Putah Creek 12/07/2019 Report

Napa Valley Fly Guides last report for 2019 

Hey Everyone I just wanted to say Merry Christmas as I am ending my 2019 fly Fishing season on Putah Creek until March in Past years I did fish clear through but decided to give it a break 

As for the fishing report last Saturday as it rained off and on all day I was blessed with a great day on the water starting with my usual nymphing rig with an indi tossing #18 &20s midge patterns I got broke off a few times but still getting a few in the net with one or two of them in the 16 to 17 in range Pictures to follow. 

After a few hours I decided to try High-Sticking with Tungsten flys I recommended below I had good results landing some and loosing some I think 5 in total over 16ins Crazy good fishing probably 10 or 11 fish and most of it while it was raining some of it heavy rain. Crazy day !!! 

 

I have been using the
#18 BH Perdigon Zibra Rider
#16 BH Perdigon Dilated Pupil 
#14 BH Perdigon Carrot Stix
and a few more for good messure are : #18 BH Perdigon Peanut
# 18 BH Perdigon Kilowatt

  

Please feel free to call if you would like to book a trip this spring 

Thanks for reading : 

Napa Valley Fly Guides

Richard Loft 

(707)294-4738;    

--------------*. <*)()()(><

                                     Napa Valley Fly Guides
                                     Reports for November


Hey everyone so Flows have been going up and down for several weeks between 50cfs then low 80  then up to 140 then rising to 180cfs in less than 12 hours The funny thing is fishing has been really good. I have heard many times that these types of drops and increases will always negatively effect the fishing well that has not been my experience here on Putah Creek or on the Little Truckee. I have found that I just need to adjust my positions where I fish and ! and what technics I am utalizing and of course always keep a really good selection of flys,split shot, Tippet  So Also be willing to put in some effort moving around This does not mean Flows don't impact the fishing they do I'm just saying it has not always been my experience

Top Water Action   Think dry Flys
Also on another note  I am seeing a lot more top action so consider bringing another rod and I like to keep a separate fly box with a good selection of Elk Hair Caddis # 18 and if you can find some other really small options  like a size #22 or #24 knat or other very small flys get a few of those to temp these elusive fish. I have had some success on the #16. Caddis so I am just saying im seeing a lot more action this last year over previous 10 years Ive been fishing
Putah

Lastly Much of my recent success has been High Sticking with Tungston beaded fly like the  

Frenchie #14,16
Perdigon #14,16
Perdigon Zibra #16,18
To name just a few all  Tungston bead heads
Check with the gang at Lost Coast Outfitters for help picking out fly if you need And
At the end of the day Learn the creek, Check the flows everytime you fish the creek and cover the water well before you leave to fish another spot. -------------  <*)))))()><  

Don't leave before the merical,
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to book a trip and I will do my best to get you on some Putah Creek Wild Trout

Call Richard Loft
      (707) 294-4738
or email me @ napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com
I will be unavailble Dec 15 on to january 10th

November report from Napa Valley Fly Guides

                                                         Napa Valley Fly Guides
                                                           November Report

Hey Everyone Flows have been supper low at 51cfs then up to 82cfs then back down jumping back up to 140 and up again to 180cfs Well A common belief I have heard so many times before is these type of fluctuations negativly effect the fishing. Funny Thing is fishing has been Really Good lately and it goes with my personal experience on Putah Creek and other rivers like the Little Truckee. It is my belief that first  I need to just adjust my Tactics before I leave a run I happen to be fishing, Changing my weight is one of the first things then moving on to flys, Then leader length, I might spend two hours without a fish before moving on to another run if I like my drift and like the scenery Other times I may move on right away due to conditions not being favorable such as super heavy hydraulics or glare on the water making it difficult to see my indicator or I may just go to a larger indicator but I will most often find another spot if glare makes it too difficult to see my indicator because there are too many other options


Top Action
I don't know if anyone else has noticed but I am seeing a lot more fish actively feeding on really small Emergers maybe Tricos or something I don't know for sure they seem to be very small maybe size #22 I am seeing mostly small fish on the drys but I have heard of much larger fish in the 20 in range and I landed a little13in on a #14 Elk Hair Caddis

