A guided day on the Klamath River

Our guided trips on the Klamath River generally begin by meeting the guide either at Klamathon Lodge, the gas station at Henley/Hornbrook Exit #789 off Interstate 5 north of Yreka, in the town of Yreka, at the Marble Mountain Ranch, or sometimes here at The Fly Shop in Redding. Please make sure that the final meet time and place is confirmed with The Fly Shop before your trip.

Over the years, our guides have worked out an effective system to get you on the water during the most productive times of the day, and on the most productive floats. For the winter steelhead season, this usually means meeting sometime around 8:00 am, while spring/summer salmonfly hatch fishing trips based out of Klamathon Lodge will sometimes start in the afternoon. Our Outfitters staff will coordinate the best time to meet your guide based on conditions and where you’ll be staying.

We fish as late as we can during the winter months, often taking the boats out of the water by flashlight. In fact, we often hook the last fish of the day in the final few runs just above the boat launch. Our guides work hard every day of the steelhead season to ensure that you have a positive experience on the water, whether it’s learning a new casting trick, hooking your first steelhead on the fly, or just enjoying a beautiful section of river. They’ll modify each day to meet your specific needs.

June on the Klamath brings long days and midday heat, often making the best fishing early and late in the day. When we are targeting the salmonfly hatch based in the upper sections of the river near Klamathon Lodge, we will often fish for four to five hours in the afternoon casting big dry flies into the riffles and towards the willow-lined shores. After a great dinner and relaxing evening at the lodge, anglers will be on the water again the following morning right after breakfast, often fishing stonefly nymphs under indicators in the cooler morning hours, then taking midday siestas when the sun is high on the water. This program will continue for the duration of your stay. Any day trips on the Klamath will generally start around midday and fish into the evening hatches.

It’s best to check in with The Fly Shop to make sure that you have the right flies prior to your Klamath River trip. The guides are on the water nearly every day of the steelhead season, which makes it difficult for them to keep their own fly boxes well stocked as they rarely have a chance to get into the shop to reload. If you won’t have an opportunity to stop by The Fly Shop during business hours on your way to the Klamath, we can put a care package of flies together for you and make sure that you get it for your trip, or we can sign you up for our “Guide Trip Package Deal”. Just give us a call, and we’ll do everything we can to guarantee your trip is a success.

All of the guided trips with The Fly Shop are fly fishing and catch-and-release only. Fly fishing for steelhead is a challenging prospect, fishing long and hard in difficult conditions for one or two really great fish a day, if you’re lucky. We’re fortunate enough that the Klamath River has proven a consistent producer of quality steelhead that readily take flies, especially nymph patterns dead-drifted under indicators. There’s never a guarantee in steelhead fishing that you’ll hook, land, or sometimes even see a fish. But on the Klamath your odds are better than not that you will, and there are more days than not throughout each winter steelhead season where we manage to hook into multiple steelhead during a day’s fishing, especially with the numerous half-pounder steelhead that the Klamath is famous for.

• Lunch is provided on all our full day trips. If you have any special dietary needs, you'll need to let us know in advance and, of course you are free to bring your own food, snacks, or beverages.
  
• It's usually best to purchase flies the guide recommends before you meet them in the morning, unless you’ve specifically arranged to have the guide meet you at The Fly Shop. Guides don't provide the tippet and flies for your trip, and have limited availability during the season to re-stock their own boxes. You can pick up whatever terminal tackle and flies you might need for the day on your way through Redding, or we can make arrangements ahead of time to make sure that you’ll have the whatever you need.
  
• Consider our "Package Deals" if you are just getting started in the sport. We'll match you up with the correct rod, reel, line, and all the flies, tippet, leaders, and terminal tackle you'll need for an extra $50 a day. The only things not included in that package are licenses or waders.
  
• The majority of our drift boat trips are designed for one or two anglers sharing the guide and boat for the day. The Klamath River is a technical river to row, requiring small, maneuverable drift boats that can only accommodate a maximum of two anglers plus the guide. We can never guide more than two anglers at a time on the Klamath River.
  
• Car shuttles are not included in the price of the trip, unless you are staying at Klamathon Lodge or Marble Mountain Ranch. Guides will most likely ask you to help them run a shuttle on the morning of the trip, using your vehicle to shuttle their trucks/trailers to the takeout point. If you won’t have a vehicle, or if you’d prefer to not help with the shuttle, you are welcome to pay for a shuttle on the morning of the trip.
  
• Every angler needs to have a current California fishing license and Steelhead Report Card. Both are mandatory for the Klamath River.
  
• Snow, ice, mud, and rain are common on all of the Klamath area roads during the winter steelhead season. 4 wheel drive vehicles are recommended. We recommend all vehicles carry snow chains even in good weather.
  
• **PLEASE NOTE - We steelhead fish in the rain , and we steelhead fish in the snow. The fish actually prefer these conditions. If you book a steelhead trip between November and February, please understand that we will only postpone trips - and refund deposits - due to MUDDY WATER. Wind, rain, and light snow will not justify a last minute cancellation. If we know the water is 'blown out' or too muddy to fish prior to your reservation, we will make every effort to contact you as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
  
• Be sure to pack your camera! Every day on the Klamath River presents the opportunity to hook that rare fish of a lifetime. But be sure to keep it in a waterproof container when not in use, to avoid any potential water damage.

To make a reservation, please give us a call at 800-669-3474 during business hours any day of the week. We can give you the answers you need or the detailed explanations to questions you might have, or check on guide availability and confirm your guide reservation in minutes.

If you prefer to correspond on-line simply e-mail us at info@adventuresinflyfishing.com and we will respond promptly.