The Steelhead Angler

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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!!

Much of the time you will need to go wading if you plan on having success at steelhead fishing. You do not have to be a fearless wader but you do need to be comfortable with your wadding skills. Even you veterans out there with many years under your wading belt will need to use extra caution during the spring where the flows are extreme. If you are new to the sport of fly fishing I would recommend not wading out in water over your knees until to become familiar with wading in the current and just how much force the water can generate and how to keep a stable footing. For those who do not wish to wade, casting from the boat is also an option.There will be times where you need to casts well over 100 feet so practice when ever you have a chance. It is also import to be able to read the water or at least have some one that is capable of reading water. It is important that you are on the best casting side of the river before you start.

Fishing is done with rods from 6-8 wt, sinking lines, and a reel with a good drag system. The North Central Idaho Clearwater native steelhead are notorious for their size and power, testing the anglers ability and tackle on every blistering run. Steelhead are resting fish when they have returned to their home river to spawn so you must present your fly immediately in front of a fish if you are going to entice him into striking. The Main Clearwater River is large and having the ability to wade deep heavy current over very slippery ledge rocks as well as the ability to cast 90′ feet are among the reasons for this rivers difficulty. The upper section is much more fly fisher friendlily and the South Fork of the Clearwater is among my favorite rivers to fly fish for steelhead these B-Run fish are known for their size and often weigh in at over 20 pounds.

Get a good night’s rest you will need it if you are going to be wading most of the day, and put your wet waders on your boot dryers so when you wake up the next day you have nice warm waders to put on. I don’t believe there is any thing worst then to roll out of bed and have to stick your foot into a wet soggy boot and it will drain your energy much faster also.

It is always a good idea to check the flows for your favorite river; you can check the flows of most river systems by taking advantage of information available on the Internet. The United States Geological Survey, USGS, is the agency responsible for posting real time data related to the affects that weather plays on our river systems (you and find them at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis).

By: RR Smith
Looking to save on your next purchase of Steelhead Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere on the internet. http://www.steelhead-gear.com

I know every fly fisherman has their list of favorite flies and will not go out fishing with out a good supply of each one. Which fly you use and how you fish it is often a matter of deep debate when fishing with your partner. None the less I have put a list of my top five steelhead flies just to let every one know what I have with my Steelhead gear when I am after spring steelhead.

Roe Bugs / Egg Patterns
This has to be on the list of my favorite as it has produced steady results for me over the years. It is one of the first patterns I try and usually one that I keep going back to. When I first started using these they came in two colors red and orange today you can find them in any color imaginable. Red, pink, and chartreuse seem to be the ones used the most but having other colors is an excellent idea some days those pesky steelhead just need to see something different. These work especially well in clear water conditions.

Egg Sucking Leech
This is one of those flies that once you see them in action you will not want to be without will on the river. They come in a Varity of colors and again having several different colors can make all the difference. I like to use pale color variations in clear water and the darker colors in murky water. Some of my buddies still call these a woolly bugger and it is a lot alike it just has what appears to be a fish egg on the head of it.

One of the hardest things for the novice fly fisherman is the retrieve. How do you keep control of your line to keep it from becoming tangled? If you can not control your line you will not be ready to set the hook or be prepared for your next cast if you do not have control of your line. This problem becomes compounded when you are wading in a stream as the line is always drifting down with the current. There are many different methods use by fly fisherman to accomplish this. 

The figure 8 retrieve is a great way of controlling your line while retrieving it. Once you learn this method you will be able to store your line and it will be ready for a fish strike or your next cast without worrying about tangles.  When you have a fish on the line, hold the line with one finger of the rod hand. Shake the spirals off the retrieving hand, and wind in to get the fish on the reel. The drag can then be used to control the running fish. There is no right or wrong way to do this the best way is one that feels comfortable to you the main thing to remember is to keep your line under control and you will be ready when the fish does strike!
By: RR Smith
Steelhead Gear.Com  
http://steelhead-gear.com/

The name Pflueger has been around for some time. My first fly reel was a Pflueger although I do no remember the model it served me well over the years. However it finally gave out and I had to purchase a new reel recently I purchased one of the 7-8 weight Summit Series Fly reels and I must say that I am impressed with this new reel by Pflueger. While fighting steelhead here in Idaho I have enjoy the way the Summit Series is capable of handling these often aggressive fish. Fly fishing for steelhead is an enjoyable experience with a reel that handles like the summit Series does.
 
