Відео

A dark green quilldigon and tag nymphs like a blowtorch but dark gray or black bodies with fluorescent red or orange tails on the droppers. Sizes 14-18. For the dry a size 12 CDC caddis.

I know you can hunt on the far bank for a good stretch, but I'm not sure if it's just squirrels and stuff (quail?) or if you can actually go after ducks. I keep thinking I should try it someday, maybe plunk some squirrels with a .22 or something, but then I get distracted by the fishing. ADHD is a sonofabitch.

@ Yeah fishing is a serious distraction for me as well

Oh, no! Feel better soon and get out there! I hit is for a hours today and it was wide open. As good as it gets. Take some DayQuil and get to it!

@@abushinthewoodswide open? Meaning not crowded? It always feels crowded when I go even during the week. 😢

​@@robertconrad7528 Wide open meaning the fish are biting like crazy. It is very often crowded. If you walk/bushwack a ways the crowds usually thin out pretty quickly. I've had to hunt for a spot a few times, but I've always managed to find one.

Yes, 100%. I was super selfish in the moment and a complete asshole. My goal is for it to not happen again.

Yes, so great! I should have let him fish! I need to buy him a week off just to apologize. If I were made of money I would do that today.

You're dating yourself! Kids these days, they don't get the Rush references. I remember seeing them in concert in high school with the drums spinning around and the drummer just going bananas. So awesome.

@@abushinthewoods There are bands , and then there is Rush .. they are (were) on a different level. I’ve seen them a few times. Best band on earth.

Social media works in mysterious ways! Glad you are enjoying it!

Yes, 100%. They are amazing.

I used Trident Travel to book the trip, but the actual on the ground outfitter is called Fish Partner. I stayed at their lodge in the highlands (very low frills but lovely). They have another lodge on the south eastern side of the island they use for Atlantic salmon that I didn't see. (There are other salmon lodges too, including one owned by Eric Clapton, apparently, but fishing for Atlantic salmon in Iceland is crazy expensive. The prices I heard were in the range of $4,000-$5,000 per angler, per day (!!!). Way too rich for my blood.) I think there are some independent guides on the island if you don't want to stay in just one place (lots of people driving around with rods on their cars). I also looked into DIYing it and that seems doable, but takes a lot of planning since the rivers are a beat system so you have to book the beats for the days you want, which means you have to know where you are going to be on what day. I didn't have that kind of clarity or time, so went with this option.

Whatever you want, as long as it’s single, artificial, and barbless.

For getting purchase, I don't think you can beat felt, except maybe the felt with studs. But it is also true that felt transports invasive species better than anything else, so it is important to make sure everything is clean and dry when moving from Putah so you don't transport snails. I actually have two sets of gear, one for Putah, and one for everywhere else,

Yes, a long way from Putah for sure. This was the first week of August of this year. It was way colder in Iceland than Winters at that time. I love that way of thinking about being in a spectacular place even without spectacular fishing. But man is it hard when you've used precious time off work and spent a ton of money to go on a big trip to not get anxious if you aren't catching fish (I think that's like a triple negative, so I hope you know what I mean), but it's also kind of dumb to let not catching fish ruin an otherwise amazing trip. I really tried to focus on just enjoying being there and soaking it up when it was tough, and tried to convey that with this video too.

@@abushinthewoods breaking rods on top of poor fishing had to hurt.

@@flyguy2021 Yeah, but they were both Sage rods, so, you know, super cheap. But, props to Sage, they are going to repair or replace them for $50 each. Not nothing, but better than having to buy new rods for sure. I already got the brand new replacement reels ( a Redington ($40 for a replacement) and a Sage ($65 for a replacement)).

The poison oak can absolutely be real. You can certainly mitigate your risk by staying on the main paths, avoiding areas that are covered in the stuff, and being careful, and that can be all you need to avoid it. But even knowing that, you couldn't pay me any amount of money to go out there in shorts and/or short sleeves, though I'm particularly sensitive to it. I douse myself in Tecnu as soon as I get home too, which I like to think helps.

I *think* so, but I'm not 100%.

@@abushinthewoods He didn’t get in trouble but I don’t think he encountered anyone either

@@guaporeturns9472 Yeah, it's a sparsely populated place, I'm not surprised. I also understand most law enforcement on Iceland is like, "hey, could you please stop doing that?"

@@abushinthewoods Yeah Europe in general is like that , at least all the spots I’ve visited

Well Shoot, Now I may have to go to Iceland.😊 Kim’s Husband Duane

Ha! Yeah, not many trees on the island, that's for sure. But it really is awesome.

