 |
| Surface steelhead addict Adrian Cortes chasing the ghost. His motto: #surfaceattacksarecrack |
Without a doubt, seeing an aggressive steelhead attacking a fly on the surface is the ultimate thrill in my experience as an angler. Nothing else comes close to the rush of those sudden explosions, boils, and giant surges at my fly that create visions that never go away. My initial success with raising steelhead to the surface took place in the fall of 1995 on a famous BC river. Those initial surface steelhead encounters left a profound impression on me to the extent that I have been known to be rather single-minded in the pursuit of encountering my next surface steelhead fix. Having the good fortune of meeting with willing surface steelhead early in my journey could have led to my unshakable passion and perseverance with surface methods. For better or for worse, I have evolved into an angler who is hopelessly impassioned with the whole process of getting steelhead to rise.
Like many anglers, my early attempts with surface methods was met with uncertainty and being unsure of what I was doing. My humble beginnings were also hampered by living as far from steelhead country as one could imagine (Hawaii is not paradise for a steelheader). While I was mentored from a distance by Bill McMillan through Dry Line Steelhead, I had no one around my Kauai home who could provide any personal stories or instruction on fishing for steelhead on the surface.
In our current steelheading age, many newer anglers are experiencing their first surface steelhead episodes thanks to the knowledge and excitement that is generated through the broad, instantaneous sharing that is afforded by various online resources including social media, forums, blogs, youtube, etc. Through the advances of modern technology, the learning curve for the current generation of anglers is thus, much shorter. However, for many, the road leading up to that initial surface steelhead encounter can be long and hard. Diminished steelhead returns in recent years has tested the patience and faith of even a die hard such as myself, with rises from surface oriented steelhead often few and far between.
I sometimes think to myself that being a beginning steelheader trying find surface friendly steelhead with the recent low return years we have had could be really tough. It is often the case that the only thing that has kept me going is being able to draw from prior experiences of raising steelhead to the surface. For those that are new to this game, I encourage you to keep the faith and continue believing in the reality that if you stick with surface methods long enough, success will come.
Having been a newcomer to this pursuit at some point myself (hard to imagine that was almost three decades ago), I can relate to some of the questions that have been posed by newer anglers. Most questions have been about tackle, technique, and water type that suits surface methods. In this article, I hope to provide some advice that may help anglers confidently persevere in this endeavor.
PRESENTATION:
The classic down and across or cross stream/greased line swing with a fly designed to wake either by it's own design or through the use of a riffle hitch are the most commonly used surface methods today. A common addition to the tight line swing presentations is to impart action to the fly with twitches. This method was popularized by legendary steelhead guide Tony Wratney and friends (including Mark Stangeland) on the North Umpqua in 80's. The twitched swing is the method I employ most often. I tend towards a more gentle, pulsating twitch while others may prefer a more aggresstive twitch. The twitched presentation is typically utilized with foam lipped flies but hair flies such as Muddlers and Greaseliners can be twitched as well.
Steelhead can also be taken with a dead drift dry fly and in the right conditions, it is possible to find success with the method. The technique is the same one used in presenting dry flies upstrem to trout. The dead drift lends itself to fishing over known steelhead holding lies and when one is able to encounter unpressured steelhead. While getting a steelhead using this method is quite the accomplishment, the tight line swing presentations are most commonly employed because they cover the most water in a methodical way.
The common term for the surface methods we commonly utilize to fish for steelhead these days is often referred to as "skating" and we tend to refer to the flies we fish with while using this method as "skaters". In a recent correspondence with Bill McMillan I was reminded of his description of the method of skating (as was noted in Dry Line Steelhead). Bill referred to skating as a method that utilizes a tight line swing and flies tied with stiff hackles (either feathers or hair) that ride on Top of the surface rather than IN the surface as riffle hitched or other waking flies do. Therefore, most of the surface flies we use to swing for steelhead today (Bombers, Greaseliners, Ska-oppers, Foam Domes, Muddlers, Little Wangs, etc) are what Bill refers to as waking flies. Utilizing actual skating flies such as the MacIntosh or stiff hackled Steelhead Bees is relatively uncommon today, but Bill described that those high-riding skaters tended to elicit exciting rises, but fewer hookings as compared to waking flies.
