Question for steelhead guys

[MWl 0]

I need a little advice. I will be going steelhead fishing in mid March on the Salmon River. Weather and water level pending. Anyway, could someone give me some suggestions for flies? I am getting conflicting results. Some guys are telling me fish more natural types this time of year. Such as black stones. Other folks are suggesting using brightly colored flies or streamers. Not looking to get your secrete patterns just some solid info.

 

Thanks,

 

MWL

[Piker20 0]

Having only fished UK rivers for salmon and trout I would say the depth of your fly and speed it moves are number 1 issues. Local variations in colours do show up but black can't go wrong world over. There was lots of talk on the forum about big intruders for steels with replies saying some venues only respond to monster flies, others to #10 flies. I saw a seatrout chuck out a 5inch sprat last week but I can never catch them on anything above an inch. Take a handful of outrageous and naturals and then spend your time on fishing them right and not worrying on the fly pattern.

[Frank G. Swarner III 0]

It may seem like conflicting info. but both suggestions are correct. It just depends on how "you" want to fish for them (steelhead). Always remember that they are big trout with slightly different tendencies. If there is a way you prefer to trout fish with a fly, go with that method.....you already know how to do it....except now your just using a heavier set up to handle a......big trout.

[Trouser Trout 0]

I'm usually on big, fast moving water and you can't go wrong with a black or olive wooly bugger. Last year's hot pattern was the purple egg sucking leech. I was just out today and got some hits on an egg fly. Natural bait such as spawn or wax worms are a good place to start too. Always check with local shops, they'll be your best source! Good Luck...if you've never caught one before, hold on. They'll take you for a ride if you get in to a fresh one.

[Rocco 0]

The fish will tell you what they want but there are situational patterns that provide hints what to try first.

 

Great Lakes Steelhead both winter over and make spawning runs from the lakes. In early season there will be some of both. Later, lake run fish will predominate.

 

It usually takes a strong pulse of fresh water --snow runoff or rain -- to bring the spawners off the lake in large numbers. They then head back to the redds they where were hatched in a bee line and, while moving, they will generally not settle long enough to cast too. (They might scare you silly as they buzz past!) You might find them resting, stacked in a slacker side current once in a while, then they will hammer gaudy streamers.

 

The overwintering fish however will still have holding lies and take nymphs and minnow/sculpin imitations based on locally available food sources .

 

Once settled on the redds, the lake run fish will chase off and bite attractor streamers and bigger nymphs that drift through their territories. Lake run males who lose the lottery in finding a hen of their own will set up downstream from redds and feed on eggs drifitng to them.

 

Dark patterns on dark days and muddy water and bright patterns on clear days is a good starting point.

 

Forgive a 'preachy' word on the protection of the fishery. Try not to take the spawning hens at the top of the redd as they can be snagged by accident easily and if you you damage them or take them from the redd, no more males will hang out there. Those fishermen doing so can both mess up that spot and lose that part of the annual steelhead run. There are many more males just waiting to move into any opening.

 

Enjoy and let us know how you did. You won't need a camera -- that first steelhead will always be imprinted.

 

Rocco

[MWl 0]

Thanks guys for your advice. Sounds to me I should just do what I do best which is either swing a streamer or bounce a nymph.

 

Thanks,

 

MWL

[zOnk 0]

Rocco pretty much covered the gamut on this one. What's important is getting the fly down to the fish and the tactics for that differ from river to river. The tributaries I fish are extremely shallow for steelhead standards so my modified sink tip strategies wouldn't help you a bit.

 

If you're on the river and not catching and somebody else is -- ask questions. Most fisherman never do and they forget we're all usually a pretty talkative bunch. No information is better than local information.