Steelhead

  I give up. I spent a large amount of time trying to put together the perfect blog post to answer one of my readers questions but at the end of the day I realized that it's pretty f'n simple. It doesn't take a huge article to tell you how to steelhead.  Sure there is the water speed, depth and cover keys,...

One of the easiest ways to loose a fish is to get so excited that you pull the fly right out of the fish's mouth.  This is no different for steelhead.  Next time you feel a pull of a fish from a swung fly, rememer to bow to the fish. What I mean is, instead of jerking the rod to...

  So, there’s no question you know what a single handed fly fishing rod is. You’ve probably also either heard about or used a spey rod…. right? But, what about the switch rod that has started to pick up some fame? What use are they if you already have a single and/or longer two handed rod? Switch rods, as the name denotes...

Why do steelhead take a fly?  Becasue they are looking for food - Maybe?  Because they have instincts from their juvenile self from 2 years previously - Likely?  Because they are aggressive fish and just get pissed that there is this little nagging thing in front of them - Oh Yeah...... All of these scenarios are likely correct at some...

Have you ever been on the river when one person was hammering the fish and all others were picking their nose?  The dude seemed to hook up 3 or 4 times for every touch you had.  Probably wondering what fly pattern he was using, right? Sometimes in fly fishing, bigger isn't always better.  In fact I've found that the smaller...

Do you sharpen your hook on a regular basis?   A fish's mouth is hard and tough.  Although steelhead often hit like a freight train, they can also take super subtly.  Just as light as a tip-tap is sometimes all you feel.  Take a look at Tip #1 here for clarification. A sharp hook can mean the difference between just getting...

“Hey (in a super quiet voice)...... I think I just had a TIP.” I make sure to not move a step and put the same exact cast back on the fish. It swings slowly across the river and then……. another TAP. “shhhhhit! I just had a tap”, as I quietly mention to my buddy fishing 100 meters downstream. Again -...

The open clinch knot has probably helped me hook more fish than any other knot.  Super simple to tie and strong, the open clinch knot does two big things - It gives your fly more action and keeps your fly from getting tangled up. Click on the video below to see how the knot is easily tied.  The big trick...

  There's no question, one of the best, and easiest, tips I could ever give you for hooking steelhead is called the Hang Down.  This is how it works - After you cast and swing your fly through the run, your fly will be "hanging down" below you.  Make sure to let the fly sit there for 3 or 5...

I've had many steelhead guests on the Wet Fly Swing Podcast who have told me that steelhead flies and the fly pattern you select for steelhead is not of critical importance. More important are likely the presentation of the fly, the line you use, and whether you are getting down to the fish.  I have many podcast episodes and blog...