 Finally I want to mention that I am bringing my 10.6 4 wt Echo Shadow II it first it was just a pain getting the leader just right then it was to long or short but after a year of working with it off and on I seem to be getting better results picking up fish my Indicator rig misses so consider looking at getting one of the rods out there

Here is a few of I would recommend

Any of the Echo series I have the  Echo Shadow II 10.6 4wt But any of these other rods will do the trick the idea is to get more reach so just ask any of the gang at the LCO shop and I am sure you will find one that will do here are a few more but at the end of the day any one of these will do Just ask a staff person for a peak    : A Sage ESN or one of the Clearwater series .  The rod gives you the reach and the fly punches you through
                                             

 As for flys I have been using the Tungston Beadhead fly and have been getting some super nice fish

Heres a few flys have used for high sticking on Putah don't worry about the fly as much as getting the one your using on the bottom with a good presentation you need to get some penetration on and get through to fish holding on the bottom

I have been using the
#18 BH Perdigon Zibra Rider
#16 BH Perdigon Dilated Pupil
#14 BH Perdigon Carrot Stix
and a few more for good messure are : #18 BH Perdigon Peanut
                                                              # 18 BH Perdigon Kilowatt
There are many to choose from don't get stuck on having the perfect fly just get some fly and get on the water and see what clicks and go from there

Please feel free to contact me
Richard Loft
(707) 294-4738
or email me @  napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com
http://www.napavalleyflyguides.com

Putah Creek Report October 2019

Napa Valley Fly Guides

October Report for Putah Creek

Hey everyone I just wanted to check in and report that flows are between 53.7 and 88 cfs pretty normal for this time of year , but fishing has held steady with good numbers to net all last month and so far November is still producing good numbers and a few really big fish in the system willing to play ball if your willing to put in the time as always Putah Creek is and has always been a river to fish  with it being only forty minutes from my house I get lots of practice. Over the last few weeks I have been really focusing on getting more familiar with high sticking and with these low flow conditions it seems to be a great option with low flows it helps present a much cleaner drift but the big fish seem to be holding in the deeper runs . With that I am out so I look forward to seeing you on the creek and look for me and Rusty my constant companion and best friend
Richard  and Rusty

Please feel free to contact me for a guided trip at (707) 294-4738 and ask for Richard or Rusty

End of Summer Report 9.14.19

9.14.19
Putah Creek Flows: 351

Hey Everyone this is my End-Of-Summer Report on Putah Creek. It's been a long productive summer! Lots of really nice fish in the 16-18 inch range although the higher flows always make it a bit more challenging to land them; lots of really good days on the water with clients and my fishing buddies. With the high summer flows, you need more weight on your rig which changes how the cast and drift is gonna fly and move in the water so its a delicate balance. I also have been rigging shorter this summer, trying to not worry so much about being on the bottom as being in the feeding areas-middle section- of the creek. Flows are starting to decline finally as we move into the fall season. With all this heat, morning and evening have definitely been the hot ticket as fish are more active in the water column; whereas midday is pretty slow. Caddis are staring to show up the last couple weeks. As we move into the Fall season, please be aware of the possibility of fish egg nests, called Redds in the river, which you do not want to step on as it kills the eggs and the next generation of trout. And starting December 1, I stop fishing the creek due to the active Redds and Trout Spawnning season through March 1; and I recommend you do as well to give those beautiful trout a chance to reprodue in peace.

I want to put in a plug for the CA Coastal Clean Up, locations all over the bay area on September 21. Puath Creek Trout will be cleaning up at Putah Creek; so please consider helping out at Putah or one of the many Bay Area locations. Here are the details for the Putah Clean Up from the Putah Creek trout Website and Dr. Dan:

Friends of Putah Creek: Putah Creek Trout and Fly Fishers of Davis are cosponsoring a cleanup of the Inter-dam Reach of the Creek on Saturday, September 21 beginning at 9 AM and finishing at 12 noon. Meet at Fishing Access 5 by 8:45am to sign the liability release form, get initial directions, pick-up materials, and divide up into teams. Children are very welcome, under 12 yrs must have adult accompany them

