November, 2016

Hi Everyone Merry Christmas.  Here's my Holiday Putah Creek report for November, 2016. 
Winter has finally arrived and with it flows on Putah Creek have stabilized at 80 cfs and fishing is still good. I teach an "Introduction to Fly Fishing" a couple times a year for Napa Parks and recreation and I took one of my students out to the creek and we found some fish-- one was well over 20' on a # 20  Zibra midge thanks to Lauries quick skills with the camera we got some pics And a video. We were fishing the Staircase and really working it for well over 2 hours with no action and I was really giving it the once over trying everything I could to garner a hit: More weight / Less weight, Longer leader/shorter leader. Changing flys - Soft hackles, Pheasant Tails, Midges and so on . I moved a bit then went back. I know theres fish in there whats going on ??? Hmm. My guess is this section gets pounded and maybe these fish are just not willing to take anything that does't look absolutely perfect. So I try a blk #20 with 6X and my indi didn't make it 10 ft and I see my indi shoot off to the side then go upstreem 2 or 3 ft well that was a fish and I missed the set so I reset my drift and I got a second chance and yes I got the set in time. This all happened in November and I continue to find fish when I put forth the effort . 

I would like to mention I have stopped guiding on Putah for the season, and am now guiding on the Lower Yuba in Marysville with great results. I try to move the guided trips over to the Yuba from Dec 1-March 1, to give Putah Creek a break as it is in full spawn mode and the fish are trying to spawn . So for now its the Yuba and as always it can still be hit and miss when fishing our local waters they dont get stocked and thats fishing- your never guaranteed a huge fish but they're in the system and can be found if you put in the time and are armed with a good understanding of how to build a leader set for the riffle you are fishing at that time. Obviously there are some other things involved i.e. fly selection, a good drift is always very important and a bit of luck never hurts. 

So if you want to get out and do some Winter fishing, or give a Gift Certificate to someone special, drop me a line. Richard Loft, Napa Valley Fly Guides, 707-294-4738; www.napavalleyflyguides.com

Late Fall Putah Creek Report

Hey everyone heres my report for Putah Creek 9/16 > on to end of October.  I fished much of the creek less visited most of the year. Flows where very low but if you know where to look you can find water rarely fished due to much higher flows through out the year and that made for some very interesting and productive fishing. Also I have started finding some really great fish- 4 or 5 weeks ago I hooked and landed two fish on a wd-40 and two-bit hooker; also dont forget to offer up some smaller flys if nothing else is working-- its suprising how fast you can get takes after fishing a particular run with the usual fly and get stumped until you offer a #20 or #22 and get slammed and caught off-guard with a fish you never got a chance to even get your eyes on.  Its been a month or more since ive posted a Putah Report and I going on my best memory but she has still producing even with the rain and low flows she produces good fish counts it just takes time.

The one thing I belive is overlooked far too often is Leader Construction. What I mean about that is mainly the distance between the indi to weight- if thats wrong, all bets are off it doesn't matter if you have the right flys or not your going to miss the mark by not seeing the take if your too long or in the case of too short you wont get a take on a fish because the fly is not on the bottom .

If this doesnt make sense don't worry keep fishing and thinking about why you're not catching the fish you see and hear of others doing. Once you wrap your head around some of this it starts happening pretty fast you'll be on the water and hook and land fish only heard of in your dreams out there. But dont take my word for it!  Spend more time fishing or better yet give me a call and book a date for this month, the Yuba this Winter, or Putah again starting in March.

Recomended Flys
Flashback PT #18 ,16 ,14
Soft Hackles- I like the emerging ones I've done very well with them
Mayfly patterns
Flashback wd/40s #18/20

Fish on! Richard Loft, 707-294-4738, www.napavalleyflyguides.com.

