Fly Fishing on the Klamath River
When The Fly Shop^® opened its doors in 1978 the Klamath River was one of the primary guided angling destinations that we offered. In the years that followed the Klamath River system endured some tragic times, as the effects of decades of mining, trapping, logging, and agricultural irrigation left the waters in the river tepid and warm, drastically effecting the runs of anadromous salmon and steelhead that had once numbered in the millions (in fact, the Klamath historically had hosted one of the largest runs of Chinook salmon in the entire continental US).

Although the Chinook run on the Klamath has been nearly decimated, the steelhead in the river have made a remarkable comeback in the past few years. Once again, the Klamath is back!

Upper Klamath River
The portions of the Klamath River that we operate on begin at the Iron Gate Dam, just east of the town of Yreka. There are several drifts in this upper region of the Klamath that our guides focus on during the late fall and winter months, targeting adult and half-pound steelhead.

Starting around the middle of November, steelhead start showing themselves in good numbers in these upper reaches of the Klamath, and they'll keep coming until around the middle of March. These are strong, wild fish that consistently keep anglers enthralled with aerial acrobatics and long, powerful, reel-burning runs. The fish on the Klamath are a mixture of "half-pounders" in the 16-20 inch range, and adult steelhead that average 4-5 pounds, with fish up to 10 pounds landed each year.

Our guides fish this stretch of the river in comfortable drift boats. Indicator nymphing is the predominant strategy, working the deeper holes where the fish congregate. When conditions are right, they will also swing traditional flies for the steelhead, and if you get real lucky, there are even dry fly opportunities for steelhead on this amazing fishery.

Lower Klamath River
Earlier in the year, from mid-August through the middle of September, we also guide the Lower Klamath, from the mouth of the river upstream to Johnson's Bar, focusing on the Blue Creek area. Steelhead fishing on the Klamath in this early season is an exciting angling adventure. We mainly utilize jet boats to maneuver the river and access various riffles and runs that we get out and wade fish.

The primary technique is traditional swinging, with single or two-handed rods, using various sink-tip lines and shooting heads. This is the way steelhead are meant to be caught; once you’ve felt the tug of a chrome-bright fish at the end of a tight line, you’ll be hooked as tightly as any fish.

The steelhead in this part of the river are fresh from the ocean, full of all the strength and ire of any saltwater species. They run in size anywhere from half-pounders to adults ranging up to 14 lbs.

Marble Mountain Ranch
Also new for the 2006 season, we've added the Marble Mountain Ranch to our Klamath River programs. The Marble Mountain Ranch is a guest ranch located at Somes Bar on the river, offering a family atmosphere with guest cabins, home-cooked meals, and guided fly fishing on the remote stretches of the Klamath River from Somes Bar on down to Hoopa.

The professional guides at Marble Mountain Ranch utilize McKenzie-style drift boats to access areas of the river that are rarely, if ever, fished by anyone other than the ranch staff. Traditional swinging techniques are the only techniques needed down here, with average days including up to 40 half-pounders and 4-6 adult steelhead hooked. Of course, landing these powerful fish can be a whole other story!

The season in this region of the Klamath starts around the middle of September, and potentially can last all through March, depending on water conditions. Prime time is mid-September through the middle of November.

For more information on the Marble Mountain Ranch, please visit their website at www.marblemountainranch.com, or give us a call for more information and available dates.

•  The Klamath River Photo Gallery