Steelhead…how eay are they to catch and how do you? What about egg patterns dead drifted along the bottom? And I would like to catch fish kind of often and not stand there for hours and catch at most one…what should I expect?
DeaDrift,
Flyfishing for steelhead is fishing for single or solitary fish and not a school of fish. What you want to do is learn how to flyfish catching trout, bluegill, crappie and some people even fish for carp.
If someone could teach you how to catch steelhead, that would be great!
The worst fishing day of my whole life was a guide trip I took yrs ago to learn how to fish for steelhead. We fished all day in hot weather and came up with a big ZERO!!! What did I learn?? How to MEND my line and get heat stroke at the same time!!! Wow! what fun!!!
You know your in trouble when your experienced guide doesn’t catch any fish. It was interesting to listen to his 200 Merc jet run as we went upriver. It sounded like a washing machine. I’m probably wrong but whoever decided to take the prop of the outboard and attach a jet pump, must not have liked mechanical things very much.
Dream about catching steelhead in your spare time and learn how to catch smaller fish first.
Doug
Doug…Can I call you doug? If not im sorry…I can catch other fish, and I understand what your talking about with the single fish thing…But from what I heard is that when steelhead come up the creeks to spawn they do not take food as much…that they are very finicky(sp)…can you hook them really quick with dead drifting eggs and cast and retrieve streamers.
DeaDrift,
You can call me Doug. There has always been arguments about wether steelhead eat when they enter streams.
I have witnessed on two fishing trips, steelhead actually eating.
One fish rose to the surface and ate my dry fly and on another trip I watched my brother hook a steelhead on the Nestucca river when the fish ate his crawfish meat offering. That steelhead went crazy and jumped 3 times and threw the hook.
If you want to bait fish for steelhead then I would use eggs, sand shrimp or crawfish meat.
There is someone on this BB that I think could help you and that is Chris Chin. I think Chris is busy fishing but you might be able to e-mail him and see what he thinks about flyfishing for steelhead. He lives in Canada and I think he fishes for Atlantic Salmon. Look for one of his posts and look at his profile. Chris is one of the best posters on this board.
Also do a web search about steelhead fishing and you will see some amazing photos of British Columbia Steelhead.
Good Luck!
Doug
You have picked a hard nut to crack for your first fish if it is that?
I fished for Steelhead for a lot of years back when we use to make our own shooting heads with leadcore line. You can have 20 fish in a pool or run and see them and never get them to take anything you offer. Or you may take a fish or two. That is up to the god’s that be and to your ability to cast and fish your flies the way they should be fished.
I guess what I am saying is don’t expect to catch fish your first few times out. If you do you will be very lucky if fishing on your own. Best take a guide and make sure it is in the best time to be on the stream you pick.
We use to have a guy that would call us when the fish were in. In so doing we would not drive for 15 hour’s for nothing.
It would be best to have the right equipment before you hit the rivers for Steelhead to. Without it you will lose a lot of fish. You can find that information on web-site for the area you are going to fish. Different areas like different equipment and have different way’s to set it up. I would suggest having a reel that will handle at least 150 yards of 30 test backing plus the line. If you don’t have that and hook up with the wrong fish you will for sure lose your line and probably your backing to. Trout equipment does not work well for steelheading Period. Yes there are those that use it but it is not the best equipment for the job and will cost you a lot of fish in the end.
If you are expecting to catch fish when Steelheading and being new to fishing for them good luck. You will be a lot better off fishing for other types of fish.
Like you have been told read all you can and try to learn from what you read. There is a ton of information on the net for you to go over before you hit any streams. If you were in the west you would fish much differently than you will for Great Lakes fish. I have done both and they “Are” very much differnt styles of fishing. I think the Great Lakes style of Steelheading is much easier. But that is just my opinion.
Just to show how it can go. We were standing on a small bridge over a small stream in Northeastern Wisconsin, Just shooting the bull. One of the guy’s kicked some small gravel into the pool under the bridge and I will be danged if a Buck of about 8 pounds didn’t move so we could see it. I grabbed my rod and went down and flipped the fly over that fish and he took on the first cast. That was the only fish we saw all day and the only one caught in two day’s of hard fishing. I have a picture of that fish over my tying area. I hope this gives you the idea. It Ain’t easy my friend. Be prepaired for that. If you don’t you are bound to be disappointed. Good luck. Ron
You can have good and bad days fishing for Steel or any fish for that matter - no matter how experienced you are. Fly fishing requires patience. I think you need to be prepared to spend time learning the process rather than looking for what might be considered instant results or gratification. Enjoy the mystery, learning and accomplishment of the sport.
