Hey, All,

It's been a while since anyone posted a new topic on this board, so I thought I would break the ice.

I hope you weren't misled by the title of this post to think that I was posting a picture of a fly that consistently catches steelhead, but now that I've got your attention:

1. What is the one fly you would carry with you for winter steelhead, if you could carry no others, in the following situations:

a. Fishing a big, broad river like the Cowlitz?
b. Fishing a medium-sized river like the Hoh, with runs, boulder gardens, and deep holes?
c. Fishing small pocket water on a river like the Salmon?
d. Fishing a river like the Sol Duc, with all of the above?

2. What techniques (nymphing, swinging, stripping, etc.) would you use in each situation?

I plan to use your answers to derive the ultimate winter steelhead fly fishing plan of attack, just in time to sit back and reflect while all our great rivers get closed for the season due to low returns.

Happy holidays!

Agreed so far - hard to beat the egg-sucker, and the swing is the most pleasurable (if not always most productive) way to fish.

Anyone else?

My home river is very small, and characterized by basalt bedrock, ledges, and chutes. There is very, very very little cobble, or tailouts for that matter, and not swing friendly. For that reason, I primarily nymph it, and like to throw these is sizes #2-1/0.

That is one sweet pattern - I bet a size 1/0 is hard for just about any fish (certainly any that's spent any time in saltwater) to lay off. I bet it would absolutely slay sea-run cutts, too.

My favorite is a purple or black egg sucking bunny leech.
Dumbell eyes, chartreuse head and electric blue flashabou for flash.

Cop Car, Prawn, Intruder...swing or die

Thanks Chuck...they are a bit time consuming to tie, but you can't argue with results!

I spent a few days on the OP this past week with a friend. I brought the bug rod, but, didn't use it. I have a new Center Pin set up. That scud pattern looks like it would work real well either nymphing or on a CP set up. I may be tying some up for next months trip over there. Thanks for the idea.

Sam

I'd nymph a peice of yarn tied on a hook, but since thats absolutely no fun for an answer......
Hoh river Depth charge tied on a copper tube, she gets down and dirty

When are you gonna clean that @#$!@ up Opie!

Do you use a two handed rod with that fly?

Anything with movement and i would swing it.

Twitch,

Awesome looking crustation, care to list the tying recipe. It would be much appreciated.

OPfisher, killer looking large profile swimmer.

As for one of my favorites, I'm with stonefish, I like a colored bead head for an egg sucking marabou spider or bunny leech tied on a 60 degree jig/fly hook, The Fly Shop's, TFS 5444. Very versatile pattern, can be fished on the swing or nymphed and I like the up turned hook. Snags up less and has a good hook up ratio.

How about a slight modification/expansion to the original question.

1. Favorite pattern to fish.
2. Favorite pattern to tie.
3. Most effective pattern.

With respect to the original question, I tend to mix things up based on factors other than river "size" and/or type. More often, water conditions, what I know about the water being fished (depth, speed, micro-features), and it's likelihood of holding fish.

If I am working a piece of water rather than fishing on the go (gear or feathers) I typically start big and finish small while trying to achieve some sort of color/contrast change in the process. I like the way those intruder style flies look, along with anything incorporating some long and thick rabbit, rhea, peacock, or ostrich to get a lengthy, swimming profile. Action, action, action. If you think color matters, than it probably does. If you don't think it does, than it won't.

Whether fishing with gear or feathers, if I am working a piece of water, I typically start big and finish small, start flashy and bold and finish natural. In the case of feathers, big meaning a 4-5 inch fly or 10-12 mil egg pattern. Small meaning a classic spey pattern or 8 mil egg.

I am sad and glad to say, I haven't put in much time swinging flies for steelhead. In fact, I can count all of the steelhead I have hooked on the swing using three fingers. However, I nymph behind guys swinging flies for steelhead all of the time and usually out fish them 6 to 1 I have yet to witness the swing accounting for more fish than a dead drifted presentation. I am sure it has happened, perhaps with some regularity, but I haven't seen it.

My vote for most effective would have to go to a 10 mil egg pattern in bubble gum pink.

1. What is the one fly you would carry with you for winter steelhead, if you could carry no others, in the following situations:

Answer: My own version of Silvey's tandem tube fly in either pink or purple.


2. What techniques (nymphing, swinging, stripping, etc.) would you use in each situation?

Answer: I would swing. If the water is not fit for swinging, I would either pass it up and find better water, or fish with my center pin.

1. One fly for all winter on rivers a. thru d., I'd pick a size 2 marabou streamer. If I am limited to only one color for that fly for all season and all the rivers, I'll choose purple.

2. I've never caught a steelhead by nymphing, altho I intend to some day. I swing flies on rivers a., b., and d., and have found only a couple spots to do so on c., the Salmon. Consequently I don't fish there much.

I wouldn't use my fly pattern suggestion as the basis for a plan of attack. My suggestion merely answers the question of what to do if you have to get by with one fly pattern. I don't actually use a purple marabou much in the winter, but I know I could fish effectively with it and even nymph it with a split shot on the leader. And it's quick and easy to tie. When I go fishing, I'll just use whatever's in my fly box.

Sg

Hey Sky - was that you pinning on the upper Sky on Sunday?

Hey Coley,

If you're talking westside/OP steelhead rivers, you're probably about right dead drift vs swing.

Have you ever fished the Thompson or Snake?? I'd venture the swing will outfish the dead-drift by about that same 6 to 1 percentage.

Just different types of water.

As for the question, I tie to fish. I used to play with spey patterns - great fun if you're into tying. Green Highlander was one of my favorites.

Favorite to fish (in winter) is a ostrich and rabbit string leech with powerpro to a gammy stinger hook. Pink/white or orange/purple.

Most effective depends on season - summer or fall it's a modified soft-hackle with long pheasant tail fibers in subdued brown/yellow. Winter it's the above fly.

Guess "most effective" depends on what you fish a lot.

Tight Lines!

Brian

To maybe start an argument but all in good spirit: Is "bead" fishing really flyfishing just because it is on a flyrod?

I guess my real question is what defines flyfishing? Anything fished off of a flyrod ala Situk; all mono and yarn balls with splitshot? No lead unless tied on a fly? Only way to truly get fly into zone can be from proper mends and actual flyline/head with no extra weight added to leader or fly?

A plastic bead pegged above the hook (dont get me wrong here as I know the effectiveness as I stare at my dads 15+ lb upper Kenai bow from Sept 09) with split shot seems like drift fishing. Drift fishing is cool and way more effective on drift gear. If I throw a pink plastic worm on my flyrod and catch a steelhead how did I catch it? Does it even matter?

Cheers

As a matter of fact it was. I was just killing some time before going to the Sunday spey clinic at the Ben Howard boat launch.