@@abushinthewoods Yeah it’s beautiful.

Yeah, that's a huge challenge. If you can, keep them upstream of you for sure--even if you have to run downstream of them (which can be really hard to do at Putah). Getting them into soft water with side pressure is always good, but you also usually have to do a fair amount of lifting to keep them from rubbing you off on the rocks or running you around fallen branches. It's a balancing act that just takes experience to learn and even the most experienced people mess it up. I think fighting fish is one of the most overlooked skills in fly fishing. So many videos on casting, so few on fighting fish. I think there's a bit on it in Dynamic Fly Fishing, which I really like as a resource. But honestly my best advice (if you're in a position to do it) is to get a guide out on the Sac or the Yuba or the Truckee, or even Putah--somewhere where you have a good chance of hooking into some big fish--and get some lessons. Tell them you really want to work on those skills in particular. That is going to move you through the learning curve more than anything else.

Moving through the learning curve is the name of the game. And it never stops!

I've had a number of guides say that they see people loose fish all the time because they are focusing on getting the fish on the reel. So they trained me to not worry about it and just strip. (If the fish runs and puts itself on the reel, great, but if not, then just play it manually.) Counterintuitively, they say it's actually smoother and lands more fish. Now it's just habit.

@@abushinthewoods makes sense. With tightlining, I only have a little line hang so it gets on the reel fast, also thinner mono leaders can leave a nasty burn during a run.

@@Popcornbeetle Yeah, for sure. Line burn is real.

I'm sure the higher flows can be productive, but in all the years I've fished Putah I've never once gotten into one of those pods of fish. That, coupled with the challenges of wading those flows, the reduced areas of access, the poison oak, the blackberries, the heat...IMHO, it's just pretty awful. If I was getting into those fish all the time or even reliably, I might feel differently, but it's never happened for me. As for the bugs, yeah, small bugs work. But they aren't the only ones that work. That's the misconception: the only things that will produce fish are small bugs. It's just not true and I think it needlessly intimidates people away from fishing this great public water. Plus the amount of time you have to spend trying to thread those small bugs, the inability to see them on the water if you are fishing dries, the increased potential to loose fish, and the fact that you have to scale down your tippet size to get it through the hook eye...no thank you.

@@abushinthewoods I thought the same way as you did until one day in August I watched someone get repeatedly bit on a #20 Zebra midge in the evening underneath the bridge and they were huge fish . I focused on small flies the next day and could see fish actually chase down tiny mayflies from 10 ft away . In these high flows I wet Wade with a staff cautiously . There are several spots above and below the bridge and some spots at #5 that hold fish in high flows . At 1pm a mayfly bite occurs like clockwork

@@gregorymilla9213 Well, I'm always happy to learn something new. I'll give it a try and see if I'm swayed to the zebra midge side of things. Thanks for sharing that info.

Yeah, that makes sense. I'm not a Tenkara person myself, but it does seem like it would be good for that style. If you try it, please let me know how it goes.

Yes, that can be challenging there. It is often too warm for trout below Lake Solano and I think it's actually closed to fishing there anyway. There are some spots where you wouldn't have to cut through brambles or wade beyond ankle deep, but there are few and far between. There's some good access for that kind of fishing (no hacking through brambles and no higher than ankle deep wading) from the dirt lot on closest to the dam, as well as from access spot 1, at least when flows are reasonable. You could also bank fist to some degree from the second paved lot as you are headed to the damn from Winters. As for the invasives, yes, it's a huge concern. I actually have two sets of gear: one for Putah and one for everywhere else, to avoid moving those snails. As for the habitat, if you honor the voluntary closure and/or take care to avoid walking on or about redds, I think you're probably mitigation your damage to spawning grounds sufficiently. But there's no question that fishing in generally stresses fish out. I just think it's worth it and tell myself they have short memories and very limited emotional range and depth. I can't say if that's true or not, but I got with it because I would be deeply, deeply depressed if I couldn't fish.

@@abushinthewoods Thank you so much for your help!

I dunno, nobody seems to care. The drone usually tells me if I'm doing something I shouldn't be, and it's even self-aborted flights before. I've never gotten any feedback on the dam thing, so I'm not sure it's a problem. I've certainly encountered fences and barriers and signs prohibiting walking or driving to a dam, but never seen any no-drone signs or anything.

