Increase your odds of catching steelhead

It is said that steelhead are "a fish of a thousand casts", and though there is a lot of truth in this, there are a few things a steelhead angler can do to increase the odds.

 

It is said that steelhead are “a fish of a thousand casts”, and though there is a lot of truth in this, there are a few things a steelhead angler can do to increase the odds.

1. After heavy rain, wait for rivers to start falling before going fishing. Steelhead rarely take a fly when they are running, which they do as rivers rise.

2. Where laws allow, try fishing two flies. Put your larger fly on the end of the leader, and a smaller “follow up” fly on a dropper about 3 feet away. Use a steelhead tippet ring to attach the dropper to your leader.

3. The colder the water temperature, the slower the fly should swing and the deeper it should be presented. Once water temps get below 40 degrees (F), use an intermediate based Skagit line like the iFlight to present the fly deeper and slower.

4. Use bigger flies as the water gets colder, and make sure they swing as slow as possible, fishing slower pools and utilizing lots of mends and slack to get the right presentation.

 

Use bigger flies as the water gets colder, and make sure they swing as slow as possible, fishing slower pools and utilizing lots of mends and slack to get the right presentation.

 

RIO Products
5050 South Yellowstone Highway
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
USA

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *