School me on flyfishing for steelhead

[Oregonism]

Hi all, second post on this awesome forum,

I live on a decent stretch of the clackamas a little ways up from Carver park. I've recently gotten back into flyfishing after a few years hiatus. I'm having a blast catching some little trout, but I've set a goal for the summer of landing a steelhead on a fly rod. The other night I was fishing some tailwater with a wooly bugger and hooked into something large, likely a steelhead. I was only using a 5wt and he luckily spit the hook after like 10 secs, cause my rod would have probably exploded if he would have taken off. That sort of set off my blood lust for steelhead.

Anyways, what flys do people generally fish? I've heard streamers, egg patterns and large wooly buggers, but is there anything that's like a go-to pattern for summer steelhead? I'm just sort of perfecting my wet-fly techniques, so any advice on technique would help too. I plan on getting a 7/8wt and I've got a decent reel to put on it that holds quite a bit of line, then spending an hour or two a day on the river until I meet my goal

Thanks a bunch, and if there are any particular articles I should check out, let me know. I'm just starting my research tonight.

[steel_beaver]

Sounds to me like youre doing all right

Purple or black leeches have worked great for me but that's all I usualy fish.... I know that hairwings will work and depending on conditions, you can even use some bright colors. I say there is nothing wrong with the Wolly, just make sure your hook is sharp and strong enough to survive the battle.

Good luck

[AndyK]

There was a thread not too long ago about favorite Summer Steelhead Flies:

What is your Favorite Summer Steelhead Fly?

Biggest thing to remember is to be patient. Steelhead are not always easy to catch on a fly rod.

[rob allen]

If the Initial goal is simply to get a summer steelhead on a fly I would fish nothing but a black bunny leech with maybe a little bit of weight to it on a long leader 10 or 12 feet.. a size 2 to size 1/0 should do the trick..

then after you put a fish on the bank start experimenting with some other flies... say a muddler fished on the surface

as for technique cast out into the river at 90 degrees make a mend upstream allow the fly to sink a little maybe mend it one more time after that and let the fly swing and wait for the grab... if you are on a good piece of water as you mentioned it's just a matter of diligence and time

[Oregonism]

Any particular length of rod that's considered "the standard" for steelhead? And does a 7/8wt sound appropriate?

[PacificCoastSteel]

read Dec Hogan's book A Passion For Steelhead.

if you like swinging flies, consider buying a 7wt or 8wt spey rod (13-14')... if you already have a "blood lust" for steel then you'll be saving yourself time because you'll do it eventually anyway...

then check out Rio's speycasting dvd with ol Simon Gawesworth, and go fishin!

the biggest thing i had to work on in transitioning from being a trout fisherman was in learning to read the different types of water that steelhead hold in...

[Zugbug66]

A 9-10' 7 or 8wt single handed rod will do you to start. If you have a "run" in front of your property, start at the top and work your way through. The advise your getting is good. leeches are great paterns. so are any one of the classic steelhead paterns out there. Read some books and practice. My favorite book is Steelhead flyfishing by Trey Combs. But there are so many others. There is no quick fix, or magic, only time and persistence. Steelhead flyfishing is a journey. My wife said it best, "you guys are like gambling addicts, you cast and cast waiting for the next pull. When you get it your on a high...for a while...and then your back at it." I believe it's true. And i think it's worth it. Just remember, when it happens, enjoy it because there's nothing like it.
wayne

[Skunked]

Read "A Passion For Steelhead" by Dec Hogan, and buy a spey rod

[Oregonism]

I found a good article regarding holding water and fly types for different water conditions here if anyone is interested:

http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/..._steelhead.htm

I understand the time required to try to catch a steelie as I've put in many, many hours casting a drift rig with no luck. I'm just hoping that my enthusiasm for flyfishing will motivate me to make even more casts and have more fun doing it.

Another quick question: when fishing a bunny leech, what's the take normally like? Do you set the hook immediately or wait for them to turn?

Thanks a lot for the advice guys, and keep it coming!

