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Steelhead Drift fishing Gear and Set-ups

Drift fishing is the most common method used for steelhead; it is also one of the more difficult to master. You need to have the right gear, know what type of water steelhead hold in, and the hardest part is learning the difference between bouncing over rocks and a steelhead strike.

Over the years, I have been asked how you know when you have a hit while drift fishing for Steelhead. The true answer is you never really know for sure! When bouncing along the bottom of the river every time you bump a rock it feels something like a strike. There is a difference but until you feel it, it is hard to explain.

Some times your line will just stop this is always a good sign that there is a steelhead taking your line. Other times you will feel your line and it feels like it’s rolling over gravel (this happens quit often when the water is cold) This to is a good sign that you are having a steelhead strike. There are times when a steelhead will leave no doubt they have taken your line as they nearly jerk the rod out of your hand. Most of the time however it is just a slight difference in the feel of the line and the longer you fish for steelhead the better you become at feeling these minor differences.

There are times where you will not feel anything at all and this probably happens more then any of us know. I like to watch my line where it meets the water most of the time it leaves a small wake much like a miniature boat. However, watching this when a steelhead is toying with your bait it will look like this wake is swaying back and forth in the same spot whenever I see this I will set the hook and more time then not it will be a steelhead.

There are times when you will be watching your line as it drifts through the hole and you notice that the speed at which it was drifting has slowed this to, is a sign that you need to set the hook. I believe that when this happens the steelhead has been following you lure down stream and has just decided to pick it up to see what it is.

The bottom line is you never really know if it is a Steelhead strike or just bumping down the river. The best advice I can give is if you feel something different set the hook, if your line stops set the hook, if your line is not drifting as fast as it was set the hook, and when in doubt set the hook!!!

Let us look at what you need to start drift fishing:

The Rod
Your Fishing rod needs to be sensitive enough to give you a good feel of the bottom as you bounce over rocks and gravel, and at the same time it needs to be strong enough to give you a good hook set when you have 30 to 50 yards of line strung out across the river. Your rod choice will be the most important piece to the drift fishing equation so choose wisely.

Here are some things to consider when you are selecting your Rod:

• What’s the size of lure or bait you will be using (heavy, light, ultra light?)
• The type of reel you will be using on rod (spinning reel, or bait casting)
• What is rod made from (graphite, fiberglass ) these will determine the feeling and strength of your rod
• Rod action this is the bend in the rod (Fast, Medium, Slow).
• What size of line you plan on using (2 lb, 6 lb, 10 lb, 15 lb, 30 lb test)
• The length of rod, if your casting from the beach or open area and need to make long cast you will want a longer rod 8 feet or longer, if you are going to be fishing from a boat or where there is a lot of brush you may want 7 foot or shorter. This will determine what type of reel you use to keep a good balance of your rod.
• What type of warranty does it have (Rods do break when fishing these large fish)

The Reel
The reel needs to match your rod having a well-balanced rod is the key. My personal preference is a bait casting reel (some fisherman call these levelwind) they do take some getting use to, however, they are very effective when drift fishing, the bait casting reel will allow you to release line while maintaining control and you can follow the drift longer. You will need to get to and stay where the fish are holding.

The spinning reel works well for drift fishing also and is preferred when casting light lures or fishing along banks with heavy brush. Do not think that you have to use a baitcasting reel in order to catch steelhead. I often find myself switching to a spinning reel under many conditions.

Choosing a Reel :

• Make sure it matches the style of fishing you intend on doing
• The amount of line the reel can hold (if you are fishing big water you will want more line)
• The type of line you are going to use (braided lines can cut into the metal of a reel) - (newer reels use titanium for the new lines).

 

• Look for a quality manufacturer as your reel will be tested by these big fish
• Make sure the drag system works smoothly

Line
The line you use should match the rod, reel and the conditions you will be fishing. The Rule here is that the clearer the water is the lighter the line you want to use. I have gone as light as 4 lb test when fishing in clear slow moving pools but you need to have a rod matched to this. Normally you will want to use line in the 10 to 15 pound test range.

Braided or mono lines, will be more a matter of your personal preference.

Lures
This is where steelhead fishing gets tricky and experience comes into play. What you will be using will again depend on the water conditions, low and clear keep your lures and bait small and pale. If the rivers are up and murky, you will want to use a larger lure and dark and bright colors. Sometime just using a small piece of shrimp or a small cluster of eggs is what you will need. You can check with the locals and see what they are using for the conditions. As for the color of lures this is any bodies guess so make sure you have a good assortment to choose from as this changes continually even through out the day.

Bait
Steelheads use their excellent sense of smell as well as their eye site they also have an uncanny scents to detect movement. When the water is so muddy you cannot see any thing in the water, steelhead can find your bait by movement and smell. Some of the most common baits are shrimp, eggs, night crawlers, and sand shrimp. Some anglers combine these baits giving they feel this gives them a little edge over other anglers.
 
