Need some ideas

[Slate_Drake_9]

I'm heading up to the Salmon River in New York in late April or early May to fish for the drop back steelhead. I've only fished for them in the fall and winter. What types of flies are most effective that time of year and does anyone have a good pattern they can suggest for me to tie?

Thanks in advance.

[Heritage Angler]

Hi Slate - Aside from the usual stuff like stoneflies, try one of these bad boys out. I started using them many years ago after a fish yacked up a few when I netted it. Probably not a lot of folks chucking these which may contribute to their effectiveness:

https://madriveroutfitters.com/pc-45...furmiskys.aspx

[Slate_Drake_9]

Thanks for the info.

[Jack Hise]

Slate Drake;
Last year a FOTW was a Reverse Spider that was tied for Steelhead. Warren scaled it down to 10's and 12's and it works great in fast water for Trout too.
Basicly a soft hackle with the hackle facing forward. I think it gives a bit more of a swimming/breathing action in faster water.

[Slate_Drake_9]

Hmmm? Never thought about trying them for steelhead. I've used them in some of the faster waters for trout with pretty good results.

Any thoughts on colors for the steel? For trout, I typically use different shades of olive, brown and orange.

[Jack Hise]

Here's one. Colors can be varied.

[Bobinmich]

My favorite steel head fly rig is an undertaker #8 with a nuke egg dropper. Undertakers are a little fancy so if I get tired of tying them, I tie a #8 pheasant tail nymph. Works just as good but I like undertakers because they are cool - but the fish don't care.

Godspeed,

Bob

[flybinder]

SD9;
Here, on the West coast, for metalheads, I use, three flies only for our 3 various runs...
The Knudson Spider, tied in yellow, orange, green. The Green Butt Skunk and the already mentioned Reverse Spider.
The only change I make on any of them, in with the Reverse Spider: I don't use forward facing hackle, I change that and use Amherst Pheasant instead, facing forwards.Right behind, the Amherst, I tied a small collar of grizzly hackle, to keep the Amherst, on retrieve, from folding back over the body of the fly and to make it stay more "erect".
"The Fall Favorite" and "Skykomish Sunrise" are 2 more, I'll use, but only when the rivers are high and way off color.

[WarrenP]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but...

Paul,

Just read your reply and in my head I can see your reverse spider as you described it, but, I would appreciate it if you could send me a picture of it either by PM, E-Mail or post it here. I think it is a pattern that I would love to tie up and try here on my fish. I really enjoy using the reverse spider and it has and will produce many fish. Not many people here, that I have given that fly to, will use it and they make up their minds that it will not work just by looking at it. Too bad, but, it is their lost and my gain!

Once again, sorry for the hijack...

[Chris Jacobs]

I steelhead near the Buffalo tribs but have fished the Salmon in Pulaski. Have a full compliment of size 6-8 wolley buggers, egg sucking leaches, clouser minnows (emerald shiner pattern), sucker spawn, glo bugs.

You would be suprized on how picky the chromers can be for color. Last years spring run, I was killing them on brown wolley buggers with a black bucktail and emerald clousers. That's not usual but I had change quite a bit in order to get the correct color.