Search the Community

Greetings from Warren, Michigan. Looking to get back into fly tying, after a flooded basement destroyed my hooks, threads and lots of materials. I've been working in the auto industry for over 26 years, but I spent over 15 years working in retail fishing sales in my earlier years. Any suggestions on hooks, threads and miscellaneous materials will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

What a trip, perfect weather and fish were on the feed

I was on Elk Creek, Pennsylvania, about a week ago-after steelhead. Lots of spin fishermen and a few fly fishermen. This one fellow came up near me and cast out a streamer (minnow pattern)that looked to be about 2" long. It had a tail about half the overall length- possibly rabbit fur.. In any event this was a pool with little current- almost still water. He jiggled the tip of the rod and slowly reeled in line (not strip) and this streamer quivered and fluttered as it slowly moved through the pool. It was chrome and gave off a lot of flash- looked JUST like a minnow. I didn't get that good a look at the fly but it was either a chrome/Mylar tube or tinsel wrapped body. It was pretty incredible, he would drag this in front of a holding steelhead and get a strike on about every cast. I think he caught 6-7 good sized steelhead almost one after another. A strike on about every third cast. The best I can do is make a streamer dart in little 6" spurts but no flutter. Is there a certain kind of fly and technique that creates this fluttering? The pool was about 2' deep and this fly had a neutral bouncy as was mid-depth as it was slowly brought in.

This fly has been my solid go-to for the past few years on the Great Lakes

It's been a while since I did any videos, but I'm getting back to it as I get some free time. This pattern is a fly I just finished tying about 100 of and wanted to make sure I had a record of how I was tying it. This one was tied using a leash tied with Tyger wire on the shank. I'm hoping to make a few more videos soon, so if you have any feedback on how I can make them better, let me know.

https://tieflycast.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/the-box-winter-steelhead/ 3 flies that I will not venture out into the cold without. How I tie them and tips to make the common patterns more successful for winter steelhead. This flies have been tried and tested on Erie, Huron, and Ontario tributaries while having some specific influence from Lake Michigan. I have put together a collection of thoughts and ideas as well as a few favorite patterns for winter steelhead flies for the Great Lakes region. Basically this post is a collection of concepts and patterns that I have had success with over the years. I know that most of the content will not be earth shaking for most of you, but I do appreciate the feedback I get from the members of this site. I tried much harder to get some 'animation' in my voice overs and dropped the banjo (for now). Take a look and give me some feedback, criticism, or a thumbs up if you like the content. It's greatly appreciated. Thanks Shane

So I got my first steelhead ever on my own fly this week. The Pink Rabbit and Purple Fox Steelhead Sticker - cone head version! It's a bit of a mouthful and sounds more like something you'd name a dildo, but hey-ho!

Steelhead fly fishing trip 2014 part one, with nymphs and dries for steelhead A Story in four parts about my fly fishing trip for steelhead fishing in British Columbia. It was my 39th trip, but the first one without customer, friends or anybody else. Read more: http://www.w-fabisch.com/fly-fishing-steelhead-2014-part1.html

Would love to hear feedback! -Nathan

Fools Gold Fool's Gold with squirrel tail This fly comes from Mike Kennedy it calls for a bucktail wing,but I tied this one using squirrel tail. tied by Randy Taylor Fool's Gold with squirrel tail

can anyone give me any names for good pike and steelhead flies, or any videos for either