You are also going to need an assortment of Swivels, Hooks, Lead/weights, and Leaders.

There are hundreds of ways of tying your rig up and it seems that every steelhead angler has their own special way of tying up a rig. I will list a couple that you may want to use to get you started.

First the quickest and simplest

• slip a piece of surgical tubing about one and a half inches long onto your line
• then apply an appropriate amount of pencil lead into the tubing
• Now you can tie on your hook and lure using an appropriate knot. If you are using a hook with corky or bait us the bait-loop knot. If you are using a lure, use the cinch knot.

With the set up, it is easy to adjust, the distance from your weight to your hook, you simple slide the weight to the desired distance and you are read to go.

The next one will take a little more time to tie, although, it is used by many more anglers and perhaps is the most common method.

You will need a hook, weight, corky, and leader for this set up. You will find this set-up tied many different ways from using pencil lead, bank sinkers and slinkies. The principle remains the same regardless of the type of weight you use.

• Start by tying the swivel to the end of your line.
• Tie on or clip on the weight to the other end of the swivel. It is a good idea to use a lighter weight line for the sinker that way if it becomes snagged it will break off before your main line does and you will only have to replace your weight.
• Tie your hook on with the bait loop knot to your leader the leader should be somewhere between 18 to 30 inches long.
• Slip on your corky and then tie the leader to the same side of the swivel as the weight using a cinch knot.

Like I said you are going to find numerous ways of tying these set-ups, however, what I want to do here is give you a simple and effect way to get you started fishing.

In our next post we will be taking about where to use this method and how to fish it correctly until then have a great day.

Steelhead Fishing Techniques

You have all the gear you need to head out on the river and start pulling in that steelhead. However, what are you going to use for bait or to hook them and just how are you going to fish for them.

You have a number of ways that you can fish for steelhead, however, each will require their own special gear.
Drift fishing for steelhead may be the most common method used when steelhead fishing.
It requires the least amount of gear since all you need is a weight/sinker and a hook. Drift fishing produces steelhead for anglers on a steady basis also. However, drift fishing does require that an angler learn how to read the river and they will need to realize just what a bite feels like. Although the steelhead is large and aggressive fish, their bite can be quite difficult for the beginning angler to detect. Even after forty years of fishing, they still surprise me from time to time.

For the beginning angler there are two ways that I recommend for them to try when first starting out. Jig fishing or plunking for steelhead are easy productive ways of fishing. Jig fishing with a bobber or float is the most productive way I have found for the novice angler to start catching fish.

• The bite is easy to detect since you watch your float and when it goes down you set the hook.
• You do not have to worry about getting snagged, and spend all your time tying on new rigs.
• You can watch your float and know exactly where you jig is at, making it easier to find the seams in the river.
• It is one of the best ways an angler can fish deep slow moving pools, I use this method on a number of hole that I would not be able to fish other wise.

Plunking is a style of fishing just as its name implies. You set up a rig, and plunk it out in the river and wait for a steelhead to come along and take your offering. Plunking too can be very productive under the right circumstances. Learning when and where to use this method will take some experience however. Unless some one has shown you, a good place and time to try this method you will be better of using the float and jig as it will produce fish through out the season.

Using a side planner along with a hotshot lure or something similar is an exciting way to catch steelhead also. Here again you need to know how to read the river and have some idea of where a steelhead will lay or travel through. Once you learn how to set this up and fish it correctly, it will produce fish on days when nothing else will work.

I should mention here that fly-fishing for steelhead might not be the most productive method of catching steelhead it for sure is the most exciting and we ill be covering fly-fishing in later articles also. For those of you that would like to give fly-fishing a try you will need to have lots of patients and strong determination; however, the rewards are well worth the effort once a steelhead is on your line.

If you have access to a boat then trolling, back trolling, back drifting, are some of the other ways you can fish. If you do not have a boat do not worry as a majority of the steelhead we catch are from the bank. Even when we have had use of a boat, we often find ourselves beaching the boat so we can fish a hole from shore. I would be the first to say a boat is nice to have at times; however, they are not a necessary item to catch steelhead

Learning what technique to use, and when to use it, comes with experience and we will be covering each of these in detail in the coming days. We are going to be talking about what type of gear you will need for each technique, show you how to set it up, where to use it, and how to seek out those holding spots where steelhead just love to lay.

Until Next, time The Steelhead Angler.

Common Fishing Knots

By now, you should have an idea as to what type of rod and reel you are going to
need, and how you should dress in order to fish for winter steelhead.So let us start putting our gear together and to do that successfully we will need to learn how to tie some common knots.

The correct knot is an important part of steelhead fishing.More steelhead are lost do to the fact that many angler have not taken the time to master knot tying.The knot is always going to be the weakest point in any set-up and mastering this art is as important as any other factor if not the most important part, in order to be a successful steelhead angler you need to know how to tie good knots.

