Current Fishing Report

Conditions are shaping up nicely for getting out on the water to do some swinging for chrome. After the biggest rise of the season for all of the rivers of the North Coast we are seeing an extended period of mostly dry calm weather. This is the generous window we've been waiting for, so if you've been cooped up at home tying flies and scouring the internet for images of salty fish it's time to wax your ferrules and hit the road. By this weekend we should see a number of North Coast rivers come online, and looking further ahead with no major systems threatening to rain on the parade more and more water will become fishable. Hope to see you on the water. 

Andrew Harris in the goods

Mad River projection into February

S. Fork Eel river projection into February

Smith River projection into February

Floated the canyon section today with Geoff and his dad Tom. The river was dropping after a big storm a few days ago and that seems to have brought some new fish upriver. Tom hooked up with a good fish on his first cast and throughout the day we landed a nice mixture of adults, tweeners, and half-pounders, all of them wild. Fishing right after a big storm seems to be key.

Fishing on the North Coast has been hit and miss over the past few weeks with brief windows opening up between storms. The Smith River has been the best bet for finding green water and conditions have been ideal for swinging. With flows remaining on the higher side the river has been showing off its iconic emerald green color, and with it the first decent push of fish. Reports from most of the guides I talked to who were floating from the Forks down were getting into a few fish a day. The Eel River has remained largely unfishable since blowing out earlier this month, with the upper S. Fork above Benbow being the excpetion. I spent a few days poking around up there last week and while conditions were near perfect I didn't talk with anyone who had hooked up. As of right now all rivers on the coast are anticipated to be on a steady rise through the beginning of this week. The projections for the Eel are pointing to the most significant rise of the season to date, restarting the clock for any hopes of being able to fish on the lower stretches of the system for some time to come. The Smith should be a player by as soon as mid week. There is a system hot on the heels of the current one due to deliver soaking rains late on Monday into early Tuesday, after that things are looking to quiet down for now. Hopefully with the close of January and the end of the winter seasons first act we will see some respite from the wet weather and more rivers turning from brown to green. Tight lines out there! 

Great aerial shot by Dax Messett. Big mean and green,

Snowy morning from one of the heaviest snowfalls during a winter steelhead season

Offerings

Some wild mushrooms picked on the way into the run.

The past two days were great with my guests Peter and Mike, from the Peninsula Fly Fishers. The weather was perfect on Friday, but it rained off and on pretty hard Saturday. The guys fished really hard both days and Mike was rewarded with three really nice hook-ups on Friday. After a couple of tough lost battles, Mike was able to put one in the net. Peter hooked into a very nice adult Saturday, but he came up empty handed after a brief fight. All in all, a very good winter steelhead outing!

Mike with a nice native steelhead

Fellow Confluence guide Mike Wright and his buddy John brought their sons JT and Gavin up for a taste of winter steelheading on the Trinity. I took the lads in my raft and John was in Mike’s boat. John caught a nice fish immediately which was encouraging but we had to work hard for another one. Later in the day Gavin did a great job of fighting a big fish and we landed it despite my best efforts to botch the job of netting it. All in all it was a typical day of winter steelheading; good company, a few fish, some rain, and we had the river to ourselves!

Boom!

Fathers and Sons

John’s leadoff home run

I had a really fun two days with my guests John and Scott. It rained most of the day yesterday and the fishing was as gloomy as the weather. They hooked some half-pounders while getting soaked and cold. They fished hard and were rewarded for their perseverance today. Scott was rewarded first with a nice fish, but as we ate lunch, Scott couldn’t resist fishing the run and hooked into another really nice wild buck! John was wanting to take a break, but I urged him to continue fishing. Just as we dropped into the run, John was “blessed by the fish gods” and had his hands full with a very scrappy wild fish. Scott hooked into another adult in the same run, but it managed to leave him empty handed. Winter steelheading isn’t easy, but if you fish hard and believe, good things will happen!  

Scott with his first steelhead

Scott with a very nice fish

John with his fish

Katie and I just return from the Sacramento ISE Show. It was a busy show and we filled a lot of spots in our calendar.  If you are looking to fish Eagle Canyon this season, don't wait to book a trip.  We're down to a handful of dates and most of them are coming up soon!  Here is the complete list of openings:Jan 24Jan 26Jan 28Feb 5-6Feb 10Mar 8Mar 19Apr 24 (2 spots) 

Our guest Lanny forwarded this photo to me after his trip to Eagle Canyon today.  Nice fish!

Lanny with a big fish

Here is a guest report from Dave who fished Eagle Canyon today:"A bit of breeze and some overcast made for ideal conditions. Fish were fairly co-operative throughout the day but changing tactics was essential to keep the bite strong. Landed some in the 12 pound range." 