I can sort of answer this question with a resounding; maybe, if your really lucky. I started Steelheading about 4 years ago on the great Lakes tributaries (Wis. mostly) and for the first 2 years all I did was a lot of casting and mending practice. Yup, that?s right a grand total of zero fish in two years of trying. Granted the season is rather short (in comparison to other species) for that fish, but still. What I did that greatly improved my catching vs. just fishing was to pick a river system and learn it and learn it well. I picked up a couple books that helped me to figure out likely holding spots, habits and just a general idea of how Steelhead are born, migrate and things like that.
If I had it to do over, I would do it just the same as I have learned many significant things, and I did it on my own which to me is far more satisfying then going with a guide. But if you don?t have the time and you have the money, then by all means get a guide, as they will sort of ?fast track? you to all the things that I learned by flogging water.
One thing that I had to learn and accept is that having a 1 or 2 fish day is really a good and satisfying day, any more then that would just be more then I could ask for. They just aren?t like resident stream trout where one could have a 20+ fish day.
As far as what flies to use, really depends on the conditions. For our (my) Steelhead waters, low and clear usually means small nymphs and egg patterns, and this usually occurs in the early part of the run. High and stained waters will find me swinging streamers and leech type patterns. Spring time when they are dropping back is really a good time as they become hungry and will smack a streamer pattern swung. The only thing about spring Steelheading for me is I don?t care much for trudging through thigh deep snow to get to good waters, but that?s just me.
Bottom line; learning to read the water is key to success.
Just my experience,
Mike
Interesting post…I don’t believe I have ever seen the words “steelhead” and “easy” in the same sentence… 
Dead drifting egg patterns or nymphs with split shot and an indicator is, IMO the worst way to catch steelhead. Not because it isn’t effective - you’ll hook your share of fish - but because this method targets the most lethargic fish in the run. That is, the ones who are resting from just having moved into a holding lie or (more likely, given the obscene amount of fishing pressure on WNY steelhead creeks) has just been caught and released and is in need of rest.
Fishing a streamer-type fly (wooly bugger, egg-sucking leech, etc) either weighted or on a sink-tip targets the most aggressive fish, the one that’s well rested and full of p*$$ and vinegar. He’s the one that will show you what steelheading’s all about and more than likely test your backing knot. An egg or nymph usually won’t get this aggressive fish angry enough to strike, but a #4 bunny leech in his face will. Virtually every time, the wet-fly hooked steelhead will outfight the egg-hooked one.
The best reference books on steelheading I know of used to be available from (FAOL sponser) Amato Publishing (they may be currently out of print) - Greased Line Fishing for Salmon (Jock Scott) and Dry Line Steelhead by Bill McMillan. Pay special attention to the chapter on “Deep-Sunk Fly” in the Scott book, and while McMillan writes about West Coast fishing, his advice applies to Great Lakes fish as well.
If all you want is numbers, fish eggs. If you want to call yourself a proper steelheader, use proper flies. I’ll get off my soapbox now. 
If you’re fishing Great Lakes tribs, the fishing is relatively easy. The creeks are usually not large raging rivers and, due to stocking, some get enourmous runs of fish. Fishing a nymphing rig with small egg patterns or nymphs will hook plenty of fish. Streamers will also be effective. Keep in mind typical Great Lakes fly rod steelheading is very disimilar to western steelheading. In most cases you’re not seeking out a couple of solitary fish in big water. More likely, you’ll be fishing over pods of 10 or more (often much more) fish that are holding in a well defined lie.
In short, Great Lakes Steelhead are numerous, easily accesable, and easy to hook. If you can catch trout on streamers and nymphs, you can catch steelhead in the east.
Western Steelhead are not so easy.
Kev
My advice is to hire a guide. Let the guide know what you expect. I would suggest to really pick his brain and ask alot of questions. I would set your expectations a little lower, I’ve had some great days when I caught many steelies but thats not the norm (for me anyway). I know there are rivers that have high numbers of steelhead and your chance of hooking alot of fish in a day is very good, Lake Erie tribs in western Pa for example, so you may want to look into a trip there.
I disagree that fishing for west coast steelhead is much different from great lakes. I’ve caught many steelhead using west coast techniques.
Grsdlnr although I prefer swinging streamers and speys (wich I do about 90% of the time)more than drifting egg and nymph patterns I’ve never felt like it was more “proper”. I think swinging streamers is actually easier than fishing nymphs. Just because you hook less fish doesn’t mean it’s harder it’s just less effective. That style of fishing targets very aggresive fish and anyone who is lucky enough to swing a fly in front of it will probably hook it and has a greater chance of landing it because of heavier leaders and generally a more solid hookset as they usually slam them and hook themselves. You can have you soapbox back now.