Below are just a few of the more common fishing knots you will want to learn how to tie.You will find that there are a number of ways of tying these knots, and that there are hundreds if not thousand of different variations of knots out there. I believe that it is always best to keep things simple so here are a few that I use every time I go steelhead fishing.If you take, they time to master these knots for steelhead fishing, you will have learned enough ways and knots to get you fishing. You can then learn and refine these techniques as you gain experience while you are fishing.

The Arbor Knot: Used to tie your line to your reel!

Attaching the line to your fishing reel does not have to be fancy or strong.The quickest and easiest way to do this is start out by tying an over hand knot near the end of your line and pull it
tight. Then run the line around the spool hub or arbor, make an overhand knot around the standing line, and pull the knot snug. Clip off the tag end leaving about a 1/8 inch tag and pull tight onto the arbor. This will work on both a spinning reel and a casting reel.

Here is an example of another way of tying your line to the spool if you feel you need a good tight secure knot it is a little more complicated however. Tying Line to Reel

The Albright Knot Instructions

The Albright knot is a great knot for tying two different types or diameter lines together and typically, the line will break before the knot does. It is a good knot to use if you are tying braided line to monofilament line and is easy and quick to learn. 

The Albright Knot Instructions

	STEP 1.Bend a loop in the end of the heavierline and hold between thumb and forefinger of left hand. Insert the end of the lighter line through loop from the top.
	STEP 2. Slip end of lighter line under your thumb and pinch it tightly against the heavier strands of the loop. Wrap the first turn of the lighter line over itself and continue wrapping the round end of the loop. Take at least 10 turns with the lighter line around all three strands.
	STEP 3. Insert end of the lighter line through end of loop from the bottom. It is important that the smaller line enters and leaves the loop on same side.
	STEP 4. With the thumb and forefinger of the left hand, slide coils of the lighter line towards the end of the loop, stop 1/8″ from end of loop. Using pliers, pull end of lighter line tight to keep coils from slipping off loop.
	STEP 5. With your left hand still holding the heavier line, pull on the standing part of the lighter line. Pull the end of the lighter line and the standing part a second time. Pull the standing part of the heavy mono and the standing part of the light line. Trim both tag ends.
	Step 6. While some angler believe this step is necessary I have not found it to be the case. However if you are concerned about the loop pulling through you can add a couple of half hitches to the looped line which is the larger dia. or the braided lines before you trim off the tags.

Another good knot for tying two different types of line together is the Uni-Knot the following video will provide a very good demonstration showing you how to tie this knot.

Tying two Lines Together

 

Tying a snelled hook: A strong knot for tying on your hook

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Start by threading the end of the line, through the eye twice, leaving a large loop hanging below the hook. Now you need to hold both lines along the shank of the hook, just pinch them next to the eye.Use the loop to wind tight coils around the shank and both lines, from the eye upwards. Make anywhere from six to 10 turns.Using the fingers to hold these tight coils in place, pull the line (extending from the eye) until the whole loop has passed under these tight coils and tightens against them. Once the coils are drawn up, you can use pliers to hold the hook while pulling up the end of the line, making sure to pull hard so the coils are tight.

Clinch Knot: Can be used for tying on a swivel or hook!

	Start by passing the line through the eye of the hook, or swivel.
	Then double back and make five to eight turns around the line, You can either wrap the line around or turn the hook or swivel to get the wraps.
	You then pass the end of the line through the first loop, above the eye, and then through the large loop you just made, and draw the knot into shape by pulling the line.
	Keep pulling to slide the coils down tight against the eye and trim the tag and you now have a strong knot that will hold while fighting any fish.
	You can increase the strength of this knot by doubling the line.
	Thread the double line through the eye or swivel and follow the instructions above.

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As mentioned earlier there are many knots out there these are just a few of the more common knots. If you would like to learn more the following links will take you to some great sites to help you learn many more.

More fishing knots 1
More fishing knots 2
More fishing knots 3
Grog’s Fishing Knots Index

Choosing the Right Fishing Line

Now that you have an idea about what type of fishing Rod and Reel you need it is time to think about the type of fishing line to get for your Rod and Reel.

Manufacturers offers today’s anglers high quality Steelhead and Salmon, and Lines made of the finest materials. You will find some of the highest quality fishing lines available any where fishing tackle is sold.

You will find brand names like; Berkley, Black Widow, Cajun, Grand Slam, Mustad, P-line, Power Pro, Ultra Sport and others.

You can find the fishing line you need in the weight, brand, color, you are looking for you will also find bulk lines. So let us look at what is out there.

Monofilament Line;
Monofilament Line has long been the standard for fishing and is the most cost efficient of fishing lines.

