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I am not at all new to flyfishing, but I am very, very new to flyfishing for steelhead. I would like to request some advice from the combined wisdom present in this discussion group. I plan to fish the Chehalis on Saturday. My gear will consist of a 7-weight rod with very, very fast sinking line. I plan to use a pretty short leader (2 feet, or so) and largish pink and/or orange streamer-type flies. From what I understand, steelies sit behind rocks in in the heads of pools. Am I on the right track here? Should I weight my leader with lead shot? Is deepness the key? Or is there a "too deep". Am I looking in the right locations? How should I retrieve? Should I expect a smashing rainbow-like hit or more of a salmon-like mouthing of the fly? Any helpful advice would be really appreciated! Thanks!
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I don't pretend to be an expert but; beyond knowing where the fish are the keys are depth and speed of the drift. It is possible to go too deep. You want your fly just off the bottom. If your line is dragging the bottom your fly will likely drag the bottom and fish won't see it. Fish holding water that allows you to make a good presentation - usually these will be riffle and run structures. flies should be simple, as you will loose many and the fish don't cate how fancy they are. Add black and purple or other dark patterns. -These often work better.
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I also am new tho the flyfishing for steelhead so please lets have more helpull info . (Dipper} i think a sink tip line would be better to define depth of your fly . Good luck & post your reports Dano
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First - Those that can't do teach. With these words, I'll try to help. I have been casually plunking away for Steelhead for about three years with my fly rod, but have yet to get one. I have talked to others, and spent a day in a "fly fishing for steelhead" seminar. The following is the gist of what is supposed to work, (re-read my first line....) The fish are often, (supposedly), found in the seam of water that divides the fast main flow and the slacker water near the shore. (watch where the successful gear fisherman float their rigs). The fish hang,(supposedly), near the bottom, but generally the area noted above is only a few feet deep, (especially on the Chehalis). Don't wade past your knees, your rod length should be able to keep the fly out in the right area after your drift, (in a couple of feet of water). Hang the fly for a few seconds, pull it in a bit, step about 1 to 2' downstream and cast again. Cast across the current, mend as needed to keep the line between the rod tip and fly taught, but also allowing the sink tip/line to take the fly to near the bottom and swing through the "zone", (that seam of water descibed above). Remember, the fish don't chase things very far this time of year, which is why you don't move far downstream with each cast... How they hit, the sure bet flies to use - I wish I knew... Good luck tomorrow, if you catch a steelie, post it on the reports and I'll pretend I don't want to hear about it.
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takes are usually not spectacular. The line and fly quarters downstream, as it drifts mere inches from the nose of the fish the fish orients itself to take the fly into it's mouth and the fisher detects an extra sense of weight as if the fly has hung up and tightens the line, that along with water pressure on the line sets the hook. Quartering upstream with sinking tips etc requires an almost extra sensory perception to know the fly has been taken. Always use the sharpest hook possible and replace any fly that has been dulled a bit and can't be resharpened. Sometimes particularly in fast and relatively warm water takes can be explosive. Some of the best success I had on steelhead was actually sight fish to visible fish. Look the water over and see if you can see any faint grey blu/green shapes. If you see one watch it for a few minutes. Wait for a current "window" clear of surface disturbance. You may be able to distinguish a rock from a fish. Particular signs are the white line of the gums and the slight movement of the tail. I prefer "blousy" flies of marabou and similar material for winter fishing.
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There is currently a nice piece about fly fishing for Steelhead on the Spey fishing website: http://www.speypages.com/ Enter the site, and click on the "presentation" link in the left hand menu. Be careful in this site; Spend too much time exploring, and you may end up running to Michael and Young's and dropping a grand on a Spey outfit....
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Look in unlikely places. I got my first fly caught steelie this year and it was in a little stream in the bush that barely got fished. After that came my second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. Landed only two. They are fun though.
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As with any religious experience you need to be well versed in the good book... I recommend my Bible: Sorry about the sacrilage: Steelhead: Fly Fishing by Trey Combs. ISBN: 155821903X
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BTW-- Another great one is Advanced fly fishing for steelhead by Deke Meyer. GREAT pattern book too.
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For the past 3 years I would religiously flyfish for steelhead until aboout noon, then desparation would kick in and I'd break out the drift rod. Last year I finally caught my first and only one with the flyrod. It was a nice 12lb wild fish and I don't know if I have ever had a more gratifying fishing experience. I caught it using a large beadheaded pink egg pattern and a 7 foot section of fast sink tip. The fish pretty much hit and set the hook itself, thank God because if I would have lost him after a quick tug I'd be buying a new rod. Caught it in the lower vedder just up from peach road. The next day my cousin caught 2 out of the same hole using a pink/purple showgirl. I have fished the same spot ever since and had no luck. I think alot of the trick is just showing up at the right spot at the right time. It's hard to tell how much more difficult it is to get them on fly gear on the Vedder, because so very few people actually try.
