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I guided Marie from Watsonville and Kathy from Redding today. We enjoyed a beautiful day floating from the Posse Grounds to Bonnyview. There were only two other boats out, and the weather was perfect for dry fly fishing: not too cold, no wind, and totally overcast. We saw our first fish rise today at about 11am. We spent about an hour working one riffle, hooking one fish and getting a refusal from another large rainbow. We switched back and forth from nymphing to dry fly fishing the rest of the day. The nymphing was pretty tough for us. I changed a lot of flies and the fish weren't very interested. Kathy and Marie were new to fly fishing and learned a lot. They'll definitely be back for more!  Marie's catch of the day |
Today was day 2 with Will the recent college graduate. We did a nice half day float on the Lower Sac down around Cottonwood. We had the river to ourselves except for one bank fisherman, a bald eagle, and the otters. Fishing wasn't outstanding, but we did have a first: Will caught the same fish twice in the span of five minutes. I was shocked! I've caught the same fish twice before, but over the span of at least a couple hours. Will's fish was a fat rainbow about 10 inches long with a distinctive scar on its side. We let it go and rowed back over to the same spot. Will did two more drifts and hooked and landed the same fish again! In the fish's defense, at least it ate a different fly the second time! We had good luck with prince nymphs size 10 and Hogan's S&M nymphs size 16.  Wading was productive |
I guided Joe from Connecticut and son Will today. Will just graduated from USC and this trip is his graduation present. Joe took it easy and enjoyed the day while Will fished. We shared the river with a handful of other boats, but it never seemed crowded. Will made a lot of good drifts in the morning, but we couldn't find a fish until well into the afternoon. Then the floodgates opened and the fish kept coming. From 2:30 until dark Will put on a clinic. By the time we reached the ramp Will had hooked ten steelhead, landing five. A truly outstanding day! The copper john was the fly of the day again.  Will with fish #1 |
Fishing is incredible on the Trinity River right now. I guided Tom and Steve from the Bay Area the last two days. They always have good luck on the Trinity, and this trip was no exception. The river was dropping on Saturday, and the fish were very grabby. When we found one fish in a spot we usually hooked several. Tom pretty much hogged all the fish on Saturday, landing five of the ten fish we hooked. Today the action was more even and nothing short of incredible. We were off the river by 3pm and hooked 14 fish. They were distributed throughout the float, providing solid action all day long. Tom and Steve had a couple of chamber of commerce fish that practically hooked and landed themselves, but the rest required good drifts and persistence. It only took me a day and a half to get them to stop casting too far.
The fish are still eating nymphs almost exclusively. We saw some gear dudes catching fish on roe yesterday so I tried some egg patterns, but every one of our fish came on a nymph. The best were copper johns size 10-14 in chartreuse, copper and black. A size 10 hare's ear was also good.
We're expecting more rain tomorrow, which should bring in even more fish. I'm anticipating great fishing for the next few weeks. I'm booked or otherwise not available through the 2nd of January, but Mike Corley and Brannon Santos have some availability. I have openings Jan 3-6, 9-10, and 12-13. Happy Holidays!  Tom the fish hog  Steve with one of many wild fish  Another great wild fish |
My last few guide days for the season on the Trinity went great. Alex Ferber landed a beautiful wild hen swinging a black leech on our first afternoon. The next day he hooked 3 others swinging, but lost them all. The fish we hook swinging tend to be pretty aggressive, thus tough to get to hand at times...which is a good dilemma to have. Man, there are still lots of chrome fish coming up, so keep fishing!
Overall this was one of the best seasons for me on the Trinity. Lots of epic moments with skated dry flies, great weather overall except for a few bone chilling days, and good times with great clients and friends. Thanks to everyone that fished with me for their dedication to angling, and commitment to steelheading in a dignified manner. We had some epic moments.
