Early September brings bright King salmon and fall run steelhead into the lower Klamath River. As the month progresses we will follow these fish up the Trinity River, a major Klamath tribuatary. Fishing at this time of year is can be outstanding and the weather, while cool in the morinings, is usually very warm. Although not noted as being large, Klamath and Trinity salmon and steelhead can make up for the lack of size with their prolific numbers.


The latter half of October through November and early December usually signal the beginning of another rainy season. The rising rivers draw in the largest fish of the year, the mighty fall King salmon. Fishing on coastal rivers such and the Eel, Smith and Chetco rivers can yield fish into the 60 pound range. These fish are often mint bright, with sea lice still clinging to thier undersides. This is one of the most exciting times of the year, as the years first unsettled conditions can bring unbelievable suprises.....


Winter marks the return of my favorite fish, the winter steelhead. Elusive and mysterious, steelhead have been know to possess anglers and turn them into raving lunatics. I happen to be one of those fortunate individuals. These chrome bright fish begin to arrive in December, at this time overlapping with the king salmon run. This can be an interesting time of year, as the opportunity exists to catch both large coastal kings and steelhead in a single day. Crowds are also light at this time of year. As the month of January gets underway, the winter steelhead season is in its prime. The fish are chrome bright and put on and unbelievable show on the end of a line. Once mid-February comes around we start to see a mix of fresh and downrunning fish (fish that have completed spawing). While not quite as robust as a bright fish, the downrunners can be very willing biters and are alot of fun on light tackle. The mix of bright and downstream migrating fish continues through March, with the ratio of downrunners increasing as the month progresses. March is actually one of my favorite times of the year, as the crowds have thinned and the smell of spring is wafting in the air. The fishing can be outstanding as well, although for some reason March is vastly underrated. Throughout the winter, the Trinity, Eel, Smith, and Chetco rivers plus other small, lesser known drainages will be fishing options. All are unique, productive and exciting winter steelhead fisheries. Our destination will be dictated by conditions.