| Equipment
Checklist for your
Trinity River Guided Steelhead Trip
(Nymphing –
October through February)
- 7 or 8 weight fly rods,
9 to 10 feet long
Fishing on the Trinity often requires roll casting with heavily
weight flies, and fish in the 4-12 pound range; therefore, fly
rods smaller than 7 weight can be difficult to cast and hard on
the fish once hooked.
- Reels should have a good
drag system and be equipped with a floating fly line. Steelhead
on the Trinity River are big, powerful fish. Always be prepared
to hook the fish-of-a-lifetime
- Every angler needs to have
a current California fishing license and Steelhead Report Card
while fly fishing for steelhead on the Trinity River.
- Chest-high Waders and felt
or studded wading boots are required for fishing on the Trinity
River. Even though we primarily fish the river from boats,
waders are necessary for getting in and out of the boats in the
frigid winter waters, and from time to time the guides may ask
you to leave the boats for your safety while they run several
of the more technical rapids on the river. Moreover, winter fishing
often involves inclement weather, and waders will help keep anglers
dry and warm. The Fly Shop does not rent waders or boots.
- Warm Clothes and Rain Gear.
Weather conditions during the winter months on the Trinity River
can vary dramatically, from clear and sunny in the mid-60s to
rain or snow and temperatures sometimes below freezing. The winter
angler wants to be prepared for the possibility of severe weather.
- Snow, ice, mud, and rain
are common on all of the Lewiston/Weaverville area roads during
the 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.
Miscellaneous Tackle Suggestions:
Other items to consider bringing are:
*Hat or Cap (Wool cap for cold winter
mornings) *Warm Gloves (fingerless gloves are best for fishing)
*Polarized Sunglasses *Any beverages other than water and soda *Camera
(in waterproof container) *Rain Jacket
*Layered clothing system *A change of clothes
Trinity River Flies
(for nymphing):
The most productive
flies for fishing on the Trinity River can change throughout the
season, and sometimes what works one year doesn’t work
as well the next. Listed below are some general fly pattern suggestions,
based on a few of the fly patterns that have worked consistently
over the years. For the most up-to-date fly suggestions, give
us a call at The Fly Shop at 800-669-3474.
We maintain specific, regularly updated
Trinity River fly lists for each of our guides, and can recommend
the exact flies that your guide is using on the river.
NYMPHS
#8
Red Fox Squirrel
#8
-12 Mercer’s Poxyback Golden Stone Nymph
#8-12
Solitude TB Golden Stone
#6 Superfloss Rubberlegs (Brown/Black)
#8-12
Mercer's Beaded Poxyback Hares Ear
#6-12
3-D nymphs (Black)
#12
Prince-of-Diamonds (Tan)
#14 -18 Copper John (Red and Original)
#12-14 B.H. Flashback Pheasant Tail
Nymph
#14
GB Mercer’s Poxyback PMD
#14-16
Mercer’s Psycho Prince
#14 B.H. Micro Mayfly Nymph (Olive,
Brown, Black)
EGGS
#12 Surreal Egg
(Peachy King, Champagne, Shrimp Pink, Steelhead Orange)
#8
Boles Bazooka (Shrimp Pink, Peachy King, Sockeye, Steelhead Orange)
#8 MC Redd Reaper
(Pink, Orange, Golden Nugget)
#10 Clown Egg
#12 MicroSpawn (Shrimp Pink, Orange,
Clown)
Swinging/Spey Trips – October
to November
- 6 to 9 weight two-handed
fly rods, from 11 to 14 feet in length
- Reels should have a good drag system and large
enough arbor to handle thick spey lines
- For recommendations on spey
lines, please call The Fly Shop at 800-669-3474 and ask for assistance.
It is crucial in spey casting to match the correct line
combination to the correct rod.
- Every angler needs to have
a current California fishing license and Steelhead Report Card
while fly fishing for steelhead on the Trinity River.
- Chest-high Waders and felt
or studded wading boots are required for fishing on the Trinity
River. The Fly Shop does not rent waders or boots.
- Warm Clothes and Rain Gear.
Weather conditions on the Trinity River can vary dramatically,
from clear and sunny in the mid-60s to rain or snow and
temperatures sometimes below freezing. Anglers wants to be prepared
for the possibility of severe weather.
Miscellaneous Tackle Suggestions:
- Maxima tippet spools of
10#, 12#, and fluorocarbon tippets from 2X to 3X
- The guides will often build
their own custom leaders, but having
one or two pre-frabricated leaders from 9-15 feet long and tapered
down to 2X is a good idea.
Other items to consider bringing are:
*Hat or Cap (Wool cap for cold winter mornings)
*Warm Gloves (fingerless gloves are best for fishing) *Polarized
Sunglasses *Any beverages other than water and soda *Camera (in
waterproof container) *Rain Jacket *Layered clothing system *A change
of clothes
Trinity River Flies (for swinging/skating):
Traditional
Steelhead Fly Patterns:
Muddler
Minnow #4-10
Ska-Opper
(Natural) #2
Quigley
Dragon Gurglers #4
Dec
Hogan Steelhead Caddis Skater #10
Marts’
SB Super Nova #6
Bills
Bead Butt Burlap #6
Beaded
Assassins #6-8
Green
Butt Silver Hilton #6
Green
Butt Skunk #6
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