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Favorite winter steelhead patterns.

Spey 
14K views 127 replies 36 participants last post by  ralfish 
#1 ·
Yes I'm bored. Been stuck at home with two sick kids.bawling:

I haven't fished an egg sucking leach pattern in a long time. Do you guys still fish them? Seems like the craze of intruders and such have put the old stand buys in the archaic closet.

Please attach pictures. The one I like the most will be selected to send me a dozen. I'll pay the postage. :thumb:
 
#97 ·
"Yeah.. so keep your meat hooks off!" Just kidding...stole from the Movie "Stripes" when Francis or "Psycho" says..."And I don't like anyone touching my stuff...so if I catch any of you Homos out there touching my stuff...I'll Kill ya...so keep you meat hooks off."

Actually that whole scene was awesome.

"So keep your Bead hooks off" ...I know "lighten up Francis."
 
#105 ·
I will take our many available wild fakes out here available 11 months of the year, compared to what has happened to the WA fishery which I used to visit every few years, no more. Further chartreuse and black works well in either locations. Below are wild Michigan steelhead planted from west coast in 1880s, no stocking on this river for a long time, all natural reproduction. River open all year and with an excellent wild king salmon and brown trout fishery. Spring run is just starting we are good thru May.
You ought to try it some time.



 
G
#109 ·
I have to ask...I've seen a couple guys on here post "the only fly I fish" for winter steelhead...and I wonder how many rivers your fishing? I've found for whatever reason, some rivers like certain colors more then others....I love that black and blue leech pattern...but have had no luck with that color blue...So of course it doesn't get fished as much...

I've found that getting locked in one one pattern or color doesn't get me fish...running the gambit on flies for color, size etc. allows me to come up with patterns and colors that work in different systems depending on water clarity and height...Two things that seem to be way overlooked on here...

I fished a system this weekend....this is my third day on that flow....I've tried many different variations of black..(my favorite color with purple, blue, gold etc. variations) and only caught bulls...I've scored on pink and orange...Not a confidence issue at all...just trying different sizes and colors to see what the fish are interested in..

I know in Wallers book he talks about fishing a certain color or two when in "dirty" water..and it's not black so that's what's got me on trying new colors...

Water clarity and height determine a lot when it comes to size of fly and color as well...as does how much pressure a system is seeing....So many variables it makes they tying that much more fun..so I wouldn't get locked down on only a couple flies...use as many as you can and you might find that some flows really like certain colors and some, not so much..
 
#115 ·
If you asked Dec Hogan what 3 flies he could have, if he could only choose three (this I learned by way of fly fishing radio) are;
Spade (various colors) Marabou (various colors), and a muddler. I agree with Pan that different profiles and colors work better for different places. but if you haven't dialed that. I think these three patterns are the best way to go. (obviously not just talking about winter fish)
 
G
#122 ·
Sorry but I call bullshit..Ralf I've seen your box(s) you got more ties then just about anyone I know...Simple..some..but more efficient in design to do the job your seeking..I would say more so...

Salmo...I read your stuff but don't know where you fish or how many you've caught..so I'll leave it to your own experiences....Ralf I know is in the thousand + steelhead range...a few hundred on dries...so I can call bullshit on him as I've seen the journey through his boxes....

A certain river up north seems to prefer an orange pattern...What did you tell me about that collar of blue?? Something about and Oregon color?
I know I like black with variations and orange with combo's....IF I'm sitting on a river with 1-4 ' vis. depending on the flow....With the pressure I've seen as the day rolls on...I can see going through a few different patterns and flies....

I'm talking winter steelhead here...I should probably add...Fuck if I can figure out anything that makes sense with them...so throw as much as I can....Summers are another story....Ralf would lead you down the dry path..if he could only fish one fly...but I think that's a lot easier when you've caught as many fish as he has....
I'm a babe in the woods and am between wanting to catch as many as I can and kind of kicking it back and trying more traditional only flies....So for me...If given one fly for summers, yeah I would probably go green butt skunk and variations on tubes...

Or of course you could stay with bait like above..though with gear I prefer a big junk of stinky roe or bags to a single egg...when I was still fishing that shit..
 
#125 ·
Common Paul I say orange because everyone else up here thinks it has to be about 6 inches long and pink...hmmm

nah, I'd rather huck my version of Decs Coast Orange cause I like the way it looks and swims thats all...If I listened to Art I would use nothing other than a black GP, go figure

Dude if I tied only one fly it would get really boring....so I have boxes of them...they all work maybe not all the time, but they will at the right time. So I figure out a pattern and get a bunch of fish then I move on...these days its the fry pattern (you know the one or at least a version of it) as its fun fishing small stuff on top or at least near the top, light or no tip and still find what I'm after without beating my self to a froth trying to launch huge junk on bike chains...

View attachment 39293 This little guy came to hand this evening at last light, on the little trout spey, just before the snow started...
 
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