Some of the most popular posts on our site come from our ‘Expert Rig‘ series – in which we ask a wide range of expert anglers to describe, in detail, how they set up their rigs to fish for various species around the world. There’s a wealth of knowledge in these posts – frankly, your humble editor learns a lot every time he writes one up.
We also love hearing from our readers. You are an incredibly experienced, knowledgeable, enthusiastic bunch and we truly appreciate all the input we get from you.
We have a brand new Hardy Bougle MkVI 4″ reel burning a hole in our collective pocket.
See where this is going?
Write Up Your Steelhead Rig, Win a Hardy Bougle
We want you to write up your favorite steelhead rig, in the same basic format that we use in our ‘Expert Rig’ series. We want to know the specific models of rod, line and reel that you use. We want to know every knot that you use from arbor to fly. We want to hear your commentary on why you like the rig and how you fish it.
At the end of the contest, we’re going to pick the most interesting, helpful, thorough rig write-up, and send its author a brand new Hardy Bougle MkVI 4″ reel. Cool?
Contest Rules and Tips
- Your entry has to be submitted as a comment on this blog post. Submissions via email, Facebook or any other medium don’t count. If you’re not on our web site right now, click here to submit your entry as a comment on this post.
- Since this is a big prize, we’re going to run the contest for a month. We’ll pick the winner on January 6th, 2013.
- You can submit any fly fishing rig that you like to use to fish for steelhead, anywhere. We post a lot about spey fishing, but your rig does not have to be a spey rig.
- Important: you have to be signed up for our weekly newsletter to qualify. If you’re not currently getting our newsletter, click here to subscribe. Then confirm your subscription via the email you receive and you’re good to go!
- If you’re not familiar with our Expert Rig series, here are a couple of examples that you can use – Ken Morrish’s Steelhead Rig and Scott Baker-McGarva’s Steelhead Rig. Don’t worry about the formatting, but make sure you include the rod, line and reel you fish, how you connect all the parts of the line system, and tips and commentary on how you fish it and why you like it.
- If you have multiple steelhead rigs that you love fishing you can submit multiple entries, but please only write up each rig once.
- The winning entry will be the one that we judge to be the most interesting, helpful and thorough.
- That’s it. Simple enough, right?
We really hope you’re as excited about this one as we are. Have fun with it!
Make sure you’re signed up for our weekly newsletter, then click here to submit your entry.
Rod-Burkheimer 7134-4 This rod is a little overkill for the summer steelhead I fish on the Grande Ronde, but I really like it and it is stout enough to be used for winter steelhead as well.
Reel-Hatch 9
Line system-200 yds dacron backing wrapped around the arbor 3 times and tied, airflo running line, Next cast Fall Favorite 45 for summer, and Airflo Compact Skagit for winter. Variety of sink tips are used during winter according to Water condition. Usually 3 6ft tips of different weight, 3 10ft sections at different weights, and 3 13 ft sections at different weights. These are used mostly for winter steelhead. Since I live near the Grande Ronde, the majority of summer steelhead is done with a floating line and dry flies.
I really don’t like changing gear very much, so I use this rod for just about all steelhead fishing. By switching out the heads and tips, this rods covers all of my steelhead applications. It covers big rivers well, and isn’t too big for the smaller rivers.
For the Vancouver Island streams I like my 7/8 12’6″ Spey. A 475 Grain Skadgit with up to a 14′ Rio tip. Tube fly’s are my favorite.
Rod: Sage traditional 8136-4 IIIe
Reel: Speyco Skagit reel
Line: Rio Skagit Flight 650
Tip: usually 11ft of T14
Running line: Preferably Airflo Ridge but currently trying out the varivas
backing: 150yards of 30lb Dacron
This rig is used on Vancouver Island for winter steelhead fishing.
though, 13’6″ may feel like an overkill for some of the rivers on the island, I find this length of rod to be the perfect balance for casting and mending.
If the river gets real small I often switch to a 7wt single hand rod or switch rod.
Rod: Scott Ls2 1408-4
Reel: Lamson Velocity
Line: Rio Mid-Spey multi tip
Leader: Maxima
Fly: green butts, sig. Intruders
Rivers: Salmon, C Water, Olympics
Rod – Winston 11′ 7wt BIIX
Reel – Hardy golden JLH 8/9
Line – SA dragontail running line, SA Skagit Extreme 360,
Leaders/tip – maxima 10-12lb, poly leaders/t-8 or 11, a couple mow tips.
My lighter setup for fishing small skinny northern midwest water..this setup is so light in hand, fishes close extremely well, casts from under the trees. I can pop out casts from spots with no casting room whatsoever. Handles the <10lb wild fish very well…
Rod – Sage Z-axis 11′ 7wt
Reel – Abel Switch
Line – SGS Elf tapered running line, SGS ~400gr “Skandit” head or Sa Skagit Extreme 440gr depending on flows/flies.
Leaders/tip – maxima 10-12lb, poly leaders/t-811/14 in 10′ or under, a couple mow tips.
My go to upper midwest steelhead rod. Most of the rivers I fish are fairly small…and I can fish this setup in heavy or skinny flows..top to bottom…with a variety of flies from skaters and classics, to weighted leeches. Even works as a passable nymphing rig with MOW floating tips and flouro leader setups. Light in hand, easy to carry through the brush, and casts great in that 40-70ft range that is so common where I fish.
Rod – SAGE Z-Axis 7136
Reel -Hardy Marquis Salmon 2
Line -Airflo Skagit compact intermediate 510, or float 540 grains
Tips- custom T8 130 grains or 10-12 ft T8, T11
leader- Tubertini Tatanka clear 0.37-0,31 knotted with perfection loop and surgeon knot.
I fishing Steelhead a month each year in British Columbia, after few years, I have found best fishing with 7 weight , there is a lot of feeling in swing control, rod are strong to fight very hard fish, Marquis is the best reel when there is ice, immerse in the water, starting again with hooked fish. My favorite fly is an articulated egg sucking Leech blue with Tiemco 7999 # 2, or EP sparkle blue intruder with Owner SSW 2 trailer hook.
I have a great passion for steelhead fishing and I’d like more time, but I live in Italy, and I’m a little envious all of you that you can always fishing. Ciao
My Go to rig is a Pieroway Metal Detector- 12 foot for a 510 grain line. This is a great rod for steelheading, as it’s short enough to get into some tight spots, but has enough muscle to fish larger waters as well. This rod can handle some big fish but doesn’t feel like a broomstick with smaller fish either.
The reel is a Sage 4210, with about 150 yrds of 30lb backing, 50 lb Rio Slick Shooter running line, and a 510 gr. Airflo Skagit Compact. I use a variety of tips, but like the medium mow tips and the usual type 3 and type 6 sink tips of about 12 ft in length.
I’ve found this to be a great rod on my local waters (it was designed locally) and has been one of my favorite rods to cast, and this set up can handle all I’ve thrown with it, and is just a great rod to fish.
Whatever rig one of my dirtbag buddies will let me borrow, knowing full well that I will probably break it, and not be able to afford to fix it. Because I fish for Steelhead.
The Weapon:
Rod: Sage 7126-4 TCX
Reel: Van-Staal C-Vex 9/12
Head: RIO Skagit Flight 525
The nitty-gritty:
-30 pound gel-spun backing, tied to the spool with a single Uni knot, with a bimini loop followed by a double surgeons at the shooting line end.
