Fly Fishing Techniques for Steelhead by Cameron Larsen

Fly Fishing Techniques for Steelhead by Cameron Larsen

There are a few basic steelheading techniques that every steelhead fly fishing angler knows, or should know. Which one you use will depend on several things including water lever, clarity, temperature and speed. Also one must take into account outside temperatures, time of year, and time of day. And finally which fly you are using, which also depends on all of the previously mentioned things and more. But we are here to simplify, to present a few basic techniques to give the fly angler a foundation on which to experiment.

The most popular steelhead fly rodding technique is the wet fly swing. This is used traditionally when steelhead are in fairly shallow water (less than seven feet) and water moving at about walking speed. To begin the technique, you cast upstream from where you are standing, you should be also be standing upstream from the designated target. Once you cast you need to mend your line immediately. And then do nothing else. The mending allows the fly to sink without hindrance. The fly then swings down in front of the desired target. When the swing is done allow the fly to dangle for a few seconds. And be alert, often this is when the strike occurs. Generally I give the same spot a few casts and then move a little and try it again.

Another technique is the dead drift. During this technique it is crucial that the fly drift without tension, and be allowed to drift freely. A strike indicator is mandatory, and a strike indicator that allows you to see whether or not your fly is floating without being impeded is the best. Some fly fisherman use macram yarn, others use a corkie and a toothpick, both indicate whether the fly is floating as it should. Traditional indicators also work. The idea is to keep the fly directly below the indicator, than free floating has been achieved. Dead drifting is used primarily in pools or slower riffles. Dead drifting does not cover as much water as the wet swing, but when fishing in smaller streams, or a narrow concentration of where steelhead are lying it is a very precise and effective method. The indicator can be adjusted to vary the depth at which your fly is presented.

One last popular method is bottom bouncing. Bottom bouncing works well in faster water, when steelhead are lying on the bottom. It is, as the name describes, bouncing your presentation along the bottom. Cast your fly upstream and allow it to sink to the bottom. Generally a couple of split shots BB sized placed twelve to eighteen inches above the fly, will get the fly down. But sometimes more weight is needed. Once the bottom is hit, lift the fly line out of the water by lifting your rod tip up, keep excess line in your free hand. As the fly moves downstream away from you gradually lower the line and let more fly line out.

All the above methods work with nymphs, streamers or egg patterns. More on fly selection will be presented in upcoming articles.

About the Author
Cameron Larsen runs the online fly shop
www.bigyflyco.com

Steelhead Overview by Cameron Larsen

Steelhead Overview by Cameron Larsen

This article is intended to be a basic education in the great game fish the Steelhead. Entire volumes have been written on the subject, so this article will not go into much specific detail. Those of you wanting the hottest tip, will be better off calling your buddy, local guide or fly shop. However, if you are a beginner or thinking of beginning, or a seasoned veteran looking to catch perhaps a new idea or remember a lost one, we hope this series will be of value.

Steelhead are nothing more than sea run Rainbow Trout. They are born in fresh water streams (at least the wild steelies are) where they imprint everything from water chemistry to natural occurring food sources. The Steelhead life cycle is about as varied and complicated as fish can get. They can spend anywhere from 1 to 4 years in freshwater before going to sea and 1 to 4 years at sea. Steelies are native to the Pacific once occurring from the Asiatic coast to Southern Alaska and originally down to the Tijuana River. Now they are found as far south as Central California.

Steelhead have been successfully planted in the Great Lakes region, and fly fishing there can be incredible. Great Lakes steelhead live entirely in freshwater, and migrate up the tributaries to duplicate the spawning behavior of the Pacific Steelhead.
To further complicate the Steelhead life cycle is the time they return to spawn. There are generally two runs of steelhead. One enters the river in the summer and runs through fall, usually spawning in early to mid-winter. This is typically called the summer run. And then there is a winter run where the fish enter the river in early winter to early spring and spawning sometime in that time frame. The Great Lakes Steelhead generally enter the river in early fall, especially in Pennsylvania, and fishing can be done in fall, winter and spring.

Steelhead fly fishing is becoming more and more popular and with good reason. When conditions are ideal a chromer will smash a fly and treat the fly angler to a treat that is hard to duplicate. When steelhead enter the river we are getting them at their biological prime. Loaded with survival instincts that include territorial and sexual aggression, they can rip into your fly and go off on a terror of a run, that will often leave the uninitiated limp lined and open mouthed. But the angler will be hooked.
In upcoming articles we will delve more deeply into techniques of inducing strikes from this terrific game fish.

