Indicator versus Swinging flies

It is no doubt that fishing dead drift very deep with an indicator, straight tippet material and a combination of bead head nymphs, egg imitations and split shot is the most productive method of catching steelhead and trout in larger streams and rivers.

This is especially true when the water is very cold (below 50 degrees) or there are salmon spawning in the river or the fish have been pounded a lot or mid-day with lots of sun on the water.

You can swing wet flies very shallow (a few inches) on a floating line when the water is warmer in the Fall like 55-65 degrees and you have fresh run mostly wild Steelhead and the sun is off the water. Overcast days are good too. I would swing flies especially if you see rolling fish.

You have to really target this situation where swinging flies on a floating line for Steelhead is practical.

It is a really wonderful way to fish when you can.

I am headed for the Grand Rhonde with Rick Jorgensen and John Hogg in Mid-October and I am praying for those prefect conditions.

Another good thing is to have the Isonychia mayflies or October Caddis activily hatching too.

Bill I couldn't agree with you more about indicators vs swinging for steelhead. My first introduction to steelhead on a fly was on the lower Rogue in the first part of November a number of years back. I couldn't cast well (still can't) and went with a guy who knew the ropes. Between us we landed close to 60 fish in the 16" to 19" range all swinging. They just attacked the fly. I wish the same was true for the upper Rogue. Here if you want to catch fish the heavy stuff and indicators are by far the best method. I have had a few guys say they can do just as well swinging but they have never done it with me around to see it.
I hope your Grand Ronde trip is a great one. It's a place I have always wanted to fish. It is beautiful country. I have only hunted elk on the breaks and would like to fish the river someday. I will have to say leaving the Rogue in October is hard to do though.

Mark

You impart insightful information , have you ever thought of writting a book, "Fly Fishing Northern California"?

Some rivers lend themselves to indicators and others to the swing. Big open runs such as on the lower Klamath are best fished with the swing as the fish can be anywhere in the run and you cover more water. Now you may need to swing with a sink tip or even a shooting head but still you will put the fly in front of alot more fish with the swing.

More compact rivers with specific lies can be fished with either method but the dead drift is probably more effective if you are after numbers as you can put and keep a fly in a specific slot easier with a dead drift. Whether you need indicators is another matter. Just tumble bugging a run without indictors can be very effective. The indicator really is a great way to keep a fly at a certain level for as long a s possible and is a main reason for using them in my view as opposed to a way to indicate a strike though they do that well also