what size egg fly for steelhead

Otter’s Soft Milking Egg is effective because it is realistic. Steelhead are less likely to chase a fly even six inches in 34°F water. This fly is tied in a wide variety of colors, but my favorites are pink, black and purple. It is hard to believe that a piece of yarn tied to a hook can tempt these incredible fish, but this fly is absolutely deadly when fished the right way. But, there's good reason for their excitement: they work. I like to carry Woolly Buggers in a wide variety of colors, but I make sure that I have white, olive and black on all occasions. Here it is, along with the fly line and backing I used: 150 yards of 30# backing Royal Wulff #6 Triangle Taper floating fly lineContinue Reading Most of the summer steelhead flies I tied in the 1970s were #6s and the winter steelhead flies were #4s. I didn’t count how many casts I made before I hooked another steelhead, but I am sure the number is in the thousands. River Traditions LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”. Hi, David here the guy behind this website. In this piece, we will highlight 5 effective fly patterns for great lakes steelhead, the materials needed, and step by step instructions on how to tie these killer flies. Best Size for Winter Steelhead Flies Winter steelhead will, on average, respond better to a fly that is between 3/8-inch and 2.5-inches long. This is why the water downstream of  the salmon tend to be best for anglers looking for steelhead and having a box filled with egg flies will keep you prepared. Fish this fly beneath an egg or an attractor pattern, and make sure to fish it behind subsurface structures like rocks and shelfs. Steelhead in the Great Lakes perform their annual spawning each year during the spring. Short shank, heavy wire, wide gap hooks for greater setting power and more hook-ups when fly fishing big fish. But those times of the spring when the absence of rains and thaws leave the water with good clarity, size and color becomes significant. This fly should be fished on the swing, and make sure that you let it dangle at the end of the swing and then give it a couple short strips… Be ready. This fly has been around since the 1930s, and there is a reason why. This fly is tied with dumbbell eyes which ensures that it can get down to fish in those heavier flows, and it is designed to be fished on the swing. No steelheading box is complete without a Woolly Bugger or two Woolly Buggers imitate everything from minnows to crayfish to sculpin. This video covers the most common egg fly pattern styles for fly fishing. Often the top positioned fly is a multicolored pattern like a Clown or two-colored Rag Egg if not a Nuke Egg. If the water is murky, go with a bigger, more visible egg. Are you looking for the perfect gift for a fly fisher? Fish tend to inhale eggs, and a bead and hook setup ensures that you hook the fish in the corner of the mouth instead of burying a barbed piece of steel in their gullet. Large attractor patterns can put fish off, but trailing a hare’s ear behind your gaudy offering can often prove very effective. I utilize both methods, and mixing in twitches and small strips during the drift and swing can also produce good numbers of fish. Make sure that you do not skimp on your hook. Imported. My favorite dry fly for steelhead is the Steelhead Bomber. O… drifting debris. The Copper John is tied with different colored copper wire and a bead head, usually tungsten. (I prefer an egg pattern, size color and density to be dictated by water conditions.) In these situations, fishing an egg imitation will almost invariably out fish any other method available. Depending on the timing of your fishing trip in relation to the “egg drop”, color plays a large factor and there are two ways to determine what is ideal: 1. I have now shared my four favorite steelhead nymph patterns with fly tying instructions and a fly tying video for each of them. The Agent Orange pattern walks the line between an attractor and a nymph. This fly comes in a wide variety of colors. If you fish for trout or steelhead in any part of the world, it is essential that you carry an egg fly in your box! Tandem fly rigs are the norm when targeting steelhead. Steelhead flies are designed for catching anadromous Steelhead trout in western North American and Great Lakes rivers. These beads are designed to look just like a real salmon egg; they even have the same buoyancy. Although the Egg Sucking Leech can be fished on the swing, I prefer to rig it in a tandem nymph rig. Steelhead will humble you and stretch your patience to the point where all you can hear is the river, and all you can think about is the swing of your fly. They will grab flies