Trinity river 12/15-?

So..... Minding my own business cookin dinner when a buddy sends me some pics from the trinity today. I had heard good reports lately and these are just the kicker. So, anyone interested? Easy drive from the coast or Redding. I might go Sun but can do any day this week. Pics are from willow area.

Nice fish, very tempting, kind of waiting for a little rain as the water is so low and clear and I'm a rookie at steelhead fishing.

Those are some meaty fish. I might give it a go when the salt closes. Thanks for the report and porn.

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Damn! This weekend is no good, but i have a few sick days to burn Xmas week!

Nice fish, very tempting, kind of waiting for a little rain as the water is so low and clear and I'm a rookie at steelhead fishing.

Best way to learn is to get out in all kinds of conditions
Theres definately fish in the river.  My buddy went 10/13.

Damn! This weekend is no good, but i have a few sick days to burn Xmas week!

Ill be around xmas, send a message if youre getting out.

Nice fish, very tempting, kind of waiting for a little rain as the water is so low and clear and I'm a rookie at steelhead fishing.

Best way to learn is to get out in all kinds of conditions
Theres definately fish in the river.  My buddy went 10/13.

Yeah I know, just hate to spend gas $ and time and get skunked, time to man up and get out there.
Good luck today......
T.L. Tim

The report:

THere are fresh fish in the river, but the cold has the bite slow. No pics because I spent more time trying to toss indicator and flies with no back cast than having flies in the water.  I believe I'll be going back to the traditional swinging method for steel. Also we were fishing a deep hole (I was fishing with a buddy who is a bait fisherman) and I was struggling to figure out how to present a fly in this type of water. my buddy went 3/3 so there are definitely fish in the river, but it is winter steelheading for sure at this point.

I got a report from last Thur-Fri and heard it fished very well. A buddy sent me a pic of a 32", 12lb. buck he got nymphing right at the takeout. Black rubber legs was the fly that day. The boat landed 8 one day and 5 the next, pretty awesome since it was really cold but these guys are kickass nymphers.

Nymphing is the way to go this time of year when it's clear, cold and low. Make sure you're ticking the bottom of any deep hole. Fish aren't going to move very far so you want to dangle it their face as long as possible with a perfect dead drift (mending is key). As they say, set on anything, real important in winter since takes are very light.

If you're a masochist like me and like to swing flies in winter then big flies and T14 or greater are your friend. Skagit on spey rods rule for this...double spey 90degrees, big pull back mend to let it sink, some times I will feed line too, slow down the swing! I used to only nymph and caught lots of steelies, still do when I feel the urge or "need" a fish. I fish for "the grab" more now, but much harder to piss off a fish and have it move off it's lie than to just make it open it's mouth.  Swinging flies in winter is not for everyone, only know one other guy on this board who's into it.

Good Luck, wish I could go up but work is killing me. I'll be up in Jan somewhere, maybe Rogue or Upper Klam if the eel is still a ditch...

THanks for the info goldfish.. I know nymphing works, its how I caught my first steel (bug and bubble on spinning gear at shady cove), I just got tired of hucking all that gear. I spent a lot of the day tangled trying to toss the indicator, shot and a couple flies with the spey rod. Its easier from a boat with a one hander, or where I can use a one hander with a back cast. I figure if I can get the swing technique down, with all the different sinking lines etc, then Ill be more prepared for these coastals. I might try floating with a pro who can help with my technique. Like you say, the tug is the drug and the times I have hooked fish on the swing is something else.

If you're gonna nymph, single hander is a better tool. I've tried the whole spey/switch rod thing with an airflo speydicator line...single hand is way better unless the river is quite large. My ideal norcal steelhead nymphing rod is a 9'6"-10', 7 or 8wt.

Then get a line that will roll cast like an SOB. The less overhead casting the better with all that junk on the line.  Rio Salmon/Steelhead taper, Wulff Ambush or some other nymphing line designed to turn over all kinds of crap. I rarely overhead when wading, I basically do a double spey sometimes with a single haul for my nymph rig or just lob it up stream with a water load/haul. With the ambush line I can easily shoot line off that cast, best roll casting line I ever cast but not so great OH. Learn some single spey casts and there is no where you can't fish.

If you must overhead don't try and make a tight loop it will just cause more tangles, try and open the loop and flop it out there. Ugly but it's nymphing.

For swinging with a spey rod, keep it simple especially in the beginning. All kinds of BS out there. Get a skagit head and 10' of T14 or T11. Learn to control speed and depth by casting angles. Spey is the largest expanding market in fly fishing, lots of marketing BS right now....MOW tips, LOL, learn to cast!