Interesting. How have you been fishing it? Heavy rig, swinging, etc.? I wonder, are you fishing early and/or late in the day? I've fished The Creek even less than even usually this summer so I honestly don't know how it's been fishing the last month and half or so, but I'm glad it's been producing for you. If you're willing to share, I'd be interested to know what you are doing. If I need to revise my opinion or advice, I will totally do that. It's a dynamic situation and I'm willing to be corrected and educated.

I'm sure there's some degree of confirmation bias happening, yes. I tried to at least minimize it by including other flies on my rig, but I doubt I was completely successful. My personal opinion too is that a huge factor in fly fishing success is confidence, and I'm sure the bias plays out that way too and reinforces itself with every fish you catch on a fly you have confidence in, which only reinforces your confidence which contributes to future success, etc. I often swing flies there and agree that it can be successful, but I confess I've never tried it with a sink tip in the high water. You raise a fair point that I may need to expand or alter my approach in the summer more than I have in the past. I'll give it a go and report back. Thanks for keeping me honest and for the good idea.

All the years I've been walking out there not one snake, nor rattle noises. Dunno why.

I've never actually seen a live snake or heard rattles, which I super weird. I've seen dead snakes, but they get eaten really quickly by the vultures, hawks, eagles, owls, coyotes, and probably raccoons. I have to imagine there are a bunch of snakes out there, but for whatever reason they haven't ever made their presence known to me.

@@browndude3649 thank you. i plan to take my kids there for a picnic and set up a tent and come back in the day. is that legal?

@@abushinthewoods thank you. i plan to take my kids there for a picnic and set up a tent and come back in the day. is that legal?

@LongRauCaLi No ,not. The canyon creek resort has spots for overnights.

Right?! I totally thought the same thing.

@@abushinthewoods Beautiful fish either way.

Get after it!

It's the Fishpond Grande: 100L.

I'm working on a video to address the notion of "smaller is better/necessary." I just don't think it's true and I think the video will prove it. The keys, in my opinion, are when you fish it and or using enough weight to get down to where the fish are holding. It can be a tricky fishery, but I promise you will start having success with enough practice and effort. If you can do some guided days on other rivers like the Sac or the Yuba and have the guide give you some instruction on mending and presentation, it will very likely really help you move through the learning curve more quickly (and you'll probably at least hook some nice fish, which is always encouraging and a bonus). Good luck!

Montana Wilderness Lodge + Outfitter

Really, even at those flows any old floating line will do. I've never found it necessary to use a sinking line of any kind, but I also use really big beads on my flies. If you wanted to use lighter flies you could maybe use an intermediate line, but still probably not necessary. I use a level euro line on my euro rod and can even get away with the shorter (and cheaper one) most of the time. Hit the creek again in the fall, maybe Oct, but def Nov and Dec when the flows are down around or below 350. It's a whole different experience. You'll get 'em then for sure (also, the big fish come up to spawn later in the year, so you have a better chance of finding a 20+ inch fish). Good luck!

@@abushinthewoods thank you for the intel, much appreciated! I think I need to sit down at the fly vise and tie up some bigger beads. I may not be getting the hook down deep enough….

It's possible. Putah can be tricky because you snag one place and 6" over you are 2' off the bottom.

It could be as high as 90%. I was using "about" with a +/- 5%. I also haven't measured it myself, so I was relying on other sources and I assume there's some discrepancy based on how it's measured, when it was measured, etc. It might actually be changing as the planet chances and the sea rises, but I really don't know. Anyway, the point I wanted to convey was that the vast majority of chalkstreams are in England. Lucky for the English for sure! Sounds like you've got a pretty great setup out there, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little jealous. It's a wonderful place.

Thanks, Trevor! And thanks for an amazing day!

Yes and no. Putah definitely trained me to look all around before I cast and I'm used to working in tight corners. But I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've been able to target a specific fish at Putah, so that's a huge difference. I actually think what helped most is the fact that I've taken formal casting lessons and done some saltwater fly fishing. That kind of sight fishing really helps to be able to spot fish.

Oh, you'll have a blast. And I actually had great food the entire time I was in England!

This was my first trip--it was amazing. But man, my feet hurt so much from all the walking!

Sorry, no. But I'm always happy to show people around or give them flies when I see them out there. Don't be a stranger!

I booked through The Fly Shop but the actual outfitter was Montana Wilderness Lodge + Outfitting.

Oh, you’re a fellow Northern Californian, I presume!

@@davywalter Yep, born and bred!