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Thread: Putah

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    82

    Default Putah

    Went out to fish Putah for the first time in three years yesterday. I could NOT believe the amount of pressure going on. Anglers in every single run. One of my harder to reach spots that I never found anyone fishing in the past had 4 dudes fishing a run that only has room for 1 angler. Mind blown.

    Def the fires improved access to spots that historically required serious bushwacking. COVID also pushed so many more people outside. What else? Social Media? Guides that post about tiny waterways incessantly? Seems like alot of factors have contributed to jam up this tiny fishery.

    Such a bummer

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default

    Starting in the late 1960s many were fly fishing Lake Solano from round float tubes

    We had a serious mid-day Callibaetis mayfly emergence that brought up every fish in the lake in the summer.

    All we needed was a day with low wind and the hatch was wonderful.

    Back then we were just learning to fly fish stillwaters and matching the hatch on top and just under the surface.

    Most size 16 medium colored classic dries worked well on 6x tippet. This was kind of pre-parachute dries.


    Guys from the Bay area like Hal Janssen were there and some of the guys in the 'Flyfishers of Davis' too.

    Some of us from the 'California Fly Fishers Unlimited' like George Farrell, Galen Geller, brother Dick, etc. enjoyed it.


    Then somehow back then we lost the Callibaetis population in Lake Solano? Some think it was spraying Lake Solano for weeds (copper

    sulphate ?) and others thought it was crop dusters that over sprayed from the orchards?

    We fished from the split at the island above the camp ground down to the dam.


    I don't remember many wade fishing Putah Creek back then.


    I believe Mark Pinto was the first to guide Putah Creek in the low flows of the winter.

    He tied size 20 nymphs on an 18 hook.......super sparse ties.

    I think Mark lived in Stockton, CA and stopped by coming from or going to Putah Creek.


    I have hundreds of stories about Putah Creek and Lake Solano.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    East Bay
    Posts
    681

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by E.Drucker View Post
    Went out to fish Putah for the first time in three years yesterday. I could NOT believe the amount of pressure going on. Anglers in every single run. One of my harder to reach spots that I never found anyone fishing in the past had 4 dudes fishing a run that only has room for 1 angler. Mind blown.

    Def the fires improved access to spots that historically required serious bushwacking. COVID also pushed so many more people outside. What else? Social Media? Guides that post about tiny waterways incessantly? Seems like alot of factors have contributed to jam up this tiny fishery.

    Such a bummer
    It’s every river bud. Have you been to the feather or the lower yuba this past year? Everyone decided to buy fly rods during covid restrictions. The most annoying part is when 4 bros who just got their new sage rods and already have their waders on pull up and literally run to the water when they don’t even have their fly line pulled through the rod guides yet. There’s gonna be a lot of poor etiquette for awhile.
    Last edited by Rossflyguy; 03-06-2021 at 04:59 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default

    If you can, think about moving to a less populated area to have a better quality of life.

    Looks like large cities are having lots of social problems now and it will only get worse.

    If you go to any small town in any part of rural America (75% of our land mass) you will find nicer people with manners.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Sacramento, Driggs
    Posts
    1,204

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Kiene semi-retired View Post
    If you go to any small town in any part of rural America (75% of our land mass) you will find nicer people with manners.
    Generally you may be correct, but there are bad apples everywhere. For instance, lots of bad stories coming out of western Washington on WFF forums right now about people's outright dangerous and threatening behavior on the river.

    I got low holed plenty of times in Driggs this past summer/fall too.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Woodland
    Posts
    89

    Default

    Switch to bass. Lots of water and no fighting for a hole plus they’re a ton of fun. I finally just had it fishing the American this year. It seems etiquette has gone out the door

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    East Bay
    Posts
    681

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jake B View Post
    Switch to bass. Lots of water and no fighting for a hole plus they’re a ton of fun. I finally just had it fishing the American this year. It seems etiquette has gone out the door
    Agreed! I’ve decided to start fly fishing Stillwater fisheries. Bigger fish and more opportunities.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2020
    Location
    Stockton
    Posts
    113

    Default

    I was thinking about hitting it next monday before I pick up a friend from the airport but if its full i doubt a dumb kid like me will ever be able to find a spot. Last time I was there before the closure I ended up spending most of my day trying to find a place to fish because of the amount of other anglers sitting in the same holes all day, not that there is anything wrong with that.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Walnut Creek,Ca.
    Posts
    207

    Default

    It seems this time of year everyone gets an itch. But many of the sierra streams are closed or high so Putah creek is the closest thing to normal. hence the crowds. as soon as rivers open up it will be back to normal, hopefully.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    100

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Lucas Dement View Post
    I was thinking about hitting it next monday before I pick up a friend from the airport but if its full i doubt a dumb kid like me will ever be able to find a spot. Last time I was there before the closure I ended up spending most of my day trying to find a place to fish because of the amount of other anglers sitting in the same holes all day, not that there is anything wrong with that.
    The Yuba is only a little over half an hour from SMF. A bit more water to share with the crowd.

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