I am back in Pennsylvania for a month of family time and chasing Lake Erie Steelhead. Then off to New Zealand in January for some summertime weather and stalking giant brown trout with drys...life is good. I still have the last week of January open, which is usually the start of epic cicada fishing on the Southland rivers that I guide. Insane, insane stuff. I also have sporadic open dates in Feb and March. Dick Galland is coming down in April with a group, so I'm looking forward to watching a true spring creek master be humbled by my NZ business partners.  Alex Ferber's wild hen  Yep, steelhead eat flies  Jeff's wild buck, from Deans spot |
This report was posted by Gino's client Bob McMaster:
Take a young girl fishing – You may have a fishing partner for life. I have the good fortune of being one of Gino Bernero’s regular clients. He is a fly fishing mentor and a good friend. On Monday, we fished the Junction City area with my 21 year old daughter Kelly. While Kelly is young, she has been fly fishing since she was 3 and really knows no other way to fish. At dinner on Sunday evening, Gino asked Kelly if she would like to learn to spey cast. Of course, she agreed enthusiastically. After a few demonstration casts from Gino, Kelly was easily casting 50+ feet and effectively working the run. On about the 25th cast, Kelly hooked and landed this beautiful 28 inch hatchery hen. This fish was the only one that we hooked all day. While the day may sound slow, the day flew by. Gino was busy teaching spey nuances, and we were simply enjoying each other’s company. I did not catch any fish. But, I spent the day with a good friend and a fly fishing prodigy. I am a happy man.
Bob McMaster  Kelly and Gino  Kelly playing her first spey rod fish |
I spent the last two days guiding Harvey and Bailey from the Bay Area. We were expecting a pretty huge storm, but it never really materialized. It was a little rainy on Saturday and the weather was gorgeous today. Fishing pressure is light on the river right now. On Saturday we saw plenty of guide boats but very few recreational anglers. Today we saw very few people. Harvey and Bailey had a perfect record on Saturday, landing all five of the fish they hooked. They were even nice enough to take turns catching fish. Our best fish was a buck about 7 pounds. Today was a little slower, but we still landed two adults and a half-pounder. All of our fish ate Copper Johns and Feather Dusters. Half of the fish we landed over the last two days were wild.  Harvey got the first fish  Bailey with a wild fish  Harvey's big buck |
The air and water temperature is frigid...but there are plenty of steelhead around on the Trinity. Last week before this current insane cold snap, Clearwater manager Bill Downs had a great idea to have a hot bbq streamside lunch. Burgers, beers, and steelhead...does life get any better? Our group hooked plenty of fish too...although our landing ratio wasn't all that steller. Operator error.
The last few days have simply been freezing. Gino and I had yesterday off and scouted a few sweet swing spots out, but couldn't muster up the gumption to fish in the freezing shady spots. Before this cold snap, I had clients hooking from 1 to 10 fish a day. It should be that good again when the warmer temps and rain come through this weekend. Remember, this is steelheading...one fish a day is good, and sometimes you can really get into them.
There are lots of fish around, way more than last season. Lots of people too. I am seeing anglers at DC bridge every day on my way into town as early as 7am...good for them, they are tougher than me I guess. It's actually easier to cast when your rod's line guides aren't continuously frozen. In other words, there is no hurry to get out there if you are using flies. Some people putting beads above bare hooks and are bumping into the occasional fish in the fridgid hours of the early morning. I prefer flyfishing.  Joe with his first steelie  Mike with a fatty  streamside bbq lunch |
We had a really fun day on the Trinity today. The fish actually ate flies despite air temps in the teens and twenties and water temps in the thirties. We had action during the warm hours of the day, from about 11am to 3:30pm. Jack and son Mark went four for five. Hey Mark, I'm sorry I dropped your fish out of the net before we got the photo! Chalk that one up to guide error! All of our fish today ate copper johns in various sizes and colors.