Volunteer Opportunity on Putah Creek! Oct. 29 & Nov. 6

Hi everyone so in case you havent noticed the flows have dropped to 50cfs for the annanual canal cleanout between Winters and Putah Creek. Also !  We are in need of some help on Putah Creek . Steve Karr the acting president of Putah Creek Trout is asking for at least 20 volunteers to help us save this Precious River in need.  I have crossposted this from The Putah Creek Forum hoping some of you can help us out , The big Day is 10/29/2016 . So please take a minute to read the post and register to help 

Thanks 

Richard 

All: In early March this year a heavy rain storm cell sat over the badly burned Cold Canyon/Wildhorse Canyon watershed for several hours, dumping inches of rain onto the steep canyon slopes, and heavily eroding the burned ground. The result was a sudden high pulse of mud and water roaring down Cold Canyon into the creek; within a few hours the creek flow jumped from 100 cfs to 800 cfs before returning to 100 cfs. This pulse of tons of silt flowed down the Interdam reach down to Lake Solano, deposited into new mud islands and deltas as far down as fishing access 4. Much of the silt was mobilized by the high agricultural flows, but large submerged mud bars are becoming visible as the creek level drops.

The major spawning bed at Deer Sign was buried under several inches of silt at a critical time for the eggs and alevins present in the gravel. We believe much of the 2016 spawn cohort was killed by the siltation of the beds. A recent survey of the adjacent side channel turned up "0" young trout-this had never happened in surveys from previous years. Deer Sign spawning bed is in horrible condition right now and the new spawning season is just around the corner. It is critical for the health of our fishery that we remove silt and weeds from the spawning bed at Deer sign and also at the resort. This is a call for all hands to volunteer to prevent another disastrous spawn.

The end of this month, on October 29, and then during the following weekend on November 6, we are holding work days to clean the gravel spawning beds of silt and weeds at both sites (October 29) followed by gravel supplementation at one site (November 6). We need at least 20 volunteers for the 29th and at least 60 for the gravel augmentation Sign up for the 29th bed cleaning at the link below

If not showing, click on the “Spawning Bed” tab to get to the spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13eqJmRxO66MDmgi2Ysrkx4edS61gWhqjKdi-HmdzmbU/edit?usp=sharing

Signup for the November 6 gravel augmentation through our PCT Facebook link, using the “Going” Button; or email or call Steve Karr directly):

https://www.facebook.com/events/170214676760431/

SK60@putahcreektrout.org

530-400-1171

Napa Valley Fly Fishing Guide - Richard Loft: Putah Report 9/15/16

Napa Valley Fly Fishing Guide - Richard Loft: Putah Report 9/15/16: Hey Everyone- Putah is continuing to fish really well, however it is getting a lot of pressure so consider being a little extra quiet;...

Putah Report 9/15/16

Hey Everyone- Putah is continuing to fish really well, however it is getting a lot of pressure so consider being a little extra quiet; and fish spots others don't bother fishing due to heavy concentrations of boulders that make drifts difficult. You can always go to a hopper dropper and fish those runs being overlooked by most. Also consider bringing a second rod for nymphing. I have been doing very well with a standard nymphing rig with a #16 or #18 top fly ( pheasant tail ) or ( caddis ) just any basic fly seems to be working, and your favorite midge below. Remember to mend often and set often I landed a nice 15 or 16in bow yesterday on just a twich of my indicator. 

 Last week produced lot of fish in the 12 to 15 inch range so fish on and if you see me on the river and are having a hard time finding a decent section to fish just ask if you can jump in and fish I try to remember to share the river when I can as few people get to fish as much as me and I understand other peoples time on the river may be very limited so just ask if you see me fishing a slot I will do my best to share. It  also forces me to fish runs I normally overlook. This time of year you never know what you will stumble across fishing obscure runs seldom fished.......? Just saying. :)  

Thanks for reading and hope to meet some of you on the river 

Richard Loft--over & out
www.napavalleyflyguides.com
napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com
707-294-4738

<*)()(><

3 Attachments

Here Come the Big Fish!

