Dry Flies on the Dean
As July turns to August, the waters of the Dean start to fall and the numbers of steelhead holding in the upper river above the canyon increase to the point where fish can be found holding in most every run. These fish are no longer in a hurry like they were below the canyon. They are happy to rest in a spot for days before moving on. They know they are home. Also, barring a heavy glacial melt, the water temps are at optimal levels for active, aggressive steelhead.
For the angler that travels to the Dean this makes for great dry fly opportunities.
And let’s face it – there is nothing like a steelhead on a dry.
They may crush it out of nowhere. They may come up and gently leave a hole where your fly once was. They may follow it to shore and then take it with a classic gator rise. Or they may drive the angler crazy by rushing at or rising to the fly over and over without ever taking. It is enough to put an angler in the “rubber room”!
Give it a try and see why anglers get a little crazy when it comes to steelhead on dries.
[…] You Could Fish Dries! […]