This large arbor reel has two ball bearings and a one-way clutch bearing for especially smooth operation. Both the aluminum frame and spool are forged, machined, and anodized for improved strength, and they are also corrosion-resistant.  The drag is a center disk system and delivers superior control to the line drag. The spool has is equipped with an easy-release switch and can be swapped out with a spare spool quickly if a line change is needed. It has a large rubber on the retrieve arm allowing for a secure grip while retrieving your line. This reel is also able to convert between right and left hand retrieve features.

If you wanting a good looking and performing reel for less than 100 bucks, I recommend choosing this one. It works very well, It is a bit wider than I imagined it would be yet it does seem to handle exceptionally well. Pflueger is a name that I believe and trust in and is also sold on my personal website. The newer series of Pflueger fly reels, meaning the Summit and Trion series are just great reel values for your money. I have gotten a lot of budding fly fisherman started using Pflueger fly reels. Pflueger has now made it possible to own a top end fly reel without the inflated price tag.

You owe it to yourself to take the time and look at one of these reels give one of them a try. The history and appeal of a Pflueger fly reel makes it a great reel to own and use.

By: rrsmith

Steelhead Gear.com

So your thinking of tying your own flies well you are just steps away from what I feel is one of the most rewarding hobbies around today. Tying your own flies is not only relaxing and rewarding, it can be a very productive way of putting more fish on the end of your fly line.

To get started you will need some basic tools and like most hobbies as your interest grows so will the supplies and tools you use. For now we will just talk about the basic tools you will need to get started. The following is a list of the basic items you will need to get started.

Fly Tying Vise
Hackle Pliers
Hair Stacker
Fly Tying Scissors
Thread Bobbin
Bodkin and
Whip Finisher

The Vise
One of the most important parts of your tool kit will be the fly vise when choosing your vise it is imperative that you have a vise that is easy to use and even more importantly that it holds your fly hook securely. Purchasing your fly vise is no where to try and save on your budget I recommend buying a vise of high quality remember you get what you pay for.

Hackle Pliers
Good hackle pliers will hold the feather firmly without breaking off the tips of the hackle. English hackle pliers are quite reasonably priced They are a good choice for starting to collect your tying tools. Some of they more expensive hackle pliers have revolving handles, a lot like those found on whip-finishers. Pliers with a revolving handle helps prevent the hackle from becoming twisted while wrapping the hackle around the hook.

Hair Stacker
Tying the bucktail streamers you will find a hair stacker is essential. A good hair stacker will have some weight to it selecting a brass hair stacker makes good since for this reason, as it will allow you to use less energy when straitening the hair. This is just my personal preference however.

Scissors
Make sure you purchase scissors that are made for fly tying and watch out for cheap scissors nothing can be more frustrating then trying to trim up your fly while having to fight a pair of scissors that will not cut the delicate materials that you will be using. You can usually purchase a good quality pair of scissors for around $10 to $12 dollars.

Thread Bobbin
The thread bobbin is a great tool for holding your thread and makes the wind of the thread around the hook a lot simpler then fighting the thread strait off the bobbin itself. Make sure when purchasing your thread bobbin that the barrel which the thread goes through does not have any sharp edges as this is not a good thing when winding your thread around the hook.

The bodkin
The bodkin is basically a large needle mounted on to a handle this tool become very useful for separating fine strands of material that you will want to add to your fly, cleaning, arranging and adding drops of cement. You will soon appreciate having this tool once you start fly tying.

Whip Finisher
This tool helps tie half hitch knots and for wrapping and finishing your fly once you get use to using this tool you will wonder how you ever did without it. If you are just starting out or if you have tied flies before flies you will appreciate this tool.

One of the best ways of getting started is to buy a kit just make sure that it has at least the above mentioned items.

By: rrsmith

A properly designed and well-made fly leader serves as a vital connection between the fly line and the fly. When fly-casting, the energy of the fly line is transferred through a tapered leader to turn the fly over in a presentable manor into the strike zone. Of course, the long fly leader also keeps the fish from seeing that there is a fly attached to the fly line.