-Rio 55lb Slickshooter. Connected via a double-surgeons to backing and head
-525 grain Rio Skagit flight attached to the double surgeons on front of slickshooter. Tips connected via factory loop
-Tips: RIO Mow Heavy Kit, 10 footers of: intermediate; type 3; type 6; type 8. I create my own loops on the front ends of tips that do not come factory finished using 2 30lb nail-knots, with the tip looped back on itself.
-Leader: 4 feet of 15 pound Maxima Ultragreen, attached to the tip with a double surgeons. If I’m feeling adventurous I’ll do a bimini and then a double surgeons.
Fly- Depends on conditions, but likely going to be black and blue, or pink.
Hook – Owner SSW #2
The Commentary:
Well, there is probably not a better one rod to do it all then the “Death Star”. I’ve fished it on tiny coastal streams, to the mainstem Skeena and Thompson and feel that it is just right for just about every situation out there. Sure I can get more distance out of my ‘big-dog’, however, I’ve yet to find a rod that I truely enjoy fishing more than the TCX. Perfect handle, perfect balance, perfect casting…Allows me to lose myself in the fishing and the environment, instead of worrying about my rod and what I’m doing with it.
I use the skagit on this rod almost exclusively, however it also rocks with a Unispey 8/9 for throwing dries.
Backing: Gel spun for one main reason. It allows me to ditch my spey stuff and turn my reel into a salt reel without a second thought (frugal, I know!). No worries about nicking it on a hard basalt ledge, or coral in the ocean. I start with a large bimini loop, which gives me room to do double surgeons within the bimini loop. This gives me a larger surface area for the loop-to-loop to the backing, and therefore won’t cut into itself or the running line.
Running Line: I’ve played with about 10 different running lines, and have now changed all my rigs over to Slickshooter. The stuff shoots like spider silk, rarely tangles and gives me the feeling that I have the ultimate connection with my bug. Fished it for over 40 days this year, and don’t see myself changing it out any time soon. Plus, the price point cannot be beat. To make the knots a little nicer I’ll put a bit of Loon knotsense.
Reel: Van Staal C-Vex. Rarely known, but deadly drag. Again, same reason as my backing. Just a bullet proof reel. Covered in boat rash and beat to hell on rocks, this thing is a tank, but light enough to balance the light rod that is the TCX. It also allows me to cover a lot of bases, however getting a ‘classic’ reel for steelheading is definitely on the list.
Tips: Pretty hard to beat the MOW’s for convienence (hell, just the tip wallet makes it worthwhile), as well as covering most bases. However, I’d rather cast a 10 footer of T-6 over the 5/5 MOW any day of the week.
Leaders: Maxima. Is there anything else?
Rod: 7133 BIIX
Reel: Hardy Bougle Mk4
Backing: 30 Lb Dacron Arbor knotted to the reel and looped at the line end with a triple surgeons or Bimini twist.
Running line: Airflo ridge, broken about 40 feet from the end of the line the last time I set the hook on a summer fish. Leaving the rest of this rig floating somewhere in the upper Snake/Columbia drainage.
Line: Airflo 420 Grain Compact Scandi For Summer fishing or Compact Skagit 540 for sink tip work
Leader: For Scandi Line I use a Rio intermediate Versi leader 10 foot. Tie a loop in the end and loop on 4-6 feet of 10lb Maxima Ultragreen
Tips for Skagit: T-14 in 7-12 foot lengths, looped on both ends by folding the material over and tying 3 nail knots over. Tippet 4-6 feet of 12 lb Maxima Ultragreen.
Flies: Summer= Traditionals tied on Daiichi 2131 in #2-6 or small Temple Dog flies rigged to slide up the leader and a loop knot to jam in the tube to control how far back the hook is in the pattern.
Winter=Truders/String Leeches/Marabous and Temple Dogs. Black/Blue, Red, Orange and Pink
I forgot, all my flies are tied on with a clinch knot, or a non-slip mono if its a tube!
Hey Andrew,
Great post!! I am the one enjoy reading the expert rig! : )
Rod: Riverwatch 12′ 7/8
Reel: Mohlin Em Salmon
Line: Airflo Skagit short 480 and T 11-17 ; GPS 4/5 and Intermediate polyleader
Leader: 5 feet
Flies: small flies, medium flies and big flies…
and other single handed fiberglass and graphite rods plus random shooting heads…
The Summary:
TFO Deer Creek 11ft #8 Switch Rod
HFR 89 large arbor reel
Airlfo Skagit Compact Shooting Head, 510 grain
The Detail:
100 yards 30 pound orange dacron backing, tied to the spool with an Arbor knot.
Vision Floating Shooting Line in .024″ diameter, tied to the backing with a nail knot.
510 grain Skagit 20ft Switch line attached to the factory loop in the front of the shooting line with a loop to loop connection.
8 feet of T-14 sinktip, attached to the front of the Skagit Compact with a loop to loop connection
1 foot of 30 pound Damyl Tectan Premium butt section, attached to the front of the T-14 with a nail knot.
5 feet of 12 pound Damyl Tectan Premium leader attached to the butt section with an Albright knot.
Black and Blue Intruder, tied on a tube with an orange cone head and Rhea feathers and a Gamakatsu size 1 hook attached to the leader with a non slip loop knot.
The Summary:
I only fish the Kispiox, Bulkley and Morice Rivers for 2 weeks each Fall.
Started with 10ft #8/9 single handed rods and switched 8 years ago to a 13ft double hander and most times egg sucking leeches on long shank #2 or #4 hooks
The last couple of years my 11ft switch rod is my favorite, in combination with tube flies or shank flies with a #1 or #2 Gamakatsu.
The Summary:
Rod: Echo TR-7130
Reel: STH Cayuga
Line: Airlfo Delta Spey Multi-tips
The Details:
30 pound yellow dacron backing, tied to the spool with a single Uni knot
Airflow Delta Spey Multi-Tips, tied to the backing with an Albright knot
Loop to loop connection for the multi-tip I’m using that day. Usually the 1.5”/sec tip unless summer fishing then full floating.
12 foot of 10 or 12 pound Maxima Ultragreen, attached to the butt section with a perfection loop in the butt section
Unnamed fly (tied by me) pattern changes depending on the river that day tied to the tippet with a turle knot.
The Commentary:
I love this rod; it casts great and the price is really good. I am not a great caster (yet) but I have seen what this rod can do when in the hands of someone who is. All I can say is wow! I have a lot of practicing to get that good. I do not run a shock loop, I just let the fish grab it and run then sweep up when I feel the weight. I typically just swing down and across, step and repeat. It covers big rivers well, and isn’t too big for the smaller rivers, just an all around great rod.
Do I have a one big problem with this steelhead rig…Recently my wife decided she wanted to switch from a single hand to a spey rod for Steelhead. She didn’t really care for the Skagit line setup I had on the Echo Classic 8136 and prefers my TR7130 rig. This is my problem…I’m now without my favorite rig and have had to go to my backup rod. See next post for that rig. 🙂
The Summary:
Rod: Echo Classic 8136 (older classic not the new model)
Reel: Echo ION 8/10
Running Line: Rio Shooting line (.035in) floating
Head: Airflow Tactical Skagit head, Skagit Compact 540 grain
Tip: RIO MOW Tip, 10’ Floating Tip or MOW Tip, T-11, 10’ Double-Looped Sinking Tip
The Details:
30 pound yellow dacron backing, tied to the spool with a single Uni knot
Rio shooting line tied to the backing with an Albright knot
Loop to loop connection to the shooting line to the Skagit head.