Monofilaments fishing lines has been around for years and they are the most popular kinds of lines, they are also the most common. They work for a wide variety of fishing applications and, made to have specific qualities that help under varying conditions.

Mixtures of polymers are heated until they turn to liquid, and then forced through tiny holes to form strands of line. These strands are cooled quickly and wound onto spools. The size of the hole controls the diameter of the line; this to some extent determines the pound test of the line.

The type of chemicals in the mixture controls the qualities of the line like limpness, strength, toughness and other desirable casting factors.  Added chemicals also control the color of the line.  Lines can be tailor made to fit a wide range of needs.

Monofilaments lines come in a wide variety of qualities. The expensive lines have a better quality control they will be consistent in strength, color and diameter.  They will hold up longer on the spool and in use.
  
Monofilament line stretches, which can be good or bad.  Stretch makes line more forgiving when a big fish makes a strong run, but it also makes it harder to set the hook.  The additives control the amount of stretch but all monofilament will stretch some.

On spinning reels, a limp, flexible line is best but lines with those qualities are usually not as strong and stretch more.

Stiffer line works well on bait casting reels and it can be stronger and have less stretch.  Stiffer lines are also usually more abrasion resistant. Stiffer lines hold the shape of the spool more this trait, known as memory, causes problems when casting at times.  It also makes the line coil after a cast and lowers your ability to feel and control your fishing lure or bait.

Monofilament is some of the least expensive fishing line, and works in a wide range of fishing conditions.  It is very popular and will probably be your best choice for general fishing activities.

Braided lines;
Braided lines; are some of the strongest fishing lines available.
Some Anglers call braided lines “The Hercules of Fishing Line”
For those of us old-timers who think of “Braided Line” as the equivalent of “hemp rope” we used to use in the 60’s should take a look at them today.

Today braided lines are thin, have very little memory, comes off the spool like silk, is tough as Hades, do not absorb water and weaken, can stand up to high temps and sunlight and not lose its strength, and has NO stretch.

It is more expensive then Stren or other “premium” monofilament lines, but it is cheaper in the long run. Since the braided, lines are not affected as much by the environmental conditions you will not be re-spooling as often and it does not nick as easily so you are not clipping and retying as often either.

We use 20 lb, moss green and catch steelhead even in the clearest of water. We fish out in the river current that is (crystal clear) and the warning about “Don’t let the fish see your line!” does not, for some reason, apply to this line. I am sure they must see it but they must not be as spooked by it. We do however use a Fluorocarbon leader and adjust the strength as needed when fishing with the braided lines.

Again, you will not be sorry for purchasing a braided line.

Fluorocarbon Lines:
The newer fused and fluorocarbons offer the angler smaller diameter lines which are harder for the fish to see yet provide the angler with the strength that is required for pulling in that trophy Steelhead. They are however some of the most expensive lines on the market today.

One of the greatest attributes of the fluorocarbon line is it’s toughness. This line is not nicked up anywhere near the way that monofilament does. Hence, you are not retying much at all. With mono, you find yourself retying all the time. I would retie up 30 times a day during a steelhead-fishing trip. This also required refilling the spool constantly after a few days of cutting off and retying line.

Now with fluorocarbon, amazingly, I can fish all day in the strongest of currents, catch 10 fish, and not have to retie once! This fluorocarbon stuff is a lot tougher than most people realize. Now, for my fishing style, I have only used fluorocarbon that tests in 10, 14, 16 and 20 lb. test strengths. I cannot speak for the lighter lines.
You do not need to change the fluorocarbon as you do the monofilament lines.

In addition, fluorocarbon is amazing to cast with, due to its unique properties. It just flies off the spool of your reel. You will experience some over-runs at first, but the perceptive and experienced caster can adjust his braking system to avoid this from happening. I am talking about baitcasting gear here, not spinning gear. I have not had any problems with kinks being a weak spot in the fluorocarbon.

By the way, I do spray my fluorocarbon with Reel Magic on every trip. The slick dressing of Reel Magic helps keep the kinks and loops out while casting, plus the line flows through the guides more easily.
I hope this helps.

The fluorocarbons seem to have to much memory to work well on a spinning reel as the line keeps wanting to uncoil off the spool. I have filled a couple of reels with the fluorocarbons and let them sit for about a month and they did work ok but I still had some problems.

No matter what your preference is from ice fishing, trolling, bait casting, today you will find a fishing line to meet your needs.

If you are new to steelhead fishing, the combo is a great way to start because the manufacturers have matched the right reel with the right rod. They usually even put the right line on the reel for you. As a novice angler you will not have to worry about balancing the reel to the rod, you are assured of a perfect match.

Having the right balance to your rod is an important step to being a successful steelhead angler. You are going to be using your rod all day and if it is not balance correctly you will not only find your self fighting the rod and reel you are going to tire out faster whether you are catch fish or not.