Bill McMillan had described in his book Dry Line Steelhead, another surface method that involves simply hanging a surface fly in pocket water holds such buckets in the midst of rapids and cushions in front of and behind boulders. I have utilized this method in summer conditions in areas where pocket water became the most likely areas to search for steelhead due to the confines imposed by low water. I have had success with this method by mimicking Bill's example of using a size 6 riffle hitched Steelhead Caddis with just the leader and maybe 5 feet of fly line outside the tip of my 9' 4wt rod and simply hanging the fly in miniature buckets in the midst of fast water. When fishing in this way, it feels like Tenkara fishing, but when the surface steelhead attack comes at such close range, you will have a hard time shaking the images from your memory.
THE GAROUTTE HITCH:
A few years ago, I had watched some YouTube videos of large Atlantic Salmon taking dead-drifted Bombers. Watching these videos created some excitement within me and I soon found myself thinking about tying some Bombers and dead drifting them for steelhead. A few size 6 natural colored Bombers quickly emerged from my vise and I anxiously awaited my next trip to the North Umpqua that August.
As I stood perched along one of the North Umpqua's famous pools, I recalled an article that I read in Amato's Flyfishing magazine in the early/mid 90's. It was an article written by Bill McMillan about surface fishing. At the time, Bill was conducting seminars on surface methods for Little Creek outfitters on the Grande Ronde. In that article, I remembered Bill referring to using a turle knot "in reverse orientation" on his Moose Turd bomber so that it would wake without the use of a riffle hitch. Tying the turle knot in reverse caused the leader to come out of the bottom of the down eyed hook, giving the effect of using a riffle hitch, but without the wear and tear that a riffle hitch can cause to a fly.
Back to that North Umpqua pool: I tied my Bomber to my tippet with that "reverse turle" knot, figuring that I would dead drift the fly in areas that suited that method and then I would allow the fly to come around and wake on the bottom half of the presentation when the fly came tight on the swing. I managed to raise a 5 to 6lb steelhead on the dead drift in an area that didn't lend well to the swung presentation and I also found that the bomber waked fairly well with the "reverse turle" knot when it came tight on the swing.
I shared my experience of utilizing the "reverse turle" knot with my friend Adrian Cortes and I also began using the knot on a foam lipped fly I often use. I have come to realize that this knot enhances the waking ability of any fly that is tied on a down eyed hook. I most often tie my surface flies on down eyed Mustad signature hooks (R73, S80, S82) so I utilize this knot almost exclusively. I find that my waking flies stay on the surface more consistently with this knot compared to when I used to employ a loop knot. Adrian has been tying his Lemire Greaseliners with Gamakatsu light wire down-eyed hooks to take advantage of the superior waking characteristics afforded by this knot.
Shortly after I began utilizing this knot, I was in a conversation with steelhead guide Marty Sheppard, (he and wife Mia are current owners of Little Creek Outiffiters). In regards to what I was calling the "reverse turle" knot, Marty recalled the origins of the knot and mentioned that it was named after a fellow named Mike Garoutte of Elgin, OR. Mr. Garoutte is a skilled, long-time angler on the Grand Ronde. My recent correspondence with Bill McMillan confirmed what Marty conveyed to me. Bill had fished with Mr. Garoutte during the timeframe in the early/mid 90's when he was conducting dry line seminars for Little Creek Outfitters. Bill mentioned that he was simply amazed when Mr. Garoutte showed him this simple alternative to using a riffle hitch, an alternative that worked even better due to consistently getting the proper angle coming off the bottom of the fly and with the further advantage of not causing damage to the fly. Bill began referring to the knot as the Garoutte Hitch, while noting that Mr. Garoutte was a very modest fellow who may have preferred to keep a low profile.
