Starting with steelhead flies?
- Thread starter coastalcutty
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coastalcutty
Steelhead
I imagine I'm in the younger group on this forum (mid 30s). It's been a while since I didn't research something on YouTube before jumping in, at least to some degree. But especially with fly fishing, I never had a mentor to show me so YouTube was the best I could get. Nothing is better than experience though, so it's a good gateway, but then you've gotta jump in an figure it out
I'm in the same boat.. I get frustrated when all I can find is a 20 minute video when what I'm really just looking for is a material list / recipe for a pattern. The video age is great for learning to tie, or maybe a specific technique that you might be struggling with. But once you know how to tie you just want the material list so you can get to work!
FinLuver
Native Oregonian…1846
The best part…
When ya take what ya learn…
And find a rhythm all your own and the creativity flourishes.
Most definitely. One of the beautiful things about them is that you can add weight either below the fly and put the hook on or above the fly. You can fish the same fly all day at all depths in the water column from surface to ticking the bottom just by tweaking the weight.
Another nice part is you can just shove them in a pocket with no need for a fly box. I keep my steelhead tubes in sections of clear vinyl tubing.
If I were just starting the thing of steelhead flies, I would start with a couple simple patterns that use simple (cheap) materials that appeal to you. My first steelhead (a winter) and a number of others came on a simple yarn fly some 60 years ago. Like many in the steelhead came over the next 10 or 15 years the search for that magical fly that would consistently produce steelhead for me. Some time in my second decade I learned some lessons that I now pass on to those beginning down the path of chasing steelhead with flies.
Those lessons are there are 4 major factors in success in your chosen game of catching steelhead on a fly. One of course is that magical fly, second is an understanding of steelhead, their life histories, how they migrate, what sort of water they use, etc. The third is how your chosen river(s) accommodate the steelhead and their needs while in the river. The fourth is how to present your fly to the fish and what presentations are most successful. Of the 4 aspects of this steelhead game IMHO the fly used is by far the less important. Most any fly that you have confidence in will produce fish - just keep them wet!
The other 3 are the most difficult but fortunately there is a lot of information that one can read and discuss with fellow anglers. "Book learning" will get one well down the road of understanding the fish. The presentation piece has information available. In addition to supplement that presentation piece I would spend some time fishing with a dry line and an unweighted fly. This allows for a two-dimensional presentation that is readily visible to the angler. Spend time watching your fly noting how it swims at various angles, how the fly responds to various mends. Once you understand how the fly is presented on the dry line you are ready to move on to the sinking line trying to visualize how your fly is swim based on what you learned with the floating line.
The final and most difficult piece is learning how the fish use the various types of water. Basically, you are trying to predict to predict where the fish will be. Bottom line typically we find roughly 90% of the fish will be in (either traveling or holding) in 10% of the river. Your goal is to learn enough to be able to spend 90% of your time fishing that 10% of the water. Our very best steelheaders have perfected this ability to a point where they can confidently walk into a new or changed piece of water selected that high percentage water. Those that have gear fish have a step up in that learning process only in that they are likely to encounter more fish (getting feedback). Once one understands where the fish maybe that the final step is learn which of those locations (and when) are best suited to your chosen method of attack.
A final comment with the lower abundance of steelhead on most waters today it just takes longer to amass enough encounters to get the needed feedback to refine your game. Have fun with this whole process in one of the most challenging and most rewarding of many of us consider the ultimate in fly fishing.
Curt
Those lessons are there are 4 major factors in success in your chosen game of catching steelhead on a fly. One of course is that magical fly, second is an understanding of steelhead, their life histories, how they migrate, what sort of water they use, etc. The third is how your chosen river(s) accommodate the steelhead and their needs while in the river. The fourth is how to present your fly to the fish and what presentations are most successful. Of the 4 aspects of this steelhead game IMHO the fly used is by far the less important. Most any fly that you have confidence in will produce fish - just keep them wet!
The other 3 are the most difficult but fortunately there is a lot of information that one can read and discuss with fellow anglers. "Book learning" will get one well down the road of understanding the fish. The presentation piece has information available. In addition to supplement that presentation piece I would spend some time fishing with a dry line and an unweighted fly. This allows for a two-dimensional presentation that is readily visible to the angler. Spend time watching your fly noting how it swims at various angles, how the fly responds to various mends. Once you understand how the fly is presented on the dry line you are ready to move on to the sinking line trying to visualize how your fly is swim based on what you learned with the floating line.
The final and most difficult piece is learning how the fish use the various types of water. Basically, you are trying to predict to predict where the fish will be. Bottom line typically we find roughly 90% of the fish will be in (either traveling or holding) in 10% of the river. Your goal is to learn enough to be able to spend 90% of your time fishing that 10% of the water. Our very best steelheaders have perfected this ability to a point where they can confidently walk into a new or changed piece of water selected that high percentage water. Those that have gear fish have a step up in that learning process only in that they are likely to encounter more fish (getting feedback). Once one understands where the fish maybe that the final step is learn which of those locations (and when) are best suited to your chosen method of attack.
A final comment with the lower abundance of steelhead on most waters today it just takes longer to amass enough encounters to get the needed feedback to refine your game. Have fun with this whole process in one of the most challenging and most rewarding of many of us consider the ultimate in fly fishing.
Curt
coastalcutty
Steelhead
What kind of weight are you adding? Is this split shot, or some kind of sliding lead? Something else?
