A guided day on the Trinity River

Our guided trips on the Trinity River generally begin by meeting the guide in the town of Lewiston. Lewiston is nestled in a shallow valley carved out by the Trinity River that flows right through the middle of town. Visitors to the historic mining town are likely to see more deer than people, and when this sleepy community is nestled in a cold winter fog during steelhead season you can almost sense the silver ghosts swimming upriver just a short cast away.

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. Our guides meet a little before 8:00 am every morning during the Trinity steelhead season. They work as a team, sharing information, fishing reports, and effective flies from the day before, then collaborating on who will fish where so that everyone can spread out on the many different drifts available between Lewiston and Helena. Why 8:00? That seems late to many died-in-the-wool fly rodders, but winter conditions can mean cold weather and even colder water temperatures. Fish are cold blooded creatures, and can be very lethargic in cold water conditions. By meeting a little later, you’re on the water when the fish are active and more likely to take your fly, rather than rushing out to be the first on the water and floating past dozens of steelhead that haven’t even begun their day.

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 many different boat launches. 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.

It’s best to check in with The Fly Shop to make sure that you have the right flies prior to your Trinity River steelhead 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. We maintain regularly updated fly lists for each of our guides, so we can make sure that you arrive with the exact flies that your guide is catching fish on. If you won’t have an opportunity to stop by The Fly Shop during business hours on your way to Lewiston or Weaverville, 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 Trinity 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 Trinity River 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.

• 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.
  
• Our guide team is on the Trinity RIver every day throughout the steelhead season, from the end of October through February. They are the unqualified experts. They know best what's working and what's not, and the list of flies that you'll need is usually very precise and accurate, and sometimes different for each guide. While steelhead can be finicky creatures, our guides work as a team and their intimate knowledge of the river and the current feeding habits make it an easy job to choose the effective fly patterns that will help make every day on the water productive.
  
• 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 Trinity 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 Trinity River.
  
• Car shuttles are not included in the price of the trip. 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. It is sometimes possible to set up a shuttle the night before a trip for an additional cost, but we do not recommend this if at all possible. For the most productive days on the water, the more flexible you can be with where you end up drifting the better, so locking in your float the day before your trip in order to coordinate a shuttle can potentially impact your day. It’s best to let the guides determine the drift on the morning of the trip, based on conditions that day.
  
• Every angler needs to have a current California fishing license and Steelhead Report Card. Both are mandatory for the Trinity River.
  
• 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.

Be sure to pack your camera! Every day on the Trinity 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.