DIY Lower Trinity Logistics ?

[IPerfuseU]

Hello,

I'm wanting to fish the Lower Trinity, in the near future, and all of the guides that I have contacted are booked. I figure that I'll try it without a guide for the adventure and change of scenery. I'm planning on heading toward the city of Lewiston the night before and hitting the river the next morning.

I'm going to be wading and would rather "swing flies" versus using an indicator.

Can someone recommend some areas and fly patterns?

Thanks for your time.

Michael Pienta :shock:

[Darian]

You don't say where you're starting from.... So, I'm gonna assume it's from the sacto area.

First, if you intend to fish the lower Trinity, why not try to reach the town of Willow Creek on your first night :?: :?: That way you could fish upstream or down thru the Hoopa Reservation to the Klamath River. 8) 8) The road parallels the river most of the way. So, the water is visible. I'd recommend getting a forest service map of that area and note access routes. It's difficult being specific in the lower river as fish are moving through. Look for guys fishing.... Then try it yourself (if there's room)

At any rate, Steelhead flies are legion up there. Green Butt Skunk, Silver Hilton, Herniators, Wooly Buggers, Brindlebugs, Mossbacks, Assassins, etc., etc. if you're having trouble making a choice just pick a buggy lookin' fly and go catch a fish. :lol: :lol:

[bigtj]

Keep an eye on flows. Typically, after the first big flush of rain, the lower river can often remain unfishable due to the sediment coming out of the south fork. It will eventually come back in shape but access is much easier from a boat than on foot once the rains come. Personally, I enjoy fishing the lower river from the end of September to the middle of November, weather permitting.

As far as flies go you Darian gave you some good choices. I would add that a black rabbit leech is pretty hard to beat for bigger steelhead. Be sure to use heavy leader, anything less than 8-lb maxima is unecessary; I prefer 10 lb maxima which is about equal to 0x umpqua.

As far as accesses go get a streamtime access map of the Trinity. Many fly shops carry these maps.

One more word of advice - spend at least 50% of your time getting to know the river. During the late fall that means fish early and late and spend the rest of the day scouting. In the winter, reverse and scout early and late and fish mid-day. Only on rare occasions does the fishing stay awesome all day long. Use some of the down time as insurance for future trips that you'll know the water well.

Good luck,

-John

[IPerfuseU]

Hello,

Thanks for the info on the Lower Trinity. I'm in the process of contacting local Trinity Fly Shops to obtain detailed maps. I'll head up to Willow Creek the night before and scout the area in the morning.

Any idea how many hours Willow Creek is from Sacramento? I have the option of driving my RV but will probably drive my car for better river access and road handling on HWY 299. Does HWY 299 drive as "interesting" as it looks on a map?

Thanks again for your insight and advise.

Michael

[bigtj]

I'm thinking 5 hours in an RV, maybe 4.5 in a car. It's about 3 hours or less to Redding with stops in an RV, more like 2-2.5 in a car, and 2 hours from Redding to Willow Creek maybe a little more in an RV. That's in good weather. You might shave off some time on the Sac to Redding run but it's going to be at least 2 hours from Redding to Willow Creek.

The drive isn't too bad. I used to do it regularly. There are some winding parts but for the most part you're doing 45-55 mph and the scenery is really spectacular. Perhaps the worst part is between Whiskeytown and Lewiston, outside Redding about a half an hour, that section is steep and super twisty. But luckily it's short.

Be prepared for bad weather and keep an eye on the forecast. The pass between Redding and Lewiston and then Junction City and Weaverville can be really tricky with snow. If a cold front is coming through carry chains and travel during the day if you can. Be prepared to hunker down for a few hours or overnight in Weaverville or Willow Creek if things get really bad. Last year a buddy almost jackknifed the drift boat coming down the pass from Lewiston to Redding in a pretty bad snowstorm. Luckily we were OK but next time we may just get a hotel and wait things out instead.

Travelling safely in bad weather is all part of the steelheading thing. If you only travel in good weather on nice roads you'll never get enough angling opportunities.

Good luck,

-John

PS flows are still looking good for the lower river. Keep an eye on the forecast though! An inch of rain or more and a day of runoff means you might have to switch to the upper river.