A river that began it all for me, as far as steelhead are concerned, the Trinity has been it. More than a decade ago now, damn I'm getting old, I stepped into a run and threw my fly in, I didn't even know what steelhead really were. I forget how many casts it was, no more than six, and a good fish took my fly and began to tear me and my 5-wieght up. The steelhead wrapped me around a log and eventually broke me off after several leaps and runs, I was stunned. At the time I was a certified trout-bum, fishing 4 days outta every week for trout. After the fish was lost, I remember kneeling down on an exposed river rock, shaking throughout my body and also shaking my head and thinking, " if this is steelheading, I'm never trout fishing again"
And that was it, my 4 days off a week were now dedicated to these fish, the steelhead of the Trinity. I've fished it all pretty much, every conceivable lie, boulder seam, glide, tail-out, riffle, everything and discovered some amazing things. Over time, my steelheading took me as far north as Alaska and south, but not too far, cause there's not to many good runs south. I always returned home, the Trinity. Even living and guiding in Oregon, my solo day-off trips lead me to the Trinity.
Looking back on how much things have changed, it's amazing how it all stays the same. The Trinity still offers some incredible muddler fishing, to fish that haven't seen a dry since entering the Klamath. To say the least, they're all over it, a lot of the times so out of control they miss it completely and you get'em on the change up. It's indescribable at times.
Some of the rocks I stand on still, just show signs of my-own faded cleat marks from over the years, and trails to these runs, what trails...
Over the year's I've watched the Trinity become a bobber fishery. Sure it's effective but, a 100 bobbered up fish will never equal one steelhead taken on the surface, hands down. Like the Rogue now days the Trinity is sold as this type of fishery, this isn't the case. Trinity steelhead are probably the grabbiest fish I've encountered through my travels.
The Trinity is a magical place and a place that feeds my soul. Recently I've acquired the permits to guide the sections of the Trinity that I groove on. (Hence this post and why I'm sharing my love for the river, getting older and wanting to make a living fishing for steelhead and the drive to be on the water as much as I can and continue learning about these amazing fish.)
So, kill your bobber, take the training wheels off, and let the fish of the Trinity show you what they can do.
Where it all began for me, it begins for my Dad as well. My Pops with his first steelhead. This hen bbq'd up real nice.
So if you're interested in seeing a different side of the Trinity, give me call or shoot an email off, and I'll show you "my" Trinity.
I'm trully excited to add the Trinity to my guide program, if you can't already tell.
Rich