The bigger fish are now in the Trinity

Trinity River - Douglas City, CA


by The Fly Shop
2-8-2012
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Current River Conditions:
Yesterdays rains brought in a nice flow increase of 100 cfs below Douglas City. As of today, the flows are dropping and producing ideal conditions! The fishing has been mostly good. The bigger winter fish are in the Trinity and they are a fast moving fish! Expect to cover a lot of water if you want to find these best-of-the-best Trinity Steelhead. Although, don't be the slightest bit surprised if you find numbers of these excellent fish holding between a few pools, glides and tail outs!

February fly fishing on the Trinity produces excellent dry fly fishing for those willing to target the select locations on the Trinity where rising brown trout and sometimes steelhead can be found! Hatches in February include the big, brown Skwala Stone Fly, March Browns, Callibaetis and the famous #16 BWO the Trinity is known for!. Checkout the list of dries on the right for dry flies!

Best fly patterns have not changed much over the past couple weeks. They 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




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