time but it's a nice sized river and there could be some nice hatches coming off. Its does have the NZ mudsnails so you will need to clean your gear properly before going any where else. The Yuba is not on your list but is in your range. The Yuba can be tough if you don't fish it a lot but once you land a fish you'll be hooked as they are the hottest fish in the country. The NFF could be a nice option as I have heard good things about it but have never fished the feather. I wish I had more for you..

Good Luck & Happy Fathers Day

Jet

[ycflyfisher]

Alosa,

I fished the NFF on 5-31. We only fished from about 4pm until dark, and it was still fishing decent but not great. We only fished two rifs because my buddy was driving and he decided he didn’t want to do a lot of rock hopping. Still ended up with a decent amount of fish. A smattering of the typical inverts you’d expect to see on the NFF for this time of year: Sallies and a few Calinuerias on the wing in the evening and some caddis and mays hatching near dusk. Nothing in abundance, but the fish were actively rising near the end of the day and there were enough cali’s around that I did still get a few grabs on some stimulators before the fish started rising. The NFF is very similar to the Pit in terms of habitat and biota and like the Pit, the substrate tends to be very large and very imbedded and not exactly fun wading. The NFF does however have many more spots where anglers can access the river, so fishing the NFF doesn’t require as much effort as the Pit to cover lots of water.

Water temps were ~61 in the sections we fished. I’d definitely expect the temp to be a bit warmer this weekend, but the water shouldn’t be so warm that the fishing completely shuts down. Expect the fish to mainly run~12-16” with fish significantly smaller or larger being the exception. I’d definitely call the PG&E release line to make sure there isn’t a scheduled release for this weekend.

Of the two destinations you’ve mentioned, I’d definitely make the longer drive and fish the Feather. The drawbacks IMO to fishing the NFF, is that it’s not high enough in elevation to escape the oppressive valley heat on 100+ degree days and when the water temps get north of 65, the fishing shuts down pretty hard. If I were fishing the NFF this weekend, I’d probably start in the Rock Creek reach and work my way downstream.

[amoeba]

I fished the North Fork Feather 6/9/13, exactly the reaches ycflyfisher talks about (rock creek downstream):

Yes, I caught some fish; the water temperatures were far north of 65, more like 71 degrees everywhere, but I did catch occasional fish anyways. The largest fish was maybe 13"; and nothing was hatching at any time. I mean not nothing in the air during the day, or at dark. Well - maybe bees and yellow jackets. Air temperature around 97 degrees in the shade. Windy. Kept the skeeters off me.

You don't cover that much water in the NFF; while it does have a road, moving along the bank is no piece of cake, nor is getting down to the river, or wading for that matter (it's alot deeper/swifter than it looks from the road). It is worth while I suppose if the bite continues. Don't need fleece. Bring your lightest breathable waders.

[drdan]

The Putah is at 700 CFS which is high flows. The fish are spread around pretty well. If you come, I would suggest you hit access 5 as there are more wadeable spots. Try small dark flies. I have had success with tight line nymphing with an attractor fly and a smaller dark nymph last time I was out. Don't expect the 20"+ fish you may have seen in photos. They are probably in deeper water and are smarter than me.

[Alosa]

Thanks for all the advice. Given concerns over water temperatures in various places (and hook and release mortality), I've decided to head somewhere a little more 'elevated'.

[wineslob]

Once I'm back, I'll post some pics from where I'm going............