Went out today for my first attempt at fly fishing for steelhead in Washington. Third cast fish on, 5# chrome brat hen to the bank. Two cast later fish on, 7# chrome Brat hen to the bank. In the next 20 minutes I hooked and lost two more chromers then I went home. Got back home after 50 minutes on the river and had hooked 4 winterruns on the Fly rod. 20 other guys on the drift I was on and I was the only one who hooked fish in the hour I was there.

Who says flyfishing dosent catch winter steelhead. I can barely even cast It dosent look pretty but I can get it out there.

Rich-
Congrats!!! You've probally got 95% of the flyroders beat when it comes to how long it took them to get their first steelie on the bugrod.

Rich,

Shows to go that catching steelhead on the fly is pretty much the same as fishing with gear. Put it in front of them, as with any properly presented bait or lure. With water conditions like this, they aren't going to be too choosy. I have fly fishing friends who don't cast very elegantly but consistently catch a lot of fish because they know what good steelhead holding water looks like, when the fish are in, and they put the fly in front of the fish.

Congratulations!

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

These wernt my first steelies on the fly rod just my first Washington steelies on the fly rod. I caught a bunch of wild ones up in Alaska a couple months ago. Used the same Tech down here and it paid off. Im fishing different than most people do Floating line 9' tappered leader and a couple #7 split shot about 3 feet above an egg patern to get it down. Works good but some people would argue that it really isnt fly fishing.

talk about pat yourself on the back

It pays to be humble sometimes!!

Timber Man, I was just trying to point out that Fly Fishin can catch em just as good or better in some situations as conventional gear. Truthfully I didnt see anybody else hook a fish while I was there. Like I said before on the right pocket at the right time using the right thing. I fished a fresh spot that dosent get fished as by looking at it you would never know there was a nice pocket. Everbody else was below me fishing a meat hole that got pounded all day. I didnt mean to say that I was a better fisherman, I was just in the right place because I knew about it and they didnt.

I just bought an 8 wieght with the hopes of fooling a steely with it.I figure the bigest problem is going to be getting the fly down to the winterrun.I realy debated about conventional or spey.It was some good old boys down at goodings that talked me out of the whole spey.They basicly said if I wanted to go fly fishing buy a fly rod.If I wanted to go drift fishing with a fly pole get a spey.I finally saw a spey in action this weekend.I don't agree with those boys any more.Looks to me like a spey is the answer to fishing steely's on the west end.Especialy when your banking it.Seems to get rid of the whole casting in the tree's problem too.Damned expensive though.Congrads on the steey's.

Hey Rich, I was just tellin ya"Oh lord it's hard to be humble".... Unless your me "When your perfect in every way"

Just kiddin!!!! tryin to bring ya down to earth!!!!!TM

Rich:

I know you are a good fisherman Rich, but I do agree with that being more driftfishing than real flyfishing. Still no small accomplishment; especially with the other guys not hooking up. But that is what many of us veteran fishermen call "Jim Teeny" fly fishing - in other words, drift fishing with a flyrod.

Read Bill McMillan's book on steelhead flyfishing to find out how to best catch truely fly caught winter steelhead. He does it with a floating flyline and heavy wire size 2 hooks with brite multi colored feathers; no added lead in the flyline, leader, or in the fly itself. He casts upstream and works perfect mends to get the fly down, and knows how to recognize a none swing bite. It's really tough. I've only hooked one true fly fished winter steelhead. The others were drift fishing with a fly rod. Not that there is anything wrong with that at all; except it's easier to use a conventional rod to drift fish and land them too. That's why I long ago put the steelhead flyrod down for the winter and use it on summer steelies.

RT

Boy was that a bunch of truth ..Can't wait to learn how to fly fish now.I'll be 100 before I learn how to do all that.

It doesn't always work that way rich. What happened is that you had a hot pattern. This happened to my dad about four years ago. He'd get a strike every five casts while the people using conventinal tackle might get three in a day. If you don't mind me asking what pattern were you using. E-mail me if you don't want to share it with the others. By the way were you the guy that sold me that 796 RPL+ Sage its awsome!!!

Ironfisherman,

Nope never sold you a rod. The patern I was using was an egg patern with some Mariboo out the but. I iied the Mariboo in first then the Egg. Nothing more than a simple leach looking thing, or a jig if you were float fishing.

ItlCELO. Check out the glommis web site. They have some spey rods that don't break you. Under $400.00. Unless that is too much also or maybe you could build your own which is still cheaper. Jim S.

Personally the split shot thing...you don't need it. I've been fishing one of Columbia river Tribs the last month and been catching a few steelhead throwing my fly rod and right now its working better than bait..
I use floating line with a 10-12' leader cast about 11 o'clock and put a big mend in the line. And doesn't seem to matter what fly you throw they will take them all.

Nik-
If you are fishing a Columbia river trib you are most likely fishing for summer-runs in warmer water. This combination creates very aggresive fish where you can get by just fishing a dry line and a sub-surface fly.

It is a totally differnt game in the winter, especially with brats!

Thanks jim I will take a look.I think I might make one.I have made two other rods and they have become special.Cabelas has some good deals to.I bought a budget 8 wieght and got to use my buddies yuppy rod.What a differance.I havent spent over a hundred dollars for a rod ever.I think that is about to change.Don't give up on me I do own a lami.Thanks again. Nikkomutt is that you?If it is i'll be home after 8 maybe even sober ha ha

[ 11-28-2001: Message edited by: ltlCLEO ]

Ryan..
The water temp last week was 41 degrees and i was fishing below the surface with a weighted fly
hey Greg

Hey Nikkomutt-

Lose the weighted flies, man. Use a floating head section and attach a light 10 to 14 foot type 6 (four to six inches per second sink rate) sink tip. Unweighted flies swim with the currents (tossed about as they move around boulders, cobble, etc.). Fish the flies as you would a spoon on the downstream quarter swing...and hang on!! Try large (3 to 5inch)black, purple or hot pink bunny strip flies. They hit them like a plug. Winter steelhead love swung flies!

Weighted flies are nothing more than jigs. Pretty soon you'll turn into my editor if your not careful!

:p

Hey Spoonman, thats a cheap sounding toss at old Frankie. I think I'm an indirect disciple of his wayward flyfishing strategies. Guess I've been hit by the SW Washington non-purist bug. Probasco just shakes his head when I start tossing my "jigs" around on the local steams...whatever works!!! Glasso would not be proud! :p

CnD-
But the first time I ever saw the bobber and jig with the bugrod method used for steelhead was in a picture in one of Steve's articles.

I actually used to believe you were Steve because of your moniker and the fact that you live in Raymond.