Adam Tavender’s Steelhead Rig

Adam Tavender has been a part of Nakia Lodge on the Dean River since 1993.  In early 2007, we at Deneki Outdoors had the good fortune to ‘take the torch’ from Adam and his wife Judy, and we now run the lodge as BC West.

Having spent 15 years guiding on the Dean, Adam now returns each summer just to fish for personal enjoyment.  Needless to say, he’s learned a thing or two about rigging for the Dean’s superstar steelhead.

Since Adam rigs differently for our two sections of river- the Lower River below the Canyon and the Upper River above the Canyon – we’re covering two setups.

“The bottom five miles of the Dean really is two different fisheries.  The Upper Dean is a little more intimate. The river is smaller.  The lower Dean is big and broad, with longer, wider runs. Secondarily, the fish on the upper dean tend to be more trout-like because they’ve been in the river longer, as opposed to the lower river where they’re more accustomed to feeding on shrimp and squid.”

Adam’s Rig for Lower Dean Steelhead

The Summary

• Burkheimer 9145
• Airflo Standard Skagit 9/10
• Bauer MX6

The Detail

• 150 yards of 30 pound Dacron backing, tied to the spool with a Uni knot
• 30 pound Airflo Ridge running line tied to the backing with an Albright knot, sealed with UV Knotsense
• Airflo Standard Skagit shooting head looped to the running line with factory loops
• Tips range from 15′ Type 6 up to 15′ of T-14, connected with loop-to-loop connections
• Loops in the T-14 are braided mono loops, whip finished with Kevlar thread, color coded for the length of the tip and sealed with Aquaseal.  “Most importantly, seal not just the thread but the loop itself – I want to stiffen the loop to prevent hinging.”
• 3-4 feet of 15 pound Trilene Big Game for tippet, connected to the tip with a loop-to-loop connection.  “We’re fishing for steelhead that are very fresh from the ocean and have seen very few flies.  They’re not leader shy, and the Dean is a glacial river that usually has a little color to it.  I go with Trilene Big Game because it knots up better than a brand like Maxima.”
• Marabou tube flies either in black/blue or pink, with an Owner SSW straight eye hook in size 2, tied on with a Uni knot.  “I use a Uni Knot because I really do want that to be a weak spot – I want the knot to the fly to break, not a connection further back.  That’s why I don’t use a non-slip mono loop.”

Adam’s Rig for Upper Dean Steelhead

The Summary

• Burkheimer 8141
• Airflo Standard Skagit 8/9 for sinktips
• Ace Vision Floater in 8/9 for a dry line
• Bauer MX5

The Detail

• 150 yards of 30 pound Dacron backing, tied to the spool with a Unit knot
• 30 pound Airflo Ridge running line tied to the backing with an Albright knot, sealed with UV Knotsense
• For sinktips, Airflo Standard Skagit 8/9 looped to the running line with factory loops
• 15′ sinktips from Type 6 to Type 8 looped to the shooting head with factory loops
• 3-4 feet of 15 pound Trilene Big Game for tippet, connected to the tip with a loop-to-loop connection
• Marabou tube flies either in black/blue or pink, with an Owner SSW straight eye hook in size 2, tied on with a Uni knot
• For a dry line, Ace Vision Float in 8/9 looped to the running line with factory loops
• 14′ Airfo floating polyleader looped to the shooting head with factory loops
• 10 pound Maxima Ultragreen tippet attached to the polyleader with a non-slip mono loop and a loop-to-loop connection.
• Umpqua Lambroughton’s Steelhead Skater #6 tied on with a Uni knot.  “With dries, you don’t want a large fly – they cast very awkwardly, and they’re not necessary.  The steelhead are going after the V-wake, not the actual fly.  Large mouse-size patterns are counterproductive – they don’t cast very well and sometimes sink.  Stick to something small like the Lambroughton Skater.”

The Commentary

“Over the years, I’ve been lucky to fish with and learn from some of the best steelheaders around. Names like Dec Hogan and John Hazel come to mind. But certainly Jerry Wintle, with his tackle ambivalence yet focused attention on observation and reading the water, has done the most to inspire my fishing philosophy. It’s good to think about properly tightening knots and keeping your hook sharp, but don’t worry about owning the latest equipment and don’t obsess over micro-management of sink-tip or fly choice. Because, while you were busy tackle tinkering, Jerry will have just hooked a steelhead that only he saw roll…and used a 50 year old cane rod to do it. ”

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For more information on rigging for steelhead, have a look right here.