All you need to do is determine the type of fishing that you want to do and then find the combo that best suits your needs. The combo rod and reel packages are available from the ultra-light outfits to the heaviest of rod and reels on the market today. Decide on whether you are going to fish the bigger rivers or smaller steams, if you are going to be fishing from a boat or from the bank and find the combo package to fit those needs.

For some one who is thinking about starting steelhead fishing or for the experienced angler that is looking to purchase a spare rod and reel, the combo is an excellent choice. You will find combo rod and reel in all three types. Here are some recommend combos that will be great for the beginning or expert angler.

Casting Rod and Reel

Spincasting Rod and Reel

Spinning Rod and Reel Combos

Purchasing a steelhead rod and reel combo will give you the best value for your money. Like anything else, the more features in a combo, as well as the more quality components, the more you can expect too pay. A good combo, though, will provide a lifetime of fun and excitement.

Fishing Reels for Steelhead Fishing

There are three popular types of fishing reels used for fishing today. The spinning reel, spin-casting reel, and baitcasting reel each provide the angler with different performance characteristics.

The Spinning Reel
Perhaps the most commonly used reel today have been used by angler around the world and offer the angler the full spectrum of fishing types. They are easy to learn how to use and come in a full range of sizes. The spinning reel can be used for the smallest of game fish to some of the largest. You will find them with either a front or rear-drag adjustment system. This like the reel choice is more of a matter of personal preference.

The Spin-Casting Reel
This is probably the easiest, most trouble free reel type that, and angler can buy. It is very popular among the novice anglers for this reason. While they do have minimum limits as to the amount of line they hold and they do not cast as far as other types of reels they are still a good choice for the beginning and young angler.

Baitcasting Reels
Some believe that the baitcasting reel is the ultimate in fishing reels. While you will enjoy their smooth performance, they too have their own limitations. They do provide the angler with longer casting capabilities under most circumstances and they have a drag system, which will provide the angler total control of the adjustment.

Spinning reels
The spinning fishing reels are an open-faced reel. Your line is released from a stationary spool by flipping a bail wire, a piece of metal wire across the spool called a bail. This stationary spool keeps the line in place and helps prevent snarls and tangled line.

The weight of your lure or bait is what propels the line forward when casting. Spinning reels can handle smaller baits lures, or weights. However, today’s spinning reels are designed for use on the lightest to some of the heavier fish such as the steelhead and salmon.

The spinning reel comes in either a left or right hand retrieve, or some are adjustable for either hand.

Spinning reels use an anti-reverse, a simple mechanism you can set to keep the reel from turning in reveres. The anti-reverse lock is usually a lever mounted on the gear housing cover or the back of the reel. This keeps your line from spooling off once you get a strike from a fish. It prevents the reel handle from turning in reverse when you hook a fish and it runs or when you are trolling. This simple to use lever can be easily tripped on or off allowing you control of your line when releasing for trolling and then tripped while waiting for a fish to strike. Automatic anti-reverse requires no manual settings this type of reel will not spin backwards.

The spinning reel is widely used among steelhead anglers as it allows you to switch for the heaviest of baits to the lightest and still be able to cast well.

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Baitcasting Reel
The baitcasting reel sometimes called a levelwind reel may be the most preferred type of reel by experience steelhead anglers under most fishing circumstances today.

Baitcasting reels work with the weight from the bait or lure. This weight pulls on the line and turns the spool, as the spool turns it releases more line. The heavier the lure is the longer the cast can be.

With practice, this style of reel also will allow you to cast more accurately.
The more experienced anglers typically prefer the baitcasting reel. This is even more so when using heavier lures and lines designed for the bigger fish.

Most baitcasting reels now incorporate a break system designed to adjust the resistance or drag on the spool. This is what is called an anti backlash system, these system can be either mechanical or magnetic. They allow you to adjust how much resistance is placed on the spool to pull the right amount of line off the spool when casting. They come with either a star drags or a simple drag knob which is used to set the drag for fighting the fish.

You can also select a baitcasting reel for your style of fishing offshore reels are designed to fight large fish from a boat

Trolling reels allow you to drag live bait or a lure as you troll in a boat and are available in a wide range of sizes.

Casting reels give you the benefit of precision casts. The casting reel comes in two casting styles, pitching to cast overhead or sidearm, and flipping to cast underhand in tight situations such as underneath tree branches.

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Spin Casting Reels
The spin-casting reel is probably the least used reel for steelhead for several reasons. They do not hold as much line as the spinning reel or the baitcasting reel, this effect their casting performance. Since the amount of line is limited should you hook into a large aggressive steelhead that wants to run you most likely will run out of line before the steelhead wears out causing you to loose the fish. They do not work well with the heaver lines either. They are ok for the younger angler to get started with especially if they just learning how to cast and fight a fish.

