# Steelhead Tactics



## GreatlakesCowboy (Feb 16, 2019)

To those of you that fish these river systems often and can pull a bright chrome salmonid to the surface, how many of you fly fish? 
I've been eyeballing techniques that might often best be considered a faux paus or ridiculous to the elitist fly fisherman. Chuck n' duck, a style derived from our beautiful state, has often crossed my mind. How many of you die hard winter fly fisherman attempt this technique? Even the harrowing attempt at maybe even euro nymphing a steelhead from the dark depths?

This thread has seemed a little dry since the Atlantics decided to fall off the face of planet, along with the barometric pressure. Any comments and ideas are appreciated.

Also, if it were up to you and you could only have one rig for the rest of your life to hook steelhead with, what would it be?


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## Wannabeeflyfisher (Dec 19, 2020)

I don't have the opportunity to fish all that much for Steelhead but have had luck floating egg flies under an indicator and I think, ear muffs for the purists, beads would be a great addition to your arsenal.


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

My favorite is swinging flies. It's not the most productive but it is very relaxing to me. Make a good cast, let it drift and then hang on for dear life if one hits. That's just me though. I've been fishing the Great Lakes and the rivers for 50 years so I'm not about numbers anymore. My last time out I took my Spey rod and caught a couple of Atlantics, took their picture, sent them on their way and went home. 

Chuck n Duck is more effective as is floating an egg under an indicator. Done them both but I just prefer to swing flies now.


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## Wannabeeflyfisher (Dec 19, 2020)

I just bought a closeout 7wt 11' 6" Redington Chromer and have yet to get out and use it. Hopefully will be able to this spring Steelhead season. Another learning curve to deal with but it looks like a blast.


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## GreatlakesCowboy (Feb 16, 2019)

Swinging flies as a whole seems like a difficult task in our great lakes state. The large, meandering rivers don't attribute themselves well to fish holding shallower in the winter. For those of you that do swing flies, how do you get down into those dark, deep holes in the winter? I have always been intimidated by the swinging/ spey style fishing. Technicalities get thrown into the mix like line grains, length, leader, and most importantly fly selection. 

Beads, arguably one of the most controversial flies... is it really flossing though? I like to think it depends on the leader length and presentation. As a die hard conventional tackle guy before stepping into the world of fly fishing, I could never understand why some days a steelhead would pick a bead over my bright, juicy spawn bag. 

Who knows, if we all did, everyone would catch steelhead.


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## Wannabeeflyfisher (Dec 19, 2020)

I think the flossing debate has more merit when discussing beads or egg flies on the C&D rig vs indicator presentation. Flossing to me, and it's just my opinion, is more of a concern or reality with Kings and how they behave in the river. I'm not sure a steelhead could be flossed. Anything is possible I guess but I think there are more efficient methods for steelies. As to spawn vs eggs, my only thoughts pertain to what's floating along on the river bottom at the time you are fishing and the scent aspect. I do believe that your mention of presentation is probably the key to success. I have read and watched many better fisherman than I say it ain't the fly but the presentation.


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## GreatlakesCowboy (Feb 16, 2019)

Wannabeeflyfisher said:


> I think the flossing debate has more merit when discussing beads or egg flies on the C&D rig vs indicator presentation. Flossing to me, and it's just my opinion, is more of a concern or reality with Kings and how they behave in the river. I'm not sure a steelhead could be flossed. Anything is possible I guess but I think there are more efficient methods for steelies. As to spawn vs eggs, my only thoughts pertain to what's floating along on the river bottom at the time you are fishing and the scent aspect. I do believe that your mention of presentation is probably the key to success. I have read and watched many better fisherman than I say it ain't the fly but the presentation.


I couldn't agree more, you stack up a dozen anglers on the shore with all of the same fly or bait and there is going to be outliers. Although I do believe more than anything else that spawn will outfish any other form of tactic. I think scent plays so much more of a critical role than noted. 

As for flies, flies fill the void in the questions that are asked about entomology. Bugs, plain and simple. Smolts that live a duration of their lives feeding on aquatic insects hone back in on these natal food items. I often ask the question, why would a 6 pound chromer choose a stonefly nymph over a creek chub. Natal food patterns. 

I have often committed the largest sin in fly fishing, placing a spawn bag on a C&D rig, does it work better than bobber dogging? I don't really know, but it's one more presentation to add to the arsenal.


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## Navydoc69 (Jan 24, 2021)

I have fished steel for about 40 years. Started drifting spawn bags and throwing hardware, switched to fly fishing for 30 or so years. Now I am attempting the centerpin route. If I had to choose one method to put meat on the table it would be drifting spawn/ chuck&duck.


