Steelhead on a fly

How many flyfishers out there? What are your favorite pattern(s) and technique? I like to fish "greased line" which is a floating flyline,long tapered leader and heavier Atlantic salmon hooks. Here is a pattern originated by Bill McMillan called "Winter Hope" which can be used in late winter and early spring



Or another McMillan spring pattern called "Washougal Olive"

Some may wonder "Why a floating line?" first of all it's easier to control and with the heavier hooks your fly will get down to the fish in most places where steelhead hold. I also like to use Muddler Minnow flies which work great on summer fish in such rivers as the Deschutes.
I use a 9 1/2 foot rod with a 8 weight line but a 7 weight line would be very effective too. Double taper flylines are also used because they are easier to control but do not cast as well as a weight forward line.
It's getting close to that time of year for us "water swatters" to start tying up some of those favorite patterns.



[This message has been edited by bigstew (edited 03-13-2001).]

[stilly bum]

I've been flyfishing for trout for a long time but only in the last two years have I seriously flyfished for steelhead. My favorite bug for sinking line presentations is a w-bugger or leech. I've used a variety of flies with floating lines, both skaters and subsurface, but don't have a favorite yet. My primary rod is an 8 weight but sometimes during the summer I use my 5.

Thanks for a good subject Shane, or 'Stew as I like to call ya . I fish with 'Stew and we discovered that way back in the day we were both steelhead flyfishers, often on the same areas of the Washougal River - in areas that well known flyfisher and author Bill McMillain fished. I don't remember running into 'Stew over there, but I do remember seeing a few pseudo fly geeks that looked like they stepped out of a Norm Thompson catalog and flung fly lines around their necks - heehee. Could one of those have been our Bigstew? ... Nah, don't think so. Before foot probs hit, I used to love to wade out and flycast and work good flies for spring and summer steelhead. All over but mostly on the Washougal, Kalalma, and Deschutes rivers. I too liked using the floating flylines with wet fly patterns for summer steelhead - 'greased line', letting the fly free drift while sinking and then after proper additional line mending letting it swing across holding water just under the surface. Like with jigs some of the takes were just a stop and gentle take of the line under. But most were jolting hard strikes on the swing. Exhilerating! And so fun to fight on a fly outfit. .....

Good pics of the flies above 'Stew! I only did a small amount of winter steelhead flyfishing; using a fast sinking tip line and heavy flies. I just prefered hooking more fish conventionally in the cold colored water of winter. And there are so many good steelhead flies! One thing you hear is that fly presentation is more crucial to success than fly patterns. True. Proper quality flies sure help though. I used scores of good patterns and always carried several with me. But as I got more proficient at catching them this way I often found myself sticking to 3 main patterns; the "Steelhead Muddler Minnow", the "Green Butt Skunk", and the "Golden Deamon". All great, but quite different. I figured that if I couldn't get a fish to strike one of those 3 after working them in a hole that no other flies would have either. Not necessarily true, but likely so for most of the time. We will have even better summer runs this year, so if you haven't tried this fun method this would be a good time to learn it. ...

Because I got a cataraft last year and am wading a bit better these days, I am getting back into to this great sportfishery. I have some older good flyrods, but recently bought a 9' for 7 Wt. rod. It's an LL Bean made rod from a GLoomis GL3 blank, and I love the way it can cast. I prefer a slightly light rod for summer steelhead flyfishing. I think more use an 8 Wt. Here we come . - RT



[This message has been edited by RT (edited 03-13-2001).]

Try the Muddler for a good skater or subsurface fly. I like to use a heavier hook to get these just below the surface. Also sometimes I'll try them in a dyed black deer body hair. An extremely effective fly on the Deschutes. Another early season fly is Kauffman's StoneFly nymph. You can weight the fly with a little lead wire but be careful when casting.
Yeah Steve that was me allright right out of Abercrombie and Fitch.I remember you quite well, let's see your favorite fly involved a 6/0 treble hook did'nt it? (jk) of course. Steve is actually a very conscienctious angler who advocates C&R above all else! We need more of his type on the river. So next time you have a brown and green blur fly past you as you climb down a steep streambank be sure to tell Steve hello

[This message has been edited by bigstew (edited 03-13-2001).]

