The Trinity River

The Trinity River is a beautiful fly-fishing paradise and has something for every angler. It is located about an hour from Redding and is approximately 110 river miles long. The river begins at the base of Lewiston Dam, near the town of Lewiston, and flows to a confluence with the Klamath River at Weitchpec.

Years ago, I was invited to accompany members of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club on a walk-and-wade trip to the Trinity. One thing stands out when I look back on that trip. It centered on pre-fishing the river the day before the scheduled outing. I caught and released steelhead at every access site my partner and I entered, something I had never done on any steelhead river before and have never repeated since. Anglers who regularly target steelhead will know why this put a smile on my face, and I’m still talking about it. 

River systems can be overwhelming to anglers who have not fished there before. During my early days of fly fishing and my first visit to the Trinity, I recall thinking, “Where do I fish to catch steelhead?  Similar thoughts crossed my mind when I first fished the Lower Sacramento. I achieved success by breaking the river down.  

BREAKING IT DOWN

Since the Trinity is renowned for its rich ecosystem, supporting a variety of fish species, I divide the river into sections defined by the fish that frequent them. Salmon, steelhead, and rainbow and brook trout spend time at the confluence with the Klamath River at Weitchpec all the way to Steiner Flat. Brown trout frequent the water from Steiner Flat to Lewiston Dam. If I want to fish stillwater for trout, I’ll visit Lewiston Lake. If I feel like fishing stillwater for bass, I’ll drive to Trinity Lake. Once I’ve identified sections on the river where steelhead might hold, I ignore the rest.

BREAKING IT DOWN, AGAIN

Steelhead can be hard to catch because they can be difficult to find. When steelhead come into the Trinity River to travel to their spawning grounds, they use much the same structure and currents as trout. They quickly move up the river, but they also look for safe places out of the current to rest during their journey—current breaks caused by structure such as rocks, boulders, and fallen trees, seams (areas where fast and slower water meet), riffles, and especially deep-water pools that protect them from predators. So, the key to catching steelhead on the Trinity River is to find the places the fish are likely to rest. I first look for structure and then for a point in the river where fast water slows down. In a good pool, an angler can cast and achieve a working swing. The water may appear flat, but is flowing at the pace of a fast walk. The Trinity River seemingly has more holding holes than most rivers. The heads and tails of pools provide the best chance to catch fish.

THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB

Equipment used for steelhead can vary greatly. Although steelhead can sometimes be caught on dry flies, almost all my experience has been using nymphing techniques. For this reason, I prefer to use a single-handed 9-foot, 7-weight rod with a full-sinking-tip shooting head to sink my fly to where the fish are. I match this with a quality large-arbor reel with a solid drag system. No other fish has tested my reel’s drag as much as steelhead has. The reel’s large arbor helps me bring in line quickly when fighting fast-running fish.

It’s true, though, that many steelhead anglers on the Trinity River prefer to use much longer two-handed spey or switch rods for steelhead. Spey or switch rods make lifting and casting heavy sink-tip shooting heads easier for fly fishers.

TECHNIQUE AND FLY PATTERNS

When swinging a wet fly in the traditional way—casting across or across and down the current and mending line to control the depth and speed of the fly—I’ll take a couple of steps downstream after a few casts.
This allows me to cover a substantial section of water with my fly effectively and efficiently. 

How your fly is presented is more important than the pattern selected. Your fly needs to swing at the proper depth and speed to trigger a take. I have experienced most of my success by swinging at a slow speed and locating my fly just off the bottom of the river.

Steelhead are often aggressive fish. Unlike salmon, which typically don’t feed much and aren’t notably aggressive after entering fresh water, steelhead in freshwater might strike at anything that gets in their way. Unlike trout flies, fly patterns developed specifically for steelhead usually do not try to imitate specific food sources, although egg patterns, nymphs, and sometimes streamers will work. Most steelhead fly patterns were developed simply to trigger takes. My favorite fall season fly, and one I have had success with on the Trinity River, is a Rust Caddis Pupa pattern. Another good choice is the Silver Hilton.

