FFO section of the trinity

[PV_Premier]

Does anyone have any intel on the FFO section of the Trinity? I have never been out there and aiming to go a few times this year, namely for the purported large browns that will eat big streamers. It sounds like the flows are perfect right now but that they tend to push them up around the beginning of the season presumably to help push the smolt downstream.

Specifically I am looking for tips on access, best times of the season/flows, fly patterns and any other intel that might help be tie into a couple of big ones this year.

[NCL]

Access is easy, if you travel up river on the hatchery side there are several places you can park and access the river via trails down to the river. The only road I know of to the river on the opposite side from the hatchery is just before the camp ground at the top of the hill after crossing the bridge. I have never caught a brown in the FFO area so can not provide much info on that topic, all the browns I have caught on the Trinity were lower down. I usually only fish the FFO section in April and September mostly because April is the opener and September because it is closing. I have fished it at different levels and they have all been good so I would say go, but with that said I do like the wading better at the lower flows. For flies I usually just use stuff I use for steelhead, Red Copper John, Hares Ear Hope, Psycho Prince to name a few. Hope this helps a little.

[ycflyfisher]

I agree with NCL that the flyonly section isn't where you want to be for Trinity browns. Rush Creek on the upper end down to about Bagdad works for me. The browns definitely tend to move upstream as the water warms. I've caught a few down as low as Hayden, and all the way up to the slide hole, but you'll definitely see better densities in the mid-river around JC.

Best time for browns on the T by my account, is dependent on what hydrograph we get. I'd recommend targeting flows from~1000-1800ish on the downside from the apex of the hydrograph. The river is a bit pushy at those flows, but still very wadable.

The apex flows blow a lot of the grass mats out and reduce the volume of the ones that remain and you'll encounter more favorable fish densities if you can find those mats. As the flows drop towards the summer base flow, you get more sun penetration which spurs weed growth and the browns seem to spread out more as the mats get bigger and reestablish in places that got blown out. When the release flow drops below~800ish we've usually got enough weed growth that most of the browns will be down in the mats rather suspending above them (my take, I'm not certain where the hell they really go..). You'll still stick a few on occasion, but much better conditions for catching algae than browns for me.

YOY patterns and big, ugly Monroe leech type patterns work best for me. They will rise to inverts if you encounter a dense hatch, but usually are in difficult to reach spots for dry fly presentations without a boat.

The brown pop on the T started to increase when the ROD flows were actually implemented in the mid 2000s and the hatchery started releasing the Mykiss earlier in the season which seemed to reduce the Mykiss residualiztion issues, so don't feel bad about stringering up a brown or two.

Don't get discouraged, it can be a difficult fishery to dial in.

[goby]

I live in Weaverville. My friend was the biologist for the Trinity River, and scuba dived the river many times. I believe he said there were less than 10 browns in the entire FFO area. I've fished it conservatively at least 500 times over the past 18 years (probably more) and I don't think I've ever caught a brown, although I did catch a brook trout once, and that really surprised me.

Tomorrow will be crazy, so it won't be the best day to go for your first time. The Shasta Fly Club comes up on the opener every year, so it will be pretty crowded. Try again in a few day, like the 5th, and things should be calmed down.

BTW, the opener drives me insane with people trying to fish the hatchery side near the hatchery. People, that's where all the fish are!! Do not fish the hatchery side near the hatchery (except at the very very top near the dam). You also can't get a great drift when you're on the hatchery side.

BTW, I think there might be browns between the new bridge and old bridge, but I never really fish that area.

[PV_Premier]

Thanks everyone for the insight and tips of where to focus.

I won't be up this weekend. Maybe next weekend though.

[goby]

BTW, regarding the browns and streamers.... My friend loves fishing the Trinity when they raise the flows towards the end of April. He has a boat, throws Rapalas, and targets browns. So maybe that's the time to go after them with streamers.