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Steelhead on a Trolling Fly


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I can only remember seeing three steelhead caught on fly presentations last year and I dont hear about it happening often.

Any thoughts as to why this might be?

(only thing I can think of is maybe steelhead arent into "stealing" wounded baitfish and would rather chase/ hunt their food down)

Has anyone had better results with steelhead on fly's?

What size, color of fly, leader lenghts etc. have you found to work best for steelhead?

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Last year I didnt see that many either but the year before we were running a glo aqua gold fly behind a 10 inch spin doctor green dolphin and it tore up steelhead 2 weekends in a row 6-8 steelhead a day I never had it work before or after those 2 weekend but something was happening they liked.

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When your fishing way deep for coho you will get them on coho stuff. Flies with gold in them work well. Actually if you went way deep mid summer you will get them on that stuff too. Most of the time your flies are probably to deep for steelhead.

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Most of the time your flies are probably to deep for steelhead.

I thought about that also, but im able to catch them on spoons deeper on riggers than my divers with flys and up to 15 colors of leadcore.....I just notice ALOT more caught on spoons,plugs, or body baits at any depth. Wondering if its a "me" thing or pretty much the same for everyone.

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Last year I didnt see that many either but the year before we were running a glo aqua gold fly behind a 10 inch spin doctor green dolphin and it tore up steehead

Looking like a fly with some gold in it might be the ticket. Was this a standard size fly?

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I did not get to run my fall steelhead program this year however I get a fair amount of them on flies. It is the one program I pretty much stick to Spin Doctors 8in or the little 5in ones. As mentioned pretty much a Coho pattern with lots of bright colors going fast. Also try the Big Weenie vibrator heads with no flasher behind a 2 or 3 color. I knew there was a reason I bought all that Pink, Orange and yellow material. If I make the Brown Blast again this year I will be rolling a few of these again. I also run the vibrator head flies as a free slider and get steelhead on them. Gold and silver as well as bright lime green if it looks like it fell off the circus truck put it in the top 30 ft or so and haul butt

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We get quite a few steelies on flashers and flies every year and on all presentations, riggers, divers, core/copper. Green stuff and mirage's always seem to work good, but they are incidental catches while targeting kings.

When we are actually targeting steelhead, it's usually strictly a spoon program and trolling fast. may have to put a F/F down this year when chasing steel as the ones we get on those rigs are usually big fish.

Tim

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We get quite a few steelies on flashers and flies every year and on all presentations, riggers, divers, core/copper. Green stuff and mirage's always seem to work good, but they are incidental catches while targeting kings.

When we are actually targeting steelhead, it's usually strictly a spoon program and trolling fast. may have to put a F/F down this year when chasing steel as the ones we get on those rigs are usually big fish.

Tim

Same here on all accounts. Not to say I havent caught smaller ones on flys tho, it happens.

Its pretty easy to pick out a spoon,plug, or body bait and just know "this is going to catch a steelhead".

It gets alot harder with flys for me. Its allways a surprise, and I catch and see a fair share more on spoons than anything else.

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I knew there was a reason I bought all that Pink, Orange and yellow material. If it looks like it fell off the circus truck put it in the top 30 ft or so and haul butt

I also happen to grab alot of bright Orange,Pink, and Yellow UV colors to try this year and tied some up. I can say ive never run a Orange or Pink fly so im interested in how thats going to go. It screams steelhead to me. A Yellow mirage or No see um fly with yellow beads has caught a couple steelhead for me in the past...

Thanks for the info dyin to give it a try.

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Mike, Steel on flies is not against any rules. Don't tell anyone what we use over here for them. LMAO:lol:

They wouldnt believe us anyways.:lol:

And thanks for reminding me I need to give that a try over here!

Gona stick a glob of crawlers onto a treble with a fly. That should do it.

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I usually get a few a year and thats about it. Most come on spoons on the riggers and cores for me. The ones ive caught on flasher fly combos have been on deeper sets for Kings. A couple that come to mind are 80' down on a rigger with a SD/Fly and another on a wire 200' back with a mag 5" flashabou fly i tiede behind a SD. The one on the wire was a nice fish going just shy of 13#. Thought for sure it was a king the way it hit. Its just thrashed it Altough deep, it didnt take it long to make it to the top and go ape chit!:thumb: .

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I'll post a pic in the next day or so of some flys im gonna make up to experiment with this year in HOPES to be more of a "steelhead" series of flys.

Thinking I might have to make them around 3-31/2 inches for length, just a little larger than a coho fly yet shorter than a standard fly...

Appreciate all the help this far on getting me started.

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For years we've had Coho Flys that catch Coho. Standard King Flys that catch Kings. Laker Spin and Wobble Glo thingy's that catch Lakers.

Now in 2011 Sea-Mac Steelhead Fly's...that will probably still mainly catch Coho, Kings, and Lakers.

Wutcha think?

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I'll pitch in two cents for the fun: most of the steelies I've had on flies for me came off divers, glow greens, wartfroggy glows, blue fairways too, mostly the shorter ones 25-75' back, shorter leads with spindoctor paddles. Although it surprised me that some bigger ones also came deep off deep riggers in deep water too when we were targeting Kings. Those are dandy pics. GLF, can you remember what depths or how far back yours came on? Thanks.

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