LEADER SYSTEMS:
Anglers who are new to surface fishing for steelhead sometimes ask me what type of leaders I use. While many folks currently like to utilize floating poly leaders, I still prefer hand tied mono. The floating poly leaders add mass to the line system and I find that they can slow the turn over of the head or line. I feel that mono leaders provide a brisk, positive turnover with the wind-resistant flies that I fish with, along with my chosen line systems. I construct my leaders out of old school Maxima Chameleon and Ultra Green. Maxima has worked well for generations of anglers before me and up to the present day - no need to change a good thing. Maxima possesses the right amount of stiffness and durability that make it ideally suited to steelhead fly fishing.
I tie my leaders with a perfection loop on the butt section then taper down with blood knots ending with another loop on the end of the mid section of the leader. This allows me to loop on tippet sections and also allows me to later replace them as they wear and are cut back from fly changes. For lines and heads from about 290grains and heavier, I tend to tie butt/mid sections tapering from 40# to #15. For lines and heads that are lighter than 290grains, typically on single hand rods, I will tie up the butt/mid sections tapering from 30# to 15#. These are rough guidelines and each individual may have their own preferences. I have found either Maxima Chameleon or Ultra Green works well for the butt/mid sections of my leaders, but for the tippet sections, I always go with Ultra Green. In summer and fall, I am typically using 8# Maxima Ultra Green for tippet.
Examples of leader formulas that I use -
14' leader for Switch and two handed rods:
Butt/mid section:
40# - 4'
30# - 3'
25# - 1'
20# - 1'
15' - 1'
(Loops on both ends)
Tippet section (Ultra Green):
(loop) 12# - 6"
10# - 6"
8# - 3'
12' leader for light switch or single hand rods:
Butt/mid section
30# - 4'
25# - 3'
20# - 1'
15# - 6"
(loops on both ends)
Tippet Section
(loop) 12# - 6"
10# - 6"
8# - 30"
The formulas above are roughly based on the 60/20/20 ratio of butt/mid/tippet. My formulas are not an exact science and they can be tweaked and altered to suit an individual's style. If one desires a longer or shorter leader, all that needs done is to change section lengths to suit one's preferences. The butt/mid sections tend to last multiple seasons for me unless I damage them on rocks or have to pull them through bankside foliage on too many bad casts. The tippet sections can be tied to suit current conditions and are easily replaced as they wear and get cut back from multiple fly changes as you are trying to get that player to come back.
THE SWIVEL EFFECT:
I have come to accept that when fishing bulky surface flies, they often spin on the cast - even more so when using a riffle-hitch or Garoutte hitch. I had accepted twisted leaders and running lines as the price I had to pay to fish the surface flies that I had confidence in. I would periodically spin my rod in a direction counter to the twists in my line or I would cutoff my fly and strip out my head and running line to untwist in the flow of large runs. These processes took up precious fishing time and I simply lived with having to go through these rituals so I could have some relief from the frustrations of fouled running lines and leaders. A couple years ago, I found a solution that alleviated the hassle of twists in my line system to a good extent. While not for everyone, especially those with traditional tendencies, I have taken to using tiny high quality swivels - one in my tippet section (between the 10# and 12#) and I have been making my own "spey swivels" that utilize braided loops to place the swivel between my head and running lines. I have found #10 SPRO brand swivels at my local Cabela's that work very well. These spey swivels are constructed out of Rio braided loops drawn through the swivel at each end and pulled back into itself. They provide a cheaper and less bulky alternative to the commercially available version.
Keep in mind that this setup my not be in compliance with fishing regulations if you frequent the North Umpqua river during the summer season as the swivel in the leader may be considered an additional "attachment" or "attractor". I suppose the tiny swivel could be considered an attractor as on at least one occasion, I have had steelhead take a swipe at something in front of my fly - probably the swivel as it was seen erratically moving as I twitched the fly.
