What color glo-bug?

[Oregonism]

Do you fish different colors in different conditions, or is there a specific go-to color for the region? I've fished red, light pink with a blood dot, clown eggs, orange and hot pink and have yet to see any real positive take downs. I've heard good things about "oregon cheese", white and even light blue (for low, clear water). I just need something I can nymph with confidently, specifically for summer steelhead. Info on winter steelhead glo-bugs would be helpful too, for next year.

[Slow and Low]

I fish dark orange and light orange and never deviate. I also fish them in tandem for total length under the indicator around 10-11'. Forgot to mention they are beads and not glo bugs. I have found beads to be much more efficient and effective.

I rank how effective the patterns are by how many whitefish and trout are bi catch. If you are getting nothing chances are something is amiss, no pun intended.

[gustav]

I've always liked the clown egg, you don't have to think about color; it has them all. For me pink has always been good as well. I think it is which ever one you have confidence in because that is the one your using the most. I even have caught fish on purple eggs.

[Oregonism]

Originally Posted by Slow and Low

I fish dark orange and light orange and never deviate. I also fish them in tandem for total length under the indicator around 10-11'. Forgot to mention they are beads and not glo bugs. I have found beads to be much more efficient and effective.

I rank how effective the patterns are by how many whitefish and trout are bi catch. If you are getting nothing chances are something is amiss, no pun intended.

I know how to nymph pretty well, and I know when I was fishing red glo-bugs with orange blood dots earlier in the year I couldn't keep the suckers and pike-minnows off my line some days.

I fish about 9' of leader from indicator to the second fly. I usually fish a heavy nymph like a large stone followed by 9-12" of tippet and a glo-bug, and a couple of small split shot up above the stone if the water is up and fast. I'm usually ticking the bottom with the occasional snag on a rock, so I know I'm fishing it right, and I get a nice dead drift for the most part. I found an article that said to use a big, bright, obnoxious clown egg for the point fly to get the fish's attention, and then have a realistic pattern trailing behind for the fish to actually take. It actually sounds like a good method and I'll probably try it next time I'm out.

It also makes sense that what you fish the most will catch the most fish. I'm still pretty new to steelheading on a fly rod, so I'm trying to find my favorite colors and patterns that I know will take fish, from first hand experience. With jig fishing, I know that if I fish a certain color in certain conditions, and show it to a fish for long enough, I'll likely have a taker. I want that same confidence with a fly rod and more specifically, since I currently only have a 1 hander, nymphing.

[rosstucker32]

Winter - Cerise Lifter on #6
Summer - Orange Lifter on #10

I have tried several materials for the veil, but I like the mcfly stuff the best. Milky Egg Veil or Glow Bug yarn are ok, but McFly produces the best look in the water for me. Chartruese chenile tag (2 wraps) is a must for me as well.

I like to fish them behind a big lead-eyes comet.