About the Author
Cameron Larsen runs the online fly shop
www.bigyflyco.com

Confidence in Fly Fishing by Cameron Larsen

Confidence in Fly Fishing by Cameron Larsen

For those of you who, like me, have memories of fishing that pre-date memories of school, think back to as many fishing partners and trips as you can. Even those people you only went fishing with once. Then try to recall times where the success or failure of a fly fisherman seemed to lie strictly on the fly fishermans confidence. If you think about it in these terms, I bet you can remember numerous times, when an anglers, confidence or lack thereof, either doomed them or buoyed then until they started catching fish.
At times the success of a confident fly fishing angler can be attributed to persistence. An angler, confident in their abilities is just going to fish longer when things dont start hopping right away. But other days when all things are equal, the fisherman with the most confidence often catches the most fish.

Three quick stories come to mind illustrate this. First off let me say there have been plenty of times when I have been on both sides of the confidence equation. A few years ago, I was steelheading with a couple of fly fishing buddies. Unlike me, though there guys werent purists. And we were using terminal gear. Although were just dead-drifting jigs, very similar to fly fishing, I felt about as coordinated as a monkey performing brain surgery. As the day wore on more and more steelies were caught. Huge steelies, the biggest I had ever seen! None by me. I could feel my confidence shrinking. And I mean my confidence in all kinds of things, like being able to read the river, being able to detect a strike. Things that had no connection to me using unfamiliar gear. The pressure inside my head built, until I HAD to catch a fish. I didnt catch one fish that day, although I finally had a strike, and set the hook so hard I jerked it right out of the fishs mouth. And I fished longer and harder than anyone else on the trip.

Another story is almost reverse. Here in Maupin, the Deschutes River fills with fly fisherman every May and early June for the Giant Salmonfly hatch. It is a carnival of fly fishing. One year I was drifting with a couple of accomplished anglers, who were nevertheless apprehensive about fishing such a well-known hatch, A hatch documented throughout fly fishing literature. With crowds of anglers as spectators to one another. Despite all the drift boats and bank anglers I know a spot or two constantly overlooked and are rarely fished. I set both guys up with the exact rigging I use. Put them in the best two spots and made lunch, while they flogged the water to no avail. Despite their long fishing experience they were unaccustomed to the big water and the feeling of being in a spotlight, and seemed to do every action with uncertainty. After lunch I nailed numerous trout with virtually no effort. Pointed out fish lying behind rocks and caught them. It was a display they still talk about some years later.

Another day I was fishing alone, in water I know like the palm of my hand. And was getting skunked. Fishing all my usual water, using all my usual techniques I couldnt even get a strike. Yet I knew I could and did catch fish in this spot, lots of fish. I kept at it, until I heard a fish jump behind me, in a riffle I hadnt fished in years. I turned around and cast right at the head of the riffle, and nailed what was to be the first of many beautiful trout I caught that day.

If I hadnt been confident in my abilities, and in the water holding fish, I would have stopped long before. That was an instance where confidence led to perseverance. But the other two days, it seemed to be confidence only, that led to more fish being landed. Maybe there was something subtle in the presentation of the confident angler, something that cant be taught. Like the way some quarterbacks always seem to win. Or maybe like in other endeavors confident people just seem to do better. At any rate the only way I know of to develop confidence is through repeated success. And in fishing the only way to catch fish is to do more fishing.

If you are thinking this is all a stretch, I bet you can come up with very similar stories that have happened to you. Especially if like me, you have been fishing since you had a Leave it to Beaver lunch box. Give yourself the possibility that confidence in your fishing ability does play a role, in your catch rate. And the end result will be you spend more time fishing. And if that is the end result of you reading this article, then it was time well spent. Now lets go out there and build up our fly fishing confidence!

About the Author
Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and fly fishing guide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Company. Http://www.bigyflyco.com. He can be reached at info@bigyflyco.com. The above article will appear in the Big Y Fly Fishing E-Zine at Http://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html

Selecting Flies for the Pacific Steelhead by Cameron Larsen

Selecting Flies for the Pacific Steelhead by Cameron Larsen

Popular flies for Steelhead vary greatly whether you are fishing in the Pacific region or in the Great Lakes. The fisheries have developed separately and so have the preferences anglers have for flies cast to their intended prey. We will primarily concentrate on Steelhead flies on the West Coast in this article and concentrate on flies of the Great Lakes region in a future article. There are some common patterns used in both regions as well, and we will point those out as we go along.

Fly fishing for Steelhead can be traced back to the Eel River, in Northern California, during the late 1800s.. And many of the first Steelhead patterns roots can be traced back to the same era as well. There were a few problems during this time, and none more crucial than lack of material with which to tie flies. Standard featherwing trout patterns became the foundation of many steelhead patterns. Other patterns were adopted from English trout patterns and Atlantic Salmon patterns. Many of todays most popular Steelhead patterns can be traced back to these beginnings. Green Butt Skunk, Skykomish Sunrise, Purple Peril, to name just a few all hail back to these early beginnings.