TACKLE:
In my time spent fishing surface methods for steelhead, I have used everything from a 9 foot 4 weight trout rod to my old Sage 9140 "browinie' (14 foot 9weight) two hander. I tend to be an equipment junkie so I own way too many rods and reels to the point that I can have an anxiety attack just trying to pick a single rod and reel for a day's fishing. I sometimes carry multiple rod/reel combos with me to the river and unless I am in a boat, this can add too much complexity to something that should be fun and relaxing. Lugging multiple setups tends to hamper my mobility when I am bank bound, which is the case most of the time I get out.
In an overall sense, I tend to be very "blue collar" with my tackle purchases. I don't own very many top name equipment items and the high end brand items that I do own tend to be very well used to the point of being barely recognizable as top drawer gear. My rods run the gamut of old fiberglass single handers from a bygone era to a few well used Sages from the early/mid 90s, to a large array of entry level switch and single handers purchased over the past few years from a big box retailer (some were on sale for $59.95). There are no current generation top grade rods in my collection that cost more than my fishing rig, a beat up 1995 Geo Tracker.
In general, I tend to choose setups that match the size of the water I will be fishing. Small streams call for single hand rods or a light switch rod. Medium sized water usually calls for switch rods or shorter two handers. Big water has me getting my biggest two handers out. This logic of matching your setups to the size of the water works well most of the time. However there are always exceptions, like those runs on big rivers with the fishy seam running close to shore that call for shorter casts that the big rod is overkill for, or those broad runs in smaller streams where the small rods just never have enough reach. It's these exceptions that tempt me to burden myself with lugging an extra setup or two with me, but in the end, I usually find the benefits of keeping things simple and being mobile outweighs trying to impersonate a tournament bass fisherman with a full arsenal of rod/reel combos.
Another exception to the "matching your setup to the water logic" is when your mood just dictates what you feel like fishing with, regardless of where you are fishing. This "mood logic" has often manifested when I have purchased a new toy. An example is when I was just getting into the inexpensive Cabela's TLr switch rods: I just loved that 11 foot 6 weight with a 350grain Ambush head, paired with my Hardy 3 7/8 Perfect. I was having so much fun with that particular setup at the time, that I wanted to fish it everywhere, no matter what the size of the rivers I fished seemed to dictate. In fact, I took that setup with me to a large BC river that fall and I got into most of my surface steelhead using it there. I made the compact setup work on big water by fishing seams that I could reach. There have been other times where I have made small rods work in big water, just because I felt like it, so sometimes it's best to just fish with what your mood leads.
WATER TYPES:
I have had some fellow anglers tell me that they only fish surface flies under "ideal" conditions such as in smooth tailouts in the shade of mornings and evenings. While success with surface flies can certainly come in such places during low light periods, there are many other places and times where surface flies can produce. I have fished with friends who are less obsessed with surface fishing than me, who have asked if I would fish on the surface on various pieces of water we came upon throughout a given day. What I realized is that there is relatively little water that I would NOT fish a surface fly through! Water types I tend to avoid include deep pools with little to no current, heavy rapids, and very shallow riffles with no cover or depth that could hold a steelhead. I tend to look for water with a moderate current speed with some surface texture and some structure. Having the sun on the water is not necessarily a deal breaker either, especially on water with a broken surface, so don't give up fishing on top just because conditions have brightened up.
One of my favorite places to fish surface flies is at the very top or head of runs. As a rapid or riffle begins to spread out to form a run, a narrow seam begins to form up high. I have come to nickname that uppermost corner the "armpit" of the run. I often position myself in the bottom of the rapid above the run so I can begin fishing short casts that swing into the armpit. I have had steelhead sitting in water so shallow in that upper section that it seemed these steelhead have had to turn sideways to come after my waker!
