Clueless Brit - help me plan my November fishing trip

[123psb]

Apologies to anyone who has already seen this post on Speypages but the Speypages readers said this board is the go to place for up to date advice. I am in the San Francisco area with work in mid November and want to fish on Fri 16th through to Sunday evening 18th. I am thinking about getting a guide for the Fri and maybe the Sat.

Because of the short amount of time available to me I want to minimize traveling time. I am ok with driving circa 3 hours or so and I'm equally happy to jump a plane for a short flight.

If possible I would like to catch a steelhead but any other salmonoid would be fine as I have not fished in America before so is a mini adventure for me and because I'm old school I want to swing a fly, the thought of indicator and egg fly is a no no for me.

I have all the gear and more so that should not be an issue - its locating some decent fishing on accessible water that is the challenge. All help gratefully received. Thanks Paul B

[Darian]

Paul,.... Here's a link to a website for Angling on The Fly:

http://www.anglingonthefly.com/Home.html

Lots of good info on this website. Keith is very helpful with info, etc.

[Tfisher]

Hi Paul,

If you want to swing flies for steelhead your best bets are likely the Trinity River or Klamath River for the times you've listed. They are a little further than the 3 hour limit you listed. Both are approximately 5 hours or so north of San Francisco. The rivers near Sacramento such as the American don't really get going fishing wise until January for adult steelhead. The setting of the Trinity and Klamath are located in unique environments that you won't find in Britain. They also fish well for trout. For guide service you might try the trinity fly shop (Google them, can't vouch for them but others can, they swing flies for steelhead, or you might try Jason Hartwick who is associated with Kiene's.) They can also point you towards lodging etc. Rivers closer to san fransico and sacramento are more urbanized ( see more people and pressure and the fish are almost 100% hatchery derived) and are more often fished with nymphing techniques that are more effective.

[123psb]

Many thanks guys, I think the Trinity and Jason are the most recommended so I that's where I'm going to start my inquiries. Once again thanks for your advice, its appreciated.

[steveg137]

Paul, good luck. I'm fellow Brit, been living here for 7 years though my focus is trout and soon Steelhead. Enjoy the trip, if you can make it up to the Trinity you'll love it, beautiful up there.

Cheers, Steve

[Larry S]

Paul,
Hi. I'm probably the speypages guy that told you to check in on the Kiene board. The Trinity is within driving
distance of San Fran. Herb Burton @ Lewiston Fly Shop is a guy to check in with. Pretty sure he doesn't do the
indicator stuff. He has tons of recommendations. Lewiston is a neat little town nearby. Hope you let us know
how you fare.
Best,
Larry S

[StevenB]

Not steelheading but the dry fly fishing on the Upper Sac should be good at that time (depending on the weather).
October Caddis will be out and the fish should be taking them. Also possible to hit a good BWO hatch.
Close enough together to do the Trinity one day and the Upper Sac another.
Of course I am a guide on the Upper Sac so I am biased.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Jason Hartwick and Herb Burton and his guides out of the Trinity Fly Shop don't promote indicator fishing so try to get connected with either of those folks. Luckily you timing is good for that river. Who ever you get connected with will help you with lodging and dinning too.



Jason Hartwick's Blog: He is staying in Junction City right on the Trinity Rvier now.

http://steelheadonthespey.wordpress.com/rivers-we-fish/



Herb & Pat Burton's Trinity Fly Shop web site:

http://www.trinityflyshop.com/


From San Francisco to Lewiston, which is the top of the river, is only 4.5 hours.

.

[amoeba]

Ummmm, clueless:

I for one don't think the trinity/klamath are a good idea for a 1 day trip; you're talking 6 hours driving, each way. Also, many guides on these rivers (and even the lower Sacramento) at that time a year especially have a practice of doing exactly what you aren't interested in; namely, egg-flies and indicators, or worse, pegged beads.

Go do something closer with a traditional fly rod on foot. A sure thing you can do on your own, would be a day trip to the Yuba, or the upper Feather, for trout and it doesn't depend on a guide. Likewise, lower Feather, in Oroville, has a short, foot-accessible low-flow section in town that has a hatchery run of steelhead, and you can try that on your own too.

There ARE some small coastal creeks (e.g., San Gregorio Ck - S. of San Francisco) and larger rivers (e.g., Russian, Gualala, Navarro, farther north) which MAY have steelhead IF (and only if) there is a decent rain. That can happen, and if the conditions are right (say, the Russian mouth is open, the flows come down), and the regulations allow it, you CAN have good fishing for steelhead. These options would be within 1-2 hrs, at most (some closer), from S. Francisco. A guide would help, but isn't essential, and you don't absolutely need a boat so you can buy a fishing map and give it a go. You could use a spey rod for this. Mid-November, I'd say the chances aren't very good - but it happens I'd say around every five years or so. If it's raining cats and dogs when (or shortly before) you come, I'd recc. go to the Russian.

There's also a Delta close to San Francisco, which has good striper fishing; the salmon don't really bite flies in that area even though they are there (you can get them trolling conventional gear in the main rivers, with alot of patience). It's a large, complex area, a boat is necessary, and a guide with expertise in flyfishing would help there alot.