Any Klammath/Trinity updates

[BumpBailey]

Morning All. Happy Steelhead Season everyone! I am heading up to The Jefferson Spey Sessions next week and plan on fishing Thursday before check in. We'll most like be going Hwy 5 to 299 to Weitchpec then up to Orleans. I looked at the CalTrans site and the road closures don't look too bad. Can anyone vouch on the delays heading that way(Up Buckhorn & Weaverville to Orleans)?

We plan on being in the hills by first light Thursday and we will to spend the day fishing before checking in. Anybody having any luck below JC? Or, are we better off pushing on all the way to the Klammath? Below JC and the Klammath are new waters for me, any direction given would be appreciated!! The anticipation is growing!

[pvsprme]

CalTrans websites www.dot.ca.gov have been good to me in the past. You are going to enjoy the Sessions, I hope the fish cooperate. The guides are the best, food is good and that section of the river is just beautiful. I went in 2015 and all 5 “sports” caught fish, for two their first Steelhead. Dries, waking and sunk with heavy tips, all methods worked. Whitney, Jason and Rich are just great people to fish with and you just may learn something.
E. B. Duggan writes a report for Trinity County Chamber of Commerce and My Outdoor Buddy website, might check it out for reports, he seems to be a little more honest than some as to conditions.

[BobVP]

My information on the 299 route is a little dated but maybe worth looking into.

I was stopped at the "burn clearing" along 299 for 35 minutes about twelve days ago and when I mentioned this to someone in Weaverville she told me I had been lucky that it was only 35 minutes.

You might want to consider going north on I5 to 96 and down to Orleans, but there may be delays there as well because of fire cleanup.

I will say that stopping along 299, once you get settled in is not a bad thing. Sit back, talk, read, have a cuppa'. Looking out at the loss of property from the fire was not wonderful in any way, but beyond that I looked at it as a break.

[mircetich]

299 has stops all the way across with lights and misc Cal Trans repair, but nothing significant until you get to Bagdad, then you will have a 30-60 minute delay. Other than that, roads are open

[JayDubP]

CalTrans websites www.dot.ca.gov have been good to me in the past.

You can also get Caltrans up to date info on the phone 1-800-427-7623. They update frequently.

[NCL]

Morning All. Happy Steelhead Season everyone! I am heading up to The Jefferson Spey Sessions next week and plan on fishing Thursday before check in. We'll most like be going Hwy 5 to 299 to Weitchpec then up to Orleans. I looked at the CalTrans site and the road closures don't look too bad. Can anyone vouch on the delays heading that way(Up Buckhorn & Weaverville to Orleans)?

We plan on being in the hills by first light Thursday and we will to spend the day fishing before checking in. Anybody having any luck below JC? Or, are we better off pushing on all the way to the Klammath? Below JC and the Klammath are new waters for me, any direction given would be appreciated!! The anticipation is growing!

I will be on that same trip. Looks like we are going to get rained on for the entire time.

[Bob Smith]

Mitch - it does look like rain but the precipitation models are suggesting the big blow out will wait until your trip is complete.

I fished the mid/upper Klamath this past week from Skeahan Bar to Walker Bridge Road. I was looking for spawning chinook to fish around but wasn't able to locate any. I did some swinging and indicator fishing in some runs that have been productive in the past. Lots of 7-9 inch smolts but no halfpounders or adults.

[Peter S]

I'm headed up to the Spey Session next week as well. A little rain will freshen things up and get those fishing moving. It will be awesome regardless!

[NCL]

Bob,

Thanks. Try the new reel?

[Bob Smith]

Mitch - I'm borrowing a 9 weight from a buddy and will strap on the Ross for it's maiden (for me) voyage in the Smith River estuary this coming Tuesday. I am still looking for a rod to match up with it.

The latest forecast model runs are suggesting a heavier precipitation event for next weekend compared to the earlier model runs (2.6 inches through midday Sunday for the Orleans area). That country can take a lot of rain though there's some massive wildfire burn scars upstream which could potentially muck things up. Fingers crossed that things hold together for your spey session.

