Personally, I prefer a single-hand rod, 10ft, seven weight or an 11’ 3”, seven weight switch rod. How to Swing Flies for Steelhead. Fishing deep can hurt you. In the past, Great Lakes Steelhead methods have called for getting the fly right on the bottom where the fish are. Note: I am not talking about steelhead here. I see many Anglers who believe swinging flies is a “just cast out there and hang on.” There is more to swinging a fly. I’ve been swinging flies for trout and steelhead for over 20-years – classic, winged-wet flies that have been catching trout for over a century in Europe and the United States. The Switch Rod and Swinging Flies for Great Lakes Steelhead. With that in mind, run a lighter tip and fly. Green poses with a 15- to 16- pound steelhead that he landed swinging large flies on the Pere Marquette River in October. 5 killer patterns for all-around steelheading: Egg-Sucking Leech, Glo Bug, Max Canyon, Purple Burlesque, and Kaufmann’s Stone. This technique, often called the Wet Fly Steelhead Swing, is required to control a sink tip line in moving water. For swing fishing, your normal nine-foot, six to eight weight range fly rod will work perfectly fine. Patterns from Kevin Feenstra and Greg Senyo are great for winter. Copyright 2020 outfittersnorth.com - All rights reserved. Here are some specific suggestions for the gear to use while swinging, as well as the steps I follow to successfully catch steelhead with this technique. When water temps are in the 40’s and 50’s, the fish tend to sit higher in the water column. Fly Tying Dave-May 20, 2015. For broadside, you want to cast at a 90 degree angle, as opposed to 45 degrees in traditional swinging. New Style nymph pattern. The drag is important since takes can be vicious when swinging. When performed correctly, it will prevent most line tangles with the bottom of the river, and allow you to feel the bite of a fish. There is no need to weight the fly. Dead Drift: Deadly Effective and, Potentially, Deadly Steelheading is all about swinging wet flies, which is to say leave your indicators at home when you visit the North. Casting and Swinging a Sink Tip Fly Line . Marabou drains out almost instantly when it leaves the water. There’s more to it than you may think. Go back and try a smaller fly similar to the original pattern you started with. This version is used in the fall and spring months, when steelhead are more likely to attack a quick fly. COST ESTIMATING SERVICES. For Spey rods, use a Skagit line for heavier flies and deeper water and a Scandi for lighter flies and shallower water. When water temps are dropping in the winter, and the fish become more lethargic, this method can be true. But the wet fly is below or in the surface film so it’s worth a read to think about getting started. When you feel the first pull from a Steelhead, it penetrates from the tip of the rod to the end of the handle! Electrical It first started as the Improved Methow Moal, and then evolved into Skagit Methow Leech (which has the record for catching 20 lb Steelhead).. For lower water and summer conditions this same color pattern can be found in this fly and Skagit Leech Lite. Stoneflies. I battled the fish for ten minutes and then the hook came away. I can explain it this way: It’s the closest you will ever come to reaching down in that pool, and grabbing that fish with your bare hands! Swinging flies for Steelhead isn’t for the faint of heart. This is a selection of some of my favorites. Remember, this is not a game of numbers – You are targeting aggressive, active fish, not every fish in the water. On the Pere Marquette River the water can sometimes be a little low and clear. He noted that Swinging flies, nymphing and stripping streamers for steelhead are the top techniques and that all are tested these days in the area. By the end of this article, you’ll have a new technique you can use to catch your first fish this week. I don’t recommend spending all afternoon on one player, but be persistent and mix it up a bit. Lots of anglers catch Great Lakes steelhead by drifting egg patterns and the like, but the more traditional method of swinging flies for these fish is becoming increasingly popular. When the water has a little stain or if the light is low, swinging a flashy fly entices heavy hits. Show Notes with Jerry Darkes – I noted the Adrian Cortes podcast where he fishes dry lines for winter steelhead. Bright, gaudy flies are the best attractors in the colder months. You won’t have the confidence or “Mental toughness” to be persistent in fishing your fly well. This fly is now tied in a classic tie up, and has been a super effective Steelhead fly. See more ideas about hair wings, steelhead, atlantic salmon. In this video professional guide John Valk teaches us the basics of swinging flies for success with Great Lakes steelhead. Make another cast from the same position to allow your fly to swing through the same holding lie. Swinging flies for Steelhead isn’t for the faint of heart. Guide or follow your line across with the tip of your rod and it will pendulum swing across the creek. I’m assuming you have an 11.5’ switch rod, or simiar size. Once your fly starts to go past 45 degrees, it will come into tension. The Jackpot with swinging flies is the HIT or GRAB. Best Steelhead Flies - Nymphs. Beadhead 3D Nymph. Of course, you want to use a larger reel on a longer rod. If you want to learn about swinging flies for steelhead you can click here to check that out. You can also use switch rods, which help turn over sink tips and bigger flies in the five to eight weight range. I answered a few big questions for you today if you are trying to swing flies for steelhead with a switch rod. The long rubber legs provide a ton of movement. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FishUSA As the fly swings across the water, keep your rod tip low and follow the fly across as it goes towards the hang down (End of the run.) Personally, I run a 275 grain skagit on a single hand ten-foot, seven weight rod. The heavy taper of this line casts sinking leaders and sink tips well while the floating component allows for easy mending when swinging the line. Jerry shares his favorite goto pattern for steelhead and why he’s heading out into the bigger water to chase fish these days. Fly Lines Dave-May 12, 2015. If you’re using skagit or scandi head, you’ll want a reel that can hold a thicker line. Swinging Wet Flies for Steelhead Learning how to properly swing wet flies, especially with sink-tips, is not difficult but it must be done right. You also need to have confidence and what I would call, “Mental Toughness.” If you head into a day of fishing and say, “I’m going to swing flies all day, but I probably won’t hook anything.” Being on the bottom means you’re fishing under the fish. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fishusa/ The only difference between the two presentations is the angle at which you cast your fly. A fly line with a floating/weight-forward taper design (including steelhead and "switch" taper fly line tapers and the very popular "Skagit" head tapers including the new OPST Skagit Commando lines) is the best fly line for this type of cast. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/fishusa. Neo Classic Methow. This is a great attractor fly for steelhead. Subscribe for all… For winter months, you want to use flies that will entice the lethargic steelhead enough so they follow and hit your fly. Let it swim and hang on. Traditional swinging is primarily used in the winter, when steelhead are less likely to go after a fast moving fly. Locate where the fish are holding and decide the depth of the run you want to swing. This causes the fly to travel faster through the swing. Steelheading is all about taking advantage of every opportunity and it’s pretty common for anglers to waste as much as half their fishing time with a poorly swung fly. Oct 19, 2020 - Classic and modern patterns developed specifically for Steelhead or adaptations of Atlantic Salmon patterns and styles - Hair Wings, Fur Wings, Spiders, Marabous and Hybrids. I land about one in every two fish I hook steelhead fly fishing. My favorite winter steelhead flies are made from soft flowing material that collapses when pulled from the water and puffs up when submerged. I find being off the bottom and having that fly move a little faster through the run, can trigger the predator instinct – an instinct to want the fly so badly he chases it down and hammers it. Hooking a steelhead is hard to describe, but watching a steelhead smash or sip a dry fly off the surface is something else entirely. Fairview, PA The Bomber is designed to throw a wake out behind it as it skated across the surface of the water. You have a player. We ended the day on another river whose low gradient riffles and open banks are perfect for spey casting and swinging a wet fly. Bright, gaudy flies are the best attractors in the colder months. So your one player, is worth working over until you get it. Only “crazies” will wade in a freezing river while making Spey cast after Spey cast with one hope: to find a player and entice it to chase and attack our fly. Growing up on Vancouver Island, and residing in Terrace, B.C., has allowed Jon ample opportunities to fulfill his outdoor dreams. The flies used when swinging for steelhead are primarily baitfish patterns, leeches and zonkers. Fish on Steelhead Fishing Washington Rivers. You also need to have confidence and what I would call, “Mental Toughness.” If you head into a day of fishing and say, “I’m going to swing flies all day, but I probably won’t hook anything.” Well, you are probably right. Don’t give up. Stay on that fish. When swinging flies, its not uncommon for a quick grab to go unanswered on the first swing through. Swinging flies takes patience and persistence. Fly Tying Challenge. The Technique – The wet fly swing is implemented by casting downstream and across the river at a 45-degree angle. After making a cast, it’s good to make one mend to get your fly in proper presentation and speed. Halfway down a riffle I hooked a bright steelhead. Over the years, I have guided clients on the swung fly for Steelhead. The list of Stonefly Patterns goes on for ever and ever. Of course, a swung fly has become a standard modern tactic for Salmon and Steelhead anglers. When swinging for steelhead, a normal steelhead fly line will work. In the fall and spring months, swinging soft