Howdy,
Reading a couple of threads on the finer detail's of fly-fishing for Steelhead, I'm interested in your view's of fishing a floating line, indicater and weighted fly. The old school on the N.F. seem to have a real problem with this method(i.e. Damn jig and bobber fisherman) I've fly-fished since my youth, scoring countless Cutt's.(Sea-run &resident) never guessing I could hook Salmon and Steelhead like I can with this technique. I don't get carried away using a 6in. dink (perfectly legal). A couple in., gives that easily mendible dead drift, so's not to have to rely on an aggressive swing across take. Thank You for your thought's on the subject.

It is a very effective way to fish.Many people actually tie their flies on jig hooks.As far as I know, this is perfectly legal.
I prefer to fish the traditional swing with a sinktip but will sometimes use the "jigfly" method. Throwing heavy flies with a dry line is just not that much fun for me.(especially if you hit yourself in the back of the head with the fly).
My only gripe about indicator fishermen is they tend stand in one spot and not move through the holes in a considerate manner.Remember a few years ago when they closed down the area around Deer Creek? Everybody knew the fish were there and just pounded the crap out of the hole with their jigs until Kraemer shut it down.

After many years of trying other methods (other than casting flyline, at which I'm pretty mediocre)-- including spending heaps of money on IMX-type rods -- I'm convinced that the best way to hook and land steelhead in swift (4-5 mph) water is to spool up a fly rod with mono, pinch on split shot 18"-36" above the fly and 'chuck and duck'. You can either cast 45 degrees upstream and glide it or across and swing w/ morre weight to hold it down. It's an inelegant cast but the sensitivity with the line under the index finger is unmatched -- no need for strike indicators here -- plus the cast can be metered out to the exact inch, which helps if you're throwing to fish tight against cover. Of course, you still get the great pleasure of fighting the fish on a fly rod with a single action reel, too. (But the fly snobs will still look down on you.)

You could commit an even greater heresy by chuck n' ducking a jig and float, too, using fly gear. Last November I started a day out with a guide on the Feather River with a floating line, strike indicator, split shot and egg pattern. After a half hour I thought that this was a poor imitation of chuck n' duck. I figured I'd rather try my new float rod and if that didn't work, spool mono over the flyline and go to C & D. After I switched to the 10 1/2' float road, re-spooled my baitcaster with 6lb line and used the same terminal gear but fished it like a jig I had 12 hook-ups on the day. Never did get to C & D that day, but I could have done the same or better with a fly rod mono, I'm sure.

I started using a indicator flyfishing for steelhead in the littler creeks by my house since wet fly swing was pretty hard in such a small area. Now i like to use indicators on rivers because i'm more used to fishing that way. Only problem i have with fishing this way is certain flies can be food for smolts and flies for steelhead and in that case make sure to go barbless.

Strike indicators are useful in determining the speed of the fly's drift in relation to the stream's flow. The faster currents will be on the surface where your floating line is; your weighted fly, of course, will be near the bottom. The line will most often be moving faster than your fly which then results in drag. Since the objective is a drag-free drift, the indicator gives a good picture of what your fly is doing in relation to your line and the surface current.

I think there is a general misunderstanding or lack of awareness of this reason for using an indicator. The popular term "strike indicator" doesn't help matters any although it is true an indicator can be used to signal a strike.
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Fly Flinger
"...Release All Wild Steelhead..."


[This message has been edited by Fly Flinger (edited 05-07-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Fly Flinger (edited 05-07-2000).]

Boy what a tame response compared to what I've seen on the North Fork Stilly. Only in anonymity will I admit to 'flybobbing'. Lets here from the traditionalists!

[This message has been edited by obsessed (edited 05-08-2000).]

This is a mute point that we should not be talking about. Washington DF&W allows the use of indicators if you look at the definition of flyfishing. Les just drop it!!
-Ryan

Ok I have a couple silk lines, cane pole and hand tie my flies (fiancee won't sacrafice the cat for leaders). How far back must I go to be a traditionalist. Oh ya I have a some of that modern stuff also.

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Marty
www.steelheader.net
marty@steelheader.net