Nor Cal Fly Guides
Coastal Rivers
Nor Cal Fly Guides
The CA Coastal Rivers are full of some of the toughest SOB’s (AKA STEELHEAD) that you will ever hook in your life.
From Emerald green waters to Giant Redwoods, the view alone when floating down these rivers are worth the price of admission, but that steelhead on these rivers are truly special and will put your gear and knots to the test, theres no place in the world like our CA Coastal Rivers.
Starting as far south as the Gulala, as far north as the Smith and all the rivers in between, this is where our CA Coastal River trips take place.
These trips take place as early as December and go till mid March. River flows/conditions as well as weather and fishing conditions are dependent on a GO or NO GO. If the Coast is blown out or unfishable, the Trinity is great fall back option and we will do our best to treat the trip as a “winter steelhead” trip, fishing lower in the river system.
Fly fishing Coastal Rivers
These trips take place as early as December and go till mid March. River flows/conditions as well as weather and fishing conditions are dependent on a GO or NO GO. If the Coast is blown out or unfishable, the Trinity is great fall back option and we will do our best to treat the trip as a “winter steelhead” trip, fishing lower in the river system.
Nor Cal Fly Guides
Check Our Coastal Rivers
Swinging
If Swinging is your game, these rivers will put your patience, casting and body to the test. But when the planets align and you put in your time, eventually everything comes together with one of the rarest steelhead in CA on the end of your line. Numbers are not the game when swinging on the coast, while there are days where you can hook into a few fish if conditions are absolutely perfect, most anglers go an entire season with 1 or 2 fish, so if you get a grab, make it count.
We use full spey rods ranging from 7wt-9wts, with mostly skagits and MOW tips, but again if conditions are prefect you can fish scandi type lines and still get that fish of a lifetime. At the bare minimum a 475gr 7wt full spey rod can work, however, 525-650grain full spey rods are my personal recommendations. These fish will but your entire setup to the test, so be prepared for a full-on battle.Booking is highly recommended during this period—it fills quickly.
Indicator
Indicator fishing does help increase the hook up ratio, but even then, you aren’t guaranteed a fish to the net. Nothing less than 8wts here, 10ft 8wts are perfect and you wont be under gunned even if you bring a 9wt single handed rod. These rods arent the most fun to cast around all day, but you will be extremely happy when you hook into the Coastal Beast and have a 8-9wt rod to battle that pig
Conventional
Conventional fishing is king out
here, and we use a vast range of techniques. Floats n beads, swinging spoons, floating/swinging plastic worms to even back bouncing beads. We us all tactics possible when fishing with conventional tackle. My personal favorite is swinging spoons or swinging either pink worms/beads with light cannonballs or pencil weights. The GRAB is RIDICULOUS!!!!