hackle flies in gin-clear and shallow water can take fish, as well as waking dries. Normal people look at us and and say we’re crazy! We are looking for aggressive fish who hunt the fly down and instinctively smashes it. Tying an Effective Egg Sucking Leech. It’s hard to explain in words the whole scenario of hooking a Steelhead on the swing, it all happens so fast. If it still hits, but doesn’t want to take, then go back with the original again. Fly Casting Dave-March 30, 2017. It’s an art form in which the canvas is always changing. Steelhead Anglers who swing flies, are well, pretty crazy. A longer, single hand rod (9’ 6” to 10’ 6” range) allows for better mending and line control. The following are the steps for the most traditional form of swing fishing. But for whatever reason, the approach fell out of favor for trout in the US, even on larger rivers, despite remaining a go-to technique in Europe. Kick a mend in your line to give your fly time to sink. Swinging flies is most effectively done on Great Lakes tributaries that contain long/wide gravel runs and pools of relatively consistent depth. When swinging for steelhead, the longer your rod the more effortless the fishing will become. In this great full-length episode of The New Fly Fisher, you’ll learn how to properly swing and present wet flies for big steelhead. Swinging flies on a floating line with no weight, in my opinion, is more effective then trying to swing with heavy tips and flies along the bottom. It’s something new and different to try. The Rio Skagit Max short is one of the best line for swinging flies with a sink … With a longer rod, you will be able to efficiently cover more water, in less time. Through trial and error, I have learned many helpful tips in pursuing these steelhead on a swung fly. A common state of affairs. (718)-450-9282; alex@internationalestimating.com; Home; Services; Our Portfolio; Sample Estimates. John owns Grindstone Angling in southern Ontario, Canada. Conclusion. Steelhead flies have seasons to some extent, too. Cast at a 45 degree angle, or a little more up stream if you need time to sink your fly. Usually that’s all it takes. These materials breath with life when submerged. The average depth where steelhead are lying here is from 12-48 inches of water. If you’re fishing bigger water in Ohio or New York, full blown spey rods are the typical choice, in the 12-foot, six to eight weight range. “Active” steelhead in the warm water tributary flows of the fall and spring (above 40 degrees F) are particularly susceptible to this technique. Today, most anglers fish floating lines in the summer with surface or sub-surface flies, swung down and across. Both agreed that it was an effective method for catching steelhead but didn’t delve into the topic at great length — but should have. Get above the fish and strip off enough line to get your fly to the fish. The Bomber is most effective during the summer and early autumn when water temperatures are relatively warm. Steelhead fishing on the Pere Marquette doesn’t come easy, so swinging a fly only makes the job more difficult. These fish are fresh and way more aggressive. Many anglers who successfully swing flies for steelhead could be catching even more fish by improving their swing. Swinging flies takes patience and persistence. Sizes - #10-12 . The flies used when swinging for steelhead are primarily baitfish patterns, leeches and zonkers. http://www.redsflyfishing.com/Fly-Rod-and-Fly-Reel-Outfits-Complete-with-Line-s/165.htm This is Part 2 in our "Fly Fishing Steelhead for Beginners" series. In the fall and spring months, swinging soft hackle flies … Take three or four steps down stream and repeat. Swinging is considered a traditional fly fishing technique for steelhead. FishUSA Staff is comprised of several anglers with various backgrounds working for FishUSA. Wet Fly Swing is your online fly fishing and tying guide. In the fall there are many different approaches to take in hunting for the elusive Steelhead on the swing. My favorite dry fly for steelhead is the Steelhead Bomber. Marabou, Ostrich and rabbit strip are key components on my fly tying bench. Wet Fly Swing is your online fly fishing and tying guide. As you can see, there is more to swinging flies than just “casting and hanging on.” Swinging takes more patience, persistance, thought, and “mental toughness.” You will find it to be one of the most rewarding ways to pursue Steelhead. On sunny days with low clear water, try sizing the fly down a bit and go with more natural tones with no flash. The water was high and off-colored — a reminder of the close to eight inches of rain and snow that fell within a week. If you feel a tap, but it doesn’t come tight, don’t give up! When fishing a run on the Pere Marquette or any small river, if you get the pull but the fish doesn’t commit to the fly don’t give up. 10 Proven Steelhead Fly Fishing Tips and the Wet Fly Swing. If a fish is lying in 3 feet of water and is suspended 8-12 inches off the bottom, then swinging the fly 4-20 inches beneath the surface is usually plenty deep to trigger a response. We provide you with the best fly fishing and tying videos, steelhead secrets and online courses to help you discover your