I have an opening this coming Monday Dec 14th - fishing should be even better after the storm that's due to come in Friday-Sunday.  Jack with his big buck  Jack with another good one |
It is as cold as I ever remember it being up here on the Trinity, but the fish are still biting. We fished around Junction City today. I guided two Gregs today, so that made my job easy. Greg, cast farther! Greg, set the hook! We had a really fun day, especially once we got into the sun and the guides stopped freezing up. We found fish in several spots, hooking seven by the end of the day. Both Gregs landed two really nice steelhead, 3 of which were wild fish. Come on up - there are plenty of fish around!  Hot wild fish  Greg J with a good one  Greg G with a wild steelie |
Fishing continues to be good on the Trinity. Yes, it's cold, but the fish don't seem to care. Jay Cockrum and I guided a great group from the Sacramento area today. I had long-time clients Corley and Roger in my boat. They didn't waste much time getting into the fish. Corley hooked and landed a steelhead on his first cast before we even ran our shuttle! We found fish throughout our float today, ending up five for eight. Size 12 pheasant tails and copper johns were the ticket.  Corley's big fish  Roger's big fish  Jay and client Jim with a fish |
Bill Downs, Dax Messett and I guided a great group from San Luis Obispo today. Dax was the top boat - his clients hooked ten steelhead. They hooked one high-sticking, then Dax finally let them use an indicator and they hooked nine fish in one spot! Our three hookups were more spread out. My clients, Gary and Michael, made a lot of great drifts and both had opportunities. Gary landed his first two steelhead of his life. Michael had an epic battle at the end of the day, but his fish got the best of him.  Gary with his first steelie ever  Gary with his 2nd steelie |
I took a few days off and headed up to Oregon for Thanksgiving with the Hazeltons. We took Jon's extremely fast new jetboat out and fished a new section of the Rogue, and 3 of us got grabbed swinging a beautiful riffle that was 10 feet underwater a year ago. Removing dams is a good thing. Can't wait to fish the Rogue next season...Confluence has some fast boats and some insane access to water I know you haven't fished.
When I got back to the Trinity on Sunday, the average water temperature dropped significantly since last week. I have tried dilligently skating drys in some of my money spots...but no players anymore...you missed it. The mornings are COLD!!! but the afternoons have been beautiful and sunny. We have still been hooking fish swinging dirk wigglers, leeches, intruders, and nymphs on occasion.
Before I left for Oregonia, I guided Ken Frank and his daughter Sidney for a few super fun days. Ken learned how to spey cast, and he hooked multiple fish on the swing, and we also hooked several more fish under the indo for good measure. Sid managed to stay dry (unlike dad) and had fun playing a few steelhead and listening to punk rock music during our shuttle ride.  Ken Frank and daughter Sid  Beautiful wild steelhead  Sunshine & steelies |
I spent the last two days guiding a great father/son team Richard and Chris from Fresno. Yesterday was good with five fish hooked and three in the net. It's been very cold in the mornings and the fish weren't too interested in eating anything until around noon when the sun broke through the fog. Size 10 beadhead nymphs seem to be working best. Today we decided to try a float on a different part of the river and it was a dud. Very few fish around and we only hooked one briefly. Just goes to show, never leave fish to find fish!  Chris with a tagged fish  Chris with another one |
We had a great day on the Trinity River today. All the fish I've been seeing the last few days decided to start eating today. I guided father/son team Dave and Alex today. Alex didn't waste much time hooking and landing his first steelhead ever. It was a nice hatchery buck about six pounds. Alex walked right back out to his spot and caught another one about three casts later. We had great action throughout the day, catching fish in five different spots and ending up 7 for 9. The feather duster was our best fly again, but we also got some fish on an orange egg and a red copper john.
If you've been sitting on the fence waiting to hear some good reports before booking a trip, wait no longer. There are plenty of fish around. We're catching them on all techniques, from swinging flies with spey rods to hanging nymphs under indicators. I have Dec 5, 9, 14, 16-17, and 21 open. Dax has Dec 1-3, 5-6, and 9-12 open before he heads back to Pennsylvania and then on to New Zealand. Gino is available Dec 1-2, 9, and 15-23. Jon, Brannon, and Brian also have some open days in December. January and February should be very good, too. Come on up and enjoy some great steelheading!  Alex with his first steelhead ever  Dave with one of many steelhead  Alex with his 3rd steelhead |
I guided Bernard and Donn from Marin the last two days on the Trinity River. We landed six fish in two days and saw very few other anglers. It was really nice! We caught fish with nymphs under indicators, nymphs on a tight line, and Donn even got his first fish on a spey rod. We spent all day fishing without bobbers today and landed three fish. The size 10 feather duster continues to crush, and we also caught fish on a small black rubberlegs stone and a big ugly size 6 stonefly nymph. There are a lot of fish around right now. Some of them don't want to eat, but there are plenty of them around. Reports from down river confirm that there should be plenty of fish in the upper river for the next few weeks. We're looking forward to a great December and plenty of good fishing through early March on the Trinity.  Bernard with a good fish  Donn with his first fish on a spey rod |
A few days ago my client Bob the McMaster was dedicated to skating drys...and it worked out for him. He rose 5 fish to drys, which is not supposed to happen in 40 degree water in November...FIVE, seriously, that is ridiculous. I hope I have a day like that sometime. He also swung up and farmed a huge fish on a black leech, just for good measure. A few days earlier, Chris Strohmeyer also rose one to a dry, and his buddy Tim lost a huge bright fish. Chris and Tim are really making breakthroughs in their spey casting, so I am going to be careful about where I take them...at least they have real jobs and dont have the opportunity to beat on the same water for a week straight, like some near sighted individuals.