In the modern world of fly-fishing, there is a need for specialized weights and lengths of fly leaders for the wide variety of fish species that are now being sought. For example, if you are dry-fly fishing a clear lake on a calm day, you may want to have a very long leader; one that is perhaps 12 to 16 feet long with a very fine tippet that does not scare off feeding fish. However, if you are fishing a river or a lake near the bottom, using a sink-tip line or sinking fly line with a nymph or streamer, you may need a 5 to 6 foot leader that will help to hold the fly down longer in the strike zone. Dry fly fishing rivers for trout usually requires a 9-foot leader with a soft mono tippet section and a soft mono tippet. Dry line, or grease-line steelhead fishing requires a stiff butt section, and stiff tippet section, to help turn over larger steelhead flies. Most saltwater fly-fishing requires special, hard stiff monofilament, leaders that are designed to turn over salt-water flies in very hot and humid climates where abrasive sand and warm salt-water conditions exist.

There are many leader formulas to be found in the fly-fishing community, and the following is one that was given to me by my friend Mr. Ramón Aranguren, a past Argentinean fly-casting champion. I have used this leader formula over the years, and it has also worked well for many of my fly fishing associates. This leader has a long stiff butt section that will turn over those big bushy dry flies, weighted nymphs, steelhead flies, and will help you to drive a fly into the wind. I call it the 60/40 and here are a couple formula variations of it for different fly-fishing situations.

First, take a piece of notebook paper and draw an 8-inch line. This will be used for writing down your marks and figures for the layout of the 60/40 tapered fly-leader and should be saved for future reference. Starting from left to right at the 5″ point or about 60 %, make a short vertical line that is above and below line. Therefore, everything to the left of this vertical line will be the butt section or 60 percent and everything to the right of the vertical line will be the tippet section or 40 percent of the 8″ line.

Lets say you want to make a 9 ft. leader or 108″: Take 60 % of 108 and you get about 65″, that is how long the butt section will be, so write 65″ above the 8″ line and left of the vertical line on the paper. The butt section will consist of two sections. Take 60 % of 65″ and you get 39″; this is the length of the first butt section, which will be, .019″ diameter leader material. Make a short vertical line below the 8″ line to separate these two sections. The second section is 65 minus 39 or 26″ of, .018″ diameter leader material. Write down these figures under the line on your paper for the 1st and 2nd butt sections.

The tippet section is also broken down into the 60/40 formulas: Subtract 65 from 108 and you get 43″. This is the tippet section; so write 43 above the line on the right side of the vertical mark on your paper; this is 40 % of the line. Now take 60 % of 43 and you get approximately 27″, which is the length of the first section of the tippet section. Mark this with a short vertical line below the 8″ line. The first section will be divided into three 9″ pieces of leader material .015″ diameter, .014″ diameter and .012″ diameter. Write in these figures under the 8″ line for reference. The second section is the tippet, which will be 17″ of .010″ diameter Write these figures under the 8″ line. If needed, you can add extra length to the tippet, or tie on an additional 20″ of a smaller size tippet if so desired

if you need a leader that will present a smaller fly very nicely, here is variation of the 60/40: Draw out the 8″ line on your paper but this time, make your vertical mark at the halfway point.

In this example we will make a 10 foot or 120″ leader. Therefore, each half will be 60″, write this figure on each side of the vertical mark above the line. Now, the 60/40 for the butt section: 60 % of 60″ for the 1st section will be 36″ of, .019″ diameter leader material. The 2nd section or 40 % will be 24″ of, .018″ diameter leader material, write these figures under the 8″line for reference.

The tippet section will be slightly different; divide it into the 60/40. The first section of the tippet section or 36′ will be divided into three segments: one 12″ of .014″ diameter, one 12″ of .012″ diameter and one 12″ of 010″ diameter leader material: these are the three segments of the 1st tippet section. Mark and write these figures under the 8″ line on the paper. The tippet will be 24″ of.009″, mark and write these figures under the 8″ line on your paper.