As I continue through a typical run, I always concentrate on the seam between the main current and the cushion of softer water on the inside. The fishy seam generally widens while progressing down stream. Sometimes the softer water on the inside of the main current can form a wide flat that can hold steelhead in multiple locations, especially if there are boulders that break up the flow.
I generally cast into the main current and allow the fly to swing into the soft water on the near side. I tend to make my casts as broadside or square to the current as possible, depending on current speed. This results in swings that covers the most water and adds some speed to the fly. In certain runs, especially on small water (as pictured above), I may even cast completely over the main flow and to the far side. This causes the fly to briefly pause, then come speeding downstream until it begins coming across in the lower part of the swing. I often find myself drawn to faster swings because they tend to elicit the most violent and aggressive rises from steelhead. The hair-trigger response of a steelhead launching itself across the surface to crush your fly tends to leave a lasting impression!
On some pieces of water, the productive zone will continue until it culminates in a well defined tailout. I tend to keep fishing deep into the tailout as steelhead sometimes hold in slots in the very bottom which is often assumed to be to shallow. Some runs just continue to widen and slow until a big slow pool is formed. In that case, I will fish down until the water gets too deep and slows to the point where the main current is no longer discernable.
As noted above, I also fish surface flies in pocket water, especially in low water conditions on small rivers. These types of places include the cushion in front of boulders, the convergence behind boulders, depressions that slow the current in heavy water, and the heads of miniature pools. The technique of simply positioning yourself above suspected holding water and hanging your waking fly in the zone on a short line is often the only way to fish these compressed lies. Allow your fly to weave with the current for several seconds in each spot and brace yourself for lightning fast takes at close range.
So there you have it, a few tips and confessions from an everyday steelheader with an extreme passion for surface steelhead. I hope that these simple suggestions can help those who are new to chasing after the surface steelhead dream. The rewards can be hard to come by and the catch 22 is that it is difficult to develop confidence in a method where feedback from steelhead is typically infrequent. I suggest putting your subsurface gear away (at least temporarily) and fully commit to fishing the surface fly, especially during late summer and fall. You may be pleasantly surprised. You may even be lucky enough to find yourself on a "loaded run" where multiple surface friendly steelhead repeatedly rise to your flies, giving you a glimpse of heaven. Once you experience those initial surface steelhead encounters, your life may never be the same. Those visions of surface steelhead attacks have a way of intruding in your everyday life for good. Beware: friends and family may no longer recognize you when the surface steelhead affliction takes hold.
Bill McMillan had described in his book Dry Line Steelhead, another surface method that involves simply hanging a surface fly in pocket water holds such buckets in the midst of rapids and cushions in front of and behind boulders. I have utilized this method in summer conditions in areas where pocket water became the most likely areas to search for steelhead due to the confines imposed by low water. I have had success with this method by mimicking Bill's example of using a size 6 riffle hitched Steelhead Caddis with just the leader and maybe 5 feet of fly line outside the tip of my 9' 4wt rod and simply hanging the fly in miniature buckets in the midst of fast water. When fishing in this way, it feels like Tenkara fishing, but when the surface steelhead attack comes at such close range, you will have a hard time shaking the images from your memory.
THE GAROUTTE HITCH:
A few years ago, I had watched some YouTube videos of large Atlantic Salmon taking dead-drifted Bombers. Watching these videos created some excitement within me and I soon found myself thinking about tying some Bombers and dead drifting them for steelhead. A few size 6 natural colored Bombers quickly emerged from my vise and I anxiously awaited my next trip to the North Umpqua that August.
