Trinity River Fly Fishing Report

LCO Team Takes a Trip to the Trinity River on November 10th

Fall on the Trinity River is incredibly special — the colorful foliage, cooler temperatures, and a healthy return of steelhead make it a bucket list destination for many California anglers. This past weekend, I headed up to the Trinity with my colleague and good buddy Morgan. We had one noble yet difficult goal: hooking and landing an adult steelhead on the swing. 

We crashed in Arcata at a buddy’s place on Saturday night and had a great bonfire on the beach. Everyone involved stayed up too late, but that is customary for the evening before a highly anticipated trip. Campfire beers help kill the pre-trip jitters. 

On Sunday morning, we met Sammy MacDonnell of 530 Outfitters at a small put in and prepared for a day of swinging flies. Being a professional and experienced guide, Sammy made sure to remind us to set reasonable expectations for the day. He explained, “We have to remember that we are attempting to do one of the harder things in fly fishing, and that people call these things the fish of 1,000 casts for a reason.” 

To my surprise, I got a grab on the third cast of the day. It was absolutely beginner’s luck, but hooking a half pounder that leaped into the air felt great. I lost the fish, but got grabbed by another one fifteen or twenty minutes later. This time, the grab visibly jolted my scandi head. I resisted the temptation of setting the hook, but the pressure quickly faded signaling that the fish had dropped the fly or turned without getting hooked. We opined that it must have been an adult, and continued on our float down river.  

In the next run, Sammy set Morgan up on a soft inside corner that looked incredible. On Morgan’s first cast, he hooked a fish that immediately started peeling the line off the reel. His 12 foot 6wt was corked over, and the fish was slowly getting closer to the bank. Just as Sammy and Morgan put eyes on the fish, it made a turn and shook the fly loose. Sammy’s arms went up in disappointment, and Morgan may have let a few expletives fly. That was the fish we were looking for, and it had to have been around 7lbs. Even though we didn’t get Morgan’s fish to hand, we all accepted that the day was already successful. We encountered the animal we had set out to find, and it won. 

As the sun got a bit higher and we all shedded our down jackets, we floated down river, meticulously swinging Sammy’s favorite runs. Morgan and I hooked a dozen or so half-pounders and even doubled-up twice. The river kept getting prettier as we descended through canyons and gorges, and before we knew it, we were running out of light. 

While we pulled the boat out of the water, I realized how special the day had been. I had the opportunity to float a gorgeous river with great company, learn a lot from a phenomenal guide, and see Morgan hook a large adult steelhead. Overall, the day was a pleasant reminder that fishing is more than catching fish — good people, wild scenery, and elusive animals make each day on the water a true blessing.