Turk
I didn’t realize it was so easy in Pennsylvania, I should move there. :lol:
http://www.orvis.com/intro.asp?subject=298&dir_id=&cat_id=&group_id=&bhcp=1
http://www.steelheaduniversity.com/index.html
Here are a couple links you might find helpful.
Gary
Hi, I fish the Lake Erie tribs and have been fishing steelhead with the flyrod for 3 years. It has been fun to learn to fish for them and I had my first big year this past spring.
Here goes: I fish mostly 18 mile creek, above route 20 or at the mouth. The go-to pattern here is the white bead-head, size 6 or 8 wolley bugger. It catches more fish for me than any other fly. That said, I use these other patterns and have had good success with them. Egg sucking leach, black and pink; black wolley bugger, deer hair mouse, clouser minnow, white and olive, crawfish, glo bugs, pheasant tail nymph and rabbit hair nymph.
I fish these mostly dead drift with strike indicator. I sometimes use a tandem rig with a glow bug and nymph or wolley bugger. The flies are fished near the bottom of the creek. I use a 9’ 3x leader, 6" to 8" of tippet (Berkley Vanish flourocarbon) tied from the hook bend of the glo bug to the nymph hook eye, using a fishermans knot on the hook bend and non-slip knot on the nymph. This gives the nymph a more swimming-type motion during the drift.
Expect to not catch alot of fish your first couple years…you will have to learn the creek as well as the techniques. Also watch other fishermen to see how they do it. The good ones usually make it look easy, I usually talk to them and find out what works for them. I also keep a journal on my flyfishing and refer to it based on when I’m fishing.
I have yet to learn Cattaraugus Creek as 18-Mile is only minutes from my home. I can hit it before first light and be home by the time most fishermen show up to the holes I fish.
I love fishing for steelhead and do so at every opportunity. Hooking a monster steelie is a hoot and great fight! It is my go to fish and I am excited about fishing for them in a couple of weeks!
UPDATEthe steelhead are in the creek, you should try them now. It’s as good a time as any!
They are in the mouth of 18-Mile, small but at least they are there. I fished for them today and saw several rise and a few jumpers. Silver for sure, fat after their summer feast and ready to be caught. Didn’t hook up but ready to give it a try again this week!
I would like to catch fish kind of often and not stand there for hours and catch at most one
That is the funniest thing I’ve read in a while. Standing around for hours, days even weeks without a tug is steelheading. If you mean what you said, steelheading isn’t for you.
Ha, ha, ha, ha…I felt the same way as you when I started steelheading 7 years ago; I wanted instant and frequent gratification for my casting efforts, and zero fish days were NOT acceptable (even through they were a reality for awhile).
Many good points were presented for your consideration, but the two that stand out for me are “Learn to read the water” and “Fish Wooly Buggers.” Once I learned WHERE the fish would most likely be based on how the water was moving through a particular stretch of the stream, then the challenge was in the PRESENTATION of the fly to the fish. For me, my “confidence fly” has been the Olive Wooly Bugger with furnace hackle. I carry a rainbow of buggers with me, but olive/furnace and white/grizzly have caught the most fish for me. I tie them all on Mustad 9672 in size 6 & 8, and weight them with 10-14 wraps of .030 lead wire to get them near the bottom and to compensate for strong currents. I carry many other flies because of my obligation to support the local fly shop, but I mostly fish buggers.
A guide will definitely help shorten your learning curve, but finding a veteran steelheader and making friends with him will provide many hours of companionship and learning all in one package. Always remember to offer to buy the beer at the end of the day.
Good Luck and welcome to the love-hate relationship with the “Silver Bullets.”
Year 1: (N.W. IN) Iced guides, numb fingers, stiff knee, shivers up my spine, wet hat, wet jacket, runny nose, stinging wind. Score (0).
Year 2: (No. CA) Numb fingers, stiff knee, shivers up my spine, wet hat, wet jacket, runny nose, stinging wind. Score (0).
Year 3: (Sac. CA) Sweaty neoprene waders, smelly neoprene waders, kayakers & rafts every 5 minutes. Score (1)
Steelhead = fish of 1,001 casts.
Can’t wait for this year’s season.
Not sure where this video was shot but since you’re in NY, it should be pretty close to what you can expect…
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid … ly+fishing
Chris, If you fish the Erie tribs frequently then I guess you probably know (but others may not realize) that the stream water is most likely too warm right now for a successful C&R. When the water is 70 deg F or more a trout has little chance of surviving even the best executed C&R. I have seen fish swim up stream this early in the season and then die off due to a warm spell that raises water temps. The fish try but can not get back to the lake sometimes due to lower water levels. Obviously, if they are destined for your dinner table this does not apply. Eating fish from Lake Erie? That is another health issue altogether…