What is your favorite steelhead pattern?

nookslayer · 11-30-2005, 05:16 PM

I am somewhat of a rookie when it comes to Steelhead on my fly rod, and I am learning what I like to fish. I like the freight train, the purple peril adn many of the egg patterns.

What is your favorite / most successful bug?

LunkerFish · 11-30-2005, 05:30 PM

This only my second winter steelhead season so I'm technically still a rookie and haven't settled on a favorite just yet. I suppose I have bought into the purple mantra and tend to gravitate toward purple flies, but this season I'm experimenting with tube flies (just got my tubes and vise adapter), articulated leech patterns, and sculpin patterns. All of these in large sizes (#2 and up respectively).

I'm interested in hearing what some of the more experienced steelheaders have to say for favorites.

Ryan Pultz · 12-01-2005, 02:25 AM

I played with tube flies last year I like them never got anything with one but hey thats why it is fishing. I got three native steelies on the clack last year with a popsicle fly mine dont look as nice as this one but you get the idea. This is a big fly in Alaska rp

I also Like the tiquila sunrise fly

Ryan Pultz · 12-01-2005, 02:28 AM

Has anyone ever used a pattern called a Veiled egg? they look very fish to me. rp

nookslayer · 12-01-2005, 10:45 AM

I did well withthe babine special last year, this photo is a bit different, but close enough. I like to use a more orange pattern

PTS · 12-01-2005, 02:46 PM

I carry those patterns and several others, but I end up using flies that I don't care if I lose (egg patterns), swing them and dead drift them. The other flies are just too pretty.

Basically, I don't think the fly matters. It's all presentation for Winters.

Blue Tip Spinner · 12-01-2005, 02:55 PM

size 14 hare's ear.

steel_beaver · 12-01-2005, 03:03 PM

I like dead drifting flies... haven't tried swinging for winters yet. Here are some favorites:

Caballero Egg

Caballero (i fish this in a combination with an egg pattern and swing it at the end of the drift)

Lifter (similar to teh cab egg)

I'm going to try tying a caballero in lifter style... it should work :grin:

S_B

fishnfun · 12-01-2005, 03:20 PM

My favorites are lifters no doubt. I tie them very sparse and without a beadhead.

mandinga · 12-01-2005, 03:39 PM

favorite would be a fox's poopah size 14.

But

I have caught more fish on the unbelieveable egg than all other flies combined.

stoneflyguy · 12-01-2005, 04:03 PM

You can never go wrong with an egg pattern. I've use everything under the sun for winter steel and by far the egg pattern is the most productive for me. Next I would have to say a leechy pattern. anything you can use to imitate roe or fleshy roe will work fine. The trick to winter fish, I think, is getting it down to the fish. Good luck...

Steelie Mike · 12-01-2005, 04:15 PM

Cballeros are great flies. I caught at least half a dozen steelhead on them this fall. I tie them on Gama Siwash hooks and find that they are great swinning patterns too. The slightly longer shanked hooks allows for a slightly larger profile and hook gap.

12-01-2005, 06:38 PM

Easy....muddler

Grantspastor · 12-02-2005, 11:27 AM

Size ten double hook Red Ant (Rogue River only) Has accounted for hundreds, if not thousands of fish for me in the last 40 years.

SilverFly · 12-02-2005, 12:41 PM

For summer runs a #6 red krill.

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AndyK · 12-02-2005, 12:48 PM

I have lots of "favorite" patterns, but presentation is still more important.

Steelie28 · 12-06-2005, 08:54 AM

Anything with Estaz works,that stuff is great. I have tied multiple versions of the lifter and have found more often than not that my "Turbo Lifter" out produces most other patterns. I don't have any pics of it, but it's basically just a larger version of the lifter, with a few upgrades of course. You can never go wrong with a cab egg either. My other backups are caballero, caballero leech, veiled assissin. Pink and chartruse, pink and chartruse. When dead drifting, I put a snail fly that a buddy and I came up with on the point, helps get down without adding any shot.

Steelie28

**busyfishin** · 12-07-2005, 01:51 AM

I like the articulated leech on the Deschutes.

edsr · 12-13-2005, 11:35 AM

Fall fish - "Winter's Hope", Summer fish - "Muddler" or "October Caddis".

edsr

Duane Doran · 12-13-2005, 12:51 PM

Once a year I cross over to the dark side and fish with gear on the North Umpqua. I have friends from California that come up. They aren't into fly fishing and we use a good friend of mine to guide us. I don't really need him but if he wasn't there I'd be rigging rods, rowing, etc. and would never get to fish. I also enjoy fishing with him.

Anyway, my guide friend pretty much owns that river when it comes to gear fishing. I've caught 19 in one day with him. He has always swore one of his keys to success was his Roe recipe. Funny thing is over the past couple of years we've started using just red yarn and on most days the yarn has out fished the Roe.

The point is what many others have already said: Getting the fly in the right place with the right presentation is about 95% of it. Tie on what you like (or know has caught fish in the river you're fishing) and stick with it.

long_shanks · 12-13-2005, 01:02 PM

most succsesful, Marabou flys... black being the best.