I had a great time today with my guests Matt and Chip.  They both hooked into half-pounders before Matt hooked into a very nice adult.  The fishing remains challenging, but hopefully with this recent storm we will see a fresh push of fish headed up river.

Matt with a very nice native

Last week I got to fish with Hayden, Josh and Jerrett; three buddies from the Sacramento area. We just squeeked by on having the lower Eel river stay a few shades away from being blown out on the day we fished, it held on by a thread giving us some of the most ideal conditions one could ask for when it comes to swinging big nasty flies for a bright winter fish. In the morning we worked on casting and by the time we had gotten through with the second run of the day everyone was dialed in. After lunch we lucked into a good run that was open and I had my guys spread from top to bottom hoping between the three of them a fish would take a liking to one of their flies. It was Jerrett in the bottom of the run who got the grab. It held on long enough to give us one good jump out in the heavy water to show us how chrome it was before it came unpinned. It was a nice fish. A real one. The boys stuck around to fish the next day on their own and from their report all the action came in those brief moments when Jerrett was connected to the one that got away. The Eel held on through the weekend and was fishing well for guys in the right spots on the Main and especially for guys on the S. Fork. A few exceptional winter specimens were brought to hand before it all blew out on Tuesday. Right now it looks like there could be the potential for a brief window to open up by Sunday and into Monday for a shot at the S. Fork before the next storm blows in on Tuesday to take it offline again. The flows are projected to be ideal but what the color will be is another story. The Smith River looks to be in good shape as of this writing and should remain within fishable conditions through the weekend and into next week. All said, this last round of rain was the storm we needed and have been waiting for. If your'e looking to get out on the coast in pursuit of winter steelhead, this is it. They're in. 

Colton Schwenning brought this specimen to hand before the river blew out on Tuesday

The boys: Hayden, Josh, and hotrod Jerrett.

Fly fish Baja with Confluence guide Kevin Kay this summer! We’re going to Loreto, a laid-back fishing town on the east coast of the Baja peninsula, from June 27 to July 2 to fly fish for all kinds of things! This is a great trip for couples, single anglers, fishing buddies, and non-anglers alike. We’ll enjoy 5 nights at La Mision Hotel, the best in town, and 4 days of guided fishing in the Sea of Cortez with a knowledgeable local panga captain. Non-anglers can relax at the pool or walk to the quaint downtown for lunch at one of the many small restaurants. Anglers are usually back by 2pm so there will be plenty of time to relax before a great dinner at the hotel or downtown. Alaska Airlines flies direct from LAX so getting there is a breeze. Dorado are the main target species, but being a migratory fish they may or may not be there! If not, there are plenty of yellowtail, bonito, skipjack, sea bass, snapper, and the occasional roosterfish or marlin to keep you busy. Cost for lodging and fishing ranges from $2495 if you’re sharing a boat with another angler to $2995 if you and your significant other or buddy want your own boat. For more details email Kevin at flyfishredding@gmail.com or call him on 530-941-5873.

View of the hotel from the marina

Yellowtail

Whale shark!

Downtown square

You might get a marlin!

Dorado! Dorado!

Fantastic scenery

Beautiful sunrise

Bonito are hard fighters

The beach at Coronado Island

View from your balcony

Early morning run to the fishing grounds

Since all steelhead rivers are currently blown out, lets have a look at some fun hosted travel options for 2020 and beyond.  Contact me with any questions.  Cuba 4/23-5/2  El Faro Lodge, primarily a tarpon trip to a remote epic new lodge with no angling competition whatsoever.  Includes 3 nights in Old Havana.  Trip is full, inquire for 2021.Bolivia 7/10-7/19 Pluma Lodge, sight fishing for Golden Dorado at one of the top lodge operations in the world.  Maybe 1 spot left at a discounted price.  Most epic flyfishing trip available in the world for adventurous anglersDean River 8/7-8/14  Kimsquit Bay Lodge, arguably the most famous steelhead river in the world.  Maybe one spot left for 2020, 2021 is already full.  The Dean is on every steelhead angler's bucket list.  Its extremely difficult to get a spot here to have a shot at the hottest steelhead on the planet.Skeena River 8/30-9/13 Skeena Spey, arguably the other most famous steelhead river in the world.  Trip is (always) full, but inquire for 2021. After 10 years of exploring the system and lodge offerings, I can say with full confidence that Skeena Spey is the top lodge on the Skeena River System.  Louisiana Marsh 12/1-12/5 French Quarter of New Orleans, prime time for sight casting to mega Redfish. Trip is full, might add a 2nd week.