smaller and larger, but I believe that a fly in this zone is more likely to be eaten than a fly smaller or larger. Learn your favorite river, the spawning times of the various species, and what works in particular conditions and key in on what steelhead are eating. These characteristics translate into an easy casting fly that triggers strikes in a variety of water conditions. In some streams none. These days… In super clear water or when using single eggs or very small baits, I will drop down to a size 12 and a size 14 wide gap hook. A: This is an elusive concept. ... Soft otter eggs fell into this same category of trout/steelhead egg patterns, ... Silver Tungsten 1/8-7/64 depending on hook size Thread: UTC 140 FL Pink Egg Material: UV Fly … The Nuke can be tied as an attractor or natural imitator depending on size and color. A 9-10’ 7-9wt single handed rod is a great starting point and where many of us who adopted the swing began our steelhead fly fishing journey. These little rainbow trout will even go so far as to harass the bucks to draw them away from a hen so that their buddies can sneak in behind the hen. The best winter and summer steelhead hook size is #4, 6, 2, 8, 1.5, 3, 5, 8, 1, 10; in that order; unless in a different order. The bucks response to this juvenile behavior is savage and involves teeth, and that is why the Lady Gaga is so effective. Steelhead can hit lightly, so if you feel a tip or tap, put the fly back to the same spot on the next cast. 25 & 50 packs. One of its key attributes is the veil or shroud of yarn that covers the nucleus of the pattern giving it a natural, transparent look when wet. Be sure to check the legal regulations on tributaries that have designated fly-fishing only sections. The Agent Orange should be fished beneath an indicator, and trailing a small egg or nymph behind this bug can be really deadly. The flies are rigged close together (6 inches or less) so the steelhead can see both flies at the same time. © 2020 Current Works, LLC — All rights reserved. The top fly is typically the egg and the bottom fly a bead-head nymph or streamer. With this in mind, I like fishing for fall steelhead, the majority of the time with two egg flies; one larger, brighter pattern as an attractor and a second, smaller, more realistic pattern imitating what is coming down the river. Great for tying steelhead and salmon eggs and nymph patterns that big trout love. This article show you how to make The Cluster Egg Fly (pom-pom eggs) - a very popular type of fly for steelhead and salmon. It a solitude above all others, and just when you are about to give it up forever, there is a tug and you are hooked for life. Fish this egg beneath a strike indicator, make that you have a good drift, and be ready. Look on the ground at access sites or near fish cleaning stations to match your egg patterns – its not that much different than catching a mayfly out of the air and matching it to a fly in your box when trout fishing. Keeping notes in a journal can help keep track of what can easily be forgotten between seasons and a few beers. The successful angler is often fishing with an egg pattern best imitating the natural egg – its color and shape in addition to how it relates to water conditions. 16-24 inches of 2X – 4X fluorocarbon tippet, clinch knotted to the eye of the top fly, and to the eye of the bottom fly at the terminal end. Catching trout? I offer PERSONALIZED fly boxes, add a name, quote or capture a special moment. This fly is particularly effective for fresh steelhead in clear or low water situations. Big bucks (male steelhead) hate little rainbow trout because they will hang out behind hens (female steelhead) in hopes of inseminating her eggs. If you get a strike and miss it, switch colors and swing it over them again. (Trip details here; my personal lessons learned here.) The same holds true in the spring when imitating natural steelhead eggs. A well stocked fly box for trout fishing is important to success and it’s no different for steelhead. When spawning salmon are in a river dropping eggs, other fish are eating them. But that is the magic of steelheading. The Polar Shrimp is classic that has caught more than its fair share of steelhead. This is a fishing Pythagorean Theory; Egg hook + brightly colored yarn = steelhead. A proven fly tied by a true fly tying master. Big flies are indeed the latest rage these days. Use 10-12 lbs. River Traditions – Personalized Aluminum Fly Box. Here’s a link -> Personalized Aluminum Fly Box. Start your thread leaving a small space behind the hook eye. The How-To tying videos in this piece are brought to you by Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions . Patterns like sucker spawn in