Sorry about no fishing report for last week but I took the weekend off and went to the HSU & UCD football game down at Davis. What a game! On our way up the Trinity we saw fishermen at almost every decent hole for fishing.

News:

The water flows for the Trinity River will drop to 300cfs today. This is going to make more fish come up river which should lead to better fishing for those that have had a little trouble getting the salmon and steelhead to bite the last couple of days.

Special Note: One should be aware that the ocean fishermen had to fight the MLPA fishing restrictions and now the Feds are after them also. The problem is that President Obama added a little trick to his restrictions in that his will encompass inland waters. So now we the inland fresh water fishermen will have to be on our toes. President Obama, “wants to ban sport fishing” ocean and fresh water. The Presidents strategy “could prohibit U.S. citizens from fishing” by Executive Order 13547 National Ocean Policy. You might want to watch out for Federal Legislation “Oceans 21” that is trying to be revived by Rep. Sam Farr of Calif. It is not bad enough that the economy is in the tank now Pres. Obama is trying to help it even more by stopping recreational fishing that adds a lot to the economy of coastal and inland water communities. 

Lower Klamath Creel Counts: Below Hiway 101 Bridge, Sep. 30; 29 jacks, 4 adult, total of 33 Harvested for the week; 14 jacks & 137 adults, total 40 Released. Above Hiway 101 Bridge; 578 jacks, 14 adults, total 3,013 Harvested; with 114 jacks & 650 adults Released. Lower Klamath season harvest to date, 4,020.This section of the Klamath is still open to the take of jack salmon and now steelhead. 

Steelhead below Hiway 101 Bridge, Oct.7; 4 Harvested, total 18, 141-1/2lbs, 219 adults Released.  Above 101 Bridge; 0-1/2lbs, 30 adults, total harvested 278. Release 256- 1/2lbs, 110 adults. Total released; 1,492-1/2lbs, 1,182 adults.
Willow Creek Weir count: (note the weir was over flowed Mon.) Oct. 7; 11 jacks, 48 adults, total 1,392. Coho; 54 jacks, 1 adult, total 55. Steelhead: 29-1/2lbs, 458 adults, total 1,256.
Fishing: Fishing was washed out last week by 1.9in of rain. It brought up the Trinity up-river by 1 to 1-1/2 ft and 2-1/2 to 3ft on the lower section and was muddy brown from top to bottom. The good part is that it started to clear and drop Tuesday in the upper sections by Wednesday and was some what clear in the Willow Creek area by Friday. Right now the river is full of fish and more coming in. Wednesday I fished the Lima Point area and we only caught small trout throwing hardware. Thursday we fished above Del Loma and did much better fishing flies and hardware. My client of 12yrs, Trish Prokop from Navato, was able to hook and land a beautiful 7lb native steelhead throwing Little Cleo’s. I couldn’t believe she was able to get this fish to the net after it went around two big rocks and held up under the third. I had to row across the river untangle the line then row down river to get the fish out from under the third rock before we could even start to fight the fish. Down in Willow Creek I talked to several fishers and they were fly-fishing for half-pounders in the Big Rock area. Hoopa was producing both salmon and steelhead for those that worked that area.
Klamath: The Mid-Klamath above the Weitchpec Bridge has been doing very well for fresh salmon and steelhead. My buddy John from E Ne Nuck sent me some great pictures of fish that he and his friends were catching using Mepps spinners. John said that it appears that the rain had brought up plenty of fresh fish and fishing the stretch between Weitchpec and Orleans was a real hot spot for fishing. This is good because in a few days those fish will be up here in Willow Creek. 

Trinity River Flows and Conditions:

Trinity lake is 47 (20ft decrease) below the over flow and is 87% of capacity (2% increase) at 12:00pm today.
Trinity River: Inflow to Trinity Lake is 2,065cfs .Trinity Dam releases are 490cfs to Lewiston Lake with 80cfs going to Whiskeytown Lake. Lewiston Dam releases are 410cfs, water temps 48.8, air is 00. Limekiln Gulch is 5.1ft at 450cfs. Douglas City is 6.2ft at 482fs, water temps are 51, air 71. Junction City is 1.7ft at 467cfs. Helena is 9.6ft at 569cfs. Cedar Flat is 3.4ft at 686cfs. Willow Creek estimate is 849cfs, water at 58, air at 72. Hoopa is 12.2ft at 1,170cfs, water temps 60 degrees. Mouth of the Trinity is 3,550cfs with water temperatures of 60.8 degrees.
 Klamath River Releases: Iron Gate Dam is releasing 1,050cfs. Seiad Valley is 2.6ft at 1,520cfs. Happy Camp is 1,590cfs. Somes Bar is 2,010cfs. Orleans is 4.1ft at 2,380cfs. Klamath at 101 is 9.3ft at 4,320cfs water temp at 61.8 degrees. Temperatures in the valley last week were 73/44 degrees with 1.9 inches of rain, total to date 7.05 inches Weather next week in the valley is predicted to be 72/38 degrees, with sun Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, cloudy mornings sun afternoons, Sat, Sun sunny.