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STEELHEAD FLIES
Steelhead flies fly fishing for steelhead trout 


STEELHEAD FLY FISHING AND STEELHEAD FLIES

Steelhead are native to the West Coast of North America and to the Kamchatka Peninsula region of Russia. Steelhead were also planted in the Great lakes in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and now there are several steelhead runs in the Great Lakes watersheds.

Steelhead are anadromous (living in the sea and spawning in freshwater rivers) fish that were long considered to be sea-run Rainbow Trout. However, recent reclassification of the species has established the sea-run steelhead as the normal state for Rainbow Trout. Steelhead have been reclassified as members of the Pacific salmon family, and have been renamed Oncorhyncus mykiss (formerly Salmo gairdneri). Fortunately for fly anglers, the Steelhead don’t know that they’ve been reclassified, so they still take the same flies.

ABOUT MODERN STEELHEAD FLIES

Fly tying styles for steelhead patterns have evolved over the last few decades in two interesting directions: The first towards sparser, more stream-lined versions of the bulkier traditional wet flies ties of the past, and the second towards larger, high profile flies that have been made possible by innovations like the tube fly and the stinger type of tie.  These larger flies are tied with methods that allow the use of smaller hooks that don't damage fish and that allow the fly to cast and swim much better.

Much of the leaner style of tying on traditional steelhead wet patterns is due to the development and refinement of greased-line fly fishing for steelhead. A less bulky fly just performs better during the greased-line presentation. As a very general rule, larger, slightly heavier dressings are useful for winter steelheading, and sparser dressings are the rule for more aggressive summer fish. Of course, no fly styles are more subjective than steelhead patterns, and if you ask 10 different fly tiers to produces a Green-Butt Skunk, although the basic colors will all be the same, you will most likely get 10 slightly different styles of tie. Most likely, when fished with moderate skill, all 10 flies will catch steelhead.

We recommend that steelheaders, especially beginners, worry less about their fly patterns and more about learning to read rivers and how to cover them with good casting technique. A modest selection of dark and bright patterns in a couple different sizes will get you on the river where you can start learning when and where the fish are. After you have learned that, you can begin refining your fly selections to match your knowledge and confidence levels.

There are several patterns that have moved and hooked steelhead for years on almost every river and under almost every condition, so start out fishing these with confidence while you hone your water reading and casting skills. On this page you'll see a short list of our favorites. They are proven flies and you can fish them with confidence. Also, check with the local fly shops or fly fishing clubs where you're going to fish. You will often find them to be a wealth of information, although don't expect them to give away all the secrets of their home waters!
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