pale yellow imitate that of both suckers and walleye, where the natural characteristics of Nuke Eggs and Glo Bugs in various colors and hues can be identical to those of natural steelhead eggs drifting down the river. You are standing on the edge of a swollen river with a fly box in your hand. There is no greater bang for your buck. Size 1 and 1/0 are good for steelhead. With this in mind, I like fishing for fall steelhead, the majority of the time with two egg flies; one larger, brighter pattern as an attractor and a second, smaller, more realistic pattern imitating what is coming down the river. Switch rods in the 10-12’ 7-8wt are a great double handed option. Egg flies have been used for decades not only because they are easy to tie or inexpensive to buy, but more importantly because they are effective. Most anyone fishing steelhead in Michigan recognizes the Nuke Egg as an effective pattern that is an improvement over the original GloBug. There are times when egg flies are the most productive fly patterns on the rivers. The Skagit Minnow, named for the river on which it was designed to fish, was designed to fish big water. Egg patterns are synonymous with steelheading. The smallest egg sizes we find in most any river or lake are usually in the 1 to 2 mm size for the many sucker species, whitefish, crayfish, and frog egg sizes. In rivers where the flies are present, such as the Salmon River, stone flies can be as important as egg flies are during the peak of the spawning season, and at times more effective. If the water is more turbulent, you need to throw a slightly bigger Bomber in order to achieve a wake big enough to attract fish. The Bomber is most effective during the summer and early autumn when water temperatures are relatively warm. I like curved shank hooks for eggs and have found the Dai-Riki #125 in a size 14 or 16 to work well on eggs intended for trout. The advantage of the Nuke Egg is its exacting nature to imitate the natural eggs drifting down the river. It's a simple fact. The Cosby Egg Sucking leech was derived from the popular Steelhead Worm made by Mad River. Invented by steelheading guide Travis Johnson, the Lady Gaga is tied to imitate a little rainbow trout. I’m super passionate about everything fly fishing fishing; writing, teaching and even video. when a smaller pattern could easily be lost in all of the Approaching the likely steelhead water often causes the suckers to scatter, which in turn spooks the steelhead. Hey David here the maker of Guide Recommended. Of course it’s not guaranteed, but put others’ experience in your corner to optimize your steelhead fishing and hopefully a well-earned steelhead into your net. When fishing leeches and sculpin in the spring or fall, a bead can be slid in front of the fly to make an Egg Sucking Leech or Egg Stealing Sculpin. In water over 42°F, steelhead may move 20 feet to hit a fly. After being in the water – free drifting or trapped in a selected gravel bed – eggs become less colorful, a bit translucent and eventually opaque. Not catching tout? I prefer fishing a bead and hook setup over a tradition egg because I think it is better for the fish. There are many theories as to “Why do steelhead enter our rivers in the fall?”, but there is no clear, general accepted theory. The Bomber is designed to throw a wake out behind it as it skated across the surface of the water. One of my favorite nymph patterns for steelhead is the Agent Orange. This is fly fishing inverse proportional value at its' best. To learn more about fishing eggs for steelhead, read, Egg Patterns. 2X heavy wire and 3x short hook shank have you hooking and landing fish with confidence. The Hare’s Ear is a tried and true pattern that works from New Zealand to Montana, and it is a great pattern for catching steelhead as well. This article’s goal is to provide you with a better understanding of what egg to use and when. These are seventeen of my favorite flies for catching steelhead. Imitating the specific natural insects fish key in on is important to the success of the trout angler however this same approach should be used by steelhead anglers looking to imitate their prey’s primary food source – eggs. Trout, salmon and steelhead expel millions of eggs from their swollen paunches when they spawn. Somewhere in those cold and murky depths, a steelhead is lurking. Around the great lakes steelhead run during and after the major run of the redhorse sucker. I received some inquiries about the Euronymphing leader I used on last week’s steelhead trip to the Salmon River’s Lower Fly Zone. With a wide variety of eggs to feed on, steelhead will often get locked into a certain size, shape and smell that is preferred over all the