Tips (and Other Info) for Fly Fishing Putah Creek
Вставка
- Опубліковано 18 вер 2024
- Following up on my video debunking (or confirming) various myths and mythconceptions about fishing a the notoriously challenging Putah Creek, this video offers all kinds of tips and insights to (hopefully) help anglers enjoy The Creek and get the most out of their angling adventures at this unique Bay Area fishery. I cover everything from fly recommendations, to approaching the challenge, to facilities and parking, and all sorts of other stuff. I hope it helps and I hope you enjoy it!
Always come back to this video. Today I hooked my first truly big fish on Putah, had to be +23 inches and really broad shoulders. My inexperience, 4wt, and 5x tippet couldn’t land the fish. He ended up taking lots of line down river and coming off after a little while.
That's so great! Really tough to find a fish, much less land it in these flows. I bet you'll remember that fish forever--especially since it got away. Congrats!
@@abushinthewoods did you have to use barbless hooks when fishing in putah creek?
Yes. Single, artificial, barbless hooks only.
Love the comments, music and valuable tips. Many thanks
Welcome!
I'll try a few of your tips
Great! If you see me out there, don't be a stranger! Good luck!
Awesome great video!Nice fish !
Nice video are you a fly fishing guide
Not professionally. I am trying to pass on everything I've learned from guides for people that haven't had that option or the same resources. I'm also ridiculously obsessed.
@@abushinthewoods Hi the reason I ask is because me and my 19 year old son wants to start fly fishing this summer and we are looking for a friend or club to go fly fishing we live in the bay area
@@agustinndominguez4743 Ah, ok. First question, are you looking to fish Putah specifically, or would you be up for something else? Putah is not a particularly learner-friendly fishery, but it is a good hour closer to the Bay Area than any other wild trout fishery so that's the trade off. Second question, are you wanting a guide? Only a few folks guide Putah. I know Ben Thompson used to, but I'm not sure he does any more though he may make a special trip (Ben Thompson Outdoors). I know Off the Hook Fly Fishing guides Putah, and Confluence Outfitters may also do it. I think there are outfitters out of Napa that may as well. But, TBH, if you are looking to start and wanting to have a good amount of success, you're probably better off getting a guide and hitting the Lower Sac or the Yuba or whatever the guides say is the best bet when you're planning to go (this is weird year with all the rain and snow, so asking the experts--fly shops and/or guides--will really help you figure out what's good).
@@abushinthewoods thank you very much for the information i will talk to my son about that and maybe we my see you around the creek and thank you for posting videos
@@agustinndominguez4743 You are most welcome! Have fun, good luck, and please let me know if you have any more questions AND please let me know how it goes!
Great stuff indeed .from the catch to the release , lovely 👍👏
What is the best time of the year to fly fish Putah Creek.
In my experience, fall. Hands down.
@@abushinthewoods Thank you!
Nothing compares to a Bush in the Woods . . .
Do you ascribe to throwing flies mimicking what they are used to seeing (and everyone else is throwing) or something they are not used to seeing?
Hey, sorry for the delay in responding. I am 100% about finding what works. So I tend to start with what I think the fish are eating. Sometimes it's obvious, like egg drop, stonefly hatches, etc. Sometimes not so much. When it's not so much I make something of an educated guess. When things I would expect to work aren't working, I just go crazy and put on whatever looks good, is interesting, or is the right weight. I've been able to save days with that method when I stumbled across something the fish were eating that was totally unexpected. I guess the answer to your question then is "both."
I love the name of your channel!
Thanks! I like to think it works on at least 3 levels.
Do you use an indicator or just the flies? Just got into fly fishing so I’m still learning as much as I can.
Putah is about the only place I prefer a tight line/euro style rig, though I do use an indicator sometimes as well as a dry dropper if the flows are low enough. I used to use three flies on my euro rig, but now I usually only use two or even one. I use about 5 feet of tippet from my sighter and the second fly is maybe 18” above the point fly. Depending on the flows, in some of the deer holes I have to sink my sighter to find bottom, but I’d rather do that than deal with a longer length of tippet given the trees and bushes and everything that want to grab it. Good luck, let me know how it goes!