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I am new to fly fishing for Steelhead and also to Spey casting. I have totally, well I guess I've been caught a few times using bait, but I have been keeping up with the Spey rod. I've been hitting the Vedder almost weekly and with no gear rod as I'm too afraid to leave a Sage and whatever reel in my truck, just to get stolen. Last week, I decided to go "casting"!!! Because that is all I've been doing lately. It was cold and the river was freezing to my waders and also plugging my guides. I found a nice run in the middle river that had no one on it and headed for the top to begin my lesson. I had on a 15' 8wt VI sink tip and a 5' leader, using a 1/0 purple egg sucking leech w/cherise egg. As I proceeded to work my way through the run, a guy appeared out from behind a log jam. He headed right for the "sweet spot" that I had my eye on from the beginning. I watched him cast his gooey bob into every spot I thought there would be one hiding. He did his thing and walked up river. He was about 25 yards above me when I hooked bottom. No, wait it wasn't bottom it was a fish, a Steelhead in fact!! It has been so long since I hooked one I forgot what they felt like!!! It shook it's head at the surface and spat my fly right back in my face, the bastard!! Pissed off, I proceeded to work my way through to the ever popular, "tail-out". Then, all of a sudden, I felt a pull. Right away I knew it was a fish!! I casted it back in there and it hit it again. It took my fly at least 5 times before.... it TOOK my fly. I lost it at shore just after realizing it was a wild fish anyway. That's the best release with a 14' rod!! I think those fish took because they have seen pink, pink, pink, green, orange, red and bait of all sorts and kinds. Then, all of a sudden...... there is that purple thing!!! That is my expeience with winter steelhead so far. Summers are much easier to catch and it usually only involves a dry line to cast. Sink Tips SUCK!!!! Hey, on a fly fishing note..... I just watched an American land a 7lb Steelhead on a 4wt. fly rod and an Alvin pattern in the Stave. Right place at the right time or something new????
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Great fun Rod! One other thought, depth is the key. I've caught fish on a variety of flies (colors, sizes etc). But the one thing that never fails me is depth, if I am confident in my depth I catch fish. I never have fished BC Salmon with anything but a fly rod and imagine when I get back that won't change (whether it is for Steelies or Salmon). I spend a lot of time fishing the Pacific Northwest of the US for Salmon and Steelhead. The Alevin pattern I think was an accident. Nothing I've ever seen for Steelhead, and a 4 wt is (in my humble opinion) inappropriate for Steelhead or Salmon. It's going to absolutely waste the fish. The fight and landing is going to take so much out of the fish I don't believe you can expect a good release and therefore a healthy fish. Just my two bits.
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Jeff, chances are the "american" was fishing for cutthroat. I have found myself in the same situation before. A 4 weight is definately hard on a fish that size, the light tippet usually doesn't hold to long anyway!Ha!Ha!
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Well... the fly came through again!! I braved the weather yesterday and went out to the Vedder for a casting lesson.....in the WIND!! I only managed to snag 3 Whitefish in the tail. Wow, what a fight. But the river was in beauty shape. So, I went back again today. I drove to the "on the way" store and no one there. Got on the gear and went for a walk in the snow. Hey wait, fresh tracks but no car??? Sure enough, a gear fisherman in the tail-out of the run I wanted to fish. So, rather than pass up some of the untouched water. I had a go at about 3 pieces and thought he would be gone by now (about 3 hours). He is still there?? I thought he must be catching fish. So, I hiked through the snow to check it out. He hadn't seen a thing. I walked up to the top of the run and started to work my way down, figuring he was going to move on. Well, he didn't. I started to get closer to him and WHAM!!! I hook one. He sees it and reels in and comes over for a chat and to help me land this fish. Turns out his wife dropped him off at 7:00am and was going to pick him up at 4:00pm. He had been pounding that tail-out for 4 hours when I got that fish. He said he has tried everything in his vest. But not a fly!!!!! He took my picture with this 15+lb. wild buck that almost inhaled my fly. It was deep but not deep enough to cause bleeding. He swam away with no worries!! FYI, I was using the same tip and leader length as in my previous post, but the fly is a secret!! Oh and by the way.... sink tips don't suck when casting in the wind!! Thanks to www.speypages.com for teaching me the reverse snap-T. That site is GREAT!!! Until next time....Happy D loops!!!
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Very nice Mr. Raque... I spent last weekend in the Spey casting class run by Dana Sturn, (of Spey pages), and Brad Michael, (of Michael and Young's). The wind was gusting to 48 km/hr., according to the Weather Channel when I got home, (Abbotsford). Even with floating tips we could eventually punch out 60' casts fairly reliably, (as reliably as a rookie can cast double spey and snake rolls...). Spey rods really are the best way to fly fish in the wind. I went out this evening in the Peach Rd. area for a couple of hours before dark. The gusts were strong enough to "spray" the riffles. I was using a sink tip with about 2' - 3' of tippet and a slightly weighted leech. I didn't get a sniff. The water vis. was about 1'. I've lost one this winter, (tippet busted), still waiting for the first...... Keep those reports coming, I need the motivation, Ron
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Congrats Rod raque, Way to go, I wish I coulda been there. BTW, Was on the jet on Sunday at my newest favourite river...yah that's the one. Yah gotta come with me soon its unbelievable!!!!!!!! Call me when you get a chance. Cheers
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Mark another one down for the fly. This time, I got it with no gear around me. Wild "Chrome Bumper" Doe!! Wind was gusting in my face but I guess I casted well enough to hook one. This one again was caught with a Reo 15' type 6 109 gr. sink tip and a 3' 15lb tippet on a Reo Midspey 8/9wt line. The fly is still a secret! She pulled my whole line out once and went for a couple other good runs too. Hooked with a 1/0 Gami fly right though the maxillary. She was going nowhere but the beach!!! D loops
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The fly comes through again. Since the start of this season it has been my goal to put my first hatchery Steelhead on the wall. Now my goal is to find a good taxidermist!! I got her in the run above the train bridge with 3 guys on the other side chucking bait. They were very surprised as this 12lb. Chromer jumped 4 times in front of them. They got one about 15 minutes before I hooked mine. Again, I was sticking with whats been working for me. Same tip, leader and fly. I've been casting across, mending and taking 3 steps down to let the line sink and get into the zone. Until next time, |
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