I keep several fly boxes stocked just for steelhead, I always think Ill leave a few home, before I head out, but rarely do. How many flies you decide to carry is up to you, but there a few things to consider when selecting an assortment of flies. The most popular colors for Steelhead flies are as follows: black, orange, purple, red, and chartreuse. The key is to have a variety of colors in the fly box before heading out. Although the old adage bright days, bright flies, dark days, dark flies, is a decent starting place. One also remember the time of day one will be fishing. Summer steelheading is done mostly in the darker hours, and therefore dark flies are popular like the aforementioned Green Butt Skunk, and its variations.

As fall begins and water becomes murky and bright marabou patterns are often the ticket. And in the winter I use lots of egg-sucking leeches, bunny leeches, and bright egg patterns like the Sucker Spawn. As water becomes more murky, the brighter the pattern one can get away with.

Nymphing becomes more and more popular every year for steelhead, which ignites the old argument whether or not steelhead eat once they enter the river. It seems more certain in the Great Lakes region that they are thought to, while the Pacific steelhead is thought not to. The extra space taken up with roe or sperm production results in a very shrunken stomach. Nevertheless more and more anglers are using stonefly nymphs, hares ear, and caddis larva to catch steelhead in the west. Matching the hatch is not as crucial as it is in trout fishing, nevertheless fishing a pattern that represents a common food source in the river being fished is necessary. Nymphing for Steelhead is more successful further inland, as it is thought Steelhead become interested in feeding after having been in the river system for awhile.


About the Author
Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and fly fishing guide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Company. Http://www.bigyflyco.com. He can be reached at info@bigyflyco.com. The above article will appear in the Big Y Fly Fishing E-Zine at Http://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html

Flies For Great Lakes Steelhead by Cameron Larsen

Flies For Great Lakes Steelhead by Cameron Larsen

As we stated in our article on Pacific Steelhead flies, the steelhead fisheries of the Great Lakes region has developed differently. First off the Erie steelhead has only been around a little over a hundred years. First planted in the 1880s, the steelhead nearly died off in the 1950s due to pollution in Lake Erie. But since the 1980s, intense stocking efforts by Ontario, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have been the reason for this area being nicknamed Steelhead Alley.

Erie steelheaders use a wide array flies in their pursuit of this most worthy game fish. One can classify them broadly in the same way trout anglers classify flies. In general the Erie steelheader carries a variety of streamers, egg patterns, and nymphs.

Steelhead feed heavily on schools of shad, smelt and other fish in the summer months. And when they first enter the river they have fish on their brains. Streamer patterns are the thing to start off with, when steelhead are first stacking up to make their run. Primary patterns used are the woolly bugger, Mickey Finn, Muddler Minnows and other streamer patterns. Dead drifted or swung they are deadly in the early months.

Steelhead consume lots of eggs in their lifetime. Especially in the winter, when suckers move up the rivers to spawn. The most popular egg pattern is the Sucker Spawn, with the Crystal Meth a close second. Egg patterns are generally bounced along the bottom. And are a good choice all winter long into March.

The last class of patterns fished for Erie steelhead is the basic nymph and beadhead nymphs. Like trout, steelhead consume lots of nymphs in their lifetime. The same nymphs that are popular for trout fishing are used in Steelhead Alley. With Hares Ear, Prince, caddis larva and stonefly imitations being the most popular. Buggy nymphs seem to work best, and although bug life is fairly dormant in the winter these are never a bad choice.

Some classic steelhead patterns from the Northwest are used as well, including the Green Butt Skunk. And in murky waters the Popsicle is popular along with other bright streamers.

After reaching the water, use some of the same techniques discussed on out other steelhead articles, clearer water go smaller and more subtle colors, high, murky water go brighter and larger.

About the Author
Cameron Larsen was a commericial fly tier for 12 years. He now operates the online fly shop The Big Y Fly Company. At www.bigyflyco.com

Do Fish See in Color by Cameron Larsen

Do Fish See in Color by Cameron Larsen

Fish do indeed perceive color. Every fly fisher knows that or ought to know that. Like humans, the retina of a fish have rods and cones. Cones are used in the day and rods at night. Color vision evolved to help fish identify potential food. In the environment of the fish, the background will either be the bottom, the water itself, or if looking up for food it could be the sky. The bottom is normally tannish olive to green. When looking across the water, the background appears pale silver blue. But if the water is off color due to algae or high water one must take that into consideration as well. Skylight becomes more important at dusk and dawn when it contains more reds.