[PacificCoastSteel]

Originally Posted by Oregonism

Another quick question: when fishing a bunny leech, what's the take normally like? Do you set the hook immediately or wait for them to turn?

takes can feel violent at times, but are usually more of a "pluck and go", or sometimes the line just stops...

most of the time you'll feel when the fish turns away (back to its lie or a more comfortable current) with the fly in its mouth..

there are pretty much two schools: swinging with the line coming directly off the reel, and swinging with a 18-30 inch loop of line in your finger...

if youre just starting to fish for steel on a fly i like to let em take it off the reel, because i have less to screw up - by the time i've felt the fish take of 3 feet of line or so i sweep the rod low and into my bank of the river to set the hook... the "drop a loop" guys will let the loop slip thru their fingers (letting the fish turn that 2-3 feet) and then pinch the line to the cork/rod as they sweep low and to the bank to set the hook - the idea with dropping a loop is that the fish doesnt feel the weight of the flyline and will be more likely to commit to the fly...


whatever you do DONT set the hook when you first feel a fish bite... you'll rip it away from them... let them turn with the fly


read Dec Hogan's book.... then go fish for like a week and then read it again...

[rob allen]

the takes you get will vary a little.. sometimes there will be sharp jab, sometimes a light pluck and other times the line will just get heavy..

regardless of the type of take don't set the hook until the fish turns. i am convinced that the fish actually hook themselves when you do set it should be just a little extra pressure to make sure the hook is well placed.

lifting the rod which is the natural thing to do during a take will often pull the fly away from the fish so just wait til you feel the weight of the fish...

some people instead of waiting to set the hook will simply carry a loop of line in their hand as the fly swings and when they feel a take they simply release the loop.. I don't like doing it that way but it is successful for a lot of people...

[Grantspastor]

In addition to what has been already said, I would add that in my experience Summer fish are a LOT easier to catch when the bright sun is not on the water. In other words fish early, or better yet late after the sun goes behind the ridge...or on an overcast day. On the Rogue it's like a switch turns on. 95% of your takes will be as the fly starts to swing. It doesn't have to be very deep. I've had many fish take the fly while it's waking below me. For summer fish, a floating line will do just fine. The biggest thing is to fish good water, when the fish are there. They are not hard to catch on flies. IMO in the summer and fall, when water temps are not cold, fly fishing may be the easiest way to catch fish. They will come up out of several feet of water to take a fly just under, or even on the surface.

If you have a drift boat, a super deadly technique is to fish the flies just like fishing with plugs. Lay out 40-50 feet of line ahead of the boat, and use the oars to fish the holding water.

If you are not experienced in recognizing good holding water, you will be better off to spend more time and effort learning where they hold and rest, than spending time learning the intricacies of fly casting. Steelhead don't really care how the fly gets there. You just have to put it into their line of sight.

Lots of fly patterns work well. If you never fished anything but a size 6 Green Butt Skunk, you would catch as many fish over a season as with any other fly or gear.

On the Rogue, I like small patterns. I have taken 100's (probably 1000's) of fish over the last 40 years with a size ten double-hook Red Ant. (see my Avatar) I use the double hook for two reasons. First it is traditional on the Rogue, and secondly it tends to keep the small fly under the surface film a little better in heavier flows

[Oregonism]

I went out today and beat on the water with my baitcaster as I don't have a decent steelheading flypole yet. I was attempting to site fish because the water is clear but the clackamas seems empty right now. I fished for three hours and stared at water through polarized lenses and didn't see a single fish except a spawned out old chinook. It could've been the fact that the sun was on the water, but still, didn't see a thing.

From the little I've read, good holding water is 3-6 feet deep, flows at about a walking pace with a fast rapid at either end (unless I'm totally mistaken). I walked about 3/4 of a mile of river of that description and didn't see a thing, so either I am mistaken or the fish just aren't there at the moment.

[Grantspastor]

Originally Posted by Oregonism

I went out today and beat on the water with my baitcaster as I don't have a decent steelheading flypole yet. I was attempting to site fish because the water is clear but the clackamas seems empty right now. I fished for three hours and stared at water through polarized lenses and didn't see a single fish except a spawned out old chinook. It could've been the fact that the sun was on the water, but still, didn't see a thing.

From the little I've read, good holding water is 3-6 feet deep, flows at about a walking pace with a fast rapid at either end (unless I'm totally mistaken). I walked about 3/4 of a mile of river of that description and didn't see a thing, so either I am mistaken or the fish just aren't there at the moment.

