How do you fish streamers?

[cea]

I don't agree that its necessary at all to lean into the rod to set a streamer when trout fishing. I fish size 2 streamers alot and catch quite a few 20 inch plus fish, and nearly every fish hooks itself. The bigger fish hook themselves so hard that the trouble is not setting the hook, but giving enough slack so the leader doesn't break. Most of the fish take the streamer while its either tight on a swing, or being stripped in. There isn't slack line like you'd have dry fly or nymph fishing, so the resistance from the fish sets the hook hard.
Not sure about the trout you're hooking that need a hard hookset, but those in my local rivers feel the hook and take off setting the hook themselves. If I yanked on the rod at the take, the leader or the rod would likely break.
Perhaps its short strikes rather than a weak hookset, or some really dull hooks?

[MR.JML]

I use a Scientific Anglers Full Sink with all streamers (exception is with nymphs & trhen a sink tip with a Hank Roberts nymph streamer leader).
a lot of times use an erratic jerk strip to trigger strikes.

[pspaint]

I usually fish them off a shorter, stout, tapered leader, usually 6-7.5 foot, maybe up to nine foot in deeper water. I also use sinking leaders quite a bit too. With those, I run 3-4' of a level fluro tippet section. With these two systems, I can run a floating line and change my set-ups accordingly. It's far more versatile than using a sinking/sink tip line.
As far as streamer size, I say, go nuts! Experiment with differing sizes and weights. I usually run streamers in a 6-10, with either a bead head, cone head or lead eyes.
Remember, when casting them, to open up your casting stroke to allow them to turn-over.

[John Rhoades]

Here's another technique that I often use, and it's a bit more like fishing nymphs than streamers.

I prefer to use a weight forward floating line, from 5-7 wt, and a 9'-9 1/2' rod. If I can weight the streamer when I tie it, I often do so, plus I often put a couple split shot 1'-2' up my leader.

I'll ordinarily cast up and across the river at about a 45 degree angle, hold my rod up high above my head, and let the fly sink as close to the bottom as I can. I pivot to face downstream, and lower my rod as the fly moves downriver toward the end of the drift, and hold it steady as the fly raises off the river bottom and swings across the current below me. When the fly is fully extended in the current below me, I'll strip it back toward me.

If I don't catch fish that way, I vary the depth, the strip back in (sometimes I bring the fly downriver, sometimes straight across the current, sometimes stripped slowly and sometimes as fast as possible, etc.

The truth is, there is no right or wrong way to fish streamers.

John

[Gramps]

This is a question just out of curiosity. Don't get upset. I know this is a fly fishing forum.

Do you ever fish streamers with a spinning rod? If you can be honest enough to admit it. What method do you use?

[gadabout]

I never have, but I would think they'd be hard to cast on a spinning rod unless they were weighted. I suppose you could fish them downstream if you got into the stream and waded. I rarely see spin fishermen wading though.

[jkilroy]

Litehen55, do you think the technique would also work for medium-small streams in Pa? Ihave the book and it focus on large waters.

[fcch]

I noticed a post about setting the hook and needing a stiff rod to do it, ... Actually I don't seem to have trouble setting hooks.

Then again, I don't JUST use the rod, ... When I set the hook, the rod goes one way, my left hand goes the other. I set the hook as much with the stripping hand pulling on the line as the rod motion.

Streamers, ... don't be afraid to strip the line! Mix up your retreive. I'll use slow figure 8 retrieves then go to a galloping srtip all n the same run.

If you get a bump, but no take, ... strip FASTER. Don't give those big bruisers time to inspect your fly. ... And HANG ON!

[darrell]

Here's my coppers worth to mix all the other good info. There really isn't a right way or wrong way to fish streamers. If you can find the fish (depth, curent, etc) ... you can figgure out what your set-up has to be like

You can use a floating line with a 15 ft leader, or 6 ft .... use a fast or slow retrieve ..... cast upstream, downstream, across or 1/4 it this way or 1/4 it that way.

The thing is - in any fishing situation - if you can get your hook to the feeding zone of the fish - that's 95% of the solution. The other 5% is up to the fish .....

darrell,

[Litehen55]

My experience is limited to these specific circumstances, but I have fished smaller streams with buggers and convential streamers by casting across and swinging with an occasional twitch as the fly is crossing. It was successful but not really targeting bigger fish specifically or only fishing streamers.
Most of my fishing for trout is in April through September on wading streams and trying to fish drys when I can. Always have caught fish on streamers, just never fished them exclusively or tried to target big fish only.
Have done well in the Northern lower of MI and UP as well as WI on black nosed dace, spruce, matukas and buggers. But usually fished them as a "filler" rather than the main game. Still love to see a trout take a dry if they are willing. Most of the rivers in northern MI that I frequent, the number of times you can fish to a large rising fish are relatively small. Hex hatch, drakes, hendricksons, isos maybe night fishing.
Normally, a good fish to me is a 12-16" fish and although I have gotten better at catching them, getting lots of fish in that size (or bigger) is tough unless you can fish everyday or from June through the 4th when the big bugs are out. I still have to work, so I can't go every day, and then it is still somewhat dependent on the weather, when the bugs hatch, temperature, etc.
More than anything, the trip opened up for me a opportunity to try something new, see it work, and use a time of the day (mid-day) with no hatches to maybe catch a big fish. I don't think I'll abandon fishing in waders or with dries, but its cool to see a expert who can teach you a system and have it all work.