Demythdefying Fly Fishing Putah Creek

Putah Creek in Yolo County, Northern California, is my home water and famous for being a challenging "technical" fishery. As a result, there are lots of myths about what fishing it is like, as well as how and when it must (or must not) be fished. But are those myths justified, or can we bust them? Take a look, find out, and maybe reconsider your approach to one of the best wild trout fisheries in California.

[@troutntrails]

Great video! I need to fish Putah when I'm back home! Lived 30 minutes from it my whole life but didn't start fly fishing until moving to Montana for college last year. Sweet to see some good fly fishing close to home!

[@abushinthewoods]

Come back and visit! It's probably a whole new creek!

[@jimedwards4973]

That was very enjoyable, thank you for sharing. I agree, the more challenging a fishery is, the greater the reward. I am about to do some lake nymphing later this week.

[@abushinthewoods]

Good luck!!

[@rextuller3498]

Are you talking about lake berryessa nyphing, ive always wondered if its enjoyable to fly fish off the shore there cuz i drive by it when heading to Putah. I may be totally off here though :D

[@jimedwards4973]

@@rextuller3498 No I live near enough to Lake Almanor for comfortable day trips. It fishes well from the shore most of winter, ie, thanksgiving til end of march. Strip your favorite nymph or fish under an indicator. Changes daily . j

[@rextuller3498]

@@jimedwards4973 Thanks jim. I went to a summer camp in susanville as a young kid and visited lake alamnor on several occasions. Absolutely beautiful around that part of the state. I will definitely make a road trip up there soon, thanks for the advice.

[@LandenPeck-b9i]

kind of new to flyfishing and did some research about it and was told smaller is better, but I don't know at all what to use and where to use it, I have always wanted to fish there but it was a fly fishing only I'm happy to start as I live in Vacaville.

[@abushinthewoods]

I'm working on a video to address the notion of "smaller is better/necessary." I just don't think it's true and I think the video will prove it. The keys, in my opinion, are when you fish it and or using enough weight to get down to where the fish are holding. It can be a tricky fishery, but I promise you will start having success with enough practice and effort. If you can do some guided days on other rivers like the Sac or the Yuba and have the guide give you some instruction on mending and presentation, it will very likely really help you move through the learning curve more quickly (and you'll probably at least hook some nice fish, which is always encouraging and a bonus). Good luck!

[@patsheridan]

What a wonderful video! Beautifully shot and good, fun info. You DEFINATELY need to pack your patience pills when fishing Putah!!

[@gyffgffggggh1778]

Nice fish man! I remember going with my dad hooking up on a big brown and cooked him up. Gotta say not too shabby!

[@abushinthewoods]

Agreed, it's super gratifying to hunter gather stuff. And getting to fish is an added bonus!

[@alexargyros7186]

Thanks for the video. To put things into perspective, what's a good day on Putah for a competent nymph angler? In other words, how many fish might one reasonably expect to catch if that person knows what he's doing?

[@abushinthewoods]

So when I was still learning to fly fish I took some casting lessons from this guy named Jeff Putnam, who is a super well respected angler and casting instructor, particularly for spay casting, and I asked him that same question. He said about 2 fish an hour is pretty good. I’ve found that to be pretty accurate over the years as an average. If they’ve messed with the flows it can throw things off and sometimes it gets really tough. But it can also be (much) better. I hope that answers your question! Good luck!

[@alexargyros7186]

@@abushinthewoods Thank you for your excellent answer to my question.

[@SigmaWolfOutdoors]

Most anglers average 2 fish to the net...barbless hooks get spit out alot from big fish ....

[@robdogj]

lovely music for this video!!!

[@abushinthewoods]

I had a roommate once who thoroughly believed the world would be a better place if people would just listen to more reggae. It's honestly hard to argue with that position.

[@robdogj]

@@abushinthewoodsdepends which brand. There is some very rebellious stuff out there. Stuff that makes you want to get up!!! stand up!!!

[@abushinthewoods]

@@robdogj Ha! True. I think this was back in the Jimmy Cliff days. To be clear, he was already dead--I'm not quite that old.

[@robdogj]

@@abushinthewoodsEven Marvelous Bob Marley had some rebellous stuff.

[@abushinthewoods]

@@robdogj True. I wish he was still around and making music.

[@alextchieng7621]

Was this earlier in the year? Water is real fast. Got some good ones this year as well.

[@abushinthewoods]

Yeah, mostly Sept and Oct. Glad to hear you've been doing well, It's been fishing great recently!

[@alextchieng7621]

@@abushinthewoods thanks! I started fishing putah in July/august. Moved to elk Grove. I had most luck in the summer when I guess the flows are the highest? It was great.