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Steelhead Fishing Rods

Finding the right steelhead fishing rod can be challenging however, with the choices available today I am sure you can find a fishing rod that will match your style of fishing. Whether you are trolling from a boat or drift fishing from the bank there is a Fishing Rod for you.

From a beefy, six foot model, which is perfect for fishing from a boat, to the ten, and twelve foot models for those longer cast needed by the bank angler. Whether you enjoy drift fishing, trolling, or throwing jigs, finding the right rod is important.

There are three types of rods used for steelhead fishing, spinning rods, casting rods and fly rods. For now, we will talk about the spinning and casting rods. Fly-fishing for steelhead is another story that we will get into later in this series.

Spinning Rods
The spinning rod is the most widely used type of rod among today’s anglers. This is because the spinning reel is easy to use and is so versatile. The spinning rod allows the angler to cast the smallest of baits and lures as well as some of the heaviest. You can easily change lure weight and make cast without having to worry about changing the setting on the reel.

Spinning rods are specially designed to be used with the spinning reel the forward eyes are much larger then the casting rod. This is because it cuts down on the friction caused as the line uncoils off the spool. Since the line uncoils off a stationary spool, it causes a whipping action. The larger eyes allow casting without causing unnecessary friction on the line giving the spinning rod improved casting abilities.

The spinning rod also has a longer butt (the portion off the rod located behind the reel) to aid the angler while casting and fighting fish. This longer portion helps with balancing the rod to the reel as well.

The spinning rod makes for an excellent all-round fishing rod providing the angler with a wide range of fishing styles and types. If you are on a budget or maybe you just do not want to have to use several types of rod combinations a spinning rod will be your best option.

Casting Rods
The casting rod is a rod especially designed for use with a baitcasting reel. The eyes of these rods are smaller in diameter and are typically placed closer together then you will find on a spinning rod. Placing the eyes closer together gives the casting rod a smoother action and feel. This is one reason why many anglers prefer a casting rod to other types of rods.

The reel seats are also design to accommodate the baitcasting reel since this type of reel normally has a smaller foot. Casting rod also typically has a finger grip placed below and back of the reel seat. This aids the angler in maintaining a firm grip on the rod and is necessary because a Baitcast reel sits so much lower on the rod and your hand is behind the reel when casting.

Many anglers believe that a casting rod is capable of providing the angler with a longer and more controlled cast. Once you become accustomed to the casting rod, you will most likely find this to be true.

Using a casting rod will give a greater since of feel while fishing because they work so smoothly. You will notice the lightest of strikes that you may have missed while using a spinning reel. This fact alone may well be the reason that the seasoned steelhead angler prefer to use a baitcasting reel and rod.

Rod Action is the term used to describe how much of the rod bends when applying pressure to the tip of the rod.

• The fast action rod will bend in only the top third or less of the rod.
• The medium or moderate action will bend in the top half.
• The slow action will bend starting in the lower third of the rod.
  Sometimes slow action rods are termed ‘parabolic’, meaning the bend of the rod is similar throughout the length.

These descriptions depend on the type of rod you may be talking about at the time; a fast action fly rod or steelhead rod will bend much lower and more easily than a fast action bass rod or offshore rod.

By fast Action mean the rod ’shuts off’ faster, or the bend ends higher on the blank, which means you don’t have to move the rod as far on the hook set to get into the stiffer part of the Rod.

Fast action rods are great for most applications where a short to medium casting distance is involved and single hooks are the rule, such as corky and bait fishing.

Medium and medium-fast rods will usually provide a little more casting distance and still provide adequate hook setting power. These actions often used for applications that involve treble hooks, like using a hot shot. The ’strike’ of a treble hook is not as deep as a big single hook and it is easier to tear the hook out of a strong fish, plus the slower action will not pull the lure out of the fish’s mouth before it fully engulfs it. Yet you still will have the power for a good hook set.

Slow action rods will give you a better feel when drift fishing and may help you feel the strike a little easier. Since they are more responsive, you may be able to notice that subtle difference between bouncing over a rock and having a steelhead picking it up. When using a slow action rod you need to remember that setting the hook is going to require you to use more force when jerking.

The type of lure you use will usually determine the action of the rod you should use.

Taper:
Often used as “action”, describes not only the thickness of the rod but also the thickness of the wall of the blank and where along the blank less material is used allowing more bend. For the most part taper is the same as action.

Power:
Power describes the strength of the rod or its lifting power. When you hear someone say this rod has a lot of backbone, it means it has a lot of power. Power ratings are usually describes as heavy, medium, light, etc.

Power determines the line strength; heavier power rods will handle heavy line weights and lighter powers will be good for light lines.

One important factor to keep in mind when selecting the power of your rod is the test of your line. Most all rods will have the line test limits printed on the rod. It is important to follow these recommendations since a heavy power rod will snap light lines too easily and heavy lines can snap a light rod.