Loop to loop for the MOW tip
12 foot of 10 or 12 pound Maxima Ultragreen, attached to the butt section with a perfection loop in the butt section
Unnamed fly (tied by me) pattern changes depending on the river that day tied to the tippet with a turle knot.
The Commentary:
This was my first Spey rod and I wasn’t really sure what I needed when I bought it and the guy at the shop (who doesn’t spey fish) probably should have had me get a 7# instead because in my opinion it is a bit stiff. It is an 8# rod but when I tried using the Airflow Delta Spey multi-tip line I had to really work on loading the rod. At least until you get a lot of line out the rod doesn’t really load all the well. Course this could also be because I’m not that great of a spey caster yet. This is why I switched over to a 540 grain Skagit head. With the Skagit head the rod loads a lot faster and shoots like a champ. I’m much happier with this setup once I put the Skagit head on it so this will be my winter steelhead setup, also because my wife is using my preferred rig (see above post).
East coast indie rig:
Sage 10’6″ TCX
Lamson Velocity 3.5
Rio Indicator taper
3 feet of 12lb floro to 3 feet of 3x floro.
Rod: 11 foot Red Truck Diesel Switch
Reel: Sage 509 (classic!)
Line: Airflo Skagit Switch 420, Scientific Angler’s Skagit Extremem Intermediate 400. Running line is Airflo Miracle Braid.
Maxima ultragreen for tippet/leaders.
I switch between poly leaders and short chunks of cct-200 and t-14 depending on flows. Mostly running sculpins, muddlers and ESLs inspired by Feenstra, but scaled down to make sense in the tight quarters of the Lake Superior trib I fish the most.
13’4″ 7wt. Vision Cult
CFO VI – arbor knot
30 lb Dacron – Albright knot to
Delta 6/7 Multi-tip
Floating tip gets Maxima Ultra Green 3ft of 20lb to 5 ft. of 12lb to 3ft. of either 8lb or 6lb. Knots are non-slip mono loop at the tip connection, then triple surgeons for mono connections
Sink tips get 3ft of Phantom 12lb flouro to 3ft. of Phantom 8.8lb or 6.6lb – same knots apply
Flies go from size 12-2/0 steelhead wets, 15-35mm wadington stingers with 20lb fireline, to all sizes of plastic or copper HMH tubes.
I like size 4 Owner SSW or Daichi Xpoint for stinger hooks.
Upturned eye wets get a double turle. Down eyes, tubes, and shanks get an improve clinch.
Butter….
Budget Minded Trout/Smallie/Great Lakes Steel Rig:
Echo 12’6″ 6wt
Echo Ion Reel
Backing: Sufix Premium Braid, recommended by Joel Dickey as it has a smaller diameter and will not degrade like Dacron. Attached with a double surgeons looped around the arbor twice (think log chain).
Running Line: Rio SlickShooter, double surgeons
Head: Airflo Skagit Switch, factory loops
10′ T-8
3′ 12# maxima
Not quite a traditional steelhead rig, but since recently becoming two-hand obsessed, here’s the go-to setup for the season:
Rod – Scott T3h 1106/4
Reel – Abel Switch
And the rest…
30lb dacron starts it off. It’s attached by Albright to 130 feet of 40lb Trilene Big Game Clear. The business end of that has a non-slip mono loop.
I’ve been throwing all manner of fly using an Airflo Skagit Switch 390, although an Airflo Skagit Compact 420 is on the way. The rod was first used with 320 and 360 grain heads, and even this neophyte could tell they were a bit light for the job.
Powell 11’3 8wt
Redington delta 9/10
200 yds of 20lb backing
Bimini twist-ed to
Rips coldwater shooting line
With factory loop to loop to
475 grain rio Skagit flight.
7ft of t-11
4ft of 15lb maxima
Nice juicy 4in fly.
This thing slings! Nice and light for myself, being a youngster’ (15)
It’s not really mine, but I built it for my 8 year old daughter. She caught her first fish swinging a blue/purple Shumakov tube on a floater in Maupin this fall. My friends steal it all the time:
-Custom fiberglass James Green 10′ 6wt. Switch/Spey. Yellow with pearl black REC Titanium Recoil guides and blue wraps.
-Hatch 5+ mid-arbor with Saltiga 55# boat braid triple nail knotted to…
-Wulff Ambush Taper #8.
-Drag set Bonefish to Permit tight, depending on river.
Forgot to say, IF I win, I swear I’ll give that reel to my daughter. Seriously. Well, kinda seriously.
Rig:
Rod: Sage Z-axis 8129
Reel: Tibor Riptide
Backing: 175yards of 30lb Dacron
Running Line: 44lb Slickshooter
Lines: Airflo Compact Skagit 570
Airflo Delta 9/10 cut back 15ft off the front, and the running line cut off leaving you with the shooting head.
Sink tips: 7.5-15ft in length.
Rigging:
Backing to arbor- 5 wraps around the spool, finished by a quadruple wrap uni knot.
Backing to running line- 2 triple wrap uni knots butted up against each other. This knot is strong, and slides through the guides really clean with minimal tags sticking out. Does not require any glue of any kind.
Running line to Skagit or Delta- Loop to loop connection with the loop built on the running line with either a figure 8 knot, or a quadruple over hand.
Loops- The delta head requires 4 of Rio’s XL braided loops. A loop for the front and the back of the head, and a loop on the front and back of the floating tip created by cutting off the front 15ft. All loops are knotted in with a nail knot of 12 maxima ultragreen and then zap-a-gapped at both the knot and where the end of the fly line meets the loop material inside.
Sink Tips- I build a loop on the back of the tip by folding it over and tying 3 nail knots with 12 maxima ultragreen and then applying zap-a-gap. The front of the tip gets an 18″ section of 25lb maxima ultragreen nail knotted to it. (The key to not having this slip is to fold over the sink tip and pull it flush with the front of the knot prior to tightening it down fully. This gives the knot lots of purchase and keeps it compact and clean.
This setup with both lines allows you to fish anywhere at anytime. The delta is turned into an extended skagit, if the floating tip is removed. The 9/10 delta with the front 15ft cut off the front comes in at around 600 grains total. Loading the rod perfectly. And with the running line replaced by the slickshooter, it allows you to reach to those far out places when you need to. Its a nice setup to fish when you can because of the lack of stripping.
When I’m going for an afternoon of “casting practice” on any one of our Pac NW rivers, this is what I usually pack:
-Redington RS4 14’9″ 9 weight ( I love me a big, ‘ole stick, what can I say….)
-Hardy Marquis Salmon 3 ( Gotta keep it classy)
-30 pound Dacron attached to spool with arbor knot and looped to my running line with a no-slip loop.
-Rio Powerflex in .35″ as my shooting line
– Skagit Flight 650grain head
-Skagit MOW tips (5’5′, full sink T-14) but more often then not 15’ feet of Type-6 depending on conditions. Usually with factory loops but if not, I double it over and use two glued nail knots to scure my loops.
-3-5 feet of 10-17lb. Maxima Ultragreen as my tippet, attached to the tip with a no-slip loop.