I have experienced incredible dry fly steelhead fishing in the fall on the Trinity. When water is low and clear, my go-to dry fly pattern is the Punk Rocker. Hands down, this is the best fly to tie on when steelhead are rising. 

When the water is slightly colored, my go-to flies are colorful Intruders and Mini Intruders; this style of fly has a lot of movement in the current. If I’ve had no success fishing the patterns mentioned, I switch to patterns that simulate what steelhead were eating while in the ocean before returning to the river, such as bait fish, prawns, or lampreys. 

Steelhead make their annual spawning runs in incredibly beautiful waters, and once you’ve hooked one, you’ll understand why so many fly fishers are devoted to pursuing this extraordinary game fish. This allows me to cover a substantial section of water with my fly effectively and efficiently. 

Brown Trout on the Trinity

Sometimes, finding trout can be hard. Finding brown trout can be even harder. Often overshadowed by its populations of rainbow trout and steelhead, fly fishing for brown trout on the Trinity River can be a rewarding experience. Here are some fly-fishing tactics and sage advice to think about when targeting browns there.

I have seldom caught browns in fast, riffling water. My experience has been that browns tend to shy away from currents and seek out slower-moving water, where they hide and ambush prey. Knowing this, I look for deeper, calmer water located near cover. Next to fallen trees or thick vegetation and large partially submerged rocks are good places to begin your search for browns. Stripping streamers or presenting a dry fly delicately through these likely holding areas can trigger explosive strikes. While searching for browns along the river’s banks and in the flats is still a proven tactic, most brown trout on the Trinity inhabit the sections of river above Trinity Lake and below Lewiston Dam. As always, remember to check current regulations before fishing there.

Unlike brook or rainbow trout, which can sometimes be found in pods or schools, brown trout are solitary fish. They stake out a territory. 

When I locate a fishable run on the river, I break it up into sections, casting to and fishing the water nearest me first before fishing the water farther away. A 9-foot 6-weight fly rod has the backbone to handle big brown trout, and I carry two spools of line for my reel, one loaded with a weight-forward floating line, the other an intermediate sinking line. I change spools throughout the day to adapt to the conditions I may encounter. Trinity brown trout move upstream in the fall and it can take some doing to put yourself in the right place at the right time with the right equipment and technique to target these fish, but it’s worth it.

When targeting brown trout on the Trinity River, it’s essential to choose the right flies. During fall, streamer patterns, such as Sculpins, Woolly Buggers, Zonkers, and Muddler Minnows are particularly effective. These flies imitate leeches, small baitfish, minnows, and other common food that brown trout prey on. I switch spools to the intermediate line and fish a streamer pattern on a short 4-foot 3X or 4X leader close to the undercut banks of pools. The short leader gets the fly down fast, and the intermediate line gets it down to where I think the fish are. Once my fly’s adrift in position, I often add action to it through a series of fast and slow strips. I do my best to get my fly to appear to be a fleeing baitfish.

My go-to fly when fishing for browns on the Trinity River is a Flash Back Pheasant Tail Nymph. Regardless of the season, it’s been a proven fall pattern for me there. I start with it in size 14, and if the fishing is slow, I switch to a smaller size before changing patterns. Additionally, Ralph Cutter’s E/C Caddis is an effective searching pattern when no fish are rising.

When targeting browns on the Trinity, I cover as much water as I can while in search of an ideal location. I don’t just cast to cast. I like to select where I present my fly, and when it comes to browns, until I know or have an idea of where a fish is, I try to refrain from casting at all.

The Trinity may hold browns, but it takes stealth, a hunter’s instinct, and a calculated presentation to fool these fish into taking a fly. Regardless of what river you fish, targeting brown trout takes patience and persistence and often leads to days when you may not catch a fish. However, when you do, the moment is memorable.