Now that you have some leader formulas, what is next? The rule of thumb for making a leader is that the first section of the butt section should not be any stiffer than the end of the fly line. Don’t put a 40-lb butt section on a 4 or 5 wt. fly line; it will not turn over properly. However, a 40-lb butt section would most likely work on a 9 or 10 wt. fly line. Your goal is to make a tapered leader that will smoothly and effectively transfer the energy of the fly line to turn over the fly.

Select the sizes of leader material you will need depending on the number of sections in the leader and tippet size for your type of fishing. Try a discount sporting goods store for bulk spools of the heavier monofilament in different sizes and colors and your local fly shop for a wide range of sizes and types of tippet materials that you will need to make your own custom leaders. There are many different types of knots that can be used to connect the leader sections together, but perhaps the most popular is the blood knot. It is quick and easy to tie, and you will not waste a lot of material tying the knot.

If you are going to use fluorocarbon leader material for your leaders or tippets you may find that the triple surgeon’s knot will give you better knot strength than the blood knot. I also recommend using the Double Uni knot to tie fluorocarbon tippets to your fly.

Use a nail knot to make the connection between fly line and the leader butt section. If you want to make a loop-to-loop connection, cut the 1st. butt section about 8″ below the nail knot and tie a perfection loop knot in both cut ends and loop them together. This will give the angler an easy way to change leaders or replace broken or damaged leaders quickly while on the water.

The following is a list of leader material breaking strength and thickness in thousandths of an inch, because each manufacture’s product varies, these values are only approximate: 4lb.= .005″, 6lb.= .009″, 8lb.= .010″, 10lb.= .012″, 14lb.= .014″, 15lb.= .015″, 20lb.= .018″, 25lb.= .019″, 30lb.= .020″

About the Author
Stanley Stanton is an Oregon Fly Fishing Guide and McKenzie River Guide, Visit: http://www.oregon-fly-fishing-with-stan.com/ For beginners fly fishing tips, and fly fishing information about Rainbow Trout Fly Fishing, Steelhead Fly Fishing and Oregon Salmon Fishing. The above author authorizes distribution of this article and that it be reprinted or Published in its entirety, including this resource box.

More than 2,000 years ago, fishermen noticed insects that were eaten by the fish near the water’s surface. They fashioned rough imitations of those insects on primitive hooks and began catching fish. That was the beginning of fly fishing as we know it today.

The Fly-fishing technique -

From finding fish hideouts to understanding the life cycles of the different insects they eat, along with the other complexities have fascinated fly fishers for thousands of years. To become proficient in the art,  continual fine-tuning is required in addition to studying much about how to select your flies, how to adapt and blend the various materials used in the construction of a fly, how to construct a fly using defined rules in accordance with the state of the sky, the color of the water and the peculiar habits of the fish in different rivers.

You’ll find all the information you need to start fly fishing in ‘Fly Fishing for Beginners’, including getting professional pointers on finding the right stance, and information on the most common casting problems so you can avoid each one! What’s more, you’ll discover the basic equipment requirements for balancing, successful strategies for night fishing, ways to deal with weather constraints and changing water levels, plus strategies for successful lake selection.

‘Fly Fishing For Beginners’ also gives you step-by-step guidance on Tying your own flies, and shows you the tools and materials right down to the best manufacturers and proportions you need.

There is a whole chapter dedicated to hints and tips for all manner of fly fishing situations, as well a tour through some of America’s favourite fly fishing destinations (including
details of particular rivers, what fish you’ll find there and the flies to use).

In ‘Fly Fishing For Beginners’ You will learn:
* The exciting history behind fly-fishing
* Surprising beginner tips, tricks and techniques
* What fly-fishing is all about
* The necessary equipment you need – from flies to rods and accessories
* How to tie your own fly
* Types of casting and common problems to avoid
* The advantages and disadvantages of wet vs. dry fly-fishing
* The best time of day for fly-fishing – so you catch the most fish
* Fly-fishing techniques used specifically for boat or land casting
* The exhilarating practice of winter fly-fishing
* How to plan the perfect fly-fishing excursion
* The best fly-fishing locations – from coast to coast and abroad
* And More . . .

Fly-fishing is, thankfully, a life-long sport you will never outgrow. No, I do not mean that you have to wait years to catch fish! Actually, it may not even take weeks for that matter. It just takes a while to master all the elements. With a little practice, you will soon find yourself on the water hooking a fish!