-Depending on the conditions I usually throw a my own version of Hickman’s Fish Taco in Pink, orange, black, purple/pink or red because I prefer unweighted flies and since my heavy ass rod feels like I’m swinging a sledge hammer everytime I form a D-loop, I’d prefer to save weight somewhere. Occasionally I’ll slap on a Squidro for the haters if I really need to dredge.
any spin/fly/ or even dare i say, baitcast rig that gets your bait of choice in the water will do, but i prefer the following..
#1 st. croix 9.5 -11 ft steelhead rod / shimano stradic 2500 /8lb powerpro / 4 -6lb flouro leader/ twill float/several split shot and a pair of flies (one beadhead or dumbell leech style followed 2 ft behind by a bright egg pattern.
#2 Orvis 7wt 10ft / battenkill large arbor/ sink tip 8 wt/ 10lb tapered leader and 4-6lb flouro tippet with same flies as above.
just add some snow flurries/ bone chilling rain/ temps hovering around freezing/ overcast grey skies/slimy slippery rocks to stand on and skim ice floating past on the river/ anything more than 20 cfm flow from the dam / ice forming on the rod guides/ frozen numb fingers and even colder toes and calves in your waders (that only allow you a few extra feet of access off the dry warmer land?) / and alot of fallen trees in the river for the steelhead to wrap around or to catch the backcast for the millionth time..
whatever rig you choose – steelheading is extremely addictive and sounds like alot of fun.. doesnt it ?
The following is my summer steelhead rig for small to medium rivers:
Backing: 30 lb.- just because you never know
Backing to reel knot: arbor knot
Backing to running line knot: Albright knot w/ some Knot Sense to make it slide through the guides easier
Running line: ELF- I am finding that I really prefer head systems, even when fishing short heads to 55 feet. Integrated running lines require additional spools. The ELF floats well, doesn’t tangle easily, has enough diameter that it’s easier to pinch against the upper grip of my rod, shoots well, and enables me to switch out heads easily
Line: Nextcast Winter Authority 5/6- I love this line. Works well as a floater or tossing poly leaders and functions equally well with touch-and-go casts or sustained anchor casts. Think versatility. There are a few lines that I have come across that make me a better caster and this is one of them.
Reel: Abel Super 10- I’ve been moving towards more traditional click and pawls reels, but chose this reel because it has the capacity to shine as a lighter spey reel or as a saltwater reel. I love the sound of clickers and though this reel doesn’t roar like a Hardy, it does sing when a fish is stripping line. Abel reels are beautifully constructed with tight tolerances. Though the drag is more than I will likely need for any summerrun, it’s nice to know it can handle any fish.
Rod: Burkheimer 7127-4- I turned 50 last February and this was my self-chosen birthday present. The aesthetics are hard to match and it is a versatile casting tool. Short belly or Skagit, this rod likes them both. It is both smooth and powerful. It’s light in the hand, so my old shoulders can cast it without problem all day long. Some of my favorite runs are high bank with trees behind. The shorter length of this rod enables be to cast in those conditions without banging tree limbs. Truly a pleasure to fish this rod.
Meiser highlander classic 15′ 7/8/9.
J.W. Young 1540.
120 yards of 30 # Dacron attached to the reel with an arbor knot, and attached to the running line with a double overhand loop.
Airflo 30 # ridge running line. On the backing end, I whip a loop with fly tying thread and secure it with aqua seal. I use the factory loop on the front to attach the fly line.
Nextcast fall favorite 70 8/9. On the tip I create a loop the same as on the running line.
12′ mono leader tied from Maxima chameleon. I use a perfection knot on the butt end to attach to the fly line, and a perfection loop for attaching the tippet. Tippet is three feet of either eight or twelve pound chameleon depending on fly size. Flies are attached with a non slip loop knot.
As you might gather, I like to keep things simple, and I’ve always liked using loops as it allows me to change things out as necessary with a minimum of fuss. This isn’t the only rig I fish with, but it’s fairly representative, and it works exceptionally well on any of the four rivers we have locally: Clearwater, Grande Ronde, Salmon and Snake. I love the versatility this set up gives me. It is equally at home working a fly sixty five feet off the tip, or banging out a hundred twenty foot cast on the Clearwater.
Speaking only for myself, the highlander classic is the best rod I’ve found in terms of balancing power and delicacy. It’s a very intuitive rod that is easy to cast and fish twelve hours straight when necessary, but still has the inherent power to buck the wind and handle the occasional large fish.
The J.W. young is an affordable reel on the used market that balances well with a fifteen foot rod. It has plenty of room for backing and big lines, and a nice smooth click drag. It doesn’t rattle and scream like some, but purrs nicely. I like that.
As far as I’m concerned, backing is mainly used for filling the space behind your fly line. In nearly thirty years of salmon and steelhead fishing, I’ve never ever had a fish take more than fifty yards on me. I like the Dacron because it’s cheap, and the thirty pound lays nicely on the spool.
With this rod and line combination, attaining distance isn’t really much of a concern, so I prefer the ridge line for it’s comfort level. It shoots as well as it needs to, and it’s super nice to deal with over a long day of fishing.
I really like the versatility of mid belly lines, but there are situations where you need to choke up on the head a bit to stay out of the bushes. So a prime consideration when choosing a line is how it handles with twelve or thirteen feet of the head sucked back into the guides. The Nextcast lines are fantastic in this regard. They are also the punchiest lines I’ve ever used that weren’t skagit heads. Big winds are not an issue. Needless to say, turnover is fantastic.
I like all-mono leaders for the feel, and the way they fish. Maxima chameleon is nicely abrasion resistant, holds knots well and provides good turnover. I’ve dabbled with different stuff over the last thirty years, but keep coming back to it.
So there it is, a typical set up from a confirmed dry line addict.
Columbia River Tributary Setups
Rods; Echo TR 7130/Echo SR 71010
Reel; Hardy ultralight 8000
20lb dacron backing secured with arbor knot to spool, Backing to running like I use surgeons knots.
Shooting heads I carry every day are Rio Skagit Flight 550g/Airflo Skagit Switch 480g & Steelhead Scandi Versitip 480g.
I prefer all 10ft tips. Floating, Intermediate, T-3,T-6,T-8,T-11,T-14 &T-17
My leaders are either 10lb, 12lb or 15lb Maxima length and test change with water conditions.
Leaders are attached to tips with loop to loop connections, I like Figure Eight knot to make loops on the leaders.
Flies are tied with either salt water loop or double turl knot depending on fly style. My leeches are all tied with the saltwater and my Wet/Dry are tied with the Double turl so they don’t spin in during the swing.
This is my go to rig for a majority of the Steelheading that I do. This set up covers small to medium sized rivers very effectively, from the Squamish, to the Vedder, to the Upper Pitt, to the Lilooet, to the pristine tea colored waters of a far off island which I shall not utter any names.
With this set up I can throw light tips for low water conditions and up to 12 ft of T14 to dredge heavier flows. If water flow conditions dictate a heavier tip I will move to a heavier setup.
The Summary:
Rod – RB Meiser MKS 13678 sweet custom build
Reel – I run either a Loop Mega or a Bougle MkV if I am feeling more traditional (and want to reel a whole bunch more!)
