report - I am not good at catching

[tangled]

Went over to the Deschutes on sunday in the early A.M. for some steelhead fishing - I had hoped to give a report for the day, well, fishing is the appropriate word as I did no catching - weather and conditions were perfect- overcast, little wind, and very few people about - It did not start to rain until after noon - For the day, I didnt see any steelheead and had none show any interest in my leach -

I have come to conclude that I am not a good steelhead catcher - the fisher part I have down - - although having been out a hand full of times this fall, I am the big o fer - adding that to last years summer, fall and winter 0 fer, one could call it a drought - I may need some help - any counselors out there?

[Riverkeeper]

The only cure is more fishing. Keep at it. If you can go with a guide or someone who really knows that fishery, all the better. But one way or the other, keep fishing.

If I fell into either of those categories, I'd offer to help. Trout on the other hand, I may know a thing or two.

[Grantspastor]

Just a few tips:
1. Don't get discouraged. Everybody has off days...even off seasons. Keep at it
2. Resist the notion that taking steelhead on flies is difficult...almost mystical. In truth it is fairly easy and a highly effective method given the right conditions
3. In the summer, fish early and late. My experience is that they don't bite nearly as well when the sun is on the water. A floating line is fine in warm water conditions. Fly does not have to be deep
4. Fish good water. This is easily as important as gear and technique
5. As water temperatures drop get your fly deeper and present the fly slower.
6. Come to Grants Pass next October and I'll show you my "second favorite" fishing spot, which usually holds some willing fish

[TillamookChinook]

Catching is a bonus. It sounds like you enjoy the fishing, so enjoy it as often as you can. The one thing you can be sure of is that you won't catch any fish if your line is not in the water.

[Bubzilla]

"Resist the notion that taking steelhead on flies is difficult...almost mystical. In truth it is fairly easy and a highly effective method given the right conditions"

Amen. I think this is absolutely the most important advice someone should get when learning to fly fish for steelhead. Way too many fly anlgers make catching steelhead out to be something nearly impossible. It's not. They're easy. They are, for most purposes, big, dumb, trout.

If you really want to become someone who catches steelhead with flies, it's important that you don't become one of those people who forgets that catching fish is an important aspect of fishing. Absolutely TC is correct when he says fish are a bonus, but they are a bonus you should expect and desire. They are a bonus, that with practice and experience, you will get often--if not always. By all means, enjoy the beauty of the river, the wonder and power of nature, but remember that catching fish is important too.

Hiring a guide is great advice. It's almost always money well spent. It can really help with the learning curve. If you're going to fish the Deschutes a lot, a day with a guide will pay for itself many times over. And, if you're a bank bound angler, make sure you explain that to your guide in advance, so that he will take time to show you places where you can fish yourself.

Reading anything and everything will help as well--even articles and books on gear fishing will help make you a better fly angler. Being mindful of not being sucked into one way of thinking about how to target steelhead with a fly is critical. Learn more than one technique. Be open-minded to the experimentation of others. Stay away from those who tell you there's only one right way to catch a steelhead on a fly.

"Fish good water. This is easily as important as gear and technique"

Absolutely. That's sage advice. Learning where to fish, and where not to fish is more than half the battle.

Finally, you don't say how long you've been at it, but expect to pay some dues for your first fish. They get easier after that--I promise. The biggest obstacle is mental. You've got to learn to think about fish in a different way. Before you know it, you'll be trying to run your rig in the river anytime you're driving next to a river--the whole time saying "whooaaa, that looks like good holding water."

[greenbuttskunk]

I'll third that. The last thing anyone should do
is be hard on themselves that they cannot catch a steelhead on a fly. I certain conditions it may be
fairly easy, but as a whole it can be rather difficult. Many decent fly fishers have probably never landed one on a fly, so don't sweat it. Lots of good advice here, so get back out there, enjoy the "pursuit", the challenge, and the beauty of just being able to fish for these fish with a fly.
Your glory day is not far away!
GBS

[o-mykiss]

Great tips Grantpastor and the rest of you. Don't give up tangled. I have yet to land a steelhead on a fly. I hooked one once and froze. My line just went crazy, and my brain stopped working.

[MarlinMark]

Keep at it. The only thing I can add to this is what I was told a long time ago. For winter steelhead. Pick one river, maybe even a certain stretch of that river and focus on learning it and trying different techniques on it. Focus your efforts there.

Mark