There are some very nice winter run Steelhead in the Trinity River right now, fishing is good

Trinity River - Douglas City, CA


by The Fly Shop
1-31-2012
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Current River Conditions:
River conditions are dropping back to lower clearer conditions. Daytime temps have been very comfortable. The fishing has been good! Some very nice winter run steelhead are being found. We expect the dry fly fishing to get better this week with the clearer water conditions.

Bring a few Mayfly Cripples, #16-18 Quill Body Duns and a couple BWO Tilt-Wing Duns. Toss your dries on 9ft leaders tapered to 5x. Expect to find rising brown trout and the very occasional steelhead! Skwala stones should start coming off any day. Pick up a couple Speroni's Skwalla's and fish them around 3:00 PM, after the insect hatches have tapered off. Look for rising heads and you should connect.

Best fly patterns include the #8 TB Golden Stone, Mercer's Poxy-back BH Golden Stone, #14 Red Copper John, Psycho Princes in various sizes and colors, #12-16 PT Nymphs. Egg patterns in pink, orange, peachy, salmon egg should be the fly box.

Click here for up to date Trinity River flow

The Fly Shop's ? Tips:
Bring fresh, new tippet. 1X and 2X. Leaders should be tapered to 0x if you want to land a super hot Trinity Steelhead. Search the tail-outs and the very upper edges of the riffles and glides. Bring a Intermediate, Slow and Medium VersiLeader in 7' lengths for swinging to steelhead. Suspending nymphs of all kinds under an indicator is a very popular and effective approach to presenting a fly or two.

River Fact:
Sad to say, but Grateful Dead singer Jerry Garcia's father drowned in the Trinity River. While on vacation with his family near Arcata in Northern California in 1947, his father went fly-fishing in the Trinity River. Upon entering he slipped on a rock, plummeting into the deep rapids of the river. By the time he was pulled from the water, he had already drowned.

Flies:

Dries:

• Speroni's Skwala
• Mayfly Cripple Limestone
• Hackle Stacker BWO
• Adams #14-16

Nymphs/Wet Flies:
• TB Blue Halo Prince
• Psycho Prince Dirty Pink #12-14
• Psycho Prince Purple #12-14
• Micro Mayfly Black #14-16
• Red Copper John #12-14
• Blue Copper John #12-14
• GB Poxy Back Hares Ear #12-14
• GB Half Flash Back P.T. #12-16
• Pellet Fly
• TB Solitude Stone #8
• Mercer's BH Biot Stone #8-10
• Copper Zebra John #12-14
• Pat's Rubber Leg Brown #6-8

Streamers/Leeches:
• Beaded Crystal Bugger Silver
• Muddler Minnow #4-10
• Clouser Olive/White
• Zack's Zugger Grey/White

Eggs:
• Boles Bazookas
• Micro Spawn Eggs Pink
• Clown Egg #4-10