Power ratings vary by the type of rod described; a heavy Steelhead rod and a heavy offshore rod will definitely not feel the same. A heavy steelhead rod rated for 20lb test line will not perform like a heavy off shore rod rated for 80lb test line.

The type of water you are fishing will help determine the power of the rod you should select. Fishing in high, fast moving or murky water will require a strong rod to get the fish out before it can make a long run and throw the hook. Clear, open water will often require thin, hard seeing lines in order to get the steelhead to bite, meaning you should use a lighter power rod.

Responsiveness:
Related to modulus this reflects the ability of the entire rod to flex under load and release the stored energy in the cast. One thing is for sure, the lighter the rod, especially the tip, the more responsive it will be. If you are serious about steelhead fishing, you want a light yet responsive rod. As Gary Loomis puts it, “weight is the deterrent to performance”. Overall, the higher the modulus the more efficiently it will store and release energy, which gives you the ability to make an accurate, cast with a lower arc.

Guides:
Most of the guides you will find on rods today feature a metal frame and a ceramic ring that the line rest on as it glides through the guides. These rings can vary greatly in price, and one single guide on a spinning rod may cost in excess of $30 or as little as a couple of bucks.

Silicon carbide, or SiC, considered the best material today. It offers smooth surface for less friction on the line during the cast and the retrieve. Less friction means longer casts and less heat, and heat kills when it comes to fishing lines.

As for the brand name or the type of rod whether, it is casting or spinning it comes down more of a personal choice. Your main goal when selecting rod action is finding one the will match the type of fishing you plan on doing.

For the beginning steelhead angler I would recommend a seven to eight foot spinning rod, medium, to medium light action, and capable of using lines in the 10 to 20 lb. test range.

Dressing for Winter Steelhead Fishing

When I started fishing for winter Steelhead over forty years ago and being much younger then, a jacket and a good pair of boots and I was ready. As the old saying goes with age comes wisdom and I guess this must be true. I have been steelhead fishing when my hands and feet were so cold that you could not fish and often wondered if it was even worth the pain just for a chance to hook a steelhead.

I have since learned that dressing correctly will not only improve your fishing success it will make the experience so much more enjoyable. If you fish for steelhead, you are eventually going to find yourself fishing under some of Mother Nature’s worst conditions. While many angler will retreat to the comfort of there warm cozy recliner when the weather turns cold and nasty. They are missing some of the best steelhead fishing as we have found that the worst the weather the better the steelhead fishing.

I tell you my friends, there is nothing like the comfort of being warm. You are going to find yourself steelheading when the temperature is in the 30’s with rain, snow, and sleet. Moreover, yes, you may very well have all three during the same fishing trip. You will be glad you have the appropriate gear to keep you warm. Being able to keep warm will make steelhead fishing enjoyable instead of a test to prove just how cold you can get and still fish.

Here is my suggested checklist for winter steelhead fishing.

1. Waterproof Boots
A good pair of waterproof boots is necessary; I do not care how careful you are eventually you find yourself stepping in the river. Even if you manage to stay out of the river fishing when the rain and snow is coming down, your feet are going to get wet just walking down to the river once your feet are wet and cold you will be cold the rest of the day.

2. Rain coat.
Another must have item. The raincoat really comes down to your own comfort. The bottom line here is you want something to keep you dry in a driving rain or snowstorm.

3. Your hat.
I like a hat with a wide brim to keep the rain off your ears and from running down your neck. A good, quality oilskin hat that will keep your head dry and shed the rain away from your neck is my preferred choice. Do not forget about a good stocking cap too if it is not raining but you find the wind, blowing you just cannot beat the comfort and warmth of a good stocking cap. A dry head is a warm head and since you, loose a majority of your body’s heat through your head a warm head means a warm body.

4. Underclothing.
There are all kinds of things out there now. You can use anything designed to keep the moisture out and the heat in. Over that, I usually wear something of wool, or some other type of material that will shed water. Remember to dress in layers and the number of layers all depends on how warm or cold-blooded you are. Some people like 3-4 layers, while others just 1 or 2. You can often find some great deals at your local REI or Sporting goods store for these items.

5. Gloves
You are going to need to keep your hand warm as well, a thin warm pair of gloves that slip on and off quickly are what I prefer some of my partners like the fingerless gloves as well. Try not to get gloves that are thick and bulky though as they make it extremely hard to fish in. If you really need the added thickness to keep your hands warm then go ahead and use them, it is better to have warm hand and adjust your fishing techniques then to risk the chance of frostbite, or just have your fingers so cold that they do not want to work right.

6. Insulated Coveralls
I have recently started using insulated coveralls and I must say that I do enjoy them. If you were thinking about coveralls, I would recommend that you find some with the zippers that come up the full length of both legs they are much easier to put on and off without having to take off you boots. That way you can take them with you and if you need them once you arrive at the river you can just slip them on.