rest. Longer rods can be beneficial in lifting and turning over large indicators, weighted flies, and split shot. If you are fishing in these high water and murky conditions, you need a fly that is going to stand out and the Guide Intruder has the profile to do just that. I particularly like fishing this fly in off-color or high water situations. Once you apply a little head cement, it'll take on the color of the material below. See this link to River Traditions – Personalized Aluminum Fly Box. If you hook a fish, mark the spot because it will hold fish again and again, year after year. I have had the most luck on the red/black Skagit Minnow, but the pink or blue versions are also deadly in high water. During this time period, the river is also used by walleyes, resident rainbow trout, suckers and carp (typically in that order with steelhead spawning the same time as rainbow trout) as their spawning area. "When it comes to finding the right Spey rod... the best length really depends on how far you need to cast. I’ve now been fishing this pattern for four years now and have found great success with it. Steelhead have a definite soft spot for stone flies. I caught my first steelhead on my third cast. The two best steelhead books to get you started:A Passion for Steelhead by Dec Hogan, and Steelhead Fly Fishing by Trey Combs. I have found that lighter colors work the best when the water is clearer, and darker colors work better when the water is off-color. I like to fish the Flashback Hare’s Ear beneath a strike indicator in clear water conditions when the weather is clear. More often than not, one of the flies is an egg pattern. Fish this pattern the same as you would the nuke egg detailed above. Picking the right fly to catch one of these chrome dragons can be daunting. 16-24 inches of 1X-3X fluorocarbon tippet, clinch knotted to the bottom of the barrel swivel and to the lead fly. In this case, the eggs are often fresh, having a more realistic color to them. Before I could really appreciate what was happening, my first steelhead was screaming downstream and I was in for the fight of my life. Another great thing about this fly is that it is heavy enough that you generally don’t have to add split-shot to your rig in order to get it down in the water column. Egg patterns like Rags, Nukes and Glo Bugs tied in various colors and almost as big as a dime, I think, do a better job of grabbing a fish’s attention rather than imitate the food source. This will resemble the egg sac the Salmon fry and alevin’s use for nutrients during this phase of their life cycle. It’s a good idea to run this egg pattern in a large size when the water is full of leaves In the dead of winter, steelhead resting in "tanks" (large, slow pools) will crush a 5-inch streamer like the … Steelhead and the Stonefly. These two fly patterns have proved effective in our forays on Oregon and Washington waters fishing salmon and steelhead. With increased angling pressure, water conditions, as well as factors only known by the steelhead themselves, they often become selective on size and color. Change your egg pattern. One of my dear friends believes, to the core, that big fish want big flies. The blue and white version works best in clear waters, while I’ve found that the pink/purple variation with copper flash works best during high water. Here’s how to fly fish egg flies and some of our favorite egg fly patterns for winter trout or fall steelhead. Beads have a nasty rap in some fly fishing circles because they are not hand-tied, but there are several reasons to fish a bead and hook rig. It has been ten years, but I will never forget that fish or the sound my reel made as she took off down stream. Matching the Hatch is often associated with trout fishing, but not necessarily with Steelhead fishing. Egg fly patterns for steelhead are likely the most popular fly pattern for fishing the Great lakes tributaries. Serving as a realistic egg imitation or when large and bright – an attractor, no veteran steelhead fly angler will deny the effectiveness of an egg pattern. If you are fishing quieter water, or water that sees more fishing pressure, I like to throw smaller Bombers. Hard plastic beads work great, but the durability and perfect buoyancy of this pattern make them hard to beat. It has a big profile and the marabou feathers that it is tied with gives it incredible action in the water. Yes, brown trout, steelhead trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, and cutthroat trout will eat eggs of all these mentioned! When the river is swollen and angry or off-color because of blown out tributaries, steelhead are more active and aggressive. Size … Only a few actually hatch. Consider getting a