Dry Fly Steelhead

[808steelheader]

I've been working hard at getting my local hatchery summer runs to impersonate free rising wild steelhead - it's a mostly futile endeavor that I persist in anyway. I've endured a long dry spell of just getting casting practice and finding inner peace for the whole summer with no steelhead coming up after my floating flies. With the cooling fall weather, these fish have started to look up. I've recently been raising fish to the top and actually hooking a few.

I had a discussion going on another board about my joy in using inexpensive equipment:

I got the fish pictured on 9/29/12 on one of my little foam wakers fished with a Fenwick FF856 glass rod (I got carried away and paid $95 for this one), 1495 Pflueger Medalist ($24.95 from Walmart in Bozeman, MT), and used 6wt Ambush line ($40 - just purchased on speypages classifieds). This fish grabbed during mid morning with sun on the water, just as I was about ready to call it a day.

Blessed beyond measure,

Todd

 

[eggs]

Awesome man!

 

[flyguy202011]

dude lets get out I want to join in on the dry fly action!

 

[FlyBum]

That has been my goal for this summer run! I've been starting off each day with a dry fly, but no love yet! Good job and great fish!

 

[MadMick]

interesting photo...

 

[808steelheader]

That has been my goal for this summer run! I've been starting off each day with a dry fly, but no love yet! Good job and great fish!

Thanks for the feedback folks! Getting steelhead on the surface can take a lot of patience and persistence, especially when fishing over hatchery steelhead. In my case, my home river is the Willamette in Springfield/Eugene. These fish don't really start coming to the surface to grab flies until fall so now is prime time to try surface fishing wherever one is fishing. I do fish dry flies for most of summer, but only have the odd fish come to the top until the fall season when the weather cools. Of course, folks who use nymphing techniques and swing with sinktips catch fish all season long, but I'm an odd duck who likes to catch fewer fish, but to get them on my terms.

I have fished two handed rods as well, since 1995, but over the past year, I've come back to using old single hand glass rods with the Wulff Ambush line (short 20' head) and spey cast with this setup. I get out to the North Umpqua whenever I can to chase after real steelhead. We are blessed to live in Oregon where fishing opportunities abound.

Todd

 

[ChezJfrey]

Way to go!

You must have the patience Buddha waiting for a hatchery fish to rise to the dry. I don't know if I could take the hours of waiting

 

[bigsteel]

very nice.that is the pinnacle of steelheading right there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!great job

 

[bran_man]

Nice torpedo!

 

[808steelheader]

Way to go!

You must have the patience Buddha waiting for a hatchery fish to rise to the dry. I don't know if I could take the hours of waiting

I don't blame you, most of us just want to catch a darn fish and as many of them as possible! I've just had the misfortune of getting stuck on witnessing the beauty of a steelhead attacking a fly on the surface - I love the experience so much, I am willing to wait for it to happen, sometimes a VERY Loooong time. So, I'm not a good role model for folks who actually want to catch steelhead!

 

[eugene1]

Nice buck, and way to go getting him your way!

Any thoughts on why they start looking up in the fall?

 

[808steelheader]

Nice buck, and way to go getting him your way!

Any thoughts on why they start looking up in the fall?

I think after the hot/bright conditions of summer, the cooling weather during fall gets the fish more active. Also, fishing pressure is down in the fall with folks occupied with hunting, going to Ducks games, etc. There is also insect activity, especially the October caddis that may draw these steelhead to look up. I also speculate that perhaps by fall, most of these steelhead have been in the river for awhile, settled into their lies, and more territorial. Also the lower angle of the sun keeps the river in shade longer during fall months. On rivers with wild steelhead in them like the North Umpqua and Deschutes, I know folks are able to get steelead on the surface throughout the summer, but even on these rivers, surface fishing is more productive in the fall. With hatchery fisheries, I think the "improvement" in surface fishing in fall is more pronounced, just based on my own experience here on the Willamette between Dexter and town.

Thanks for the interest in my post!

Todd

 

[eggs]

I think it has to do with a lower sun.... they aren't blinded every time they look up realizing they don't have eye lids!