7. Get yourself a dry bag.
You will not regret having an extra set of clothes for emergencies. You never know when you will slip on a rock, or get plain soaked due to heavy weather. Just Keep your dry bag in the truck or boat and it will be ready should you ever need it.

Now that you have the clothes to keep you warm and dry we will start talking about Steelhead Rods and Reels which one you need and which ones are just nice to have. Stay tuned for our next article

Learn How to Become a Better Steelhead Angler

Do you want to learn about steelhead fishing, well the next several post will take you through the steps you need to know before you head out for the river.

We will be discussing what equipment you will need from the right rods, reels, lines, and baits. We will also discuss some of the most successful ways we have found to catch these sometimes frustrating fish.

Have you ever wondered why you can stand next to some one fishing the same hole using the same bait and casting into the same seam, and have them pull steelhead right out from under your nose. Well we are going to do our best to show you the techniques that we know work and have produced steelhead regularly for us.

Follows us as we discuss why many steelhead angler become frustrated at the sport and learn what you can do to become one of those seemingly lucky anglers that can catch fish while every one else is struggling just to get a hit.

My partners and I have been fishing for this magnificent species for over forty years now we have learned many tricks and patterns over this time that produce well for us and we are going to share them all with you.

For the serious steelhead angler we ill discuss drift fishing techniques, we will also show you how to use a more relaxing plunking technique that produces steelhead, we will explain them all. Learn how we set-up for float fishing which is probably the easiest to learn and even the most product method of catching steelhead today. We are going to share with you as much information as we can remember and after over forty years of steelhead and salmon fishing there are some items that we have not used for years but we believe will still produce fish when used. We hope to pull from our minds some of the first tactics we used for steelhead and we will be trying them again to see just how productive they still are once we can get back on the river. (Right now, here in Idaho the recent cold spell has pretty much iced us out.)

We will even tell you where you can find these fish around our area, and for those of you that just can not wait for the ice out we will tell you a couple of place you can try if you want to get out on the river soon. You may want to bookmark our site so you can follow us at least for the next couple of weeks while we discuss these steelhead-fishing techniques.

Stay tuned for Updates soon.

One of the best parts of steelhead fly-fishing is learning the art of steelhead fly tying. While you can buy pre-made flies, there is nothing more satisfying than tying your own flies and being able to share with your friends the fact that you caught a 20-pound fish using a steelhead fly you made yourself.

Tying your own flies can be a very relaxing and enjoyable hobby as well as very rewarding when a steelhead decides to take the fly or jig you tied yourself. While it is not complicated, steelhead fly tying for steelhead fishing can be a very delicate art when tying some patterns. Jigs are some of the easier types to tie and may be a good choice for tying if you are just starting.

The first piece of equipment you will need when you start steelhead fly tying is a good quality fly vice. This will hold your hook while you are tying it together. You will want a vice that can hold all sizes and shapes of hooks, and one that is easily adjustable.

Get a bobbin this will hold your thread. A bobbin will keep your thread tight, and easier to use, while you are tying your fly. Bobbins come in a variety of sizes, but they all do the same thing. Spend just a little bit more money on a bobbin and you will not have to worry about it cutting the thread before you are through tying.

You need to have a good pair of scissors too. To start out with, one pair of scissors is enough, but as you get better at steelhead fly tying, you will want to have a variety of shapes and sizes to meet the needs of the flies you are tying. The loops should fit your fingers comfortably, and they need to be sharp.

Hackle pliers are small pliers with enough constant tension designed to wrap hackle feathers around the hook. As with scissors, they come in all shapes and sizes.

Find a good bodkin, which is like a needle on a handle. You can use a bodkin to not only tie the steelhead fly, but also for delicate work that requires a small, sharp point like separating out pieces of feather and fur.

Of course, you will also need a large selection of threads, feathers and fur to match the different types of flies you want to match. Mink fur, deer hair, elk hair, and pheasant feathers are good materials to work with as are peacock, and turkey feathers, along with a good selection of yarn and dubbing.

If you are just starting out, or maybe you have been thinking of tying you own steelhead flies for a while but just were not sure of what you needed. There are many fly tying kits available from a simple basic kit to kits with everything you may ever need for fly tying on the market to day.

Several books and websites available can teach you steelhead fly patterns for steelhead fly-fishing. It would be impossible to explain in just a few short paragraphs all the patterns and techniques. One such site with plenty of information and patterns is Salmonfly.Net. The best way to learn how to tie your own flies is to experiment and keep doing it. You will eventually find techniques, and patterns that work for you, and be well on your way to becoming an expert on steelhead fly tying for your steelhead fly-fishing adventures!

Take a look at some of the Fly Tying Kits available and start tying your own steelhead flies.

Here are fly Tying Kits available on Ebay too!!