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

GreatlakesCowboy said:


> Swinging flies as a whole seems like a difficult task in our great lakes state. The large, meandering rivers don't attribute themselves well to fish holding shallower in the winter. For those of you that do swing flies, how do you get down into those dark, deep holes in the winter? I have always been intimidated by the swinging/ spey style fishing. Technicalities get thrown into the mix like line grains, length, leader, and most importantly fly selection.
> 
> Beads, arguably one of the most controversial flies... is it really flossing though? I like to think it depends on the leader length and presentation. As a die hard conventional tackle guy before stepping into the world of fly fishing, I could never understand why some days a steelhead would pick a bead over my bright, juicy spawn bag.
> 
> Who knows, if we all did, everyone would catch steelhead.


I'll admit, winter is tough. That being said, the first one I ever got, on the Swing, was in February. 10 degrees out, dodging ice flows all day. Last spot I hooked up. I was fishing from a boat and if I remember correctly I was using a sink tip with straight t-14 MOW tip. A split shot about a foot above the fly which was a small sculpin pattern. Maybe 2 inches in length. Slowing down the drift and getting it deep is the trick. You never know though. I caught one on The AuSable last February in about 3 feet of fast water. 

Fall and Spring are definitely better. Fly selection isn't that difficult. Egg sucking leeches and bait fish patterns. Anything with copper. lol

The casting learning curve is a lot to try and figure out yourself. Best to go to a shop that will let you try different set-ups. My local shop has an annual Demo Days event and I took my 3 switch rods to the Scientific Angler tent. I paid for a lesson and the guy grabbed every line they had and we went through them all to find the perfect set up for me and the individual rods. Worth every penny. After that it was just a matter of practice. I'm not afraid to ask questions either. I bought a 7 wt Echo spey rod and the first thing I did was contact Echo to see what lines they recommended. 

There is also a Spey Rod Forum under the fly fishing techniques thread.


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## GreatlakesCowboy (Feb 16, 2019)

Navydoc69 said:


> I have fished steel for about 40 years. Started drifting spawn bags and throwing hardware, switched to fly fishing for 30 or so years. Now I am attempting the centerpin route. If I had to choose one method to put meat on the table it would be drifting spawn/ chuck&duck.





mfs686 said:


> I'll admit, winter is tough. That being said, the first one I ever got, on the Swing, was in February. 10 degrees out, dodging ice flows all day. Last spot I hooked up. I was fishing from a boat and if I remember correctly I was using a sink tip with straight t-14 MOW tip. A split shot about a foot above the fly which was a small sculpin pattern. Maybe 2 inches in length. Slowing down the drift and getting it deep is the trick. You never know though. I caught one on The AuSable last February in about 3 feet of fast water.
> 
> Fall and Spring are definitely better. Fly selection isn't that difficult. Egg sucking leeches and bait fish patterns. Anything with copper. lol
> 
> ...


I recently moved into the area after fishing south east michigan tribs and lake erie for a long time. I currently run centerpins and spinning gear quite frequently and every so often I will throw a fly rod around for a while just for the charismatic qualities. If you had one technique to utlilize in NE michigan for steelhead, what would it be? The fish I have come across these past few months have been larger and much more intelligent than their lake erie cousins. 

Also, if you could do it all over again, what fly rod for steelies and atlantics would you choose?


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## Navydoc69 (Jan 24, 2021)

10ft 8wt fly rod with type IV 10-15ft sink tip. Love when a fresh cromer smashes a swinging fly.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

I fly fish for them quite a bit. Sure, there are many days (maybe most) where floating bags or cranking hot n tots will do better, but I think overall with all the varying tactics available such as stripping streamers, swinging flies, indy rigs with nymphs, bottom bouncing, chuck n duck or tightlining, you can do well and have many options for many different presentations and fly patterns. It's fun to experiment with how versatile fly fishing tackle can be. 

As for people thumbing their noses at some methods as not being "fly fishing," who cares. I get that there is some argument that anything that is not fishing with a dry fly, unweighted nymph or classic streamer is not "fly fishing," but I could care less. In my personal opinion, fishing with a fly is fly fishing, and there are many sliding scales as to what can be called a fly. Sometimes I throw heavy flies I tied on a spinning rod. Am I fly fishing? Who knows, probably not, but who cares. Sometimes I use my fly rod with a spool full of mono and tight line a marabou jig that I tied. Is that fly fishing? Probably not, but it works and it's fun, so who cares. I have found floating stone flies I thought up and tied myself under a damn centerpin setup is more interesting than the guy that may be down stream of me giving the centerpin dirty looks thinking he's a purist using a 9' fly rod, fly line and some wooly buggers he bought from the store, but he just doesn't get the drift--pun intended. Some people just find fishing for anything watching a bobber to be boring, and only find fun watching a stripped or swung streamer, and that is totally understandable (because it really is awesome). 