We need some rain, and Mammoth & Tahoe need some snow...which will decrease pressure significantly when the ropeheads migrate back to the mountains to make some turns and stop beating on swing water with bobbers. Currently, indicater fishing is absolutely magnificent from Steel Bridge to Dutton Creek. I hear small indicators with a uniform 4x drop and size 16-20 nymphs are catching plenty of fish up there.
I am off to Oregon for 5 days to fish the Rogue with John Hazelton...looking forward to smoking up a turkey and skating some Oregonian fish up. I am only taking a few more bookings in December before I head back to PA and NZ. Happy turkey day everyone!  yep, thats a dry |
This is Andrew posting a report for Gino. He's been working almost every day on the Trinity. Here's a picture of a very nice wild fish caught by long-time client Dennis T. If you want to catch fish on your spey rod, book one of Gino's open days and he'll show you how to do it. We have countless miles of incredible swing water on the Trinity. Come up and see what it's all about! |
I guided Frank and Jeff from the Sacramento area on the Trinity today. It was a cold morning in the canyon and the fish weren't very grabby to start with. Our luck improved when the sun came out. Jeff got the first hookup right after lunch. It was his first steelhead ever and it made a huge jump to show us how big it was while simultaneously throwing the hook. It was a good battle, but the fish got the best of us. Our next fish was a sucker. It's a rare occasion to hook and land a sucker on the Trinity. The last one I remember was at least three years ago. Frank got hot late in the day, landing a nice 5 lb buck steelhead and then a small salmon, too. Our best flies were the feather duster, Fox's October caddis poopah, and another one I won't mention by name.  Fish on!  Frank with a steelie |
I spent all last week on the Trinity and experienced some good fishing. We hooked steelhead every day but one. The Shaw group, who had tough fishing last year in September, redeemed themselves this year with three good days of fishing. Bill Shaw, Dave Armstrong, Roger Casper, and their spey rookie friend Derrick all at least got grabbed swinging the Trinity. Bill found his fish all in the first day fishing with Gino. I skunked him the next two. Sorry Bill. Dave hooked fish all three days. He was high rod for the trip. Roger cosistently found fish every day with Gino and enjoyed one afternoon picking Dave's pocket. Derrick had fewer opportunities. The ones that he did have he jumped on a little too early resulted in nothing. Don't set Derrick! You didn't want that one? We hooked fish on egg-sucking Dirk Wigglers, olive Dirk Wigglers, black leeches, Silver Hiltons, Lady Carolines, and other small traditions. Couldn't ask for a better group of guys.
I spent the next two days with the now famous Scott Coulter. The Steelhead Coultivater, with his new 6126 Z-Axis in hand, hooked and landed two memorable fish the first day and hooked one the second. All three fish took the Silver Hilton using a 10 versa-leader. Scott has a knack for reading water, making the right cast, and closing the deal. His spey casting is getting good.
The last couple of days I fished my home waters of the Upper Rogue. Veteran steelhead angler Bob Cherry fished with me on my favorite Rogue beats. In two days we got seven grabs, hooked four, and landed two beatiful hens. Bob is a keen steelhead angler and hooked fish that most wouldn't have. He fishes every cast well, doesn't over cast, and has great steelhead instincts. We hooked them on black and blue bunny leeches and various wigglers in black, purple and blue. As is usual in November, we had the river to ourselves and had some fine fishing.
Check my booking calendar for openings in late November and December. Both the Trinity and Rogue will continue to get fresh fish through the end of the year.
 Open mouth, insert Dirk Wiggler |
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