Line – Airflo Skagit 600-650 depending on water conditions and fly size
Backing – as much 30 pound orange dacron backing as I can comfortably squeeze on the reel (about 175 yds), attached to the reel with a Duncan loop
Shooting Line – 100 ft of 50 pound Rio SlickShooter attached to the backing via loop to loop with Surgeons Loops, attached to the back end of the Airflo Skagit head with a loop to loop connection again using Surgeons Loops
Tips – Type 6 10 weight 13 foot Airflo sinktip for lighter flows, and up to 12 ft of T14 for those days when she is pushing and you have to get that fly down
Leader System – 10 inch section of 25 lbs Maxima Chameleon leader butt section nail knotted to the sink tip with a Surgeons Loop to accept a 2-3 ft section 15 pound Maxima Chameleon leader attached to the butt loop to loop via Surgeons Loop
Fly – I am boring when it comes to fly selection and they basically fit into two camps – the BBP (blue/black/purple) and PW(pink/white). Design of the fly incorporates tons of movement via flowing materials, they are all relatively sparsely dressed, tied on shanks or tubes, with a small trailing hook never to exceed a size 1. In fact I have landed most of my trophy fish on a Daiichi X510 #4. The damage to the fish is no worse than little poke and the design of the hook locks it in the flesh prevents it from reaming and goring the penetration point.
I like to fish entire runs from top to bottom and cover all the water. In larger, broader runs I will punch the fly out to the edge of my ability and let it slowly swing through the run. Sometimes the pace is maddening slow, crawling that fly over every possible lie, each subtle wave telegraphing a boulder with a possible Steelhead in toe, beckoning a cast or two. But after a few hours of numbness with the mind reeling in anticipation, the lightning bolt of adrenaline from that grab makes it all worthwhile! Especially on some of the busier waters, I fish I take great pleasure in hooking fish behind less thorough anglers.
Tight lines and happy releases…
Here in the Midwest I fish both indicator nymph rigs and swinging. Over the past couple of seasons I’ve grown to love swinging, so that’s what I’m doing the majority of the Fall season. This is my small-medium water swinging rig.
My rig starts with a Scott L2h 1158/4 rod. Plenty of backbone and it’s faster action suits my style. My reel is an unported Abel Spey – olde schoole cool with modern machining. Plus the unsanded blank of the L2h and the Abel’s simple clean lines and black color make it a super-cool stealth rig.
I can’t recall exactly how much Dacron backing ended up on the spool – as we did a lot of tuning to get it right. To this I’ve attached a Scientific Anglers floating shooting line with dragon tail. Strong, shoots perfectly, and good visibility in almost all water.
Now for the business end…
In the Great Lakes, getting the fly down and keeping it in the zone is a continual challenge. So SA’s Skagit Extreme Intermediate series is the perfect choice. I started with a 480 grain, but I’ve found I like my two-handers line up a touch heavy so I can really feel it load. Swapping out to a 520 was perfect.
Rio’s MOW Tips are the ideal sink tip solution, at least for me. I love that fact that I can tune my sink rate, without changing the length of the tip. This rig is my main set-up for the Pere Marquette river in NW Michigan. I typically run the heavy 5’/5′ sink/float or the 7.5’/2.5′, depending on the depth I’m looking for. I’m looking forward to the new intermediate MOW tips so I can keep a consistent presentation more easily.
Last is 4-6′ of 15# Maxima. Honestly, I’m not terribly particular on this – mono, fluoro, whatever’s in the bag. Then run it to a Rapala knot for the fly. I’m mostly fishing big sculpin patterns, so the Rapal gives it more action, I find.
I fish this rig a lot on the Pere Marquette river. This small-medium river features short, deep holes so being able to get the fly down in the zone fast is the key to success. I love this rig because it was built to suit my casting style and personal preferences. The classic look is perfect, and it just feels great in-hand. Plus, it seems to suit my need to slow down – it stands up to my too-fast casting strokes like a champ.
Of course, a Hardy reel to go on this, or my Scott ARC-1287/3 would be pretty sweet, too!
My favorite setup for covering all the bases, winter to summer on inland Oregon rivers, mainly the N. Umpqua, Sandy, and Lower Deschutes.
Rod: Winston BIIX 7133
Reel: Hardy Marquis Salmon 2
Shooting Head, Summer: Airflo Scandi compact 450 grain
Shooting Head, Winter: Airflo Skagit compact 570 grain
Running Line: Berkely big game mono, 40lb, solar collector or Airflo ridge line 30lb. Loon uv knot sense helps smooth out the connections on the mono
Backing: 30lb dacron, approximately 175 yds, or whatever it takes to fill the reel, attached with an arbor knot and a loop to loop to running line, usually triple surgeons loop
Leader, Summer: Rio steelhead 15ft, tapered to 10lb. I will usually add 8lb maxima for tippet as leader gets used up, & rebuild as necessary
Sink tip/leader setup, winter: Really liking the Airflo custom cut tips in T-7 and T-10 lately. Go to tip would be a 13ft section of T-7. Small diameter aids sink rate and allows fishing the lighter tip, even with medium to large flies. I will change tips as conditions dictate, fishing everything from Airflo polyleaders to T-14, in different lengths. Leader setup is fairly simple; I use 15 or 2olb Maxima Ultragreen for a butt section and 8, 10, or 12lb Maxima Ultragreen for tippet
Flies, summer: Typically classic wet flies in the 4-8 size range on the Lower Deschutes, 75% of the time with a slider setup, size 4-6 bomber or muddler as the slider
Flies, winter: Mostly tubes tied myself. Sizes vary with water conditions but all tubes are tied with the largest profile/smallest amount of material strategy. I hate to admit but I have been hooking a lot of steelies on small to medium flashabou tube flies lately. Easy to cast and extremely effective. I use owner hooks size 2-4 with tubes
Initially started using this setup for winter fish on the N. Umpqua. This rod casts with 0 effort with the 570 skagit, let it bend into the butt and watch it go with a little underhand pull. Put the scandi head on and it becomes a killer summer tool for big rivers like the Lower D. I don’t fish this setup on the Umpqua in the summer, overkill. I have done some sink tip work with the scandi head and it really likes the airflo polyleaders in various sink rates. A versatile tool, well balanced with the Hardy Marquis, which also adds an interesting element, having virtually no drag. Also if you haven’t tried the big game mono for running line I recommend it. Shoots like crazy, not bad memory, and it comes out to like $4 for 100yds.
Non-slip mono loop on the tubes and double turle on the wets
Rod – Burkheimer 8139-3
Reel – Spey Co. Skagit
Backing – 250yds 30lb Micron
Lines/Shooting Heads – Airflo Skagt Compact 600, Airflo Skagit Intermediate 570, Airflo Rage Compact 570, or Airflo Delta Long 7/8;
Running Line for shooting heads- 47 lbVarivas or Airflo 30 lb Ridge
Tips – Assortment of Airflo T7, T10, T13, and T15/16 in 10 and13′ lengths, plus cut up Rio Intermediate, T3, T6, and T8 in 13′ and 10′ lengths and MOW T11 and T14 3/4sink tips. Airflo Floating and Intermediate Sink leaders for the Rage Compact
Knots – Backing to running line, tips to leader butt-sections: Albright knots covered in a light layer of UV Knot Sense
Leaders – Tips: straight 3-5′ sections of Maxima Ultra Green in 8, 10, 12, and 15 lb tippet class; Dryline – custom built Maximal knoted leaders in Chameleon for the butt-sections, Ultra Green for the tippets (8-12 lb) for the Delta Long; Tippets of Ultra Green, 8-12 lb for the Airflo Leaders and the Rage Compact
Why I likey….. Cause Mikey does…….