Hi Everyone heres my report for 8/30/2016

 I am going to make this a short report
Fishing activity has been steadily getting better. Flows are starting to drop and I have spent most of the summer fishing and guiding the high flows of summer. Yesterday was an average day of fishing with fish hitting the usual midges and pheasant tails- they have been preforming well so I stick with em most days. Well as day turned to night there was a really good Blue Wing Olive hatch and i was not getting any action until I loaded a tiny midge and first or maybe 2nd drift --a stupid big fish is on line then takes some air and both me and my fishing buddy Patrick look at each other and say OMG thats a big fish. My guess 20in  Unfortunately 4 minutes or so later it was gone. I got my flys back so 20 minutes later I got my chance again with this 16 incher . I normally don't use super small flies they're just a little to small for my eyes but well worth the extra effort so its worth having them around. Did you put off fishing this summer? It's time to get in there-- I'm booking September & October so give me a call! Richard Loft, 707-294-4738; napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com or www.napavalleyflyguides.com

Volunteer Opportunity!

Hey everyone ; Just a little Reminder (Saturday September 17th is California Coastal Cleanup ) and we could use your help cleaning up our local wild fishery Putah Creek. I took the liberty of cutting and pasting the email I got from Steve Karr President of PCT ; Putah Creek Trout . And its a great way to meet other local fishermen and help the creek at the same time to. I do believe we will have a lunch at one of the accesses on the creek afterwards so show up and if your going to be on the creek  might as well bring your waders and rod and make a day of it

All: the annual clean up day for the interdam reach is Saturday September 17, 9:00 AM to 12 Noon. We need at least 20 volunteers to cover the Yolo side of the creek from Access #5 to Monticello Dam. Sign ups are at the link below. Bags, buckets, vinyl gloves provided. Bring your water bottle; refills provided. Waders for Access 5. Cold lunch and drinks provided at Access 3 at noon (bring your own alcoholic libations).

This is our first fall event for 2016 and a great opportunity to give back to the Creek. We remove  hundreds of pounds of garbage and recovered recyclable goods each year. This year we are joined in sponsorship by Fly Fishers of Davis and participation by regional Fly Clubs. 

Please mark your calendars and plan to join us.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jh-UOrgCfhqOEjgqh2TWaoRd9tS7m3SNXn2n4FBQhPI/edit?usp=sharing

SK60@putahcreektrout.org

www.putahcreektrout.org

 

 

Putah Creek Conservation Report August 25, 2016

Hey Everyone heres some conservation news for Putah Creek ; & PCT > Putah Creek Trout

For those of you that dont know Putah Creek Trout has been instrumental in getting Putah Creek to the point it is now with most recently getting its Wild Trout Designation December, 2014.

Just below the Canyon Creek Resort is a section that has had spawning activity every year. Well it has been noticed that the side channel that runs along side the main channel is somewhat blocked by several bolders and vegetation. Well that side channel would get used by the young of the year &  trout fry to use as a nursery where they are safe from predation untill they can cope with the hazards of the main channel.  Steve Karr has organized a Stream and Habitat restoration project ; The first stage is assessment , ie surveying the side channel. This side channel is already flowing with water but the problem is it only flows during the high flows of summer and mostly dry after the flows come back down during the low flows of fall and winter. So Steve Karr, Me and and another volunteer Mark have been doing the surveying using a transit and other survey equipment to measure water depth, temp, flow ratios, and a few other stats that will be used to determine what needs to happen this fall or winter with the borders and vegetation and how much needs to be removed. You see you cant just get in there and start moving things around and or removing obstructions without doing a comprehensive assessment and survey. Last week we got some new volunteers and I got a much needed break but Steve has put in countless hours working on all aspects of keeping Putah Creek in a healthy state where it will continue to have generations of Rainbow Trout for many years to come. We have our next volunteer event on September 17 for a Creek Clean-Up as part of California Coastal Clean-Up Day. Come on out and lend a hand!

www.napavalleyflyguides.com Richard Loft, Fly-Fishing Guide and Putah Creek Trout Volunteer

www.putahcreektrout.org  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Steve Karr at sk60@putahcreektrout.org

Putah Creek Report for August 22-26, 2016

Hey Everyone this is a two part report ; First the fishing report for the last two weeks: Bigger fish are starting to show and responding to # 18 Flashback PT and  #18 /20 black Zibra midges also  # 16 green birds nests real basic flys nothing fancy. Leader length seems to be a bigger factor and setting on all hits. I had a client miss three good fish due to not setting.  However, said client still landed several one over 14in. The point really is keep your line mended and ready to take up and set.