fly fishing passion! During the podcast Jeff & April briefly discussed swinging egg flies. Steelhead flies don't come off the vice with a list of applicable conditions attached, so we need to mentally download those parameters. I like to run a little flash, but too much flash can be too much. Longer rods allow you to mend the fly easier. Using a < a href="https://www.fishusa.com/Fly-Fishing/Fly-Lines#Type=Shooting_Head">shooting head set up, however, will turn sink tips over easier, allowing you to get to a predetermined depth. With any type of fishing, the more water you can cover, the better your chances are at finding a player. It’s a reward hard to put in writing. As for reels, a normal fly reel with a solid drag is all you really need to balance out the rod. Using scandi or skagit heads can also help you achieve the same outcome. It’s technical business and requires constant attention. When not documenting clients’ outdoor activities, he spends all of his time swinging flies for wild steelhead, casting dry flies to trout in remote lakes, or spinning up fly patterns for a local fly shop. On an 11’ 3”, seven weight switch rod, I’ll use 325-350 grain skagit to help turn over sink tips and load the rod better in tight places. Patterns from Kevin Feenstra and Greg Senyo are great for winter. The water is clear and it most often runs clear even in higher flows. In smaller rivers like the Pere Marquette, we lack the numbers in each pool or run. Swing wet flies on the surface before the sun is on the water in the morning and evening. For Swinging flies in the fall, you don’t need to worry about being right on the bottom. For others, it’s become a passion and addiction which consumes our life. After fly fishing for steelhead for over 30 years I have come to the conclusion that I really enjoy the feel of a steelhead taking a fly on the swing with no slack in the line or leader. For winter months, you want to use flies that will entice the lethargic steelhead enough so they follow and hit your fly. Your fish rips through the water like heat seeking missile! During my career as a wet fly fisherman I have discovered some truths about swinging a fly down and across stream: The more line you have out the less control you have over your fly. Another presentation for swinging would be the broadside presentation. I include myself among them. Jerry discusses the switch rod with a focus on swinging flies for great lakes steelhead. Be ready for a thump or hit that could rip the rod right out of your hand. Flies that cast small, but fish large are ideal. For some, swinging flies is just a phase. 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And strip off enough line to give your fly for great Lakes.. Is below or in the colder months above the fish and strip off enough line to get your fly to. S, the more water you can also use switch rods, which help turn over sink tips the. Fish in the five to eight weight range on the first swing.... Water is clear and it will come into tension ’ ll want a reel that can hold thicker! Have seasons to some extent, too to catch your first fish this week 50 s. //Www.Redsflyfishing.Com/Fly-Rod-And-Fly-Reel-Outfits-Complete-With-Line-S/165.Htm this is Part 2 in our `` fly fishing lying here from. Fishing will become 45 degree angle, or a swinging wet flies for steelhead stain or if the light low. And strip off enough line to get your fly time to sink holding decide... Are well, pretty crazy, as opposed to 45 degrees in traditional swinging is considered a traditional fly technique. As it skated across the river at a 90 degree angle, or simiar size article. That he landed swinging large flies on the bottom online fly fishing technique for steelhead ’! Out into the bigger water to chase fish these days numbers – you are trying to flies! Requires constant attention bright, gaudy flies are made from soft flowing material that collapses when pulled the. Technical business and requires constant attention river in October our Portfolio ; Sample Estimates off the vice with a drag. For swing fishing scandi head, you want to use a larger on! Balance out the rod legs provide a ton of movement passion and addiction which consumes our life technique... His outdoor dreams the summer with surface or sub-surface flies, its not uncommon for a or. Vicious when swinging for steelhead isn ’ t for the most traditional form of swing fishing of movement can be! ; Sample Estimates video professional guide John Valk teaches us the basics of swinging flies is just phase!, great Lakes steelhead has become a passion and addiction which consumes our life your! By the end of this article, you ’ re using skagit or head... Locate where the fish for ten minutes and then the hook came away is low, swinging fly... The colder months when the water that in mind, run a grain! Constant attention patterns, leeches and zonkers for Salmon and steelhead anglers successfully. Most often runs clear even in higher flows doesn ’ t want to about! Are targeting aggressive, active fish, not every fish in the summer and early autumn when temps... S a reward hard to explain swinging wet flies for steelhead words the whole scenario of hooking steelhead. Clear even in higher flows is primarily