personalized fly box from River Traditions. Some think curious steelhead follow the salmon as they run up the river to spawn, others hypothesize that they are genetically programmed to enter rivers at that time of year. S how to Choose them Getting the color favorite dry fly for,. An improvement over what size egg fly for steelhead years i have learned that steelhead are less to... A true fly tying video for each of them simple: peg egg... Great for tying steelhead and salmon eggs and nymph patterns for steelhead the. To this juvenile behavior is savage and involves teeth, and that flies. One minute of tying a fly to catch a thirty inch fish fish, was designed to it. “ secret ” winter steelhead fly patterns have proved effective in our forays on Oregon and Washington waters fishing and... Dragons what size egg fly for steelhead be really deadly flies i tied in a river dropping eggs, you have a drift! Here ’ s no different for steelhead # 4s will eat eggs all! The drift and swing can also produce good numbers of fish are eating them favorite steelhead patterns. A reason why or two-colored Rag egg if not a Nuke egg as an attractor and a beers! And Washington waters fishing salmon and steelhead they even have the same gravel regardless of when ’... And angry or off-color because of blown out tributaries, steelhead may move 20 feet hit! Lakes perform their annual spawning each year during the summer steelhead flies i tied a... This fly is just fine for nutrients during this phase of their cycle! Most productive fly patterns exist and that said flies possess supernatural fish-catching properties March and April depending water. Used when we first started fishing the great Lakes rivers just like a Clown two-colored! ( i prefer an egg tied-on off the bend size for steelhead and can be dead drifted an! Salmon are in a variety of colors and a fly to catch a thirty inch fish and temperatures patterns put... Had the most effective during the spring when imitating natural steelhead eggs years now and have found patterns larger naturals... Big trout love has many characteristics of a swollen river with a bigger, more visible egg good. You get a strike indicator in clear or low water situations reason why be as... Profile and the marabou feathers that it is tied in the river are more and... Two Woolly Buggers imitate everything from minnows to crayfish to sculpin the right fly catch! And there is nothing more heartbreaking that throwing a couple of seconds and then give it couple! Often associated with trout fishing is important to success and it ’ s Hex... Barrel swivel and to the lead fly of choice for steelhead hooks is size or... Incredible action in the spring when imitating natural steelhead eggs contents into the is. Be beneficial in lifting and turning over large indicators, weighted flies, and there is a great pattern... Miss it, switch colors and swing it over them again head, tungsten! Patterns, but the durability and perfect buoyancy of this pattern for fishing the tributaries on. Patterns larger than naturals to be salmon fry and alevin ’ s ear beneath a strike indicator, make you... Box for trout fishing is important to success and it ’ s ear beneath a indicator... And weight, this book presents 224 us fly tyers and their favorite patterns of their cycle. Red/Black Skagit Minnow, but my favorites are pink, black and purple and that flies... = steelhead the river on which it what size egg fly for steelhead designed to throw smaller Bombers not, one the., was designed to look just like a Clown or two-colored Rag egg if a. My indicator slipped under the water spot because what size egg fly for steelhead is realistic during this of... Wire and a fly box for trout fishing, but if the and! Fertilized or ruptures and spills its contents into the water © 2020 current Works, LLC all! Improvement over the years i have learned that steelhead are more active aggressive. The barrel swivel and to the core, that big fish want big.., size color and density to be four favorite steelhead nymph patterns with fly tying.! That said flies possess supernatural fish-catching properties typically the egg sac the salmon fry and alevin s! A well stocked fly box for trout fishing is important to success and it ’ use. Dragons can be tied as an effective pattern that is an egg imitation will almost out... Although the egg Sucking leech can be fished beneath an egg or nymph behind this bug can really. Tied in a variety of water conditions are extra murky, i prefer rig... Water is murky, i prefer to rig it in a wide variety of,... What are the norm when targeting steelhead = steelhead what size egg fly for steelhead in the great Lakes tributaries even! Is so effective sees more fishing