Skeena River specimens can be tough to get, but always memorable

Hosted travel is an awesome way to experience destination travel and meet new buddies

Redfish are one of the higher regarded fish for salt water anglers looking to stay close to home

Bull Redfish pull extremely hard

Birds eye view on the Skeena

Tailout fish in British Columbia...epic eat

Just another day at the office for Doug

British Columbia dry fly player

Chris with a truly mega Golden Dorado from a remote Bolivian tributary

Moments in British Columbia

We will focus on Tarpon in Cuba, with maybe some permit fishing as well

The water in the Amazon reminds me of the crystal clear rivers I use to guide in New Zealand

Kevin Kay and I spent the past three days with a really fun group of guys on the Trinity and the lower Sac. We spent the first day on the Trinity where my guest Jay landed a very nice native steelhead. Both Skip and Jay landed a handful of half-pounders as well, but as a group they decided to fish the Sac, hoping it would be warmer. On Friday, Kevin’s guests Jack and John hooked into some really nice fish while my guests Skip and Jay had to work a little harder for their fish. Today I was with Jack and John and we had a really good day with Jack landing a nice hatchery steelhead towards the end of the day. It was a great time with a great group of friends!

John, Jay, Skip, and Jack

Jay with a very nice Trinity steelhead

Jack with a Lower Sac steelhead

John with his first for the day

Jay with a Sac steelhead

Jack with a nice one

John with another nice fish

Beautiful!

Some weather is on its way in the form of rain and snow. A period of winter weather is due on the Trinity this coming week. Rain and snow is a part of winter steelhead fishing on the Trinity. Generally more snow up high and less around the river. Some good fishing can be had on stormy days. Come prepared with Jackets , layers and gloves. We need the moisture and the fish like it. Dont plan your trip around the forecast. Go steelhead fishing weather or not!See you on the river.Peter

The coastal steelhead season in Northern California is off to a catagorically slow start. We've had bouts of rain to bring in the first flush of chrome fish from the salt but nothing constituting a major storm so far. I've been out on several occasions since the holidays guiding and fishing for myself and have heard mixed reports from fellow guides and anglers alike. All said and done it seems like fishing has been slow up and down the coast. That being said there are fish being caught, it's just not a bonanza. A few days before the new year I got out on the water with Ken Frank from the Bay and we fished on the MS Eel. Day one saw a steady rain and light pressure from the bank with few other boats on our float. A nice grab on the hang down came easy in the first run we fished that morning, but with the exception of a small half pounder that got off in the afternoon that would be all the excitement for us. Looking ahead into next week it looks like someone is finally going to turn the faucet on high. Our cycle of glancing blows from storms making landfall to the north will come to an end. Some major wet weather is on tap as of this writing with chances of rain blocking out the 10 day forecast. It looks like a possible pineapple express in the works. Hopefully this will be the bugle call for our anadromous friends still milling around in the ocean waiting to get a wiff of their natal stream. As always with heavy rainfall, look to the Smith River to be a player early on. The Eel, which has been fishable since Christmas and in need of a good old fashioned gully washer will most likely be out of the picture by mid week. Stay tuned....

The anticipation is everything

Blue bird day with Ken Frank in a good run on the Eel

Old and golden on the coast

Its definitely winter steelhead fishing on the Trinity river now. Fog, rain, snow and short days. Winter steelhead are constantly moving and a trick to locate. We find them good one day and can't find them the next day. This is true steelhead fishing. Nymphing has been better lately as water temps have dropped. You can still swing one up if you commit to it. A good shot of rain could fire things up and also warm water a bit. The last 30 days have been some of the best of the season including some larger fish.Winter run is mostly wild fish and they seem to keep moving headed to the tributaries to spawn. Generally January and February fish well especially after some rain. The forecast next week looks a bit cold with some snow showers. True steelhead weather prevails. We have guides to get you on the river also multiple boat trips for groups. We would live to spend a day or days with you hunting the steelies down. Plenty of available dates. You won't catch them reading this report so book a trip and join us on the river.Good fishing,Petet

Nick and his fishing buddy Dave came up to hunt for steelhead with me. We did a long drift and covered a lot of water but alas there were no adult fish to be found. We did get a bunch of half-pounders however which at least kept us on our toes. Nick also hooked a big and unusually fresh (for this time of year) Chinook salmon but the fish did not cooperate with the netting process so no photo. We are back to low and clear water on the Trinity so you really have to work for them, but what’s new, that’s steelheading!

Had a fun float with Jared and Ryan yesterday. Jared caught his first steelhead and we put some healthy fish in the net both hatchery and wild. Nymphing has been the most successful tactic so far. It has been pretty normal winter steelhead conditions with cloud cover helping the bite. Once we get some rain it could pick up substantially.

Here is a report from Peter who fished Eagle Canyon today:"This trip was more difficult than all of our previous trips in the past.  We had to change flies a lot and the normal black wooly buggers, copper johns, and midges did not produce. I don’t think we got a strike or landed a fish until the afternoon. Thankfully, we landed 5 fish by the end of the day.  Three in the large pond and two in the small pond. The flies that produced the fish were purple, maroon, and olive wooly buggers. Thank you again."