[@abushinthewoods]

@@alextchieng7621 Yes, flows are definitely highest in the summer. But if you brave the heat and find some slower water, the fishing can be really good. Glad you are having success!

[@itshei]

Great video! Any tips ion where to access fishiable water on the creek? I've been a few times to try it out but disappointingly haven't even really found access to fishable areas. I've driven to the fishing access points but they always seem super crowded with people hanging out and swimming.

[@abushinthewoods]

Hey, so the best advice I can offer you is to burn those calories that others aren't willing to burn. That is, the lots are great places to start, and there's good water close to all of them (don't forget about the 2 dirt lots closest to the dam and the last one before you hit Lake Solano), and you can ditch 90% of the other anglers if you hoof it a bit. There's a pretty good trail system and if you follow it you are likely to find good water (some of the trails can get overgrown--but the fainter the better on this one). Another great option is to fish when others don't. Most people quit around dinner time and in the summer when it's light late this can be incredible fishing with light crowds. Note also that many people use that area for hiking and birding, so a crowded lot doesn't always translate to crowded water. It certain can, but it doesn't always. (My next video (posting on the 15th) is all about tips for Putah and talks about this a bit, but this answer is actually more detailed than that video.) Good luck out there!

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Interesting video.

[@bssaassin1900]

Don't get me wrong putah is a beautiful piece of water with nice fish but 2-3 fish an hour on a good day doesn't sound like a very productive trout fishery to me at least compared to streams where you can catch 15-20 fish a day.

[@abushinthewoods]

That's a fair assessment. I think there some very specific kinds of people that love Putah: a special kind of masochist, folks that love a challenge and get rewarded with success after a challenge, and people that live in the Bay Area and don't have any other options less than 2 hours away (a 4 hour round trip can be prohibitive, but I can often scoot up for half a day with a 2 hour round trip--this is wild trout fisheries, of course, there are closer options for stocked fish).

[@flyguy4515]

Lol. Have fun with your stocked trout😆😆😆 some people need a challenge. Tie their own flies...

[@flyguy4515]

@b@ss a$$assin

[@bssaassin1900]

@@flyguy4515 you automatically assume I'm talking about stocked trout when I mention there's way better catch rates than putah creek? Visit Colorado, idaho, Montana,Oregon or even some other rivers in northern California like the upper Sac,the pit,mccloud, upper feather and American rivers and so many others that are all wild fish. You just haven't really seen productive wild trout streams. Now sure the fish don't all grow to be 3-5lbs in some of these streams but they're abundance makes up for it. I've scrambled down steep canyons without a trail crawling under manzanita brush and madrone to get to isolated fishing spots loaded with wild rainbows and browns so don't hit me with that bullshit.

[@flyguy4515]

@@bssaassin1900 tight lines🎣

[@paulg492]

Any issues with car break ins?

[@abushinthewoods]

Remarkably, no. I admit to always being a little surprised, but it's never happened.

[@GaryElliott-yv9cm]

I fish at Putah 2 or 3 times per month for the past 4 years, never had a break-in.

[@BigV424]

are there areas along the creek where the bottom isn't normally slimy, in your opinion?

[@abushinthewoods]

The hole from lot #3 (the third PAVED (so not counting the dirt lot) on your left from Winters tends to be pretty good. Take the trail that runs along the Creek to the right (not the dirt extension of the parking lot). No more than 1/4 of a mile or so there's a picnic table and access to nice hole that usually has some non-slimy sand once you get a few feet out. Note that the rocks are another story, so tread carefully, but if you stay on the sandy parts (with the exception of the parts closest to shore). The last time I was there everything else was pretty slippery. Good luck!

[@BigV424]

@@abushinthewoods Thanks so much! Can't wait to go out and explore Putah

[@Tigmt1913]

Looks like some thick rattle snake territory!

[@abushinthewoods]

Yup. Ticks too.

[@SigmaWolfOutdoors]

A challenging but rewarding to learn stream

[@abushinthewoods]

For sure.

[@raulgarcia5230]

Awesome video love the creek!

[@randellgribben9772]

a question.. how deep is putah creek and the bottom,, large bolders? i have fished there many times..but never waded, not knowing the bottom condtions.. thanks for a reply

[@abushinthewoods]

I hate to do this to you, but it really depends on the flows and where you are along the river, since there's so much variation. I'd say in general, you can find spots to wade that aren't more than 3-4 feet, and the holes can be 6-13 feet or more, but it all changes with a change in flows--very visibly at about 100 cfs or more. The bottom is mostly gravel to small boulders, mostly between pea gravel to beach ball in size, but most of what you walk on is basketball sized rocks or smaller. There are some spots that are just bedrock or sand, but not many. Nearly all of the bottom is covered with plant life and it can be very slick. Hope this helps!

[@randellgribben9772]

@@abushinthewoods thank you