It’s a Burkheimer… Enough Said, right?? Loved it since I first picked it up 6 years ago. It definitely has that Burkheimer Sumpin’ Sumpin’… I love the 8139-3 because of it’s versatility – it covers all those lines above very well.. Winter tip fishing on the Clack, Sandy, Salmon, Coast (Skagit Compact and Skagit Intermediate – my new love….)? Check….. Summer Long Run/Long Casts on the Deschutes and the Clearwater (Delta Long)?? Check… Windy Days and Tight Casting Conditions on the Deschutes (when does that NOT happen… Rage Compact)??? Check… It does it all… It’s a great balance of power and weight. Can cast it all day long, day in day out, and not ‘feel it’ in the morning, yet still working a long enough rod to cover water. Backbone to make a fish work, but light enough to make a smaller fish feel like work. And it’s a Burkheimer!! Kerry does somethin’ special with his rods… This one happens to fit me well (7133-3’s a lighter-line twin I want…).
Reel wise…. Am really digging on the Spey Co. Skagit I purchased this spring. Previously fished a Ross Big Game 7, which I still do…. But after that first Screamin’ run of a hot wild 32″ buck on the Deschutes this summer…The Screamin’ that reel did with that run……and the look on the faces of my gear-fishing buddies gave me from 50 yds down stream (in a plug run I totally poached a fished out from behind them on)…. Priceless… Quality, Made in the USA…
Lines – Love my Airflo’s. My new fav’s are definitely the Skagit Intermediate and the Rage Compact… Ubber versatile and effective. Tom Larimer shared both in their prototype stage. Do everything they were designed to do…. I particularly like how slow and steady one can make that Skagit Intermediate fish… And the Rage Compact, in the wind, up against the bank….still a bomber caster…
And leaders and tippets.. Is there really anything other than Maxima?? My Delta Long leaders I custom tie with formulas I got form John and Amy Hazel. I prefer the stiffer Chameleon in the butt-sections and Ultra Green for tippets. Ultra Green tippets on everything else.
My Other Favorite….for different conditions….
Rod – Burkheimer 7115-4
Reel – Abel Switch (used to be a Ross Gunnison G-5)
Backing – 200yds 30lb Micron
Lines/Shooting Heads – Airflo Skagit Switch 480, Airflo Rage Compact 480
Running Line for shooting heads- 47 lbVarivas or 30 lb Airflo Miracle Braid
Tips – Assortment of Airflo T7, T10, and T13, 10 and13′ lengths, plus cut up Rio Intermediate, T3, T6, and T8 in 13′ and 10′ lengths and MOW T11 and T14 3/4sink tips. Airflo Floating and Intermediate Sink leaders for the Rage Compact
Knots – Backing to running line, tips to leader butt-sections: Albright knots covered in a light layer of UV Knot Sense
Leaders – Tips: straight 3-5′ sections of Maxima Ultra Green in 8, 10, 12, and 15 lb tippet class; Dryline: Tippets of Ultra Green, 8-12 lb for the Airflo Leaders and the Rage Compact
Why I likey….. Cause Mikey does…….
The Rod – Yup, gonna say it again…. It’s a Burkheimer… Enough Said. I picked up this rod a year ago, custom built with the extra tip (which I’ve made use of…twice……) and titanium rod seat…. It too definitely has that Burkheimer Sumpin’ Sumpin’… I got this rod to have that lighter, tighter waters stick… Originally thinking I want a ‘switch rod’ (which Kerry won’t allow you to call this baby spey…), Tom Larimer introduced this one to me a couple years ago. More backbone then the switch rod fare that is out there, which works better for me in casting (6’4″ 250 lbs). And it’ll turn a 20 lb king in the coastal estuaries, and running 10-15 lb steelies in the Sandy and Deschutes. And it’s kick-ass to cast, especially with the Skagit Switch and Rage Compact lines. Bought it for the smaller waters like the John Day and Upper Salmon and Clearwater, but have been giving it just as much rod time on the Deschutes, Sandy, and Clack… Versatile….
The Reel – Used to have an ol’ Ross Gunnison G-5 on this stick. Perfectly balanced, still bullet proof. Handled 200 + yds 30 lb micron plus running line and shooting heads. But now have upgraded to the Abel Switch…. Yeah, the screamin’ click and pawl is just awesome……
Lines – Skagit Switch is just cool with short rods… Sure you’ve seen Tom Larimer’s videos. With this rod, i can still fish 70-80′ + with that head. Same can be said for the Rage Compact… For me, this set up makes for the ultimate summer run, summer line rod on the Deschutes and John Day….
Tips and Tippets are the same as the above. Nothing new there….
My steelhead rig isn’t much to write home about, but I’ll do it anyways. I primarily fish the Lake Superior tribs in MN and WI. I actually caught my first steelhead this fall after several years of trying. This year I put in some serious time on the water working on my presentation, the end of my season bringing my first steelhead to hand was the best capper on a great season I could wish for, it was a hell of a fight too. Now to my meeger gear setup:
I went out this season with my Scientific Angler outfit that was given to me by a good friend. The rod is from their “trout outfit” 4 piece 9′- 6wt. The reel I,ve been using is a Scientific Angler System 2 Large Arbor reel, complete with plastic foot, made in China where they know their steelhead fishing. The backing and fly line are Scientific Angler, they came in the trout outfit, the line is WF 6wt. Floating, 200 yards of backing. I used an arbor knot on the backing to reel, Albright knot from backing to fly line, followed by nail knot to a 2″ piece of the butt end of an old leader with a perfection loop in the other end. From there I have a 9′ 4x leader (sci angler)which I’ve trimmed 1′ off and added 2′ of 4x flourocarbon Tippet (sci angler), I join the Tippet to the leader using a triple surgeon’s knot. Just above this knot I place some tin split shot. I use a medium sized white thingamabobber for strike indicator, and this season I was using stone flies, and various egg patterns, I had the most action on a disco egg tied on a DAI-RIKI #155 . I use a clinch knot to connect my filed to the tippet, and usually fish tandem flies using clinch knots to connect the 4x Tippet from hook bend to the second hook eye, weighted fly in front.
After fishing this year and having my rod doubled over, I think it’s time to upgrade my humble rig, I’m thinking about a 7 weight switch rod, can’t wait till steelhead opens back up in the spring. I got bit by the bug.
Thrift Stick
Echo Classic 8wt 12″6″
Lamson Guru 4
Skagit Compact 570 w/ 30lb ridgeline
12′ or 6′ tip of t16
Inexpensive but not cheap she’ll throw fat loops across the Sol Duc all day long if I stay in the groove and don’t hurry her along..
Rod–Thomas and Thomas 1307
Reel–Lamson Konic 4.5
Line–Airflo Compact skagit 540, scandi 510
Running Line–Airflo ridgeline
Fav fly–Skopper for the dry, Hobo Spey when getting down.
There are rods that have mojo….and this one drips with it.
Got it on the second hard market for a steal, it’s the rod I cut my spey teeth with and keep coming back to as the quiver has expanded.
It handles just about every situation without making you wish you had something else. Big enough to handle B-Runs up to 20 lbs, and still light enough to make small A runs fun.