[TahoeJoe]

I had minimal waits on 299 a week ago. No work on Buckhorn at all and a couple of 5 minute stops farther down by Junction City and Del Loma. Depending on what CalTrans has going, YMMV.

[TahoeJoe]

There is lots of good water to swing below Junction City. You have to be willing to work hard to climb down to the river from the turnouts on 299 - actually the upper part is worse. Scout first, then hike!

Keep in mind that the river is closed in the Burnt Ranch section, from the bridge at Hawkins Bar up to the bridge at Cedar Flat.

Fishing was very slow on the Trinity last week, mostly lots of salmon smolts and small trout like "steelhead". Switching to a larger fly stopped that problem but created a new one...

[BumpBailey]

There is lots of good water to swing below Junction City. You have to be willing to work hard to climb down to the river from the turnouts on 299 - actually the up part is worse. Scout first, then hike! Keep in mind that the river is closed in the Burnt Ranch section, from the bridge at Hawkins Bar up to the bridge at Cedar Flat.

Fishing was very slow on the Trinity last week, mostly lots of salmon smolts and small trout like "steelhead". Switching to a larger fly stopped that problem but created a new one...


Thank you all for the feedback. It is appreciated. I have been checking the Cal Trans website and will again on Weds.

Thanks for the update TahoeJoe. I wasn't aware of the closure in that area. We will avoid that section. Good advice on the scout before climbing!

[Dagee]

I drifted from DC down to Pigeon Point over three days last week. The fishing was slow and the boat traffic was heavy. We had 7 boats in front of us on the Evan Bar run of Friday. We struggled a bit but I did see some fish caught that day. We only landed 4 adults and few half pounders during the three days. But my buddy caught his first Trinity steelie over 30". The traffic around JC and Pigeon was not an issue, 10 min delays.

[Digger]

Just returned from fishing near French Cr and there wasn't much wait at all in that slide area, looks like they are winding down the work. The repairs are completed near JC, so no roadwork there, just the moonscape left by the fires. Petty sad.
Gonna make a mess of the river if it rains heavily soon.

Otherwise, pretty quiet - saw none, caught none.
Chilly mornings, warm afternoons.
Drift boats were as far up as Steel bridge and down to Baghdad
Did see a bald eagle on the Trinity near Douglas City.
Usually see one or two on the Klamath, first time on the Trinity, so that was cool.

[BumpBailey]

Just got back from the Jefferson Spey Sessions and had a pretty good weekend. Never having fished the Klammath it was great to learn some new waters and the teaching aspect was great. I definitely improved my casting abilities and learned invaluable tips in reading water, swing control, line management and snagged fly retrievals.

We fished some spot on the Trinity on the way in on Thursday, all below JC. No love until we got into Hoopa and found a nice pod of halfies. It rained all day on Friday but the fishing was pretty constant for us. I think we only were skunked at one hole. It slowed a bit for us on Saturday and we only picked up a couple yesterday. My buddy had a nice adult on yesterday. Our instructor estimated 10lbs.... LDR'd after a couple of leaps.

More rain is expected this week. I think the Northern California Steelhead season is officially in full swing!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks a lot......

I think all these on the water seminars are wonderful.

Also going with a good recommended guide who specializes in two handed fly fishing and swinging flies.

.

[NCL]

Jay,

Good meeting you and Adam. We had about the same results as you on Sunday. Sure was a great trip, can not wait till next year so I can have a whole new set of problems for Whitney to resolve...LOL

[BumpBailey]

Good meeting you and Peter as well. Whitney is a task master. But she knows her shit! I learned a little something different from all three!



Jay,

Good meeting you and Adam. We had about the same results as you on Sunday. Sure was a great trip, can not wait till next year so I can have a whole new set of problems for Whitney to resolve...LOL