[Carver_OR]

Nothing like getting a steelhead on a floating line in a 6 mile a hour current. It's a take thats hard to explain to a "new be" to FFing. Hang on don't try to stop him keep your hand away from the reel! Two fly's that I alway's have confindence in is the skunk and Freight Train.
Many times as the fly skeeters across the surface you would see the fish chasing the fly. A few times I watched as the fish came out of the water to attact it from the air...What a rush! Twitching the fly as it swings would bring savage strikes also...cast and step cast and step
Hey RT...Cod Liver oil ? Hmmmmm How about mint cod oil for salmon?

Pat

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[URL=http://www.holdzit.com
Catching]http://www.holdzit.com

[Pete]

Of all my fishing I hold steelhead on a fly in the highest reverence. Been doin' it for 25 years. Favorite flies: Streetwalker and BC Bomber. I had a Teeny Snagwater express line, but ditched it ... there's nothing like working a floating line. Favorite Steelie on Flies memory: 5 fish hooked, 4 to the hand on the North Umpqua at Steamboat on the first night of my honeymoon ...

[GBSkunk]

Steelheading with a fly is the only way to go! Winter or summer. You may not catch as many but it is more rewarding. It is so much easier with modern tackle. 14' spey rods with a Windcutter fly line allows you to swing flys with control. It also allows you to use heavy sink tips with ease. I've recently switched over to tube flys. Higher landing percentage when used with the right hook. Live for the grab!

[rcl187]

hey pete, was your wife with ya or did you leave her back at the hotel while you went and fished? Either way at least you got a little action that night. lol

[Pete]

We were staying at the Steamboat Inn where dinner is served 1 hour after dark to accomodate fishermen. My new bride was primping and curling and painting while I had my hour on the river.

[roblosey]

Nice to see there are other crazies out there who fish winter steelhead with a flyrod. I fished 7 different weekends thus far this winter and saw two other flyfishermen--two young kids on the north fork of the Alsea.
I fish a shooting head setup that I put together with the help of folks at the Homewaters flyshop in Eugene. These setups take a bit of getting used to but they are great once you begin to figure them out. Lets you get deep without (usually) putting on a bunch of weight that threatens to take your ear off.
I flyfish for steelhead on the McKenzie, especially during the fall and some summer evenings. These fish will on occasion rise to dryflies which is one heck of a kick. The steelhead on the McKenzie aren't big but they are fun to fish for.
My favorite flies for steelhead are black woolybuggers, a sparsely tied purple bodied spey fly, and the eggsucking leech for winter fish.
Anyone had any luck lately? I would appreciate some good news! Thanks.

[ZaQ]

Sandy Candy on the Spey.

Some fly pics at my site.
http://zaq.4mg.com

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Fish this!
ZaQ

[Steelheader69]

Depending on the pattern and what style water I'm fishing, depends on the line/fly I use. If it's really fast deep water, I'll use a quick decent (sink tip) fly line with an unweighted lure. You can guess the rest. But when it comes to flies, I love to hit early winter and summerruns with a fly I tie. Quite a few years ago I saw a mouse fall into the Humptulips. Saw it swim and few strokes and up comes a steelie. It slammmed it and it was gone. Tied up some black and brown stacked deer hair mice. Will cast them right up against the bank (like a hopper pattern for trout). I've had on several occasions steelies smack it when it barely hit the water. Anyone who hasn't tried one or tied one, I'd suggest it. It's a kick.

I also like some of the traditionals too. Green butt skunk (Hey RT, have you tried those jigs yet?), skykomish sunrise, polar shrimp......and a few custom flies of my own.....

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You haven't lived til you've rowed a cataraft. Friends don't let friends run Outcasts.

[SSPey]

The fly IS what I become when chasing what it seems I live for. I am the fly, being delivered the fish, and enter a trance like state as I drift towards ever crosseyed fish-head pods. uhhmmmm ... not so much this winter, which has been suckfully busy for me. Top it with the poor runs and I've managed only 3 days astream. I hooked and landed fish 2 of those days, so am pretty happy with it all. One was sight fished and charged foward over 4 feet to attack a single egg fly on the first cast! now THAT was cool I thought.

IN winters on coastal Oregon waters I fish mostly eggs, and then random other flies the remaining 5% of the time. I believe that indicators and split shot are usually the best way to deliver egg flies to winter fish in these waters because of their "slotty" bedrock configurations. I can cover some of the broader riffles better with shooting heads, so carry an extra spool. I often pick up fish in the riffles and other broken shallow waters when fishing pressure is high and fish are spooked. leave no stone unturned and cover the water.