Casting a long belly or a scandi it drops bombs and it throws the t-14 cowbell just as well
I think I might cry if I ever break it. Seriously…tears and stuff. Followed by a tantrum of epic proportions…
ROD: 6126-4 SAGE ONE
REEL: LAMSON LITESPEED 3.5 HARD ANODIZED
BACKING: 20# DACRON TIED TO SPOOL WITH A UNI KNOT
RUNNING LINE: RIO #20 TIED TO NAIL KNOT TO DACRON BACKING
TWO HEADS:
SUMMER: AIRFLO RAGE 450G HEAD USING LOOP TO LOOP CONNECTION TO BOTH SINK TIP AND RUNNING LINE;
SINK TIPS: RIO VERSA LEADERS AND 8# PLINE FOR LEADER CONNECTED WITH DOUBLE SURGEON LOOP TO SINK TIP AND DUNCAN UNI LOOP TO FLY
RIO SKAGIT iFLIGHT 475G LOOP TO LOOP CONNECTION USED WITH 10FOOT SINK TIPS (CUSTOM MADE WITH LOOPS ON BOTH ENDS) T-8, T-11, T-14
LEADER: 10# MAXIMUM DOUBLE SUREON KNOT TO FORM LOOP; FLY ATTACHED WITH DUNCAN UNI LOOP
ooops make that an echo classic #8 13″6″
Rod #1 – Orvis Helios 11’ 10wt switch rod (1110-4)
Rod #2 – Orvis Helios 10’ 8wt Big game, tip-flex (108-4)
Reel #1 – Orvis Hydros V (RIO Shooting line – .030in Flt, 100ft/30m)
Reel #2 – Orvis Hydros IV (RIO Shooting line – .030in Flt, 100ft/30m)
Other fly lines: RIO Power Spey 10/11 850g 130ft/40m
Leader, for both reels : RIO Stealhead & Atlantic Salmon Knotless Tapered Leader, 12lb and 16lb
Backing on both reels: Hatch Premium braided backing, .015in, 300m
Tippet – RIO Fluoroflex Plus, 0X, 1X, 2X
I’m like that guy you see in the movies that attempts to buy what he believes is the best of the best, shows up at the river looking like a freshly minted catalog with price stickers still swaying in the wind, but can’t play for crap. With that said, if you’ve seen Tin Cup, you know what I’m talking about. With that in mind, this year was my very first year I have ever tried fishing for Salmon or Steelhead on a fly. Living in Colorado has its perks for fly fishing, but those two species aren’t included in the perks. I took two trips this year, one to Michigan (Muskegon) and Washington (Nisqually). I had a great time in Michigan and Washington but when I left both states at the end of my Steelhead endeavor, I smelled like that critter you never want to smell like – skunk! I’ve done a lot of reading, watching videos, etc… but I now understand what the craze is. The entire hunt for one crazy Steelhead, even though I’ve never had one to hand, is so freakin’ addictive. So given my admission above, take what you read with a grain of salt because I suck and the Steelhead species is as elusive to me as bigfoot is to, well, bigfoot chasers.
From what I have learned from my research, and the little experience that I have, here is my rigging for switch rod that I use to swing:
Backing to reel arbor: Arbor knot
Backing to fly line: Nail knot
Fly line to leader: built in Loop-Loop
Leader to tippet – good ole’ blood knot
Tippet to fly – this varies greatly. However, I’m mainly trying to teach myself the art of ‘Swinging’ so I just use a non-slip mono loop to give the fly room to have its own action. I’m pretty sure that I will have to come up with something better than that knot, like a clinch, because I expect a fish of any ‘big’ size will break that loop. Time will tell.
I adjust the height levels within the water column by either using the above method to skate it across the surface or I will use Orvis’ 4-1 Multi-tip Line systems to help with getting the fly down to where I want it.
I really don’t know why I’m even attempting to Spey cast and swing because this whole Spey casting world is challenging enough. The majority of the time I will just get frustrated with the Spey casting and just double haul the crap out of it and then swing the column.
I’ve been accused of being stubborn in my ways because I refuse to go with what’s easy just because I’m getting whooped. I’m having a blast with the whole Spey concept and I’m sure I will figure it out eventually. I just wouldn’t stand too close to me!
——————————
Here is my rigging for my Big Game 8wt rod that I use when nymphing pools:
Backing to reel arbor: Arbor knot
Backing to flyline: Nail knot
Flyline to leader: built in Loop-Loop
Leader –Someone along the way showed me to use about a 4ft section of mono tied loop to loop to the fly line and tie a swivel to the other end of the mono. From there I just tie in about 6ft of tippet to the same loop of the swivel that the mono is tied to. This leaves the other end of the swivel so you can tie on a 3” piece of mono to add, remove, as much weight you want. This setup seems to be very functional because of its simplicity.
Flies – All my flies suck because every Steelhead in the world hates them, so far anyway! I tie all my own flies because that is a huge part of the allure that the world of fly fishing gives me. As far as patterns go, I have basically just Googled Steelhead flies and tried to create a fly box from those that are more experienced than I am.
If you are learning like I am, there are tons upon tons of videos on fishing for Steelhead on Youtube and various other fishing sites and each has become a wealth of information. I embrace the endeavor and will someday be graced with one to hand!
Now I just need to find a way to educate the wife on the reasons why it’s important to spend a fortune and never catch a fish.
My steelhead rig is nothing too fancy, but it works. I live in Iowa and due to a busy teaching and coaching schedule in the fall, only get the chance to steelhead fish once (hopefully twice) a year. We make a yearly pilgrimage to the Brule River in Wisconsin that’s as much about fishing as it is spending time on the water with my wife and great friends. This year I was lucky to get two great fish, which have been on my mind ever since I released them back into the river.
I fish an 8wt Redington CPX rod and Sage 2080 reel. It has 8WF Rio Grand floating line and 30lb backing (uni knot backing to reel). I have a some old leader cut and attached to create a perfection loop that connects fly line to leader and blood knot from leader to tippet. I use 7.5ft Rio Powerflex 3X mono leaders and about 18″of Rio 3X fluoro tippet with improved clinch knot to fly. This year with lower water, I used a small amount of split shot above the fly and a medium-sized thingamabobber above it.
We’ve used a variety of flies over the last 3 years. This year, I found success on a kauffman stone and superior X legs I had tied prior to the trip.
The area we fish can be, at times, a little tough to walk due to dense brush and tricky footing. Walking a 9′ rig through the woods is not a quick trip. The water can be a little tricky to get the right drifts without dragging, but as well all know, you discover that patience is a virtue while steelhead fishing. I’ve learned to prepare myself mentally for defeat before going and just look forward to the camaraderie of the group . I feel like this rig is manageable to walk through dense wood, but also a good set-up for the size of water we find, especially with the low water years of recent.
This rig works well on our rivers for walleye when the temps change, slow stripping in a bugger or clauser, or on a bass pond in late summer, making it an affordable choice for where I live. After a lot of reading, and desire to further my interest in my passion, I am looking into a 6wt switch next year to use for smallmouth and walleye on local rivers, ponds and lakes in Iowa, and of course to take along to the Brule.
Summer steelhead rig for the Upper Dean:
Last summer was the first of what I hope will be many annual visits to the Dean. If there is such a thing as the perfect summer steelhead water the Dean has to be in the discussion. Whether it was greaselining in Motel or Log Jam or waking bombers in Trophy Case this was as close as I’ve ever come to fulfilling my summer steelhead fantasy. And I had what I believe was the perfect setup to bring everything together.