As I stood perched along one of the North Umpqua's famous pools, I recalled an article that I read in Amato's Flyfishing magazine in the early/mid 90's. It was an article written by Bill McMillan about surface fishing. At the time, Bill was conducting seminars on surface methods for Little Creek outfitters on the Grande Ronde. In that article, I remembered Bill referring to using a turle knot "in reverse orientation" on his Moose Turd bomber so that it would wake without the use of a riffle hitch. Tying the turle knot in reverse caused the leader to come out of the bottom of the down eyed hook, giving the effect of using a riffle hitch, but without the wear and tear that a riffle hitch can cause to a fly.
Back to that North Umpqua pool: I tied my Bomber to my tippet with that "reverse turle" knot, figuring that I would dead drift the fly in areas that suited that method and then I would allow the fly to come around and wake on the bottom half of the presentation when the fly came tight on the swing. I managed to raise a 5 to 6lb steelhead on the dead drift in an area that didn't lend well to the swung presentation and I also found that the bomber waked fairly well with the "reverse turle" knot when it came tight on the swing.
I shared my experience of utilizing the "reverse turle" knot with my friend Adrian Cortes and I also began using the knot on a foam lipped fly I often use. I have come to realize that this knot enhances the waking ability of any fly that is tied on a down eyed hook. I most often tie my surface flies on down eyed Mustad signature hooks (R73, S80, S82) so I utilize this knot almost exclusively. I find that my waking flies stay on the surface more consistently with this knot compared to when I used to employ a loop knot. Adrian has been tying his Lemire Greaseliners with Gamakatsu light wire down-eyed hooks to take advantage of the superior waking characteristics afforded by this knot.
Shortly after I began utilizing this knot, I was in a conversation with steelhead guide Marty Sheppard, (he and wife Mia are current owners of Little Creek Outiffiters). In regards to what I was calling the "reverse turle" knot, Marty recalled the origins of the knot and mentioned that it was named after a fellow named Mike Garoutte of Elgin, OR. Mr. Garoutte is a skilled, long-time angler on the Grand Ronde. My recent correspondence with Bill McMillan confirmed what Marty conveyed to me. Bill had fished with Mr. Garoutte during the timeframe in the early/mid 90's when he was conducting dry line seminars for Little Creek Outfitters. Bill mentioned that he was simply amazed when Mr. Garoutte showed him this simple alternative to using a riffle hitch, an alternative that worked even better due to consistently getting the proper angle coming off the bottom of the fly and with the further advantage of not causing damage to the fly. Bill began referring to the knot as the Garoutte Hitch, while noting that Mr. Garoutte was a very modest fellow who may have preferred to keep a low profile.
 |
| Begin by inserting your leader into the downeyed hook from the bottom. |
 |
| Form the "slip loop" just as with the normal Turle knot. |
 |
| Draw the knot tight slowly, ensuring that the loop doesn't get fouled and seats properly around the eye of the hook. |
 |
| Finished Garoutte hitch showing perfect downward orientation of the leader from the fly. |
LEADER SYSTEMS:
Anglers who are new to surface fishing for steelhead sometimes ask me what type of leaders I use. While many folks currently like to utilize floating poly leaders, I still prefer hand tied mono. The floating poly leaders add mass to the line system and I find that they can slow the turn over of the head or line. I feel that mono leaders provide a brisk, positive turnover with the wind-resistant flies that I fish with, along with my chosen line systems. I construct my leaders out of old school Maxima Chameleon and Ultra Green. Maxima has worked well for generations of anglers before me and up to the present day - no need to change a good thing. Maxima possesses the right amount of stiffness and durability that make it ideally suited to steelhead fly fishing.
I tie my leaders with a perfection loop on the butt section then taper down with blood knots ending with another loop on the end of the mid section of the leader. This allows me to loop on tippet sections and also allows me to later replace them as they wear and are cut back from fly changes. For lines and heads from about 290grains and heavier, I tend to tie butt/mid sections tapering from 40# to #15. For lines and heads that are lighter than 290grains, typically on single hand rods, I will tie up the butt/mid sections tapering from 30# to 15#. These are rough guidelines and each individual may have their own preferences. I have found either Maxima Chameleon or Ultra Green works well for the butt/mid sections of my leaders, but for the tippet sections, I always go with Ultra Green. In summer and fall, I am typically using 8# Maxima Ultra Green for tippet.