Whatever you enjoy and you find to be productive presentations (and is legal) should be just fine with you, who cares what other people think. Lots of goof balls in the fly fishing world. 



GreatlakesCowboy said:


> Even the harrowing attempt at maybe even euro nymphing a steelhead from the dark depths?


I use this technique and it is great. It doesn't always work as good as other methods, but sometimes it's the only way to get the flies down to where they are without using chuck and duck (which I don't find to be that much fun). You will need a very senstive, long rod that is capable of throwing heavier nymphs than normal trout ESN and also has enough back bone to keep a steelhead out of the wood.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

I think the flossing complains come from guys that don't like the idea that I'm catching fish and they aren't. I must be cheating somehow.


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## GreatlakesCowboy (Feb 16, 2019)

Lamarsh said:


> I fly fish for them quite a bit. Sure, there are many days (maybe most) where floating bags or cranking hot n tots will do better, but I think overall with all the varying tactics available such as stripping streamers, swinging flies, indy rigs with nymphs, bottom bouncing, chuck n duck or tightlining, you can do well and have many options for many different presentations and fly patterns. It's fun to experiment with how versatile fly fishing tackle can be.
> 
> As for people thumbing their noses at some methods as not being "fly fishing," who cares. I get that there is some argument that anything that is not fishing with a dry fly, unweighted nymph or classic streamer is not "fly fishing," but I could care less. In my personal opinion, fishing with a fly is fly fishing, and there are many sliding scales as to what can be called a fly. Sometimes I throw heavy flies I tied on a spinning rod. Am I fly fishing? Who knows, probably not, but who cares. Sometimes I use my fly rod with a spool full of mono and tight line a marabou jig that I tied. Is that fly fishing? Probably not, but it works and it's fun, so who cares. I have found floating stone flies I thought up and tied myself under a damn centerpin setup is more interesting than the guy that may be down stream of me giving the centerpin dirty looks thinking he's a purist using a 9' fly rod, fly line and some wooly buggers he bought from the store, but he just doesn't get the drift--pun intended. Some people just find fishing for anything watching a bobber to be boring, and only find fun watching a stripped or swung streamer, and that is totally understandable (because it really is awesome).
> 
> ...


It's one of the few worlds left in fishing I believe where a man can have the upper hand due to his own ingenious ideas or tactics. As you mentioned, the world of steelhead fishing is extreme, diverse, and of course die hard. There is not much on this planet that gives as much prowess as the king chromer. I love hearing about all the different ideas and methodologies of this heartfelt and driven game we play. 

If you intellectual gentleman could pick one memory from your days of steelhead fishing, what would it be? 

I often gaze back upon the first chromer that I ever laid eyes on, bright strawberry and purple flanks drawn across a translucent silhouette. Lady Lake Huron treats most of us well and brings back the fondest of memories. Although my steelhead career began on the banks of the Lexington harbor, freezing your ass of seems to be a pretty common occurrence.


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

GreatlakesCowboy said:


> I recently moved into the area after fishing south east michigan tribs and lake erie for a long time. I currently run centerpins and spinning gear quite frequently and every so often I will throw a fly rod around for a while just for the charismatic qualities. If you had one technique to utlilize in NE michigan for steelhead, what would it be? The fish I have come across these past few months have been larger and much more intelligent than their lake erie cousins.
> 
> Also, if you could do it all over again, what fly rod for steelies and atlantics would you choose?


I'd still go with my 11'-6" 7 wt Redington Chromer Switch rod. That rod has been my workhorse both in the Great Lakes and Alaska. It's small enough for the Alley and big enough to handle most situations on the Great Lakes. I have yet to tangle with a 10+ pound plus fresh steelhead so I can't really say how it will hold up. I did land a 20 pound King in Alaska with it but it took me almost 30 minutes to get him in and I thought that rod was going to explode. I broke the tip on it the next day and when I sent it back to Redington they sent me back a brand new rod. Can't complain about that.

BTW, here is a pic of the fly I got my first steelhead on. As I said, there wasn't much to it and it was tied on a cotter pin.


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## Wannabeeflyfisher (Dec 19, 2020)

Glad to hear you like the Redington Chromer. I bought the same one but havent found the opportunity to use it yet. It is a closet queen at the moment. Looking forward to getting out soon to try my hand at casting it. Any tips or info on the rod would be welcomed, even if its DM so that this doesnt hijack the thread.


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## Tunaman (Apr 17, 2006)

After 55 years of steelhead fishing the one fly I would pick for the rest of my life is, tiny orange yarn egg


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