Bill Kiene semi-retired
09-07-2005, 09:40 AM
The idea is to use the lightest rod that will present your fly to the fish consistently. People use #4 to #10 weight rods for Steelhead in North America today.
Tippet size could run from size 0x to 5 x tippet. I think talking in diameter is a safer way to compare tippet as pound test is too inconsistent.
Hell flies can run from #2/0 to size 16 dropper nymphs?
Popular hook sizes for Adult Steelhead are 2 through 8 depending on water clarity.
For Halfpounders we like 8 to 12 in attractor wets then we match the hatch with smaller flies in Valley rivers at times.
Another good idea is to use the heaviest tippet that fish will tolerate so you can land then more rapidly so they are not as fatigued and so you can land the fish of a lifetime.
On the Lower Klamath River and Lower American River people use #4 to #6 rod for Halfpounders that run 12 to over 20 inches.
I think 2x is a safe size for fresh Halfpounders on the Lower Klamath.
We will use 4/5x for fishing #12/14 caddis dries to working fishing on the Lower American. Swing flies we use 2/3x depending on the size rod we are using.
If you are using a #4/5 rod you can get away with lighter tippet than if you are using a fast action #7/8 rod.
For adult Steelhead I would recommend 0x to 2x as a range depending on the fly size and water clarity.
When indicator nymphing I think many will use 3x in Valley rivers.
For big Steelhead in British Columbia they are still using lots of Maxima tippet material. Up there they use #7 to #10 weight rods for giant Steelhead. I think 0x is a good size tippet for theses giant fish running 10 to 20 pounds and larger. Many up there just use 15# Maxima which probably breaks at near 20# test with good knots.
My friend Al Perryman says it is hard to land really hot adult Steelhead on less than 2x tippet. The difference from 2x to 3x is very large in the real world of Steelheading. Mike Mercer told me this once as well.
I am constantly re-checking this info with the best Steelheaders and the top Steelhead guides.
I know many Steelheaders go by pound test especially if they are in the Maxima crowd.
We use to use 6# Maxima for lighter adult Steelheading situations and then go up till we stop breaking them off. We use to go to 8# when the fish were bigger and hotter in Nor Cal. I have been on the Trinity and Klamath some time back when 6# Maxima was not enough to hold the size and power of the fish we were into. We had fish that sheered off 6# on the strike.
Fresh tippet and good knots help here too.
Tell me what you think about this.
Tippet size could run from size 0x to 5 x tippet. I think talking in diameter is a safer way to compare tippet as pound test is too inconsistent.
Hell flies can run from #2/0 to size 16 dropper nymphs?
Popular hook sizes for Adult Steelhead are 2 through 8 depending on water clarity.
For Halfpounders we like 8 to 12 in attractor wets then we match the hatch with smaller flies in Valley rivers at times.
Another good idea is to use the heaviest tippet that fish will tolerate so you can land then more rapidly so they are not as fatigued and so you can land the fish of a lifetime.
On the Lower Klamath River and Lower American River people use #4 to #6 rod for Halfpounders that run 12 to over 20 inches.
I think 2x is a safe size for fresh Halfpounders on the Lower Klamath.
We will use 4/5x for fishing #12/14 caddis dries to working fishing on the Lower American. Swing flies we use 2/3x depending on the size rod we are using.
If you are using a #4/5 rod you can get away with lighter tippet than if you are using a fast action #7/8 rod.
For adult Steelhead I would recommend 0x to 2x as a range depending on the fly size and water clarity.
When indicator nymphing I think many will use 3x in Valley rivers.
For big Steelhead in British Columbia they are still using lots of Maxima tippet material. Up there they use #7 to #10 weight rods for giant Steelhead. I think 0x is a good size tippet for theses giant fish running 10 to 20 pounds and larger. Many up there just use 15# Maxima which probably breaks at near 20# test with good knots.
My friend Al Perryman says it is hard to land really hot adult Steelhead on less than 2x tippet. The difference from 2x to 3x is very large in the real world of Steelheading. Mike Mercer told me this once as well.
I am constantly re-checking this info with the best Steelheaders and the top Steelhead guides.
I know many Steelheaders go by pound test especially if they are in the Maxima crowd.
We use to use 6# Maxima for lighter adult Steelheading situations and then go up till we stop breaking them off. We use to go to 8# when the fish were bigger and hotter in Nor Cal. I have been on the Trinity and Klamath some time back when 6# Maxima was not enough to hold the size and power of the fish we were into. We had fish that sheered off 6# on the strike.
Fresh tippet and good knots help here too.
Tell me what you think about this.