Its difficult to generalize about winter flyfishing. On good days when its sunny and the air temperature is 5 degrees warmer than water temperature;flyfishing can be more effective than bait. The presentation should be much softer than with bait or lures,and leaders without weight can be worked into very small slots and potholes. If you can induce the steelhead to turn and follow the fly and if you can keep the fly speed low you have a descent chance of getting him to strike. Few flyfishermen realize that you can stop a fly in its drift and indeed work it back upstream with proper line mending. Too many flyfishermen think that the purpose of mending is merely to keep the line straight and tight. Not so; Good line mending requires slipping line during the full arm mend which is realy an extended arm side roll cast. Often two rolls in quick succession are reqired to move the heavy section of the line into a position where the current acting on the line will drag the fly sideways and upstream. While a single pass of the fly may not induce a follow ,when the fly passes several times in quick succesion it may well induce the fish to follow .
A similar technique can be employed by two baitfishermen using wool and corkie drifters. They work their way downstream side by side casting ther lures about ten feet apart .In about 90 percent of the cases it is the second lure closely following the first which will attract a follow and a strike
However on cold or overcast days the fly is a second choice. About the only solution I find effective under these circumstances is the addition of bait to the fly. small pieces of worm,maggots or Scots Dough can activate an otherwise zippered fish.
While I have no real proof I firmly believe that the slow leaching of pickling salt into the water can spark the normal saltwater feeding instincts of a steelhead.
coot