Examples of leader formulas that I use -
14' leader for Switch and two handed rods:
Butt/mid section:
40# - 4'
30# - 3'
25# - 1'
20# - 1'
15' - 1'
(Loops on both ends)
Tippet section (Ultra Green):
(loop) 12# - 6"
10# - 6"
8# - 3'
12' leader for light switch or single hand rods:
Butt/mid section
30# - 4'
25# - 3'
20# - 1'
15# - 6"
(loops on both ends)
Tippet Section
(loop) 12# - 6"
10# - 6"
8# - 30"
The formulas above are roughly based on the 60/20/20 ratio of butt/mid/tippet. My formulas are not an exact science and they can be tweaked and altered to suit an individual's style. If one desires a longer or shorter leader, all that needs done is to change section lengths to suit one's preferences. The butt/mid sections tend to last multiple seasons for me unless I damage them on rocks or have to pull them through bankside foliage on too many bad casts. The tippet sections can be tied to suit current conditions and are easily replaced as they wear and get cut back from multiple fly changes as you are trying to get that player to come back.
THE SWIVEL EFFECT:
I have come to accept that when fishing bulky surface flies, they often spin on the cast - even more so when using a riffle-hitch or Garoutte hitch. I had accepted twisted leaders and running lines as the price I had to pay to fish the surface flies that I had confidence in. I would periodically spin my rod in a direction counter to the twists in my line or I would cutoff my fly and strip out my head and running line to untwist in the flow of large runs. These processes took up precious fishing time and I simply lived with having to go through these rituals so I could have some relief from the frustrations of fouled running lines and leaders. A couple years ago, I found a solution that alleviated the hassle of twists in my line system to a good extent. While not for everyone, especially those with traditional tendencies, I have taken to using tiny high quality swivels - one in my tippet section (between the 10# and 12#) and I have been making my own "spey swivels" that utilize braided loops to place the swivel between my head and running lines. I have found #10 SPRO brand swivels at my local Cabela's that work very well. These spey swivels are constructed out of Rio braided loops drawn through the swivel at each end and pulled back into itself. They provide a cheaper and less bulky alternative to the commercially available version.
Keep in mind that this setup my not be in compliance with fishing regulations if you frequent the North Umpqua river during the summer season as the swivel in the leader may be considered an additional "attachment" or "attractor". I suppose the tiny swivel could be considered an attractor as on at least one occasion, I have had steelhead take a swipe at something in front of my fly - probably the swivel as it was seen erratically moving as I twitched the fly.
TACKLE:
In my time spent fishing surface methods for steelhead, I have used everything from a 9 foot 4 weight trout rod to my old Sage 9140 "browinie' (14 foot 9weight) two hander. I tend to be an equipment junkie so I own way too many rods and reels to the point that I can have an anxiety attack just trying to pick a single rod and reel for a day's fishing. I sometimes carry multiple rod/reel combos with me to the river and unless I am in a boat, this can add too much complexity to something that should be fun and relaxing. Lugging multiple setups tends to hamper my mobility when I am bank bound, which is the case most of the time I get out.
 |
| 32" surface rising buck that was subdued by my trusty Sage 9140. |
 |
| Vintage Sage 9' 4wt RPL had no problems fighting this 31" hen (hatchery version, thus not kept wet) that was holding in a bathtub sized pocket water lie in low summer conditions. The steelhead took a #6 McMillan Steelhead caddis (riffle hitched) hanging in the current. |
As to fly reels, I have completely gone to vintage click/pawl models since 2011. Again, all were relatively inexpensive purchases, many off the big auction site. I have several Hardys: Marquis models in various sizes, a 3 7/8" Perfect, and a beater St. John. The remainder of my reel collection is made up of those made by JW Young, the ultimate poor man's clickers.