Also, the hook is tied directly to the leader, then run through the tube, and tied to the main line? What knot to the hook? Does it matter? Does the tube/fly slide up the leader ever? I guess maybe not cause it's swinging to the current pulls it to the hook knot?
Lots of elementary questions here, apologies
coastalcutty
Steelhead
Great post, I appreciate you taking the time on that! I've read a number of books which really upped my knowledge and lead to results. I've heard the advice to fish a floating line and even a skater more often, at least to get a feel for how the fly swings and interacts with movements, as you mention, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it. It's hard!
1. Sliding weights like egg weights or beads work best, as split shot can bugger up your line.
2. Run the line down through the fly and to the hook. Depending on the hook and how you want it to ride, you may change your knot. If you’re using junction tubing it doesn’t matter a ton because you just jam the eye of the hook into it. I like non-slip loop knots in that situation because if the hook breaks off 19/20 times it’s in the loop which spreads out and keeps the fly on. Clip the broken bits, tie on a new hook, and you’re back in business without losing a fly.
3. The fly doesn’t come loose unless you’re in a fight, but when it does it tends to climb the leader and get out of the way, leaving just the hook. With the right tube hook (short shank, etc) there’s less leverage on the hook during the fight and it tends to stay hooked longer and more easily. The fly climbing the leader also means that it doesn’t get as chewed up.
coastalcutty
Steelhead
Got it! I especially like 2 and 3. I'll buy some tubes to try them out and look into tying some as well. Thanks!
What materials do you have? I might know a guy who might know a guy who has been tying steelhead flies since before you popped into this world and has several closets stacked full with totes of materials that he will not live long enough to even begin to put a small dent in. He may be ready to start figuring out where portions of this collection should go. Apparently there was too much love involved with selecting and choosing these items to even consider just selling to the highest bidder as some here would be tempted to do.
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For sh, nayat/snowrunner, flash, marabou, grizzly hackle, dubbing, elk hair, and bucktail are about it for me.
All of my tying equipment and materials (aside from one of my vises) fits into one of these. Everything.
Tailwater Fly Tying Kit
The Tailwater Fly Tying Kit offers more for professional tyers and beginners alike. Whether you’re spinning up flies on the road, or your family is just sick of you turning the dining room table into your tying office, organization and accessibility are key. The Tailwater Fly Tying Kit offers...
fishpondusa.com
RCF
Legend
I gave up on fishing for steelhead in 1999. I quit because of declining numbers and has become even more so. The fishing for them has been closed on numerous watersheds. While I can understand wanting to fish for them, WA. state's fish, I do not see why someone would focus on flies for them.
Maybe WA state fish should be bass...
Maybe WA state fish should be bass...
Just as hunters are the most invested and active in protecting the wildlife they hunt, steelheaders are some of the most invested and strongest advocates for protecting steelhead. With the non-fishing public not prioritizing their protection or even knowing they exist, one could make the argument that if people stopped fishing for them the steelhead would be the worse for it. The sea run cutthroat that occupy a huge place in my heart and daily life are local proof of this concept. Because they aren’t a commercial fishery, they don’t attract the money and press of salmon. Lay folks tend to be ignorant of their existence, while those who fished for them sought, won, and continue to pursue protections and research that have massively benefitted their populations.
Also, fuck bass. Yes, they’re fun to catch, but for the most part they don’t belong here. Something that was shit out of a bird or dumped from a bucket shouldn’t be our legacy. Steelhead evolved here, or if you believe differently they were put here by our creator(s). Once they are gone we will never get them back. Hatchery fish aren’t our inheritance and aren’t an unbroken chain stretching back through the beginning of time.
Edit: Invested not Intvested.
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coastalcutty
Steelhead
Currently none, looking into a vise and tools, then plan to get the materials for a couple patterns specifically and not much else in the beginning.
PM your mailing address and I'll see that you receive a bit of a care package of materials to get you started.
coastalcutty
Steelhead
Incredibly generous! PM incoming
Mossback
Fear My Powerful Emojis 😆
Me too
Getting some basic techniques down on larger hooks, and gradually tying smaller flys seemed to work for me.
Lots of great advice in here. My best piece of advice for a beginner would be to make sure you leave more space than you think you need for your heads on unweighted patterns. Nothing more frustrating for a new tier than laboriously working through the steps to create a good-looking fly, only to get to the front and realize you don't have space to tie in your collar, let alone a head. This is a bigger issue with small flies, but it can be surprising how even a long hook shank or tube can run out of room for a clean, secure finish.
As an aside, a lot of traditional salmon/steelhead hooks are up-turned eye style. Depending on the fly pattern, tying your tippet directly to an offset eye can cause your fly to swim in ways you might not want. One way to address that is to use a Turle knot (or similar knot designed to align the tippet with the hook shank). That sort of knot usually gets seated behind the hook eye, so you need to have a little extra room in front of your head to tie it. Just one more reason to leave a little more space than you think you need for the head.
Have fun with your new addiction.
As an aside, a lot of traditional salmon/steelhead hooks are up-turned eye style. Depending on the fly pattern, tying your tippet directly to an offset eye can cause your fly to swim in ways you might not want. One way to address that is to use a Turle knot (or similar knot designed to align the tippet with the hook shank). That sort of knot usually gets seated behind the hook eye, so you need to have a little extra room in front of your head to tie it. Just one more reason to leave a little more space than you think you need for the head.
Have fun with your new addiction.
