Speaking of steelhead setup...

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

I’m just getting into fishing for steelhead with the fly rod. I know, its a deep dark path I’m walking down, but it must be done.

My question is, what kind of indicator setup do you guys like the best? Floating, or sinking etc. How do you tie on your flies. Dropper flies? Weighted flies? etc. How much tippet? The questions are endless… I’ve seen people tie on soooo much stuff I wonder how the heck they ever fling it out there.

What works best for you?

I’ve fly fished for quite a while now, but I’ve only targeted trout in the smaller waters or ponds, so any info you have would be awesome!

Thanks!

2

Hehehehehe, you are quite the comedian. What kind of indicator set up? You cast straight out, swing it in, and when your arm is practically dislocated from its socket you are INDICATED that you have a steelhead on!

3

Thats what I had in mind! Then I see everyone with all this stuff on their line…yarn, and foam, and a bunch of knots, and a handful of flies… well maybe not that bad.

But I am totally new to steelhead on the fly rod, so am just curious

4

I have not done alot of steelhead fishing with the fly rod and I myself have never used an indicator of any type. And I have never seen anyone using any type of indicator for steelhead. But maybe that is just where I fish. You won’t need an indicator to know when a steelhead has your fly. You will see them take it or you will feel them hit it. Where I fish you cannot use weighted flies. I just tie on a fly and start casting. The few fish I have caught took the fly as it was skating across the water at the tail end of the hole.

Rocky

5

Yes, Dirtnerd, you’ve evidently “seen the desperate brigade”, out steelheading!?!
No, just kidding. Unfortunately, there are as many “theories and sure fire tactics”, put out about Steelhead fishing as there are dry fly patterns.
When I lived in Idaho and fished the Clearwater River, for almost 20 years, there were certain "gotta-have-to"s, that especially the members of my fly club, up there, adhered to. “Only certain lines would work”, “only certain flies would work”, you had to keep your “CAT” ballcap cocked at 19.76 degrees, over your left ear, or you’d scare off the fish for 30 miles…
Now, I fly fish for Steelies, here on the Oregon coast. Totally different tactics, different plans and a "whole slew of new "gotta-have-to"s.
I ran into, two, different fine gentlemen at two, different times while out steelheading many years ago. One, while still in Idaho, the other gent while steelheading in Washington state.

Both, gentlemen, I was fortunate enough to fish with on these meetings for the better part of two days and neither adhered to the "gotta-have-to"s both Idaho and Oregon fishers were always so adamant about.
No, special knots, no 3’ of yarn, no bobbers. They taught me to dry fly fish for Steelies, too. “Upriver, swing, let ride, strip in”, was as complicated as it got!

And, as Elkhunter mentioned, so did they… “When a Steelhead takes your fly, there’s NO NEED for anything, to tell you, YOU’LL KNOW IT”!

So, following the great advice of both these men, I chucked all the “voo-doo”, I’d picked up and made Steelheading as simple and as enjoyable to me as my Trout fishing and have never regretted it.

One gent, Alec Jackson, taught me to use a fully floating line, 9’ leader and to “watch my leader to line connection, for strike indication, when fishing wets”.
(the only time, in big water, you may NOT KNOW when a steelie inhales your fly!)
Trey Combs, the other fine man I’d met, taught me how to use a long rod, (10’ X 6wt.single hand rod), as an effective steelhead fishing tool and to fish the “Bomber”, “The Steelhead Bee” and few other dries.

So, for me, anyway… Steelheading stopped being so “complicated” and became quit easy, really!
A good, quality, well made rod. A quality reel with a GOOD drag system. For wets,I use a conventional, floating line. For fishing dries, because of the their size and air resistence, I use a wf/6/f Bass Taper, fly line, to turn them over. (and, handy in the wind as well).
Now, all of this, works FOR ME ONLY and my NOT work for you, at all!?!! You’ll have to read up a bit, perhaps. Try a few things. BY ALL MEANS, gleen as much info off THIS SITE as you’re able to, also.
Ask as many questions as you can think of!
Just have FUN with it and enjoy!

6

This should help out with the dropper setup.

7

I actually do use an indicator for Steelhead, usually with egg flies or nymphs. Cast upstream, dead drift, watch the indicator. This works great in places not suited to swinging. I make the indicators out of polypropylene macrame yarn. Have a loook at his article http://www.westfly.com/feature-article/oldfeatures/feature_18.htm

I don’t use the right angle setup in the article. I prefer to be able to easily adjust the indicator up and down the leader.

8

I have caught several hundred steelhead using an indicator and nymphing, far more than I have using “traditional” tactics such as swinging a green butt skunk. There is really no difference between nymphing for steelhead and nymphing for trout, nor between swinging a streamer for trout and one for steelhead. And not all steelhead hit solidly, although when swinging flies, that is a common take. Nymph takes can be oh so subtle, just as with trout.

Stick with a 7 or 8wt setup to start, find someone to fish with who can show you the ropes, and LEARN WHERE THE FISH ARE IN THE RIVER. I see way too many steelheaders standing where they should be fishing and vice versa.

9

That’s quite a subjective question.

I started with a 9’ 8wt that I bought from a man I consider my fly fishing mentor. I am 4 years into fly fishing and own 7 fly rods, a float tube, 2 pairs of waders and 5 or 6 reels.

Buy as much rod as you can afford. I recommend the Stowaway combo from Cabela’s. It’s a heck of a set-up for a beginner.

10

DG has the right idea, finding the fish and reading water are the 2 main things. Depending on your experience with big crazy fish, you can go as light as a 6 wt. I use a 9’ 8wt and a reel with a GREAT drag, very important. I probably use an indicator (the expensive word for bobber) 75% of the time, high stick 20%, and swing a streamer 5%. High sticking is just nymphing without a bobber. I fish the Lake Erire tribs and if you have a few nymphs, some egg patterns, and #4 to #10 Buggers (black, brown, olive, & white), you are covered. Check out the Erie Steelie flies at the madriveroutfitters.com. One “pattern” I’ve noticed is smaller and more natural colored flies on bright days and clear water and larger and darker flies on dark days and stained water. If I had to go to only one fly it would be either the Rummel (?) Mini Bugger or Jim’s Lil BH Bugger. Hope this helps.