STEELHEAD FLIES
STEELHEAD FLY FISHING AND STEELHEAD FLIES
Steelhead are native to the West Coast of North America and to the Kamchatka Peninsula region of Russia. Steelhead were also planted in the Great lakes in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and now there are several steelhead runs in the Great Lakes watersheds. Even though the Great Lakes Steelhead Alley steelhead are the same species as the West Coast fish, the methods and flies for hunting them have evolved along their own lines. This evolution can be observed just by comparing the popular West Coast Steelhead fly patterns to the equally popular Great Lakes Steelhead Alley fly patterns. However, both groups of flies and the methods for fishing them will often work on either coast, so don't get stuck in a "regional rut" when you're on your favorite steelhead river.
Steelhead are anadromous (living in the sea and spawning in freshwater rivers) fish that were long considered to be sea-run Rainbow Trout. However, recent reclassification of the species has established the sea-run steelhead as the normal state for Rainbow Trout. Steelhead have been reclassified as members of the Pacific salmon family, and have been renamed Oncorhyncus mykiss (formerly Salmo gairdneri). Fortunately for fly anglers, the Steelhead don’t know that they’ve been reclassified, so they still take the same flies.
Steelhead are anadromous (living in the sea and spawning in freshwater rivers) fish that were long considered to be sea-run Rainbow Trout. However, recent reclassification of the species has established the sea-run steelhead as the normal state for Rainbow Trout. Steelhead have been reclassified as members of the Pacific salmon family, and have been renamed Oncorhyncus mykiss (formerly Salmo gairdneri). Fortunately for fly anglers, the Steelhead don’t know that they’ve been reclassified, so they still take the same flies.
TOP TEN BASIC WEST COAST STEELHEAD FLIES
By The Staff at The Fly Fishing Place
There are thousands of steelhead fly patterns out there today, and every one of them will entice a steelhead to strike at some point in time and on some given river. We have always maintained that steelhead fly fishing is more about the fish than about the fly. Once an angler understands the rhythm and magic of anadromous salmonid migrations, and once an angler learns to read rivers that foster steelhead runs, and learns how to read tail, riffle, pool, run, and time of day, water temperature, turbidity, flow levels and light conditions on the water that influences steelhead to be where they are on a particular day in a particular year, and learns and lives the cycles of the seasons that influence their prey, and once the angler learns to present a steelhead fly in a manner that a steelhead in any given mood will approve of, only then (after a few lifetimes) is it time to worry about fly patterns. Until you have a few seasons on the river, a few basic steelhead flies that can be fished with confidence are a necessity. Isn't it comforting to know that these are patterns that have taken thousands of steelhead? Yes, there are dozens of other great patterns that could go on this list, but that's the beauty of fly fishing, isn't it!GREEN BUTT SKUNK
FERRY CANYON
POPSICLE CONEHEAD
PURPLE PERIL
SKYKOMISH SUNRISE
EGG-SUCKING LEECH
UMPQUA SPECIAL
STREET WALKER
SPAWNING PURPLE
UNDERTAKER
ABOUT MODERN STEELHEAD FLIES
Fly
tying styles for steelhead patterns have evolved over the last few
decades in two interesting directions: The first towards sparser, more
stream-lined versions of the bulkier traditional wet flies ties of the
past, and the second towards larger, high profile flies that have been
made possible by innovations like the tube fly
and the stinger type of tie. These larger flies are tied with methods
that allow the use of smaller hooks that don't damage fish and that
allow the fly to cast and swim much better.
Much of the leaner style of tying on traditional steelhead wet patterns is due to the development and refinement of greased-line fly fishing for steelhead. A less bulky fly just performs better during the greased-line presentation. As a very general rule, larger, slightly heavier dressings are useful for winter steelheading, and sparser dressings are the rule for more aggressive summer fish. Of course, no fly styles are more subjective than steelhead patterns, and if you ask 10 different fly tiers to produces a Green-Butt Skunk, although the basic colors will all be the same, you will most likely get 10 slightly different styles of tie. Most likely, when fished with moderate skill, all 10 flies will catch steelhead.
We recommend that steelheaders, especially beginners, worry less about their fly patterns and more about learning to read rivers and how to cover them with good casting technique. A modest selection of dark and bright patterns in a couple different sizes will get you on the river where you can start learning when and where the fish are. After you have learned that, you can begin refining your fly selections to match your knowledge and confidence levels.
There are several patterns that have moved and hooked steelhead for years on almost every river and under almost every condition, so start out fishing these with confidence while you hone your water reading and casting skills. On this page you'll see a short list of our favorites. They are proven flies and you can fish them with confidence. Also, check with the local fly shops or fly fishing clubs where you're going to fish. You will often find them to be a wealth of information, although don't expect them to give away all the secrets of their home waters!
Much of the leaner style of tying on traditional steelhead wet patterns is due to the development and refinement of greased-line fly fishing for steelhead. A less bulky fly just performs better during the greased-line presentation. As a very general rule, larger, slightly heavier dressings are useful for winter steelheading, and sparser dressings are the rule for more aggressive summer fish. Of course, no fly styles are more subjective than steelhead patterns, and if you ask 10 different fly tiers to produces a Green-Butt Skunk, although the basic colors will all be the same, you will most likely get 10 slightly different styles of tie. Most likely, when fished with moderate skill, all 10 flies will catch steelhead.
We recommend that steelheaders, especially beginners, worry less about their fly patterns and more about learning to read rivers and how to cover them with good casting technique. A modest selection of dark and bright patterns in a couple different sizes will get you on the river where you can start learning when and where the fish are. After you have learned that, you can begin refining your fly selections to match your knowledge and confidence levels.
There are several patterns that have moved and hooked steelhead for years on almost every river and under almost every condition, so start out fishing these with confidence while you hone your water reading and casting skills. On this page you'll see a short list of our favorites. They are proven flies and you can fish them with confidence. Also, check with the local fly shops or fly fishing clubs where you're going to fish. You will often find them to be a wealth of information, although don't expect them to give away all the secrets of their home waters!
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Copyright . The Fly Fishing Place. All rights reserved.