hobster said:
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It seems to me that they are pretty much the same as their wintery brothers. Fish the slower seam in the pools and fish the tailouts. Same thing I would do for winters.
They are somewhat the same as their wintery brothers. While summer run steelheading in the beggining of the year, you can fish them like you would fish winters, closer to the bank, and fish slower seems and tailouts.
This game all changes when the river levels drop into their summer height levels. Go smaller with your "presentations" During winter, you fish bigger most of the time. When the rivers are at there lowest "flow point" fish tailouts ranging from 2-4 feet and at a "walking pace" spead. Summer steelhead will hold in 6"-2 feet of water on shady banks, go small with Presentations.
When the sun is baring down on low clear water, the steelhead will move into pools with the springers, but they will find the shallowest point in the pool, usually behind the springers. If you are getting no hook ups or bited in pools, MOVE!, go Fish faster water, Last year i fished water that was just a little bit faster then "walking pace speed" when the sun was baring down on the water. I had great success.
If fishing rapids with boulders everywhere, find the slowest seem off of boulders and fish that seam, fish every boulder, Don't leave the area till you know you have fished absolutly every "fishy" lookin ripple, eddie, fast water, slow water ect. Most of your hook ups will come on that very last cast. Cast to every spot that you think might hold a fish.
TIP: Don't leave the area until you have coved all the water that looks appealing to you. That is the most important part in this game called steelheading. One thing i leanred last year, and have continued to to this year, is fish water that most steelheaders will pass up.