Hey everyone I just wanted to check in and report my recent fishing adventures for the last few outings; Putah Creek flows are still holding fairly high and making it tough in the deeper water but with persistence you can find a few willing fish or two to play in the deeper water-- give the fish an advantage and they know just what to do! Recently I was fighting one in deeper water and next thing I knew it was in the air snapping my line. A couple points I want to make about this: to get to a fly near a fish in 6, 7, or 8 feet of water your leader needs to be at least that long and longer ! This longer leader creates an extra advantage so a fish can take a fly and you may not see it register at your indi due to this added distance compared to winter/lower flows. So make sure you set on little indicator ticks you might otherwise not set on. Believe me I was fishing Putah at the Bridge the other day and I saw what must of been the slightest tick of my indi and then 4 or 5 seconds later a really nice fish jumped right next to my drift; well I got to thinking and decided to check my flys and I found a single translucent scale on my hook! Oh no, I thought to myself, think about it all that extra leader makes it very easy for fish to take your fly, feel something's wrong and spit your perfectly selected fly long before you see any indication of any fish at your indicator.
So welcome to summer fishing & my second point for today: fishing deeper water gives fish a second and third advantage; fish now have a lot more room to work their magic and get up to speed when doing the jump we all love so much; setting you up for a snapped leader so I give way just a bit and lighten the pressure ever so slightly at the rod tip. But keep in mind the hook might go one way and the fish the other if this done incorrectly. I don't claim to be the end-all know it all of fly fishing on Putah Creek but I have spent the last eleven years fishing Putah Creek all through summer and these are just a few of the things i have come to come to understand, most of the time when I just lost a really nice fish.
So with that remember to not overlook the riffles fish can and do hold in this faster moving water
watch the flows, and if it looks like a nibble: set! you just had a take. All in all, the heat makes midday fishing rather difficult; your best bet is AM or much later in the day, and a few, well chosen, personal favorite flies. In another month, the flows will be down and things will be much different. Give me a call if you want to try to hook in to these spunky Summer trout! Until next time....Richard Loft, Napa Valley Fly Guides; 707-294-4738; napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com; www.napavalleyflyguides.com.
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