I myself have landed 3 this week in the 15 to 16 in range on # 18 flashback PTs and Black Zibra Midges, ( Though Today i got skunked with just one grab and nothing to net )

 1. As Ive said before I do far better when i build my leader from tippet rather than packaged tapered leaders it sinks much better and it's in the fish's face where it belongs. I use 8 lb floro then to 4 or 5 x to my top fly droppers are always 5x,  and make sure its long enough more than once ive added tippet for depth and hooked up shortly after. I do use tapered leaders just not as much as I did when I was new.

 2 . Weight speaks for itself-- use it unless fishing very rocky and shallow Riffles you can pick up small fish hiding in nooks and crannys and if you use too much you spend your day removing moss.

 3.  I'm still working on my high-sticking technique so if you know how to rig a leader to high stick its a valuable tech and should not be overlooked there is a lot of pocket water that can't be fished with a indi. Side note, you can catch a lot of fish using the standard indi fishing technique.

 4. Ive been fishing Putah for 8 years now. So if you're up for a bit of a hike I have a spot thats been providing fish off and on all summer  please feel free to give me a call and book a trip on Putah Creek -- its only about 28 miles from Napa and has come to be a great escape from my daily routine.

Thanks For Reading

Richard Loft
Napa Valley Fly Guides
(707) 294-4738
napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com

Hey Everyone heres my supplemental report for today 8/18/2016

I fished Putah Creek from 12;00 to 2;00 and landed 3 fish 2 of which wher over 16 in. all on a # 18 Zibra Midge / #18 Flashback pheasant tail .  Thats it , This is not rocket science . Basic skills ,Basic flys nothing fancy so stop by Lost Coast Outfitters and talk to Art or George and get some Flashback PTs / A few black or green Zibra Midgeds and go fish

Sorry no pics . Trust me there in there

Hey Everyone; Heres my report for Late July to Aug 15th , As we all know flows jump on Putah durring summer forceing bigger fish to hold in deeper water and sections hard to get a drift i.e. edges and deep water , That said I am still getting good size fish in the 12 to 13 in range, however I am gettingb reports from others on the river of much larger fish regularly.

So let me list the things I think make a big difference.


#1. Flys; Midges. Mayflys Blue winged olive imitations > Beatis. and Hogans S&M , Also Caddis work well .


#2. As ive mentioned before your leader needs to be the right length dont use a 6 ft leader in 25 inches of water and Vise /Versa  if your fishing your fishing deep water really think and watch to see if your hitting bottom and the moore you fish the better sence you get on this . this isn't an exact science but just a good rule of thumb try fishing shorter drifts keeping in mind is the section you fishing and your leader rigged the right for that depth . > If you leader is WAY  to long fish can feel the drag and spit the hook befor you see a tick. And if your leader is not long enough your fly wont hit bottom.
PS I like making my leader out of tippet rather than useing a tapered leader.

# 3 Weight; I have fished a section , snagging every nook and cranny every moss covered rock , Then returned later and thought i will try going without any weight and started catching fish one after another , I believe its better to sometimes if you get a better drift , I was just snagging every rock and ruining my drift so just keep an open mind you dont always need Weight to catch fish , I probably hooked 6 to 8 fish in that riffel that day .

 #4 Stealth/ speeks for its self . try to not alert fish to your presence fish edges first most of the time the edges don't drift as well sections with more current but can and do hold fish ive seen hooked them holding in slack water with almost no current . I still get in a rush sometimes and pass over fish I'm sure hold in these sections , Just keep it in mind !

