Putah Creek Fly Fishing Report

Jordan Romney reports on 3.16.17

Putah Creek Flows 1020

Every day the flows drop little by little. This has been like watching paint dry. We need it to get a little lower before we can get out and wade it. The good news is that the clarity looks good. Visibility is anywhere between 2 and 4 ft, which is plenty for fish to find food. There are some major changes out there that I have seen. Some beaver dams and log jams have been wiped out. However, there are several new trees and logs that have appeared.  n some areas, the channels have changed.

One nice thing about the flood flows is that the silt is moving.  Some of the “hard pan” bottom areas where the silt had armored in the bottom of the river has been scoured. In the long run, this will allow more spots for the bugs to live. Speaking of bugs, when I was out there yesterday I saw a very strong midge hatch with several mayflies mixed in there. With the speed of water and clarity I think it is hard for them to track down and size 22 zebra midge.  

The only success I have been having has been streamer fishing from the boat. It’s really the only way to do it right now. We’ve tried many color and sizes out there but I think a black sculpzilla is the best right now. Black sticks out the best in stained water and with the articulated hook I think it has the best movement. We’ve been using sinking lines to get the fly down and keep it down while stripping. With the clarity and particles in the water I think finding small bugs is challenging for them. If you were to nymph I would try flashy attractor patterns.

Give me a call if you are interested.  530.304.8421