I just started fishing for Steelhead with the fly rod. I fly fish all summer long so I'm not that new. I have to ask a question that has been on my mind for some time now. If we/us use nymphs for summer time fish. Then why do we/us use such big flies for Steelhead. I was out yesterday and this thought came to me. I was thinking of putting a dropper on to see if it would pick up anything.. Jim S.

try a small glo bug pattern 16" behind your fly. I just tie off the bend of my main fly
works weel in a nymphing set up, I think it would mess you up if you are swinging flies cuz it would not swim properly

Jim-
Winter fish can be caught on nymphs but they are not as productive as some of your more classic steelhead patterns like your GP's and Marabou Spiders.

The warmer water temperatures of summer and fall make the fish alot more active and at times will trigger a feeding response that most likely is related to their days as juvenilles in the river. This aggresion and feeding response makes the fish very susceptible to items that they preyed upon as juvenilles such as nymphs. Also the low water of summer makes the fish very shy of big gawdy patterns and many times these patterns will spook them.

I know a guy who uses a black stonefly with rubber legs all winter and catches more fish than most! The will hit it if it's in front of them, and drag free.

They'll hit the smaller stuff. I ran into an old guy at Tokul a couple days back who was targeting whitefish with a small green caddis nyph pattern. He told me that he had a day a week or so earlier where he and his buddy took TWELVE winter steelhead from the mouth of Tokul on whitefish gear! This was a small green caddis larva, about size 10. Don't know if he was BS'ing or not.

I've taken steelhead on black stonefly nypmphs in spring summer and fall, but not in winter. I don't use fly gear too much in the depths of winter however.

My preferred fly for steelies? Why, a Silver Hilton, of course...

One of the favourite flies in Northern BC for winter steelhead is called the steelie nightmare.
It is simply a hot pink marabou tail of about 3 or 4 inches with a black spey hackle at the shoulder with some crystal flash on top.
It appears in the water to be a pink worm with a black active front end.