This is a difficult stream to learn on ..
Although I don't live even remotely close to Putah, I found this video informative and interesting. Should I ever be in your area, could you tell me if there are any other trout streams nearby that you would recommend? Thanks.
I’ve heard tell that Putah is the most pressured trout stream in CA because it’s the only one less than 2 hours from San Francisco. I don’t know if the first part is true, but the second part almost is. Depending on where you’re coming from, other great fisheries in the area are the American River, which is less than 2 hrs from SF but then you’re in the middle of Sacramento-farther East it gets less urban. There’s also the Yuba, the lower Sacramento, the Stanislaus, the Feather, and the Merced. Those would be my recommendation for non-stillwater trout water within about 2.5ish hours of San Francisco by car. If you want to fish for other things, like large and small mouth bass, stripers, and sturgeon, you can’t really do better than the Delta. (Lost Coast Outfitters at least used to have a great list in their website organized by driving distance from SF that was really helpful when I was figuring all of this out.) Glad you enjoyed the video-good luck!
So you can fish it year round. I want to fish it in a few weeks. How do you avoid the spawning fish?
Yes, legally it's open all year. The keys are to look for and stay off of the redds--don't walk on or even upstream of them (walking upstream can kick stuff down on the eggs and suffocate them) and avoid spawning fish. So don't go after a fish on or around a redd. You'll see them chasing each other around and guarding the redds. I also encourage you to be extra gentle with your fish handling during that time--I've seen guys mugging with a spawning female that was so stressed she was just dumping eggs in the air. Not cool. There are a bunch of videos out there to help, and I did one a bit ago that I like to think is helpful: ua-cam.com/video/PUBBTg5pAIw/v-deo.htmlsi=xk5qCB5aM1VE78rb
@@abushinthewoods I’ll wait until spring. I can always fish the feather and Sac for steelhead. Your clips are great by the way.
hey, i’m a local here at putah creek and have been multiple times with my spinning setup but have not been able to get a bite. I have been going to the same spots because it’s the only ones i’ve seen do you have any tips to help me while using a spinning and maybe what paths you may find that should help me.
I know next to nothing about using spinning gear out there, so can't help with that. But I've seen guys doing it in the big pool at the base of the rapids just to the right of lot #1. So park in #1, then follow the trail to the water that starts just before the lot turns to dirt road, and follow it to the right. Stay on the trail until you hit a picnic table. You'll see the rapids bottoming out into a pool. That's a spot where a spinning rig is probably better able to reach the fish way down at the base of the pool/tailout than a fly rig, so it should be a good bet. Please remember the fish are spawning now, so if you go in the next few months avoid the spawners and the redds. Good luck!
you can nymph with an ultralight spinning setup just as well or better than with a fly rod in some spots. Throw on a float and some of the flies mentioned with fluorocarbon tippet (can use ff stuff or just 6lb flouro) and you're good to go. In some places, you can even euro nymph with a spinning rod and some split shot.
@@Nik-gh6gz Great input--Probably because I'm an idiot, it never occurred to me to use flies with a spinning rig. Mind blown. Thank you!
@@abushinthewoods haha yea it works quite well and I do it sometimes when I don’t feel like getting tangled all day. Catches just as many fish and easier to get a good drift and stuff. Not as fun when fighting the fish but it’s a good way to learn to nymph (depth and rigging) for people who re just getting into fly fishing.
What color squirmys are they taking?
I’ve had the most success (by far) with red.
@A Bush In The Woods thank you! Last question. San Juan or squirmy?? I'm guessing squirmy because the action. I Just hate tying them lol.
@@BenStolen-fn5kq actually, I nearly always use a SJ. So much easier to tie.
@@abushinthewoods good to know! Thank you for the tips👊🏼
@@BenStolen-fn5kq My pleasure! Hope to see you out there and good luck!