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Thread: Putah Creek landlocked steelhead above Berryessa

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    East Bay
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    681

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sonoman View Post
    I made it out to the ranch last weekend with the landowner. More of a scouting trip and had only a couple hours to fish before dark. The sun was already behind the hills so the water was in deep shade. I didn't see any spawning fish over gravel and fished a deep run with rocky structure below fast riffles/small waterfalls. Looked like good holding water. Bank was brushy so all single-handed spey and roll casting. Landed three very spirited trout in the 16in range on my 5-wt; next trip I will bring my bigger net. The trout fought more like strong river trout than resident lake trout, with some good runs that made the Hardy sing.

    Saw a few bugs come off the water...probably midges around size 22. I didn't see any surface action but could have missed some sips. Caught all the fish on swung or stripped streamers, black or olive.

    One fish had healed scars on its flank and a small open wound on its back. Maybe from jumping up small waterfalls? Ospreys?

    I will attempt to attach a photo
    Attachment 17696
    Those are lake fish. I’ve caught them up to 25” trolling Shad patterns. They have huge tail fins and slender bodies. Really athletic fish in berryessa. Hooked them 60 ft down and they bolt right to the surface cartwheeling. Love that lake. Awesome you’re getting them up that creek with private access. If you have private access and you’re ethical I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong. Just don’t brag about it too much. Some people here are sensitive.
    Last edited by Rossflyguy; 01-25-2022 at 10:45 PM.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Dunsmuir,CA
    Posts
    177

    Default my mistake

    Yep, Mike, I see you were right and I was wrong.
    Love the new simple Regs
    I just searched on Putah Creek and only saw the stretch below the Dam in the special Regs.
    so I thought above the Dam would be the general Regs.
    I did not look for "Berryessa Lake tributaries"
    I assume the stretch in question is in Lake or Napa
    county.
    (check map)
    looks like Napa County to me

    sorry folks I messed that one up

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Hidden Valley Lake, Ca.
    Posts
    174

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    I happen to live close to the upper section of Putah so I'm familiar with the regs. I did fish another stream last year that I assumed was open. Gave a fishing report to the club I'm in. That was embarrassing!

  4. #24
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Santa Rosa
    Posts
    108

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    Thanks Mike for the clarification on the regs. I feel your embarrassment for fishing a closed stream! It was fun while it lasted but lesson learned and I appreciate the forum community

    Plenty of other places to fish that are open

    Tight lines

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

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    In the 1960s and 1970s ( 50 years ago) many from the Valley towns and the Bay Area cities float tubed Lake Solano.

    In the summer there were huge Callibaetis mayfly hatches back then.


    In a float tube veteran fly fisher Al Hulbert caught a 10# fish on a big black leech that looked like a big wild Steelhead.

    He had it mounted and it was hung in his real estate office for years.

    It had very large fins and a tail like a broom.

    Back then we figured it was a probably a land locked Steelhead.

    In high water years salmon and steelhead will swim all the way up lower Putah Creek to the base of the Lake Solano dam.
    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........
    ______________________________________

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    O'vale Ca., Estes Park Co.
    Posts
    131

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    The trout in that lake have some kind of round sores, maybe micro organisms? Gold/mercury mining Pollution? Fish wars. I had a trailer at rancho Monticello for years. We asked about it and wondered if we shouldn’t be eating them. Never really got a answer.
    Last edited by cmcdhuibh; 01-26-2022 at 10:14 AM.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Tejas !!
    Posts
    792

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    Quote Originally Posted by cmcdhuibh View Post
    The trout in that lake have some kind of round sores, maybe micro organisms? Pollution? Fish wars. I had a trailer at rancho Monticello for years. We asked about it and wondered if we shouldn’t be eating them. Never really got a answer.


    Copepods is what I was told those are. I know the kokanee get them as well as the kings. I was lucky to get one over 6 lbs a few years back rolling shad deep on downriggers, it was a serious fish!

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

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    A senior biologist friend in Davis has studied the water in Lake Berryessa and it has some kind of bad mineral pollution that I think comes out of a mine?

    Many years ago the town of Davis opted to not get it's drinking water from Lake Berryessa so maybe it is factual.

    Not sure of we should be eating any fish out of there.

    Also is the agriculture polluted south of Davis that gets it's water from Lake Solano out of lower Putah Creek.
    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........
    ______________________________________

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Vacaville CA
    Posts
    77

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Kiene semi-retired View Post
    In the 1960s and 1970s ( 50 years ago) many from the Valley towns and the Bay Area cities float tubed Lake Solano.

    In the summer there were huge Callibaetis mayfly hatches back then.


    In a float tube veteran fly fisher Al Hulbert caught a 10# fish on a big black leech that looked like a big wild Steelhead.

    He had it mounted and it was hung in his real estate office for years.

    It had very large fins and a tail like a broom.

    Back then we figured it was a probably a land locked Steelhead.

    In high water years salmon and steelhead will swim all the way up lower Putah Creek to the base of the Lake Solano dam.
    About five years ago i saw a post of a guy that was fishing Lake Solano and he caught a striper about 12" That was weird. Nothing since. I fish Putah a lot and lake Solano.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    East Bay
    Posts
    681

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    Quote Originally Posted by timmosazz View Post
    About five years ago i saw a post of a guy that was fishing Lake Solano and he caught a striper about 12" That was weird. Nothing since. I fish Putah a lot and lake Solano.
    Either someone threw it in there or they really didn’t catch it out of solano.

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