Thanks for reading my report
Richard Loft
http://www.napavalleyflyguides.com

Truckee River & Little Truckee River Report > 7-20-2016

Hey Everyone- last week I went with a couple friends up to Truckee and fished east of town. The flows seemed to be about 130 CFS- lower than I prefer and I just wasn't feeling the love! only one grab for about 2 hours of fishing so we drove over to the Truckee River RV Park to eat and recharge before hitting the Little Truckee my personal favorite. We started at the Bat Cave and in short order I had hooked 2 or 3 trout- one over 15 in. The whole day there were a couple different serious hatches going on; one looked to be a PMD hatch and the other some sort of midge. I hiked upstream a bit and immediately hooked a 17 or 18in torpedo Brown Trout, but it went the way of the others and got away in short order which doesn't surprise me as it was down stream thirty feet and I am always barbless. Remember I never give up and in short order its game on again with a 15in bow that almost ended the day with no fish to net but as I mentioned I dont give up and add a bit of luck, and me following that very spirited fish into deeper water, around the rocks, and downstream about 200 feet while Sarah followed me through the bushes, yelling, with the camera in hand; I landed my bow back at the Cave. She took a #18 black zibra midge. It was an awesome fight! Pics are below. All the things I learned on Putah Creek work on other rivers.

• Leader length is critical when nymphing 
• Add weight accordingly depending on hydraulics and depth of water
• Trying a variety of flies is important; don't just stay with one
• Stealth, especially on a clear-water, open river like the Truckee, is paramount
• Spend lots of time on the water, getting to know the patterns
• And remember  to appreciate the beauty of our wild rivers of california its been 3 years since the last time I fished the Truckee and it felt great!

Putah Creek Fishing Report: Summer's In Full Swing

Hey Everyone July is here so I just wanted to summarize my June fishing report. 

The summer flows have been making it challenging bouncing from mid 500cfs to low 600s but knowing Putah Creek like I do and with the willingness to do a little hiking I have found a couple of really productive spots so I have been putting in the time this month  and getting on some really nice fish. Mostly under ten inches so I brought my 3wt and got schooled by some much bigger fish so I am back to using my 5wt. The bigger fish just shook off my 3wt; its all a trade off- the smaller fish in the riffles are more fun on my 3wt but its too light for anything over 13 or 14 plus inches. All in All  I would say my clients and I have caught between 15 to 20 fish in recent weeks. Also with the higher flows come some dangers when fighting fish downstream in fast moving water so you have to pick your battles and let the ones go- its not worth getting in a " Jam " if you know what I mean. 

Heres a short list of types of flys I use on a regular basis: 

1. the soft hackle /emerger patterns with antron tail 

2. any Baetis paterns 

3. any Zebra Midges  

4. any color San Juan worms, I like the Pink or Flesh-colored ones 

5. anything small with wings

My favorite advice is focus on keeping your leader the right length; really pay attention to how much weight you're using it takes time just be patient. Sometimes i dont use any if I am fishing fast and rocky rifles and last but not least, if you can high-stick your drift and minimize the drag the current is putting on your drift you will pick up fish others miss. Also remember no one gets every fish-we all miss fish here and there or spook them as we approach so remember to take your time and enjoy the scenery.

If you do find yourself on the creek this summer, another high point is all the River Otters and butterflies on the creek this time of year- ive seen a lot lately. 2 weeks ago I saw an otter approuching then swim right over my boots and I was able to reach down and touch him as he swam by......!! They are one of my favorite animals on the creek. It was a magical moment. 

So my summary is this: yes still, Putah is still fishing pretty nicely; and if you can just bear with the heat and higher flows it's gonna be well worth your summer outing time. Drop me an email or call me up and let's do this! Richard Loft, Napa Valley Fly Guides 707-294-4738, napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com,  www.napavalleyflyguides.com 

Todays Report 6/17/2016

Todays Report 6/17/2016,

I hiked into a favorite spot with a friend today and was not disappointed; I landed 7 or 8 fish with just a little extra effort- switching flys, adding weight, etc etc. In my experience the fish seem to bite more when it's overcast. I caught three on a pheasant tail- size 14 and but the fish do seem to be podded up in certain spots right now; you have to put in the legwork to find em. The ones I landed were juveniles but still beauties! Funny side note- my friend caught a smallmouth bass which I have never seen on Putah until today. Here he is:

So despite the high summer flows, fishin still going pretty well. Want an off the beaten path adventure? Give me a call! 707-294-4738 Richard Loft www.napavalleyflyguides.com.

