[SpudFly]

I'm still learning the steamer game. I have it down near home, but recently I found myself fishing in Texas without a lot of success. That lead me to the local fly shop.

The guy in that shop had a lot to tell me about the amount of daylight (full sun/partly sun/cloudy) and the colors of the bottom of the river in regards to picking a streamer. If I'm honest I had some trouble following. I hadn't ever thought of my flies this way.

Yet, low and behold, he helped me pick out a few possibilities. I went back to that river and started having a much better day. Much better.

So, I have to ask, was this a load of bs, or is there a legitimate reason why one streamer would work over another based on the kind of light one might experience on the river?

I certainly can't pretend that guy didn't turn my day around.

 

[David Loy]

I am not a streamer expert either but it makes total sense to me. Critters of all sizes don't last long if they stand out with a "look at me" attitude. They are usually better suited to blending into their environment.
The exception would be males of some species in search of a mate, birds and humans primarily.

 

[Kyle Smith]

I only have a few things that help me decide on a streamer. I don't know if it matters, though.

Muddy water - yellow

First/last light - white, tan, or gold/copper sparkle

Not catching anything - black

Best winter streamer - white zonker, #4-8

Best streamer the rest of the year - copper sparkle minnow, #2-6

 

[Jeremy Floyd]

I found that the best streamer for trout resembles a 4" whitefish. Tan on top, barred cream/white on bottom, chunky with a definite taper towards the tail.

Anadromous species are a whole different ballgame..

 

[GAT]

How the hell did you catch a 4" whitefish??? I've never caught a whitefish under 10-inches and have always wondered why I never catch one any smaller. In my experience with whitefish, that 4-incher is more rare than a 18-incher!

 

[Out of Here]

Tie a small streamer above a larger one, say 24" apart. Call it a game of chase - the larger one aggressively stripped after the top pattern can entice some exciting follows and takes.

Think like the biggest fish in the hole and make it a meal worth going after.

 

[spadebit]

Tie a small streamer above a larger one, say 24" apart. Call it a game of chase - the larger one aggressively stripped after the top pattern can entice some exciting follows and takes.

Think like the biggest fish in the hole and make it a meal worth going after.

I have a hard time buying into the theory that trout are actually seeing this. A larger pattern is chasing a smaller pattern, I'd think movement alone is more what excites them, no matter where the smaller streamer is. But if it works, it works.

 

[plaegreid]

I like black when visibility is low (stained water or low light) and natural colors when it's clear.

 

[generic]

First advice, don't over complicate it. Most steamers catch fisherman than fish.

Get three maybe four basic different color/color combinations.

Stick with the basics, as Kyle and others have pointed out.

More often times than not, I have found placement of fly, and retrieve to be most important.

That all said, what works for browns, may not work for bows sometimes. Know the fish that you are going after, and (again) their basic instincts.

As you get better, you can "fine tune" your skills, to target just the big fish, and avoid the smaller ones.

Hope that helps.

P.S. I'm with Gene... How in the world did you get a 4" white fish?! No lie, catching a 4"er is harder than an 18" any day!

 

[Porter]

Dark when light
Light when dark
Any color when and whenever in Alaska!