Steelhead fly selection for Sept. Oct. on AR

[smokeater]

Is everyone using caddis, or are we far enough into the salmon run to start with some egg patterns? Has anyone been using streamers/leech patterns.

[Darian]

Hey Smoke,..... Don't know about the Feather but haven't noticed any spawning activity in the American or the Yuba, yet..... :? Might be a little too early for egg patterns..... :) :) :)

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Many use caddis imitation all year round.

We have some "magnum" #8/10 caddis pupas for Steelhead.

I don't think that a lot of salmon are spawning yet. Our river is much later than other Valley rivers with our big influx of salmon being in October.

We have had 4 large steelhead reported on flies in the past week or so. Three were on 14/16 trout nymphs deep indicator nymphing and one was on a #8 Silver Hilton swinging.

Green/olive is a good color. Caddis pupas or lava and even an olive wooly worm/wooly bugger.

Tan is good too like a Red Squirrel nymph or tan Super Pupa.

I think you could tie on any #12 trout nymph and catch halfpounders in the American River.

Black is good too.

Egg imitations might work any time.

[Gregg Machel]

Just got home from the AR near Watt Ave. I hooked about 5, but didn't land any. I saw two of them jump out of the water. :fish: :fish: The last one pulled off about 50 ft. of line, but then took a turn and got off the hook. I was bummed, but at least I know there are fish in the American River now, I was beginning to doubt that after several days fishing there with no action.

[jbird]

Smokeater

I dont use very many egg patterns anymore. I used to have one tied on all year round and caught plenty of steelhead on eggs even when salmon werent present. I think steelhead know what eggs are and know that they like to eat them whether they are naturally occuring or not. Its just programed in their brains. Its possibly the shape and color. Kind of like how most dogs instinctively like balls, whether theyve ever seen one before or not. I have been using a fly a lot for a couple years now that has an egg head on it with a nymph body. I call it the bacon and egg. I know thats kinda dumb.lol but I catch a LOT of fish on it year round. I think many times the fish are only zeroing in on the egg head.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, NEVER doubt the effectiveness of an egg. Tho I have never fished the American River.

jbird

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Gregg,

This is the first report that I have heard of this Fall of any numbers of fish being hooked by one person. This usually happens in late August or early September.

Yahoo..........the Halfpounders are in the Lower American River.

Did you seen any surfacing? rolling?

[Gregg Machel]

I saw one come to the surface, and just to two of mine that came out of the water. I just need to learn how to keep them hooked now, and I'll be good to go.

I'd rather go fishing, hook fish and not land them than to not go at all though. :)

[MSP]

Great job Gregg, reports like that are very encouraging to us fly guys. Don't worry about losing a few fish, those 1/2 pounders are a handful after the initial grab. I'd say my percentage over the last couple of years has been around 40% of the fish I've hooked ended up in hand. The days when you go 100% to hand are WooooHooo days. Stay after them, but leave a few for me when I get back.

[Jasonh]

Way to go Gregg. It must have also been nice to feel that grab on the spey rod! Next thing you know you'll be fishing for half pounders out there and something BIG will take your fly! Keep it up.

Jason Hartwick

[smokeater]

Most of my steelhead on the AR have been on the caddis, but not the caddis alone. The best observation I have made is that they may have been keying in on the egg (like an attractor) and then pounched on the caddis dropper when it got close and became more visible. I have pretty much always relied on the egg/caddis two fly combo under an indicator as my bread and butter. The only time I really had alot of steelhead hit the eggs was when I was able to site cast to fish that were poaching eggs off of spawning salmon/steelhead just upstream.

[Tony Buzolich]

Though I've been guiding for salmon my clients are taking a few steelhead almost every trip.
Yesterday we targeted a beautiful 8#er for about 20 minutes without a grab. He finally got tired and moved but what a beauty.

There are quite a few guys fishing steelhead already up here using standard indicator-glow bug-nymph dropper combinations and doing quite well.

The salmon up here are just now starting to build redds so the steelies aren't pestering them too much yet.

Some of these "steelhead" I think are actually resident trout that are gorging on all kinds of eggs. In the spring when the suckers are spawning a very small white egg is a killer.

Some of those "football" trout around Sailor Bar are the same way. Not true steelhead, just big fat trout.
TONY