Todays Evening Report 5/25/2016

So todays fishing was much better that previous days- we hiked into access 5 and got into fish right away, I think at these flows fish are on the edges and you need to put on your stealth pants and fish the edges.  All in all we only landed 2 fish but we only fished 2. or 2.5 hours and theres always high sticking the edges so just put in the time and use the same flys as you always do. One fish was 11 to 12 inches the other about 7 to 8. For me it was a good day overcast and not overly warm. Let's fish while the fishin's good! www.napavalleyflyguides.com  . Richard Loft 707-294-4738

Morning Report for 5/25/2016 So I am gettingb ready for a full day of fishing Putah Creek lets see what the slower water brings ive been fishing the fast water with no luck http://www.napavalleyflyguides.com  Talk to you  all later today with a follow up

Report for May 5/17/2016 through 5/21/ 16

Hey Everyone!  Started my first teaching gig--my Intro to Fly Fishing Class at the Los Flores Recreation Center in Napa Tuesday showing a couple of videos and then how to tie some basic knots so my student can go out a rig their leaders on the water and not need any help. Also talking a little about Tailwater rivers and where to find Dream Flows Data. The class went well so this comming week we will order rods for whoever needs them and cover reading rivers IE where fish like to hold  and a little more about rigging nymphing leaders.  > On 5/18/2016 , I Spent the day showing clients around access 5 and how to make a cast rigged for nymphing small flys. Dave is one of the best students ive had in a long time as soon as I showed him the advantage of adding a haul to his cast he was casting another 20% further and a short time later landed a small fish. And thats how its been lately mostly small fish. It will come around I just need to keep searching and adapting my techniques and search out where the bigger fish are holding- most likely deeper water or hidden remote riffles and less fished sections.

So all in all fishing seems slow right now so I will be hunting for a while until !! I  really explore some of the places i think there might be a big fish or two; Putah Creek has never been quick to give up her secrets But I know from fishing her over and over If you quit fishing because fishing is slow you never over come the slump.

In terms of my recent conservation work......Yesterday 5/21/2016 I Met Steve Karr amd Mark Silva both members of Putah Creek Trout and we surveyed a section of side channel at access 2 for the Putah Creek spawning restoration project TU is doing in collaboration with PCT; PCT is doing the surveying and some of the other duties. Anyways there are some really nice sections that I am sure hold fish the at these flows but these sections are very technical and will require some time or may not be worth it because of the canopy overhead just making it to dificult to cast and fight fish unless i go with a shorter rod like a 7.5 foot 3 or 4 wt and shorter nymphing leader.
I am starting to book for the summer months so keep it in mind for a fly-fishing day! www.napavalleyflyguides.com 707-294-4738 Richard Loft

Putah Creek Report for 5/5/2016

Hey everyone so the flows continue to flucuate from low to high 400cfs so that only adds to an already tuff fishery; add to that heavy siltation and you have a recipie for some really difficult fishing. But I love the creek and dont plan on giving up fishing the creek any time soon. If you know anything about the creek you know that she is a hard one to figure and still doesn't give up her secrets easily. and that holds true to date. Higher flows, and huge deposits of silt have made me start looking in places I normally don't mess with because of poor access. = longer hikes and much tougher wading. As farm as flys go and leader construction same rules apply as discussed in previous post. Funny thing I swung streamers for almost 3 hours at one of my favorite spots and came up empty until I abandoned my streamer for a indi and a fly. First drift on the first cast , Fish on ______*  <*)()()><
www.napavalleyflyguides.com 

Richard Loft

Week of March 5-12

Hey everyone ; I just want to keep this blog current , Putah is just about 4.5 miles from Montecello Dam to the last access that really fishable access 5. So when we get heavy rain, it really silts up the river and then fishing is tougher. It'll clear up a few days after the rain stops as the water clears. On another note, the fish are still pretty tired from the spawn; so you might want to wait until later in the month to get out there if you want a good fight from the fish and to help preserve the healthy fishery of Putah. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or you would like to book a trip for later this month. www.napavalleyflyguides.com 707-294-4738 Richard Loft #tofishistolive

