I have discovered that some steelhead flies are better on some rivers, however don’t function so well on various other rivers. Several instances come to mind that helps to explain this reality. One occurred about 15 years back when I remained in Northwest Washington State fly-fishing the Stillaguamish River for steelhead. My friend Gordon that stays in the location and I arrived at the mouth of the North Fork early one morning and also I asked him, “Well what fly should I begin with this early morning?” His reply was “try this” as he offered me a fly from his fly box that looked like a fluorescent orange wooly bugger. In about 15 minutes I was into a good fish of about 10 lbs. To this particular day, that is the only fish I have ever caught on that fly, I have actually fished it on several other steelhead rivers below in Oregon without success. The Red Ant is one more pattern that seems to be a one-river fly. It’s a great fly on the Rouge River, however, for me, that seems to be the only river where it captures fish.
An additional curiosity concerning steelhead flies: A fly pattern may capture fish one year, and the following year, it simply does not seem to function As a result, if you’re going to fly fish a brand-new river for steelhead, better consult a regional fly shop or the regional fly fishing club and also learn what steelhead fly patterns are catching fish for that specific river.
I took place to be a company follower in confidence that you have for a particular fly pattern. For instance, when you link a fly on the end of your leader that you really feel excellent about, and also you get that unique “sensation” that it will certainly catch you a fish, possibilities are, it will certainly work. Likewise when angling obtains tough because of angling pressure and warm bright days, stay with the moment examined fly patterns that have actually caught fish throughout the years.
Needless to say, one of my favored Steelhead Flies is the Eco-friendly Butt Skunk. I tie it un-weighted in sizes 4 & 6, on a black coating up-eye fly hook. I consider this a good morning and mid-day fly as well as have actually also caught fish on it with intense sunlight on the water. Secondly is the plain Skunk with an all white wing, I connect it in sizes 2, 4, and 6 on nickel-plated down-eye hooks. I like the dimension 2 for winter season fish and also the 4 & 6 during late low light afternoons as well as nights for summertime fish. The number 3 as well as number four faves, would have to be the Umpqua Special and also the Orange General Practitioner, both of these flies are connected un-weighted on size 4 up-eye hooks. I such as to fish these patterns early in the early morning on the edges of quick currents using a sink tip fly line and a short leader. Pattern # 5 would have to be the Black Wooly Bugger dimension 6. I generally connect this fly weighted on a 4x long 2x strong down eye hook with a lengthy black marabou tail with a couple of strands of pearl flashabou as well as a black cactus chenille body with a black hackle wrap. The # 6 fly as well as one of my faves because of its versatility, is the Muddler Minnow as well as I link this fly on a # 6 down eye, 6x long hook. This fly can be fished damp with a trimmed cone head or it can be fishing dry or skated with a cut round head making use of a riffle hitch.
I utilize both weighted and un-weighted steelhead flies. Nevertheless, I really feel that an un-weighted fly has more motion in the water since it is influenced even more by the various present flows than a weight fly. Some sections of fly-only waters ban the use of heavy flies, so inspect the angling policies for those waters. However there are times when you just have to get the fly down on the bottom as well as a heavy fly might be required.