Fly fishing for steelhead really is no different than any other kind of fishing once you learn the basics and start expanding on what you have learned you will be out there catching Steelhead and be hooked just like the rest of us.

Selecting your Rod and Reel
If you’re new to the sport of fly fishing I recommend that you use the KISS system (keep it simple system). You need to select a rod and reel that will handle these large and sometimes very aggressive fish. That means you should use a heavier rod 7/8 or 8/9 weight rods are a good choice you can use the 5/6 weight but you will need to know how to effectively manipulate these larger fish therefor for the beginner I recommend going with a heaver rod.  Rod length depend on what type of river you plan to fish longer rods allow you to make longer cast but are sometimes hard to use along the river bank if there is any amount of brush trees ect along the bank.

Selecting A Reel
Your reel choice is a matter of personal preferences match it with your Rod just make sure that it is capable of holding a good amount of backing. Having a drag that will work smoothly for the beginner is a great advantage it keeps the inexperience fly fishermen from having the fish start what I call bucking and ending up getting away

Backing Lines and Leaders
The back severs two purposes one to fill your reel and second it gives you extra line for fighting the fish, any braided or Dacron line will do you could us the super braided lines if you feel you will need the extra line for fight your fish. Match the line weight to match the fish size you anticipate on catching you shouldn’t need anything heavier than 20 lb test however. I like using the brighter colored lines as it helps me watch my line when I do get down to the backing. Remember when fly fishing you are casting your line not the fly for this reason I recommend that you use a weight forward fly line there are other types out there but this is the one I use. I like this type for two reasons one I’m still able to see my fly line and yet I am able to get the fly down where the steelhead like to lay. Make sure you use a good knot to attach your fly line to your backing it needs to be a knot that will travel through the guide on your rod. One of the knots I like to use is the blood knot it’s easy to tie and works well for me. If you feel you need to be official you can buy fly leaders which come in different sizes and lengths and tippet you could really get confused with all these I still do. Normally I just use 10 up to 20 pound (depending on the size of the fish and fishing conditions) fluorocarbon. In certain situations the material can make a big difference in getting fish to strike, while also offering impressive abrasion-resistance. If there are a lot of snags as there usually are when steelhead fishing I recommend going with a heavier leader. You can then decide for your self as to the length of your leader 10 to 12 feet seems to work well.

Flies and Bait
Their are a number of different fly and lures out there we could talk about this for weeks and still not cover them all. Your best bet is to talk to someone who has fished the area and see what they recommend. I can tell you what I use and have had success with here in Idaho they are and this is my number one choice the egg sucking leach, egg patterns, wooly buggers. As for what color and size to use just follow this simple rule in stained water use brighter colored large flies and in clear water use smaller drab or natural colored Flies. To get your fly down to where the still head are laying you will probably need to place a small split shot about 12 to 18 inches above your fly you want to just touch the bottom every now and then. If it is hanging up all the  time you may have on to much weight play with this until you are getting a good drift.

Fishing Techniques
I have found that most of the time you do not have to make long cast. Fishing most of the rivers here in Idaho my cast are shorter than 25 feet. We could  discuss fly casting techniques for ever just strip off 12 to 15 feet of line pull off another 9 to 12 feet of line and let it flow through your guides now just use the normal 9 o’clock 2 o’clock small pause 9 o’clock motion and try to get a smooth flow of your line when you cast it will come with practice. Now hold your pole tip up and follow your drift keep your eye on the furthest part of your line you can see and watch for the indication of a strike. This could be your line changing directions, stopping, or sinking suddenly set the hook and enjoy the battle.

These are just the basics but if you follow them and expand and modify them for your fishing style I’m sure you will be catching those mysterious Steelhead in no time.

The best information will be of little use if it’s not able to be understood you don’t practice it and modify it to suit your needs and then start using it. That being said I hope these few pointers get you started in what I feel is one of the most exciting and challenging ways of fishing for Steelhead.

If your ready to start fly fishing for steelhead please visit my website Steelhead Fly Fishing and check out some great deals on Rods, Reels, Lines, and Flies.