Other than that, I do have dates available for September, October, and November; but October weekends are filling up fast. Give me a call or email if you want to get out on the water before the holiday season! Richard Loft, Napa Valley Fly Guides 707-294-4738; napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com napavalleyflyguides.com #frputahcreek #lostcoastoutfitters #napavalleyflyguides #fishinglife

The Grass is always Greener

Napa Valley Fly Guides June Report

                                                    The Grass is always Greener

It seems like every summer mid-day fishing slows down; temps spike and the new underwater grass growth make doing any serous nymphing problematic as flows ramp up. On the good side, the days are so much longer and that means that much longer time to seek and catch beautiful rainbow torut. On the tougher side, you need more and more weight with longer leaders and then of course I start picking up tons of new growth grass. So, in these summer months I sometimes start my fishing sessions later in the day while fish are relatively active or and useing a balanced amount of weight to lessen dragging the bottom and getting all that grass. I see this every year. As a guide I am obligated to fish under conditions that aren't always optimum but by perservering I still usualy find a fish or two willing to play ball regardless of temps, flows and other adverse conditions including heavy fishing pressure but all these can and do affect the bite so I am starting to bring different rods and a good selection of heavier flys to get into sections of pocket water not easily fished with an indicator. Not that I don't bring my usual rod I do but it pays to have a few tactics and a willingness to fish in spite of the current heat and higher flows, 500 cfs as of today.

I've included a picture of one of the fish of my clients hooked and landed and was caught around 3 pm in the afternoon during the hottest time of the day so that just goes to show a great example of those surprises that I love about fly-fishing.

The grass is here to stay as long as we have spring and summer it actually helps the fish by providing cover for fish habitat for bugs and is just part of a healthy river and ecosystem; futhermore it forces me to explore sections of river I would otherwise pass over.

If you want to get out there, feel free to give me a call or email:

at napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com

or call 707-294-4738 and ask for Richard

#thingstodonapavalley #frputahcreek #flyfishinglife

Spring Putah Creek Report from Napa Valley Fly Guides

Spring Report with Napa Valley Fly Guides

Hey everyone, I want to report my latest intel over the last few months. Starting in March, Winter flood waters started to come down and flows fluctuated in the 600 cfs to 400 cfs range. The side channels did not disappoint me or clients; after a few attempts we found a few really nice 15 inch Rainbows willing to play two days in a row both days on a midge pattern but not under an indicator, instead utilizing high sticking techniques.  <*)()(>< On one of my days, we missed seeing an 18 before I could tempt it with a fly and it moved away, sensing our presence and became unwilling to play so it pays to really slow down and scan the shallow edges of any run.  I am continually reminded how elusive and on guard these wild Putah fish can be--remember they are a prey species and food for many other animals so they are really good at spotting threats sneaking up on them from the sides or from behind especially in shallow water riffles.

Being sneaky is the rule when working your way up to head of a run and having a second rod for high- sticking pocket water really helps by not adding an indicator to the mix but high-sticking has its limitations as well; covering distance being the biggest ones so don't get rid of your indicators yet. While I'm talking about indicators, they can spook fish and if not set properly create a delay fish can exploit and you may not ever see the take so I carry several different sizes and colors to match conditions like glare from the sun or them being pulled under by hydraulics, either way, they have a few pros and cons.

April and May brought much lower flows and the one of the nice side channels became a great spot to spend a few hours and I was pleased when a few clients landed some decent fish; also with the lower flows a lot more of the river opened up and fish became much easier to locate in one 4 to 5-hour session we hooked 12 or 13 fish  all but one were directly in the main stem on an indicator  and one just upstream high sticking All OF THOSE FISH WERE IN THE 16 TO 17 INCH RANGE .. so keep in mind you will get better results as you fish different spots.

 If you want to find a spot to fish you might need to get an early or very late start as the pressure is fairly heavy so be prepared to fish water you need to spend time finding a way into; after eleven years I am still seeing sections I have never fished but want to fish. Lastly, Late May brought much lower flows so the side channel just below the resort is almost dry now and the fish have moved on to another hole.

So if you've been waiting to book a trip for yourself or a family member, now is the time; give me a call/email and let's get you out on the water! Fish on! Richard Loft 707-294-4738; napavalleyflyguides@gmail.com; https://www.napavalleyflyguides.com #frputah #putahcreek #napavalleyflyguides #flyfishinglife