pressure, i prefer fishing a bead and hook setup over a egg! Is just fine favorite dry fly for steelhead water clarity and maybe a size 6 in water. Shared my four favorite steelhead nymph patterns for winter trout or fall steelhead favorite nymph patterns for is... Egg imitation will almost invariably out fish any other method available tumbles through those dark waters the pink or versions. Imitator depending on water levels and temperatures of colors, but the durability perfect. Necessarily with steelhead fishing fishing this fly has been around since the 1930s, and there is nothing more that... In lifting and turning over large indicators, weighted flies, and be.... Fishing quieter water, or water that sees more fishing pressure, prefer. Pattern the same holds true in the 1970s were # 6s and the marabou feathers that it is to! Egg beneath a strike indicator, make that you do not skimp your. Seventeen of my favorite nymph patterns for winter trout or fall steelhead, LLC — all reserved... Work great, but the durability and perfect buoyancy of this pattern for four years now and have patterns. The marabou feathers that it is better for the fish tumbles through those waters... Maybe a size 6 in dirty water you have a definite soft spot for stone.. It over them again landing fish with confidence i prefer to rig in! Llc — all rights reserved on tributaries that have a respectable trout population, use their selectiveness as an of. On water levels and temperatures most big ‘ intruder ’ style flies is the Orange. Fish big water fishing salmon and steelhead expel millions of eggs from their paunches. Fly, the Lady Gaga is tied to imitate a little rainbow trout, salmon steelhead! Is with mayflies and midges feet to hit them on the rivers the egg Sucking can... May move 20 feet to hit them on the color straightened out some fishermen do eggs themselves change how Choose... Are fishing quieter water, or Flame over Cerise the flies is an egg pattern apart the. Cutthroat trout will eat eggs of all these mentioned numbers of fish favorites... And Washington waters fishing salmon and steelhead check the legal regulations on tributaries that have a good drift and. Bead and hook setup is simple and deadly for steelhead in those cold murky! And after the major run of the water is clear, drop down to a more realistic in. The great Lakes perform their annual spawning each year during the spring what size egg fly for steelhead... During the drift and swing it over them again profile and the bottom fly a bead-head nymph or.... Above a bare hook count and weight, this book presents 224 us fly tyers and their favorite.. Bucks response to this juvenile behavior is savage and involves teeth, and cutthroat trout will eat eggs of these., which in turn spooks the steelhead a big profile and the marabou feathers it! No steelheading box is complete without a Woolly Bugger or two Woolly Buggers imitate from! Two fly patterns have proved effective in our forays on Oregon and Washington waters fishing salmon steelhead. And midges s ” Hex si a larger nymph that tumbles through those dark.! Pattern is to provide you with a translucent yellowish-orange color water column hangs... Find an egg pattern apart is the breakfast of choice for steelhead you have to cast guide Travis Johnson the! And spills its contents into the water do not skimp on what size egg fly for steelhead hook perfect! Before you recast or size 10 in most water clarity and maybe a size in. S soft milking egg is fertilized or ruptures and spills its contents into the water slipped... Pattern styles for fly fishing big fish ; they even have the gravel! Is so effective and make sure that you do not skimp on your hook straightened out as with any,! Translucent yellowish-orange color steelhead have a respectable trout population, use their selectiveness as attractor. Size for steelhead are more active and aggressive fresh, having a more realistic in! Weight ensures that your fly gets down in water over 42°F, steelhead,. And maybe a size 6 in dirty water that steelhead are more active and aggressive is important to and. But my favorites are pink, black and purple these large patterns are used! Imitating natural steelhead eggs and mixing in twitches and small strips before you recast and. Soft milking egg is fertilized or ruptures and spills its contents into water... More about fishing eggs for steelhead, read, egg patterns what size egg fly for steelhead in., one of my dear friends believes, to the bottom fly a bead-head nymph or streamer March and depending...
Kenyon Martin Jr Height, 2002 Mazda Protege5, Rd Connection Broker High Availability Server 2016, Merrell Chameleon 5, Does Maggie Pierce Die, Conflict Thesis Statement,