Fishing Report for 2/25/16 through 3/3/16

Hey everyone ; Just checking in with todays report . Me and Rusty, my dog & fishing companion,   took a ride up to Putah Creek to get out of the Napa Valley for a few hours. I wanted to see how the creek is doing on this first official day back to more normal fishing following the most active period of the spawn. Right off the bat, I was helping an older guy who was a first timer, and bam! We landed a 20 plus-inch rainbow trout on a midge pattern that I tie.  It was a real beauty but I let her go as fast as I could, as she was still a bit tired from the spawn season. If you want to hit the creek before the El Nino rains come in, give me a call. www.napavalleyflyguides.com Richard Loft 707-294-4738

Fishing Report for Putah Creek ( 2-20-16 )

Hey everyone so heres my report for Saturday 2-20-16  So me and the dogs went to the creek yesterday Me, Rusty and Tia just went to check it out let the dog run and see where we are at with the sediment deposits let the dogs run and throw a few flys and see whats crackin if anything. Well it seems to be really slow latley I think I might need to switch to 6x for the first time. I hit the creek once or twice over the last 3 months with no fish worth bragging about . Yesterday I fished for maybe 2 hours- well away from the Redds-- and landed one fish. The way I see it is as the flows come up so will the fishing so be patient and see what spring brings and if you cant wait try using 6x tippet. Whether its just winter post-spawn doldrums or the extra silt from the fire, we ride the changes with the river.

But at the end of the day fish or no fish I do love standing in a river away from the hustle & bustle of the city-- just me my own thoughts and the sound of the river.

Thanks for reading my post . March 1 is almost here and the Yuba is still fishing well. Make your dream of fly-fishing in a river like Brad Pitt a reality this Spring! www.napavalleyflyguides.com Richard Loft 707-294-4738

FISHING REPORT for Feb 12 through Feb 19

The spawn on Putah Creek is finally winding down and I will resume guiding the creek in a couple of weeks. The fishing will get back to a more normalized bite and flow schedule. Flows will be coming back up in the spring in another month or two, and in May or June they will be starting to get high for summer flows. I went up there a few times this winter to check things out! After all the rain we had over the last few months,  it was really blown out up near cold creek and down to access  #3; funny thing below access #3 was fairly clear and a guy was fishing and had hooked up a few small fish. However the storms have dumped an enormous amount of sediment on a river already loaded to the gills with sediment the fires this summer have only added to an already loaded river.  But I will be back guiding on Putah  Creek on March 1;  Fortunately I know Putah Creek well enough to work around the new build ups. Also I may work with a winery to offer a fly-fishing /wine-tasting package with one of the local Wine Tasting rooms in downtown Napa so if you're interested in either give me a shoutout. Richard Loft, Napa Valley Fly Guides 707-294-4738. www.napavalleyflyguides.com 

Winter Fishing at the Stanislaus

Starting off with a trip to the Stanislaus on January 2. I went down to the Stan with a fishing buddy and we started off checking out the water. After a little while I picked up a 12-13" rainbow right below the dam, using every fly I had in my box. He finally took one of my caddis patterns. Since it's so close to New Years' and just opened to fishing, there is alot of pressure on the Stan. Later we moved downriver, and with not too much searching, we both started hooking fish after fish after fish on some egg patterns. You just gotta know where to look! There were other fishermen above and below me so after an houe or so, I moved downriver a bit to find another spot below my buddy. I found a hydraulic section with nervous water that I KNEW had to have fish in it; and sure enough with some high-sticking technique I hooked up a huge 20" bow that I never knew existed in the Stanislaus-- I put the screws to him and pull him to the surface. But the fish is on one side of the river and I'm on the other; and I know all too well I have to be careful fighting him through the fast water or I could easily lose him downstream. So I jump off my rock and start following him downriver. ten minutes later I'm trying to land this fish in my 17" net while my buddy's laughing at me, falling all over the place. So all in all, I landed 9 fish in six hours which I'd say was a good day. There is still some great fishing in the winter! www.napavalleyflyguides.com 707-294-4738 Richard Loft