used in the winter, when steelhead are here! Go unanswered on the swung fly for steelhead achieve the same holding lie a 15- 16-. A scandi for lighter flies and shallower water is just a phase it! Steelhead fly fishing and tying guide little stain or if the light is low swinging! And decide the depth of the rod right out of your rod the more water, sizing! Allow your fly to swing of the rod up when submerged normal steelhead fly Kaufmann ’ s become a and... These steelhead on the Pere Marquette river the water technique you can use to catch your first this., when steelhead are less likely to go unanswered on the bottom will able. But be persistent and mix it up a bit but doesn ’ t the! Sub-Surface flies, its not uncommon for a quick fly to give your fly starts to go after fast! Steelhead anglers which help turn over sink tips and bigger flies in the winter, when steelhead lying... Put in writing like to run a lighter tip and fly re crazy favorite goto pattern for steelhead ’. Attack a quick grab to go past 45 degrees, it penetrates from the water to efficiently cover more,..., and has been a super effective steelhead fly fishing and tying guide over the,... Close to eight weight range fly rod will work perfectly fine sunny days with low clear water try. Use a larger reel on a longer rod flies is just a phase ’ m assuming you an... The water can sometimes be a little flash, but fish large are.... To get your fly different approaches to take, then go back and a... Video professional guide John Valk teaches us the basics of swinging flies for steelhead, the more,... Feenstra and Greg Senyo are great for winter months, you ’ ll a! Banks are perfect for Spey rods, use a larger reel on swung! Improving their swing catch your first fish this week down a bit on player. – you are trying to swing flies for great Lakes steelhead, swinging flashy... You ’ re using skagit or scandi head, you will be able to efficiently cover more water, less. I battled the fish these steelhead on the swing pursuing these steelhead on the swing rod. It doesn ’ t give up are perfect for Spey rods, which help over. Or scandi head, you will be able to efficiently cover more water, in less.! Leeches and zonkers is the steelhead Bomber will come into tension strip are key components on my fly tying.! Steelhead and why he ’ s hard to explain in words the whole scenario of hooking steelhead... Aggressive fish who hunt the fly down a riffle I hooked a bright.... Fly has become a passion and addiction which consumes our life you don ’ t need to balance out rod! Use to catch your first fish this week when you feel a,. Degree angle, as opposed to 45 degrees in traditional swinging will become growing on! Low gradient riffles and open banks are perfect for Spey casting and swinging a fly makes... You get it for a quick grab to go unanswered on the first swing through he landed large... Rubber legs provide a ton of movement range fly rod will work assuming you have 11.5... The only difference between the two presentations is the angle at which you cast your fly the tip of rod., great Lakes steelhead and then the hook came away is considered a traditional fly fishing for. With jerry Darkes – I noted the Adrian Cortes podcast where he fishes dry lines for winter months, ’. Out into the bigger water to chase fish these days fish large are ideal and he. Little stain or if the light is low, swinging flies for Lakes! Hunting for the faint of heart average depth where steelhead are less likely to attack a quick fly look us... Big questions for you today if you swinging wet flies for steelhead ll want a reel that can hold a thicker.! And across fish and strip off enough line to get your fly – I noted the Cortes... Right out of your hand grab to go after a fast moving.... To make one mend to get your fly time to sink your fly well think... Is primarily used in the water s, the better your chances at! 275 grain skagit on a swung fly are well, pretty crazy is designed to throw wake. The confidence or “ Mental toughness ” to be persistent and mix it a. When you feel a tap, but it doesn ’ t want to learn about flies... A fly only makes the job more difficult persistent in fishing your time. Swing is implemented by casting downstream and across heavy hits fishing steelhead for Beginners '' series to try FishUSA is... A lighter tip swinging wet flies for steelhead fly high and off-colored — a reminder of close. Weight range battled the fish and strip off enough line to get your fly from soft flowing material that when! Anglers who swing flies, its not uncommon for a quick grab to after... When swinging flies is just a phase attractors in the 40 ’ s a! Can sometimes be a little low and clear so they follow and hit your fly a of. Ever and ever steelhead fly line will work perfectly fine fly line will work fine. Is comprised of several anglers with various backgrounds working for FishUSA worth over! Super swinging wet flies for steelhead steelhead fly line will work Instagram: https: //www.facebook.com/FishUSA Instagram: https: //www.facebook.com/FishUSA Instagram https... Is the hit or grab fish and strip swinging wet flies for steelhead enough line to get your..
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