Just curious to see how others are getting there fly's down. For sure sinking type lines but what about weight fly on a floater. I've been using tube fly's this way with good success although it feels like i'm drift fishing. What about these sinking leaders with a short tippet, see guys doing this with good suceess. What else??? Give us a few secrets!

I haven't used a nymph system (bobber/floating line/weighted fly) for steelhead in a long time, and usually only on small rivers/streams like the tucannon, which you can jump across in spots. I use them regularly for trout, but not for the big boys.

I usually use an interchangable tip system. Type IV sinktip most of the time, 12-15 feet, short leader (maybe 4 foot max, 6 foot for super clear water) and a weighted fly that will sink about the same rate as my tip. It doesnt do much good if your line is at the bottom, but your fly is at the top, but what do I know?
I am just bored at work, and happen to be the first guy to reply..... wishing I was fishing. Steelhead season closes tomorrow and I am about to drive up and camp out for one last chance at some chrome metal.

headshakes,

I rarely use weighted flies. I don't like to cast them. I use a variety of sink tip lines. For steelhead fishing, I have several 15' tips I choose from. I have SA and Cortland Type II for slow or shallow water. I've been using SA Type IV - also known as Hi-Speed Hi-D since its introduction in 1977 as my main sink tip. About 3 years ago, I added Air Flo's super fast to better get the fly down in fast, deep water.

Altho I rarely use weighted flies, I'm tinkering with them again to use with a light double handed rod and double taper floating line. It seems like a good combo for nymph fishing smaller rivers, but I'll just have to see if I get the enjoyment I want from fly fishing while using it.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

Thanks lads for the reply,

When I left Seattle and moved to Ireland I sold all my drift gear and went fly only. Having a blast ever since. I have an Airflo line with the interchangeable tip system. I went with this to save money really. I don't need 5 different lines to fish on any given day. This seems to be working well for me with about 4 feet of leader, a 10 foot 8/9 weight. Was just trying to get some ideas. Thanks again

It must be a Rogue River thing ... I use weighted fly's (some very heavily weighted ... "otis bug") and almost all the rest will be at least a 'bead-head' of some sort.

Typically, 'we' use a two fly system here: heavy fly first and a smaller bead head on a trailer 2-3 foot behind. First fly (time of year dependent) will be a #4-#6, the trailer a 10-12.

In lower water conditions these will be fished off a dry line and long leader (13-18 foot); in heavier flows a single fly (wted) off either a sinking poly leader or a 15 foot head (even up to sections of T14 which does sink like a bloody rock!).

By and large, Rogue fish are 'bottom huggers' and rarily (sp?) hold off the bottom. You're down, or you're 'dead.'

I use a multy-tip system with type III and IV tips and sometimes weighted flies.

I generally don't like weighted flies howeber this winter i did fish with conehead string leeches. These however don't cast so much like weighted flies as the cones aren't that heavy and are very good at cutting through the wind. anyway when fishing small rivers like some of the Lower columbia tribs they are perfect for getting down a couple feet into the water column. You can do the same thing with heavy Iron hooks and sparce ties also.
Cast upstream and make a series of stack mends watching the tip of your line then fishinging it into the swing,

Couple of notes

1. fish this way in shallow slower water 4 feet is about as deep as you can expect to fish effectively

2. stack mends shoud be made so that the introduce slack right on top of the fly, this is what gains depth and if done properly even unweighted flies can reach the bottom very quickly, much faster than a sink tip. but it takes slower water to keep it there through the swing.

3 hooks for unweighted flies.. Mustad 7970, partridge 'M" NOT "N" n's have a really short point that doesn't hook fish well at all.
Tiemco also has a large heavy black salmon hook they make up to 4/0 but i don't know the number of it.

Here another view

I fish big rivers, I use T-14 (14 grains per foot) with dump bells (not all the time). Some places you need all that weight. In the summer time I still use T-14 not as much of it. My sink tips run 10 t. long (Ed Ward style) after useing Rio sink tip's for years Ed style is better! bar none!

Most of the guys I fish with change over to heavy sink-tip's and weight flys years ago.

Summer time I use both dry/sink-tips depend on the water temp. and water conditions.

You ask for a sink-tip secrets!
Never use a leader longer then 4 ft. if you use a leader longer then that your deffinting the purpose of sink-tip.

PS I use alot of tube flyies

.04

T-14 - 5-8 ft
Short leader - 4-5 feet max most of the time unless water is very clear.

Run silent and run deep !

FL

What happen to the thumb & finger post?

I like it!