California Beaches, Redwoods & Big Fish on the Fly

The best fly fishing in Northern California, from coastal steelhead rivers to stillwater bass fishing.

There are only pretty steelhead in the Smith River. | photo by Jasper Taback

There’s a lot to love about California. I’ve been lucky enough to see plenty of it — from the bars and restaurants of San Diego and San Francisco to the rugged landscapes of Joshua Tree and Yosemite, and powder snowfalls of Mammoth and Tahoe.

I recently had the chance to explore a part of the state that was new to me, up near the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, where the real draw is the fly fishing.

Northern California Fly Fishing

It was steelhead that brought me out to Northern California; I had heard and read stories about the big, ocean-bright fish that run up the coastal rivers, and I wanted to check it out. 

As can be expected on any fishing trip, river conditions threw a wrench into my plans. On day one, the Trinity River was too high to fish, so I had to pivot — and happened to luck into some top-notch bass fishing.

Fly Fishing for Bass on Shasta Lake

So, Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir, became the first stop on my road trip. Most of the local fly anglers are focused on the trout in the Sacramento River or steelhead in the Trinity, which left me with plenty of room to poke around on the Lake.

Over the course of a day, I must have brought thirty spotted bass to the boat – which usually max out at around three pounds, and fight pretty damn hard for their size. And they're not terribly picky; a dark-colored, weighted streamer was enough to keep them eating all day.

They act a whole lot bigger than they are. | photo by Jasper Taback

Smith River Steelhead Fishing

I hit a few more rivers over the ensuing days, but the last stop on my trip stands out. The Smith is the largest undammed river in California, and it’s a hell of a place to fish for steelhead. They move freely from the Pacific up to their spawning waters, without the barriers that define so many Western rivers.

What sets the Smith apart from other steelhead rivers is the water clarity. Even after big rains, the river clears quickly, and you get a great view of the river structure that the fish move through and hold in.

Even on a slow fishing day, it makes for a pretty entertaining float.

The Smith runs cold and clear. | photo by Jasper Taback

Fly Fishing in California's Redwood Country

I ended up catching my fair share of fish, but this was one of the few trips I can remember when I could have gone fishless without being devastated. 

It was a road trip of about ten hours, through dense redwood forests and along sweeping Pacific beaches, and I’d go back in a heartbeat just to do the drive again. 

But, if I'm already there, it won't hurt to bring a few rods along.

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