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[fishseeker]

I am a complete newbie to Salmon/Steelhead fishing and thanks to some great advice on this forum I have had a taste of what I needed to do to flyfish for Chum.

I hear a lot about steelhead and, now that the Salmon season is over, I would like to have a go at that when they become available.  Some general questions:

• Is flyfishing for them an effective approach or would I be better off going after them with a baitcasting setup? (thinking of doing that to supplement flyfishing anyway)
  
  

• Do I need any special gear for this?

I have a 9wt outfit with a fast sink tip line.  Are there any recommended fly patterns?

• When is the best time?

I have heard they start running at the beginning of September right through to the spring. Is there an optimal time?

[Tex]

That's a broad spectrum of questions.
There are others here who know more about this than I, but from what I've gathered:

1) Flyfishing for steelhead can be quite effective - but seldom, if ever, is it more productive than baitgear.  Depends what you're in it for - you want to fly fish?  Or you want to have a better chance at hooking fish?

2) Special gear?  Nothing other than what you would use for most river salmon/steelhead fishing, though the flies are a bit different.

3) Fly patterns - depends whether you're fishing for winter steelhead or summers.  Basically, you just need to get it in front of them.  It's not as much about the fly as the presentation, usually.

4) Summer run steelhead are later summer/early fall, and winter run steelhead start (on the vedder at least) now through the early spring (april).

Good luck!

Tex

[newsman]

The colder the water the harder it gets, slow their metabolism. This make Summer Run (Sept & Oct) a better option. Late season Winters (April & May) can be active too.

[fishseeker]

Thanks guys.  I think that answers my questions.

I happen to have the appropriate fly fishing gear for this and that was why I was asking.   To be honest, I am more interested in catching something than bashing a fly around so I think I will go with a baitcasting setup for this.  I can always go with both methods if I feel one of them isn't working.

[north]

Once you catch a steelie on the fly you will have a hard time going back. I have about the same results flies vs. hardware so I use the fly. There are bait bans on most of the northern rivers, but I would imagine with bait you would have a lot more hook-ups.

[daver]

i have been out a few times on the vedder this year flyfishing and still waiting for the tug

[typhoon]

As for fly choice, you probably want to go with something enticing.
Gear fishers are generally going for the food response while fly fishers are generally looking for the territorial response.
Here's my variation on popsicle tube fly.

[younggun]

some comon steelhead flies.

gear will out do the fly almost all the time, but the rush of having a steely on the fly is just over powering to the numbers.

as for gear a 7,8,9 weight in 9-10ft is the usual, spooled with a dry line and having an assortment of sinktips will get you started

[square tail]

very nice tube in the blue will be good for the vedder

[markus23]

Once it warms up here in the next couple weeks, the fly fishing should pick up for steelhead.  As for gear your 9 wt. is more that enough.  With the warmer water comes more aggressive fish, so you don't have to scrape the bottom as you would their early winter cousins.   Keep covering water and hold on, these fish can pull the rod out of your hands.  I've had luck with black and blue popsicles in the spring... it really doesn't matter though, they'll hit almost anything they see.

[FishGuts]

Fly fishing can be very effective at certain times of the year. With the warmer weather coming  I catch twice as many on the fly than with gear manily because at this time the fry are hatching and the steelies are gorging on them. The ones I caught recently were so stuffed with them they were literally falling out of their mouths when unhooking my fly.

[younggun]

thats why blades are the ticket right now

[fishseeker]

I am looking forward to trying some of this in \\April/May - thanks for all the responses!