Rod: Burkheimer 7134-4 vintage
Reel: Saracione Mark IV 3 3/4″
Head: Airflo Rage 480
Running Line: Guideline Shooter 35 lb.
Backing ~150 yds. 30 lb. dacron
Backing knot: Arbor
Backing to running line: nail knot w/UV Knot Sense
Running to head: loop-to-loop w/double surgeon’s knot & UV Knot Sense
Head to 30 lb. butt: same as running to head
Tips: Airflo Polyleaders primarily w/T-11 MOW’s occasionally
Tippet: 10-12 lb. Maxima Ultragreen secured to fly w/non-slip mono loop knot
Flies: Bombers, Dragon Gurglers, Ska-Oppers, traditional wets and the occasional Silvey’s Extractor
One of my better decisions was to acquire a second tip with the rod, as I managed to break one landing a fish incorrectly. The Saracione is a great reel choice because one can use it in click/pawl mode once confidence is gained that a drag system is not always necessary on these ultra-hot fish. Plus, it has that great Hardy-like sound! The Rage line occupies a perfect balance point between a Scandi and a light Skagit head. It has the oomph to boom out long casts effortlessly but the delicacy to drop a dry softly on low, clear water. Despite the many varied conditions I never felt the need to change heads.
This will be my absolute go-to rig next August on the Dean and, with a variation or two, serve the same purpose on the Bulkley and Morice later in the Fall.
Rod: Loop Multi 8130
Reel: Hatch 7 Plus with the mid arbor spool
Head: Rio Skagit Flight 550 gr. typically paired with a heavy MOW tip 5ft. floating/five feet T-14. Works great on Skeena tribs during the peak season.
Running Line: Rio SlickShooter 25 lbs. Once you stretch this line out to get rid of the coils you will be astounded how little friction there is. Can add serious distance to your casts. When temps hover near the freezing level and hands get numb, I’ll switch back to a Rio Powerflex running line as it is easier to hold onto. The running line is connected to the head using a large double surgeons loop coated in Loon uv knot sense to make it smooth running through the guides.
Backing: 300 yds. of Rio gel spun backing attached to the arbor with, you guessed it, an arbor knot. I attach the backing to the running line with an albright knot which is then also coated in Uv Knot Sense.
I hadn’t used this rod in a couple of years, preferring the stiffer Opti 8124. I couldn’t believe how amazingly smooth casting this setup really is!
My rig is what it is mainly because of somewhat low finances, but it works fine for me!
*Rod: 8 1/2′ Berkeley 7/8 wt
*Reel: Intrepid GearFly with 4 spare spools/lines, set up with a left-hand crank (like ALL my reels even though I am right-handed)
*Line: Scientific Anglers, the two I use for steelhead are a WF7wt. 10′ Hi-D sink tip, and a WF7wt. Intermediate
*Backing: 30 lb. Dacron, attached to fly line with a nail knot (I actually forget what knot I attached it to the spool with, good thing I have a lot on there!)
*Leader: Varying lengths depending on water conditions, Maxima Chameleon, blood knotted, starting with a 20 lb. butt section going down to 8 or 10 lb. again depending on water conditions. Tied to fly line with another nail knot.
*Flies: I prefer to tie and use Atlantic Salmon style flies for steelhead most of the time, I just like the look of them and they’re fun to tie. I mostly use black #4 Low-water salmon hooks. I usually just tie on the fly with an improved clinch knot.
Pretty economical, simple rig (for now!).
The most important piece of fishing gear I have is a sense of where to find the fish, I have managed to hook steelhead holding in the strangest little slots and eddies. I LOVE IT!!!
Of course I always have a pair of polarized glasses, and keep my hooks SHARP.
so here is my steelhead rig start with the Z-Axis 8129 which by the way makes to deathstar look like a pussy. for the line throw on some 55o grain flight head and 15ft 9wt tips which with this rod shoots laser casts to the far bank with help of mono slickshooter. and that is is where my setup ends I don’t have a reel I just play tug of war with the fish when i get it on. this is why I need a hardy clicker because it is quite obvious that i would not no what to do with some fancy disc drag.
Rod- Probably does not matter that much. When swinging, it does not matter if you are using bamboo or stainless steel. Whatever you like to cast. I primarily use a 5110 Sage switch for summers and 8110 for winters so I can overhand short and spey long. I also use a 7100, and 890 from the boat.
Reel- Probably does not matter that much. It holds line and has a drag. Whatever is on sale at the local shop. Drag can be augmented by palming. I use a Nautilus, a Bauer, a Hatch, and a Ross.
Backing- Probably does not matter that much. Dacron is cheaper and gelspun takes up less space. Use whatever allows your flyline to fit. The arbor knot is not that important. If you got spooled, you should have broken the fish off, as you are unlikely to land it at that point. More likely you snagged, and the boat kept going- and you got spooled. Do not use colored spectra, as it will bleed on your flyline.
Running line- Probably does not matter that much. I use slick shooter on lightweight rigs, and sharkskin on the winter. I also have Airrflow Ridgeline on one, and it works too.
Flyline- Probably does not matter that much. I prefer the skagit switch lines, but also use skagit compact, and standard. I also use the Rio Switch for indicator fishing. I use a generic salmon/steelhead WF floater for the singlehands. I like the 10 foot sinktips on the 11 foot rods and 15 foot tips on the longer spey . The versileaders work well on the 5110 and so do MOHS.
Leader- Probably does not matter that much. Straight Maxima 10 or 12 in summer and 12 or 15 in winter. Don’t over think it.
Fly- Probably does not matter that much. Whatever you have confidence in. I use primarily MOAL leaches in every color, as long as they are black.
Knots- Probably do not matter that much. I use a bimini between backing and flyline, then factory loops for the rest. I use perfection loop for the leader to flyline and no-slip loop to fly. Any knot can work at at juncture, however.
Putting a fly in front of a fish is more important than the gear you use. Now, if I would reliably find them.
My trip to the Dean forced me to re-think technicals, as a result of chasing fresh fish from the salt below, and then the fish who made it above the canyon on the same day. Most of the time I was fishing flies/streamers that were too big, and not subtle enough, on gear that was too strong, even for most winter run fish. So with some thought, I went to this set up giving me the most flexibility(great for the 12-14lb fish in the michigan and strong enough for something on the Dean):
Echo TR 7130
Hardy Ultralite DD 7000
Airflo 540 skagit head in winter or Airflo 510 Compact Scandi
Miracle Braid Shooting line
Backing is BassPro MagiBraid Braided Dacron Waxed line in 20lb,, really strong and floats on top
Rio custom cut sink tips I make myself in 5′ lengths of either t-11, or t-8, with the occasional dredge of t-14 in bigger water
Leader is usually maxima ultra green five feet in 15lb, gently knotted with a nail knot to a 3′ section of 12lb Seaguar AbrazX flouro tippet
Knot to fly is perfection loop
As mentioned earlier, I have really had a lot of success sizing down my flies. My favorite is the Hoh Bo Spey in different colors by Sir Charles, catching the most fish over time. My back up if I want something bigger is a taco in black, or a pick yer pocket. For all of those, I size the hook down to a red colored #4 gamakatsu eye up hook, as anything bigger is a little rough.
Merry Christmas to all…..and a prosperous New Year!
Doh!…not a perfection loop to fly, no slip mono knot…..