Thus for opportunistically feeding game fish, flies with bright or contrasting colors and/or a lot of flash will make them stand out against the above mentioned backgrounds. The Mickey Finn, tied with yellow and red, and a silver body is one of the most effective attractor patterns. As for dry fly attractors , the Royal Wulff is still hard to beat, with its red and peacock body and white wings. Black flies, because of their strong silhouette also are easy for fish to spot. Lets not forget patterns that contain strands of flashabou or other tinsel that reflect light when stripped or while drifting through the current are easy for fish to spot.

The fly fisherman also must remember that color behaves differently in water that it does when seen in the air. Water is denser, and the colors are diffused quicker. Cloudy days where there is less overall light will offer less visibility, and colors will disappear quicker in the depths of the water. And the clarity of water obviously greatly effects this as well. This is important in fly selection because certain colors travel farther in low light than others. Red is the first color to disappear, usually at about 15 feet in clear water, followed by orange and then yellow. Blues and greens are visible to the fish as long as there is light. Yet silver and white will be brighter.

So while the Mickey Finn is obviously a great choice as an attractor fly, it would not be as good a choice in murky water or if fished deep. A better attractor might be a white Woolly Bugger or White Marabou Muddler.

Color is also important to remember when matching the hatch. Since fish use vision as the deciding factor to strike, ones offering must be the correct color. However, very small differences in hue seem to not be much of a factor as most insects will vary slightly in color as well. But if the intensity of color the artificial fly has can be a factor. If the artificial is more intense than the natural it is more likely to catch fish. Why this seems to work is somewhat a mystery. It is understood that fish see deeper into the ultraviolet range than humans, so perhaps they are just seeing something we dont. It could also be due to the effect water has on colors. Perhaps well never know, but like many things in fishing, why something works is not as important as just knowing that it does work.

While color is probably not the most important factor in a fish striking a fly. The above considerations are nevertheless a good thing to have in the back of your fly fishing mind.


About the Author
Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and fly fishing guide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Company. Http://www.bigyflyco.com. He can be reached at info@bigyflyco.com. The above article will appear in the Big Y Fly Fishing E-Zine at Http://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html

Choosing Steelhead Fly Fishing Gear by Cameron Larsen

Choosing Steelhead Fly Fishing Gear by Cameron Larsen

Like many things in fly fishing you can ask 10 different fly anglers a single question and youll get 10 different answers. Asking what steelhead rod one should use for fly fishing is no different. Every circumstance is different. And the answer varies with each situation. However lets try to get a generic answer so everyone can at least get started in this rewarding aspect of fly fishing.

RODS
Most steelheaders use at least a seven weight rod. And in fact that is my recommendation. There that would be the end of it, except for one thing. We, fly fishermen have a perpetual habit of complicating things. Choosing rods is no different. A seven weight, in my opinion is an ideal all around steelhead rod, that will work for any steelhead conditions. However if one is fishing out west in big water, under windy conditions, fighting bigger than average fish, then you will be cursing your seven weight rod in no time, as being too light. Therefore before you buy, think about the fishing you most plan to do. If your favorite river is large and the fish are big and the current is strong then seven weight will not be big enough, if the stream is smaller and the fish are in the six pound range than seven weight will be plenty. And some thrill seeking fly fishers will use six.

As for length, the absolute shortest rod I would use is 9 foot. With 9 and a half recommended, especially for weights over 7. Again think of the conditions and the same rules for weight, more or less work for length. Longer rods provide longer casts, and more control. Out west two-handed spey rods are becoming more and more popular for steelhead fishing. With roll casting often required. Two handed rods allow the longest casting and can lengthen the fishing season, when high waters would force one off the river, when using a single handed rod.

REELS
When playing a steelhead, the reel becomes much more than just a place to store your fly line. The reel needs to be reliable as steelhead switch directions instantly peeling off line. They need to be large enough to hold your fly line and 150 yards of backing. Large arbor reels are becoming popular as they pick line up in a hurry, when your prized steelie decides to run at you.

LINE
Erie steelheaders tend to use floating line as the rivers are smaller, they are perfect. If you would like a little boost in casting then get a weight forward line, marked by WF on the package. On big rivers one should carry a floating line and a sinking tip line, as the conditions change during the season. Getting the fly down to the fish is vital.

LEADERS
Most steelheaders actually make their own leaders. Using Maxima Chameleon more often then not. Tippets should be 0x or smaller, Erie steelheaders can go up to 4x on clear water days. But bigger river anglers should stay around 0x or .011 diameter to turn over the bigger flies, and to allow for strong arming the fish. For detailed leader recipes check our www.globalflyfisher.com.

Well thats it if you have never tried steelhead fly fishing you are in for a treat. Use this guide as a starting spot for acquiring the proper gear, pick up a few flies from www.bigyflyco.com and just add water.

About the Author
Cameron Larsen is a retired commericial fly tier and guide. He now operates The Big Y Fly Co. at www.bigyflyco.com