River Otters on Putah Creek

[E.Drucker]

Understood that you were doing a tour..but in a previous post you said you caught multiple fish Friday. I don't understand how almost every other guide who work Putah is off the water this time of the year, yet you seem to be actively guiding during the spawn. I understand you can justify showing fisherman on your tour where the Redds are, and how to "avoid them", but inevitably someone will hook a fish that is either staging for spawn, or has just finished spawning and is compromised. It's virtually impossible to avoid every fish involved in the spawn.

Maybe I'm wrong in my assessment, but I would assume that as a good steward of Putah Creek you would encourage people to stay off the river in spawning months...and the only way to do that would be lead by example...no?

Years ago a knowledge and reputable Putah Creek guide explained to me the importance of letting the entire river rest from 12/1 - 2/1..I'm thankful for this lesson. The only time I have been back in that timeframe, was to watch our Rainbow friends spawn and to share with my children this magical time of the year on Putah.

[E.Drucker]

"Then Putah turned into a zoo and later ended up where we are today. I think social media and peer pressure played a huge part in that."

True Mickey! Also, guided tours of all the fishy runs don't help the cause either.

[Lance Gray]

We did catch fish at guides hole and at the next riffle up. All of them where small. It was great. The students had fun. As for sharing the whole creek to new fly fishers why not show them the entire creek. Not showing them the entire creek would be a disgrace to the creek.

[Rossflyguy]

We did catch fish at guides hole and at the next riffle up. All of them where small. It was great. The students had fun. As for sharing the whole creek to new fly fishers why not show them the entire creek. Not showing them the entire creek would be a disgrace to the creek.

Anyone who wants to see the creek can walk the creek in a day for free. What’s a disgrace is a guide announcing the spawn is over because the spots you fish don’t have spawners and assume the river is done for the spawn. Kinda hard to believe that being true when you’ve just seen otters in the river for the first time. I’m sure you’re an ethical minded fisherman and we all realize we gotta pay bills. Just don’t make it sound like you’re in it only for the creek when you’re doing tours during the spawn. Pointing out all the redds for fisherman who most likely couldn’t resist catching a 10lb bow in a foot of water. Maybe doing tours when the water is 200 and above would be more helpful since that’s where people give up on the creek. And there are many fisherman who donate time and money to the creek but they don’t fish it during the spawn months. And I mean this in the least aggressive way. Do what you want it’s not illegal fishing spawners or the creek during spawn months but many people frown on this type of behavior for that fishery. Those fish need a break.

[E.Drucker]

Anyone who wants to see the creek can walk the creek in a day for free. What’s a disgrace is a guide announcing the spawn is over because the spots you fish don’t have spawners and assume the river is done for the spawn. Kinda hard to believe that being true when you’ve just seen otters in the river for the first time. I’m sure you’re an ethical minded fisherman and we all realize we gotta pay bills. Just don’t make it sound like you’re in it only for the creek when you’re doing tours during the spawn. Pointing out all the redds for fisherman who most likely couldn’t resist catching a 10lb bow in a foot of water. Maybe doing tours when the water is 200 and above would be more helpful since that’s where people give up on the creek. And there are many fisherman who donate time and money to the creek but they don’t fish it during the spawn months. And I mean this in the least aggressive way. Do what you want it’s not illegal fishing spawners or the creek during spawn months but many people frown on this type of behavior for that fishery. Those fish need a break.

Amen brother...took the kids out for a walk saturday on Putah..plenty of spawning fish sighted..not too tough to find them when the creek's running at 70 CFS.

[Morgan]

Maybe a closure needs to be implemented or petitioned for this time of year...? But, bad word of mouth travels faster than good word of mouth. So im sure those guides fishing a river that "should", be closed for spawn will have their karma catch up with them soon enough. Aren't the guides supposed to be leading by example?

[Rossflyguy]

Maybe a closure needs to be implemented or petitioned for this time of year...? But, bad word of mouth travels faster than good word of mouth. So im sure those guides fishing a river that "should", be closed for spawn will have their karma catch up with them soon enough. Aren't the guides supposed to be leading by example?

A closure from November/December to February would be ideal.

[Mickey]

User self regulation seems to be working fine. I'd choose to leave the gov't out of it, less you end up with November-April.

[Lance Gray]

Okay folks this is getting a little troubling. This all started with a innocent post about seeing otters, and for the record it was my first time I saw otters on Putah Creek. Sorry to disappoint everyone that I haven't seen them more. I have seen other wildlife like pigs, deer, snakes and beavers - no otters.

My guiding is not the way I pay my bills. I actually have a full time job in law enforcement. So hate me for that. Not guiding.

As for the tours - many people that are beginners do not know where to start when they go to a new fishery. Some Fly Shops don't want to help they want to sell and boards like this get a bad name by having some board members not giving them good information. Most of the time they give them s*^t for asking questions. They need help. So they go on a tour. We show them the fishery, talk about the fishery, show them how to rig their rods and then help them while they fish. We do this at multiple fisheries around Northern Cali, just not Putah. People love it - even people on this board.

Defending what I do and how I do it - doesn't sit right with me. So to all of you people that are using handles out there I invite you to come to a tour and see what we do. Then you can judge me.

As for the closure I would love to see Putah closed from November 1 thru March 1. That would give the fish a great a large window to do their thing. I would sign that petition.

[Mickey]

I've had a blue porch light for years

I've only seen one pig at putah; early 80's, I tried too kill it with a stick....LONG story but worthy of a couple fingers of bourbon around a campfire.