November through March Steelhead on the Spey Guide Service offers guided trips on California’s North Coast winter steelhead rivers. We focus our attention on the Eel, South Fork Eel, Van Duzen, and Mad Rivers. These rivers are some of the most scenic in the country and boast good returns of hard fighting wild steelhead.

The rivers of California’s North Coast are some of the most famous winter steelhead waters in the world and is where targeting steelhead on the fly began. In the last 10 years restrictions on logging, eliminating hatcheries, and 100 percent catch and release on all wild steelhead are among the leading factors that have successfully rehabilitated these rivers. These rivers not only boast healthy returns of wild steelhead but also offer spectacular scenery. Emerald green waters lined by giant California Redwoods provide no better backdrop when fishing. Winter steelheading is not for the faint of heart. We are searching for a grab or two per day. While this is not a numbers game, these fish are usually chrome bright and full of fight. These fish average 7-8 lbs, with fish in the mid to high teens hooked each season. Every cast lends the opportunity of landing the fish of a lifetime!

Steelhead on the Spey Guide Service offers full day floats and walk/wade trips. We target these fish using two handed spey and switch rods utilizing skagit lines, heavy sink tips, and big flies(yes, sometimes the size of a dead rat). We offer spey casting instruction but do recommend some spey casting experience for these trips.  More Information

Steelhead on the Spey / phone: (916) 838-2496 / email: speybum@gmail.com