Egg sucking leech

Heavy-handed Tactics Hook - Daiichi Alec Jackson Heavy Wire Spey Hook/Model 2061/Size 8 Thread - 8/0 UNI-Thread (Red) Front Hackle - Soft Schlappen Hackle (Furnace) - Tyed in facing out over the eye of the hook Body Hackle - Indian Hen Hackle (Furnace) - Stripped on one side and tyed in over the eye of the hook Front Body (Thorax) - Chopped Wool Yarn Dubbing (Red) Rear Body (Abdomen) - Pheasant Tail Fibers (Natural) - The butt ends are wrapped from the middle to the rear, then counter wrapped with the tying thread to reinforce the herl. Head - Tying thread whip finish, coated with clear nail polish The name of this fly comes from the heavy hackle collar at the head of the fly. This was an intentional design choice. I wanted to have a pronounced hackle collar at the front of the fly, similar to the head of a muddler minnow, yet somewhat softer. I wanted the profile of the fly to have some bulk, to make it resemble a small sculpin. I have not fished this pattern yet, so I cannot comment on it's effectiveness. The construction of this fly is identical to the flymphs I posted earlier in the year, just on a larger scale. It is hard to see in the photos (poor lighting), but the red front body becomes visible when the hackle moves around. It is intended to present a gimps of red, to imitate the opening and closing of gills. Impressionistic minnow imitation.

#3 on my list of the twelve most important classics. Umpqua Special - Two examples Category: Steelhead Hook: Salar Salmon #3 Thread: Red Tag: Medium silver flat french tinsel Tail: White hackle fibers Tag: Medium silver flat french tinsel Rib: Silver twist Body: Rear 1/3 yellow wool yarn front 2/3 red seal Hackle: Brown with a gadwall flank collar Cheeks: Jungle Cock Wing/Wingcase: Polar bear

Keeping a shrimpy theme and working through the spectrum. #2 on my list of the essential classics is the Polar Shrimp. I caught my first wild Winter steelhead buck with a version of this pattern on Oregon's Sandy River. Category: Steelhead Thread: Fl. Orange Tail: Red hackle fibers Rib: Medium Silver Oval Tinsel Body: Hot orange angora Hackle: Hot orange saddle with orange Guinae collar Wing/Wingcase: White bucktail See pattern details here

I've been away from my fly tying desk the past couple of years and away from the forums. Thats a bad practice that I must alleviate at once, I hope I am forgiven for my neglect. Fly tying is therapy and art and good for your soul, if not a gateway to fly fishing fulfillment. It's good karma to share art. Recently, I have decided to assemble a collection of the twelve most influential and popular steelhead patterns for the West Coast to motivate my fly tying sessions. You can read more about the Essential Twelve Classics on my website. I am sure we all have our own list of what the most influential, classic and essential steelhead fly patterns are, I am sharing my list of what I have collected over my lifetime of fly tying. I am sure you have your list - we all do. #1 on the list is the General Practitioner as developed by Esmond Drury as an Atlantic Salmon Fly. This fly has been popularized by West Coast steelheaders and has undergone many transformations as creative as steelhead fly tiers are. I once tied this fly commercially to be sold in Portland Oregons fly shops. Bill McMillan had commissioned me to tie these on heavy 3/0 salmon irons for use with the dry line technique in vogue before spey rods marched onto the scene back in 1995. I now tie them as close to what I can find are the original dressing as noted by Esmond Drury -- Mainly from memory and mainly by my own fly tying style. I caught my first Pacific Salmon and Steelhead on a 2/0 General Practitioner and thats why it has earned a spot in the Essential twelve. Hook: Partridge Salar #3 Thread: Orange Tag: Medium gold oval french tinsel Tail: Dyed hot orange polar bear with a topping of golden pheasant tippets and golden pheasant flank feather. Tag: Medium gold oval french tinsel Rib: Medium gold oval french tinsel Body: Hot Orange Seal fear tied in two sections. In the middle section a golden pheasant tippet feather and flank feather tied flat on top. Hackle: Orange saddle hackle palmered through both sections. Wing: Golden pheasant tippet feather and flank feather tied flat on top.

Here is a fry/alevin pattern with some flash that I tied up last night. Great for those high, murky, n dirty waters of march here in the midwest! Nymph it deep or swing it with some 5' T-14 on the switch rod! tight lines! Sorry for large pics! ha

Here is a un-weighted fly on a 1"-5/8" shank with a sz 4 octo stinger. I call this one the 'Winterim Coach' great winter steelhead fly, especially for those rivers where the blues and purples fish well. Marabou, Shlappen, Peacock, all kinds of hairy are in this! tight lines, this coach moves!