I salmon and steelhead fish in small to medium sized streams. I need some good flies and some good fishing tactics. I fish L. Michigan in Northern michigan. I tie my own flies so a recipe would help a lot
This site has a lot of flies with patterns for salmon/steelhead
http://www.angelfire.com/wa/salmonid/patterns2.html
I don’t know what it is like where you fish but in Idaho this time of year we fish the seams. steelhead don’t tend to lay in pockets of still water, not enough oxygen for them the water that is moving at about a med fast walk is ideal. Especially if it is right above really fast water or on the edge of a calm pool. I would concentrate on those and use a floating or sink tip line with a dark fly on dark days or a bright fly on sunny days. Weather will have a lot to do with the bite as well. You want it on the colder side. Don’t know if this helps you but I hope it does.
I agree on fishing the seams and fairly quick water. If there are fish in pools they usually are resting, they will just move aside when your fly passes. I have had the best luck with dark flies in black or purple. Orange has not worked for me.
My belief is the steelhead do not look up. All the fish (not that many but…) I have caught have been near the bottom (and also near a steep bank if there is one). So I second the use of a sink tip or else putting lead eyes or coneheads on your efforts.
PS. I fish in Ontario.