"Warren" wrote in message
...
I am going steelhead fishing for the first time and was wondering if any
of you could suggest flies. snip

This may be to late for your trip, but I just got back from 2 weeks chasing
Silvers on Kodiak ,so just now saw the post.

The size and fullness of steelhead flys that will be most effective are
primarily dependant on water clarity and temperature. Generally for water
temps over 50deg. and reasonable water clarity, flys in sizes 2-8 will be
most effective. While 6 is a good all around size, I prefer to carry 4's and
8's for the above conditions. Often a fish that swirls at, but doesn't take,
a fly in size 4 will just hammer the same pattern when presented as a follow
up in size 8.
Your list of patterns is good, but as someone has already told you, the
Green Butt Skunk probably has accounted for more summer run pacific
steelhead than any other pattern. Also, the most successful steelhead
fisherman I ever knew carried his fly boxes full of nothing but Skunks - in
sizes from 1-0 to 12, and tied from extremely full to extremely sparce.

Though egg patterns and egg sucking leech patterns will certainly take
summer steelhead, they are generally used for winter runs. They are also
most effectively fished using methods that are less enjoyable (at least to
me) than swinging flies on or near the surface with a dry line.


--
Bob Weinberger
La, Grande, OR

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