Klamath/Rogue/Trinity

[Big Jim]

My Brother and I are heading north next sat thru tues to look for steelhead. We will have the drift boat with us.. Bills last post has the Klamath and trinity slow right now...does any one have any reports about the rogue?

We were thinking of hitting klamath around happy camp and trying our luck and if nothing doing, then move... we have left all options on the table in case we have to chase them.

Any current reports or speculations would be appreciated.. also, any help with good floats on the klamath and trinity would help... I have floated the K around happy camp but long ago and cannot remember the put in and take out locations....never floated the T and wouldn't know where to launch or take out. Also, we will need info on any shuttles that might be available..

Where is Gorden Langenbeck... haven't seen his usual excellent posts on the Rogue of late..

Thanks all, and enjoy it while you can!

Jim Davenport

[Langenbeck]

We got our first fall rain-only about half an inch. Salmon are just beginning to show up on the redds in the Grants Pass area. So far 4,300 salmon and 3,100 steelhead over Gold Ray Dam. Water temperature is 54 and flow is about 1,500 cfs. Will start fishing hard this week. Based on the run to date it will be a poor year for adult steelhead-about 6,300 and over the last ten years the average has been over 10,000. A very safe and productive drift would be to put in at the top end of Valley of the Rogue State Park and come out at the Depot Street ramp in Rogue River.(both free) I have been out 4-5 times over the last two weeks and only have two half pounders of 12" and 16" to show for it. In my view prime time for the middle Rogue is mid October until late November. Hope this helps.

[Rick J]

my gut tells me you will be too high on the Klamath - I would fish around Orleans and downstream.

This last rain caused the river to really jump in flow (doubling) to around 5000+ cfs though it is dropping. This could bring a fresh run of fish through and they will be in the lower river

[Adam Grace]

MSP and I just came back from the Trinity....it's fishing very very slow right now, at least from the Junction City area and below.

[Big Jim]

Thanks guys,

perhaps I will try lower on the river... In any case, can't change our dates now - too damn hard to get a fishing pass these days. Adam.. do you think its even worth hiting the T?

Gordon, let me know how you do this week if you get out... we are getting in the car friday night for the long drive... a couple years ago you helped me out by phone re where to stay and where to fish around grants pass. Thanks again.

Jim Davenport

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Jason just called me and said the T river came up a lot with about 1" of rain.

Yesterday they saw quite a few Steelhead but they were on the move.

Today they saw more fish swimming up through the tail-outs.

As the river comes down and the fish start to hold it should get good.

[Adam Grace]

JIm, if the weather stays cooler next weekend might turn out alright, but it's difficult to know. Keep your eye out for the most recent fishing reports to track how its fishing but i think that Jason has a good prediction about the Trinity improving sometime soon.

[Rick J]

I would also spend more time lower on the Trinity rather than all the way up around Junction City - the Klamath flows jumped up big time and as Jason said the Trinity also came up - they should be back down by your trip and hopefully the fish would have moved in and be on the grab!!!! Good luck

[Bill S]

Took a guided trip for the first time on the Rogue last Saturday. First time with a spey rod myself and first time fly fishing period for my friend. Didn't seem to matter one bit to the guide. He was bound and determined to have us spey cast and swing some big flies all day.

My buddy and I were both successful bringing one fish to hand a piece. My buddy landed a 2 pounder within the first 45 minutes of the day with no other fish calling on him for the remainder.

I was lucky enough to land my fish the last 20 minutes of the extended trip. Extended due to the fact that the guide I was with, without saying so, appeared to really want to see me with a fish. Holding my hand in a rougher section, stepping down stream, down again, and again, getting real wet once, and then on quite possibly the 3rd or 4th time my guide said, "Ok, maybe just two more casts" I hooked and landed a near 8 pound beautiful wild male. Full of color and wanting to stay down like a brown trout. Not too many acrobatics. Felt a tug, then pull, set the hook and then thought I had a snag because he didn't make a run at first and was determined not to budge. First time pulling in a steelhead on a spey rod,....harder, isn't it? After spey casting all day with a heavy sink tip, my arm was burning after finally having this guy at my feet. Not too fat, but had nice shoulders and a wide tail.

Thanks to Kiene's for the intruder patterns before I went up. However, the guide had his own favorites that we used. He tied them kinda tube style and managed to have the fly for quite some time I guess,....he thinks of it as his pet, he says. Scott Howell was the guide.

Great hot shore lunch looking at Table Rock,...WOW. Nice first time on the Rogue. Beautiful. Although I'm sitting here, and it's Tuesday afternoon,...still not really back at work yet.

Scott reports the steelhead fishing a little down this year. Don't let it keep you from getting up to the Rogue.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Excellent Bill

I enjoyed reading you well written account of the day.

Thanks and welcome to our BB.

[Big Jim]

good info everyone... thanks...looks like I will have to just keep an open mind and look around. If I did fish the lower T... what floats would people reccomend ( i have yet to float it) One great dificulty for us is that wherever we go, we will have to find someone to shuttle our vehicle.... does anyone have shuttle info for the trinity and or the Klamath?

Thanks.