But I really prefer summer fish - MUCH more amenable to downing a few cold ones in the midday sun which in a boat, watching the world drift from teh moving lens of the deschutes or rogue. My preference in summer is for floating lines (6 thru 8 weight) with single and double handed rods, some home grown versions of traditional-ish #6 and #4 flies with marabou or spey hackle for action - and more than ever - long casts to cover the water. Even better than the fight of a fish on the fly rod, I think, is the sheer pleasure I get from laying out long casts over hip deep dancing waters in the fading sun and shadows. For me, nothing so fully reveals the joy of fly fishing than summer steelhead fishing.

[HOGTIDE]

F-n-F has a point with his summertime and flyfishin' theme. Cut my steelheading teeth when my high school teacher took me to the Deschutes and taught me how to fish grasshoopers for summer steelhead. The evolution of those beginnings was an eventual baitban on that river, that lead me to creating an imitation of my favorite bait....a 'hopper' pattern.

I stole "joes" pattern, increased the size by 50%; wrapped the thorax extra thick with chartreuse yarn and 'whamo' I was back into the fish. Soon discovered it was actually easier to present that bait with a flyline, then snagging up in the rocks all the time. I had become a fly fisherman, not for the sake of being considered a purist...it was just an effective way to catch steelhead.

Today, I like the relaxation, rythem and flow of flyfishing...and, for me...it's always been a summertime form of therapy.

[Navigator]

Great thread. The last month or so I have been sticking with the fly-rod. I did take my first Oregon steelhead last year on a fly - Rogue River summer fish. Dead drifting a gawdy looking beadhead stonefly nymph. Six weight trout rod and floating line. Pretty cool!

I would be interested in learning more about differences in techniques between winter and summer fish. This past month I have been concentrating on getting the pattern deep (usually a glo-bug) and slow using a sink-tip (7 weight 8.5' rod). Not any success though. An 8.5' rod becomes limiting when you use a split shot and rely more on roll casts. Anyway, is it true winter fish will not move to the fly like summer fish?

[Jellyhead]

Good thread guys. I too am a fly-guy. I've been tying flies longer than I've been fly-fishing so my flies tend to be along the spey and atlantic salmon lines, just because I love fishing and tying beautiful flies.

My typical winter steelhead setup is a 4' section of fast sinking line or leadcore, depending on flows, attached to a modified WF floating line. It's a work-out on the old arm the first couple of times out, but it's been my most consistent setup.

I've got a spey rod, but just don't fish big water enough to use it much. I've only fished it a half dozen times. Never have caught a fish on it. It's fun and easy to cast, and is real perrrty!

I've only fished summer fish a few times, so far the only summer fish I've caught has been on the salmon river, before it closed.

Just too many other fun, spiny fish to catch in the summer, why would I want to fish steelhead! Winter fish get my fly time.

Aaron

[rob allen]

I had the good fortune to grow up on the Washougal and considered the river my back yard and literally it was. If any of you remember always seeing a kid walking up and down the road with a rod in hand, that was me. Growing up I was in the same grade as Bill's son so I knoew the family pretty well and fished with them often. Growing up I always assumed that anyone using a sinking line especially for summer runs was a snagger and/or diciples of Jim Teeny.
During all thoes years if fishing greased line year around I only hooked 3 winter steelhead. It's a tough way to go when the water is high and cold. I didn't start fishing tips till I started spey fishing and as far as I am concerned thats the only way to fish tips.
Although I grew up fishing skaters anytime the water was over 50 degrees my favorite way to fish is the wet fly swing, especially on the Deschutes. I cast straight across stream, make ne mends and hold the rod tip straight downstream. This bring the fly acros pretty fast and makes for some amazingly aggressive strikes.

tight lines
rob

Bill is an amazing fly angler. He has an uncanny ability to know just what it takes ti get steelhead to come to a fly. It's too bad he moved from the area because I would have like to have learned more from him.

[SSPey]

navigator - I agree that a 8.5 foot rod is not the best for fishing indicators, though it must work really well with shooting heads. I use a 10' rod most of the time in both winter and summer. IN winter it helps mend and roll cast for indicators on smaller waters, and in summer the length is good for long casts and deep wading. Those 10' rods have to be light, though, as the heavy ones get really tiring after a few hours. learning to spey lately in summer, though I've been pretty happy with the single handern (I enjoy casting), its fun to learn new stuff on teh two handed rod. and I think that water temperature is important - winter fish will move to the fly more like a summer fish if the water is warm and the air is too.