Trinity River
My
favorite fishing area is on the Trinity River near Big Bar, CA. The
area is about 60 miles west of Redding on State Hwy 299. I was not
aware of the salmon fishing there until about 1987. While I was still
working for the Forest Service I was sent to Hayfork to work on some fires
there. I stayed for 30 days, and in the process, met several people
from the Big Bar area. The talk finally got around to fishing, and
as a result I was invited to come back after fire season to try out the
salmon fishing. I did go back. I did not catch any fish that
year, but I was hooked. I have been back every year since then.
The fishing season is short. Due to the regulations in the Klamath
River Basin, the season essentially opens about the 20th of September and
closes sometime between the 25th and 30th of October. You can keep
two fish per day and have 6 fish in possession so it makes it worthwhile
to take the 7 hour drive from Lake Tahoe. I usually stay 2-3 weeks
when I go up. I usually stay at the Forest Service Big Flat Campground
but have also stayed at the RV Park at the Trinity River Inn. Most
fish are caught using a roe ball with a 1/0 hook on a 30 inch leader.
I use a 12# line and a 10# leader.
Several people prefer to use some type of spinner
or lure. If I am not having much luck with the roe ball I will use
an X-4 orange Flatfish. Others use a Wee Wart or Panther Martin type
spinners.
My favorite fishing hole is the 50 MPH Hole about
a mile east of Big Flat. Other good holes are Hell Hole, Cable Car,
Del Loma, Cable Rock, and the Swimming Hole. If you get to the area,
anyone will tell you where they are. Check Bailey's Sporting Goods
in Weaverville, The store in Big Bar, The store at Hawkins Bar or a store
in Willow Creek. At least one of them sells the Trinity River Fishing
Access map which has all the holes listed. Fishing access maps of
the Klamath. Eel & Trinity Rivers can also be ordered from:
Stream Time
P.O. Box 7093
Cotati, CA 94928
(707) 664-8604 (Thisa is an old number
so the area code may have changed)
I have added a page of Trinity River Photos
to
give some idea of what the area is like.
