We’ll meet before first light with a thermos of hot coffee and head out to one of the little rivers that run down through the forest to the sea. In winter they’re cold and green and quiet, with fog hanging low over the pools, and the rains bring steelhead in fresh from the ocean, so bright and silver that the guides call them chrome. Most of the water Shay fishes is private, reached through access he’s built up with local landowners over many years, so there’s a good chance you’ll have a whole stretch of river to yourselves.
Shay picks the river a few days ahead, once he’s seen what the rain has done, and after that it’s all about the hunt. He’ll teach you to read the water, where a fish likes to hold and why, and how to put a cast right in front of it, on a fly rod or a spinning rod, whichever you’d rather. We’ll walk and wade, or drift a boat when the river’s big enough, and lunch is on the bank. And when a steelhead finally takes, you’ll feel it right up your arms, because they run hard and they jump, and they’re gorgeous up close! It’s all catch and release, so Shay will show you how to hold one properly and send it back into the river strong.
It’s a wonderful day for somebody who’s always wanted to try, and a real treat for an experienced angler who’d like some water nobody else is fishing.
Please come ready for real winter weather. It’s cold and often wet out there and the riverbanks are slippery, so wear warm layers under a good rain jacket, bring your waders and wading boots, and carry a small pack for the day. Shay brings everything else: the rods, reels and tackle, the coffee, the snacks and the lunch. Every angler needs a California fishing license and a steelhead report card, and you can buy both online before you come.
If you’re staying at camp, come back afterward, get the sauna going and let the heat work the river cold out of your hands.
Rivers rise and drop with the rain, so once you’ve booked, Shay will be in touch in the days before to let you know which river we’re fishing and where to meet.
Got chits? This one is 21,000, and you can spend them at checkout.