I would expand the description of classic Steelhead water to be from 2' to 12' deep, moving at about the speed you can walk, with some cover on the bottom such as boulders or ledges. Summer fish particularly like this kind of water. Winter fish will hold in slower deeper pools as well. I have seen summer fish slip down and hold just on the lip of a tailout. I think they feel more secure with a little disturbance going on above them. These fish can be a challenge to land, because as soon as they are hooked they turn and run down through the rapid

Earlier you asked what the typical take on a fly is like. Trust me, you'll have no doubt. it's usually aggressive

[AndyK]

Originally Posted by Grantspastor

with some cover on the bottom such as boulders or ledges.

Except for tailouts, steelhead want some type of structure in a good run.

[Skunked]

Originally Posted by Oregonism

I went out today and beat on the water with my baitcaster as I don't have a decent steelheading flypole yet. I was attempting to site fish because the water is clear but the clackamas seems empty right now. I fished for three hours and stared at water through polarized lenses and didn't see a single fish except a spawned out old chinook. It could've been the fact that the sun was on the water, but still, didn't see a thing.

From the little I've read, good holding water is 3-6 feet deep, flows at about a walking pace with a fast rapid at either end (unless I'm totally mistaken). I walked about 3/4 of a mile of river of that description and didn't see a thing, so either I am mistaken or the fish just aren't there at the moment.

Steelhead can be very difficult to spot when they're resting, even in clear water and bright sun.

[Wild Chrome]

The Clack is not a good steelhead flyfishing river IMHO. The best fly water is upstream around McIver. Clack summer runs are 100% hatchery Skamania stock and don't rise to a fly all that well. They also rush up to the hatchery area quickly, and when recycled, are only trucked down to Barton. I'd stick to shallow riffley current seams and tailouts and consider a sink tip or nymphing. I used to live near the Clack and would gear fish it mostly, taking my fly rod with me when I ventured "over the hills". That said, the Clack has some beautiful fish in it for sure and some fly guys (in the know) do very well at times.
Good luck! There's some great advise above!

[Jad Donaldson]

The clack can be a great steelhead river for the fly. I guide the darn thing on the fly, nearly year round. The Clack is a different river, especially in summer. A couple of Clack specific summer tips that weren't mentioned.

1. Watch the water temps. This years' higher flows have kept temps down, but it is going to heat up this week. Once the water temps get too warm, fish become stale and very weird. You'll even see them move out of the way of the fly, swung or nymphed, no matter what the pattern is.

2. As the water warms, try natural patterns. I see too many anglers chucking the pinks and oranges from their winter box. Not saying they won't work from time to time. For lack of a better term, the fish become trouty. Try smaller patterns and natural colors.

3. Cover water, especially when swinging. Generally there are only so many fish that are going to eat in each particular spot. I watch guys fish over and over and over in a 40 yd run. Chances are if the fish wasn't active enough to eat your fly the first time through, it won't eat your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th fly choice.

Good luck and best fished...Jad

[Slow and Low]

Originally Posted by Jad Donaldson

The clack can be a great steelhead river for the fly. I guide the darn thing on the fly, nearly year round. The Clack is a different river, especially in summer. A couple of Clack specific summer tips that weren't mentioned.

1. Watch the water temps. This years' higher flows have kept temps down, but it is going to heat up this week. Once the water temps get too warm, fish become stale and very weird. You'll even see them move out of the way of the fly, swung or nymphed, no matter what the pattern is.

2. As the water warms, try natural patterns. I see too many anglers chucking the pinks and oranges from their winter box. Not saying they won't work from time to time. For lack of a better term, the fish become trouty. Try smaller patterns and natural colors.

3. Cover water, especially when swinging. Generally there are only so many fish that are going to eat in each particular spot. I watch guys fish over and over and over in a 40 yd run. Chances are if the fish wasn't active enough to eat your fly the first time through, it won't eat your 2nd, 3rd, or 4th fly choice.

Good luck and best fished...Jad

You don't drive a bad boy sotar do you?

[Jad Donaldson]

Originally Posted by Slow and Low

You don't drive a bad boy sotar do you?

Yes, Black in color

[Slow and Low]

Originally Posted by Jad Donaldson

Yes, Black in color

Thought so. Welcome.