It’s poll time here on the Deneki blog!
We always love hearing from you folks, and your fellow readers love hearing from you too. Today’s topic is steelhead flies – what’s your favorite?
Which river, which season, which size, wet or dry…all totally up to you. We just want to know…
- Which steelhead fly do you like the most?
- Why?
Leave a comment and let the world know!
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I really like tube flies. I have lots of them in various sizes and colors. If I am near the tidal waters I use a 2 1/2″ tube fly lots of extra marabou for action. Pink or orange work good near the salt. I string on a tungsten bead before tying on the fly to get the depth I want.
In fresh water I use the same basic set up but in black or purple or blue for color. I do have other big articulated flies, but they are backup for when the standby tube flies don’t produce and I need to present something different.
the bea…oh wait, kidding
Black and blue hobo spey for the big bugs
Skopper for the dry, because the take is just vicious
Hohbo Speys all day in the Winter and Traditionals in the Summer specifically a Bennets Halo.
I like the Freight Train. One year I caught every steelhead on that fly! It is a confidence builder.
Many……….. But if I had to choose only one, it would be the black Skagit.
I like it because it has been very effective for me. I think its articulated movements are enticing, been pretty large irritates steelhead who feel their area is been invaded, and been black makes it always very visible
The pink Intruder, tied on a tube. Mix it with a few strands of white marabou, it’s a killer!
Purple Intruder
I’m a great fan of swinging flies and prefer a black intruder style with a flourescent green butt. I tie on Waddington shanks and vary the weight of the dumbbell eye from none to heavy depending on water flow. Favorite rivers the Rogue and Umpqua in S. Oregon.
Silver Hilton
I agree on the Waddington shanks, but I prefer the black and purple version with a pink butt. This intruder gives a large profile in the water and lower wind resistance. On the other hand, I’m not sure how much it matters sometimes. Confidence is a key factor for me. As for rivers I enjoy most of the rivers of the Skeena drainage and the Dean. I have found that lower down on the Dean Orange Practitioners work well. Maybe because of his recent feeding habits of shrimp.
For me, nothing but small, sparsely tied Atlantic salmon hair wing patterns, several of which I ginned up in that syle, and Irish shrimp patterns. As “Xenie” says in the excellent film “Low and Clear”, – “what’s that, a parkeet?” when referring to the gobs of marabou on a hook…But, hey, whatever works for you and gets you hooked is what it’s all about – all hale the myths, magic and mystery of pursuing these magnificent fish!
my spawning purple spey tied in traditional Glasso hackle tip wing for damp fly fishing.
my Griffon Reverse Marabou prawn and intruders for winter and mid day summer fish. Black and red, black and blue, orange, fire red and orange, and purple.
In Sept-October on the Copper, it’s got to be a pink rabbit collar Intruder with orange speyhackle underwing and arctic fox/raccoon but with a little flash, usually with small dumbell eyes; up on the Nass, more likely black/blue or purple–Intruder or Paul Miller style– but orange and pink do well there on bright days as well. Don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing. JFC
JFC, I have fished several times on the Bell, but the Nass looked like a nasty, dirty river. I guess further up it must be clear. Have caught plenty of fish on the Bell, but they are not good fighters. The Nass must take it out of them.
Definately the egg sucking Leech.
Doesn’t matter if you tie it on a tube, on a shank or on a hook.
That’s my 1-fly!
my favorite steelhead fly is ALWAYS the one that has just swung up a bright, wild fish. How else could one choose??
Although a different fly seems to be the “hot” bug every few years on the Deschutes (from today’s Purple Green Butt, rewinding through the Streetwalker, Green Butt Skunk, Mack’s Canyon and Skunk all the way back to Don and Lola’s Deschutes Demon), over the past 30 years I have hooked at least a few steelhead every year on a Freight Train. Because of its longevity and consistency, not to mention its pleasing aesthetics, it’s my favorite fly for floating line applications.
For sink tips, a Black and Blue Maribou Tube works very effectively from the Skeena tributaries to the Dean to the Deschutes, both in low light and when the sun is on the water.
Favorite Steelhead fly for PA Tribs is a White Zonker!
Dick Williamson’s “Polar Gibson”. Totally traditional and highly effective.
Fished with confidence in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia either damp or “hitched”.
Hard to beat the Hohbo, but if I could only have one it would be a purple/blue silvey’s tandem tube. Summer or winter it crushes for me.
Bigger heavy water, the Mini Extractor in black/chartreuse or purple/pink on the Skeena. Lower, clearer, hard to beat the proven traditional Ferry Canyon at last light.
I agree with everyone on the Hobo(sp?) Spey,,,black/blue is my go to…but I didnt see any black bunny tubes with a blue marabou…just killer, any time.
To catch? A tungsten stonefly nymph. (Keep telling folks Steelhead don’t eat – loving that myth)
For fun? As of yesterday – any kind of Skopper fly!
Goota love Sharpe’s Root River Runt for GL Steelies!
Egg shitting leech , tied with 3 different rhea feathers finished with a couple of turns of peacock breast feather, with or without weight.
Not what you’d expect to hear, but in the banner fall seasons on the Snoqualmie, River when I lived in Fall City, WA my no-brainer fly was a standard trout fly on a 9′ 6 wt…the same rod I am swinging soft hackles for trout with now on the South Fork of the Snake, and the same patterns….a size #10, and the biggest a #8 soft hackle tied on a standard nymph hook. Generally a pheasant tail soft hackle, or one similar. Those fall steelhead wanted the small bug.