What flies for steelhead

**Digger** · 09-12-2007, 09:49 AM

Obviously, there are proven patterns that 'seem' to be real winners on any given river, but I'm more inclined to believe techniques and presentation are by far the real factors, more so than the fly chosen.

For those that have Dec Hogan's recent book, he devotes chapter 2 on the flies he uses or has been very succesful with and comments on several of them.
His underlying premise though, is that steelhead will take just about anything, it's the angler that has the personal preferences (for whatever reason). He states his most successful fly is the Bomber.

**mike N** · 09-12-2007, 11:20 AM

Hey Digger,

Does Dec have a chapter devoted to half-pounders on the American?

I'll agree that presentation is more important than fly selection. Sometimes the lack of presentation is even more important than that. :hmmm In other words, if you put a fish down with a bad cast, it doesn't matter what is on the end of the line. Choose you casts wisely, you may only have one chance to fool a rising steelie.

Bill, I think it depends on the season. It seemed to me (when I used to actually catch fish) that the fall run had more naturally spawned fish than the spring run, but the spring run had more larger fish.

MN

**MSP** · 09-12-2007, 02:59 PM

Bill, I would say that in the past 90% of the 1/2 pounders I have gotten have been wild fish. Now Jason has had a few in the last couple weeks and most were hatchery. He also said that they were slugs after he hooked them. But he did have a nice 19"er that took him down river a ways. He figured the water temp was slowing down the fish.

**Paul B.** · 09-12-2007, 03:04 PM

Thank you Mike, I hope to see you out there. (I didn't really expect you to start mass production.) Great looking flies. Paul

**mike N** · 09-12-2007, 07:18 PM

Party pooper. :roll:

MN

**Bill Kiene semi-retired** · 09-12-2007, 07:50 PM

I was told that this is the original strain of Steelhead that was in the river before the dams?

I was told that 'Halfpounders' on the Klamath River actually spawn in the small tributaries.

We think that these smaller fish don't actually go to the ocean, but feed down in the bay and delta.

CA DF&G use to categorize any Steelhead under 12 inches is a pre-migrant.

Now that we have that cooling devise on Folsom Dam who knows if aren't starting to get resident Rainbow trout?

Anglers catch Steelheadon the American River in the Fall that are 6-8 pounds too. Maybe left over Washugal River stain that were planted in the 1970s.