As to fly lines, I have used the Wulff Ambush for the vast majority of my surface fishing over the past several years. The Ambush lines make single hand spey casting a pleasure and they work very well in tight quarters with switch rods. I sometimes use traditional WF lines like the peach Cortland 444 or SA steelhead taper with my single handers, especially in situations when I have enough room to form larger D Loops. I have also utilized Scandi heads such as Airflo Rages and Scandi compacts and the old RIO AFS on my switch rods and shorter two handers. I like "longer" lines like the Rio Windcutter, Airflo Delta Spey, or Beulah Aerohead on my 13.5'+ two handers.
In general, I tend to choose setups that match the size of the water I will be fishing. Small streams call for single hand rods or a light switch rod. Medium sized water usually calls for switch rods or shorter two handers. Big water has me getting my biggest two handers out. This logic of matching your setups to the size of the water works well most of the time. However there are always exceptions, like those runs on big rivers with the fishy seam running close to shore that call for shorter casts that the big rod is overkill for, or those broad runs in smaller streams where the small rods just never have enough reach. It's these exceptions that tempt me to burden myself with lugging an extra setup or two with me, but in the end, I usually find the benefits of keeping things simple and being mobile outweighs trying to impersonate a tournament bass fisherman with a full arsenal of rod/reel combos.
Another exception to the "matching your setup to the water logic" is when your mood just dictates what you feel like fishing with, regardless of where you are fishing. This "mood logic" has often manifested when I have purchased a new toy. An example is when I was just getting into the inexpensive Cabela's TLr switch rods: I just loved that 11 foot 6 weight with a 350grain Ambush head, paired with my Hardy 3 7/8 Perfect. I was having so much fun with that particular setup at the time, that I wanted to fish it everywhere, no matter what the size of the rivers I fished seemed to dictate. In fact, I took that setup with me to a large BC river that fall and I got into most of my surface steelhead using it there. I made the compact setup work on big water by fishing seams that I could reach. There have been other times where I have made small rods work in big water, just because I felt like it, so sometimes it's best to just fish with what your mood leads.
 |
| My 11' 6wt Cabela's TLr did the job with this 33" surface grabbing BC buck. |
WATER TYPES:
I have had some fellow anglers tell me that they only fish surface flies under "ideal" conditions such as in smooth tailouts in the shade of mornings and evenings. While success with surface flies can certainly come in such places during low light periods, there are many other places and times where surface flies can produce. I have fished with friends who are less obsessed with surface fishing than me, who have asked if I would fish on the surface on various pieces of water we came upon throughout a given day. What I realized is that there is relatively little water that I would NOT fish a surface fly through! Water types I tend to avoid include deep pools with little to no current, heavy rapids, and very shallow riffles with no cover or depth that could hold a steelhead. I tend to look for water with a moderate current speed with some surface texture and some structure. Having the sun on the water is not necessarily a deal breaker either, especially on water with a broken surface, so don't give up fishing on top just because conditions have brightened up.
One of my favorite places to fish surface flies is at the very top or head of runs. As a rapid or riffle begins to spread out to form a run, a narrow seam begins to form up high. I have come to nickname that uppermost corner the "armpit" of the run. I often position myself in the bottom of the rapid above the run so I can begin fishing short casts that swing into the armpit. I have had steelhead sitting in water so shallow in that upper section that it seemed these steelhead have had to turn sideways to come after my waker!
 |
| Fishing the "armpit"/upper corner of a run. Photo by Todd Hirano |
 |
| Fishing the seam along the main flow. Photo by Todd Hiirano |
I generally cast into the main current and allow the fly to swing into the soft water on the near side. I tend to make my casts as broadside or square to the current as possible, depending on current speed. This results in swings that covers the most water and adds some speed to the fly. In certain runs, especially on small water (as pictured above), I may even cast completely over the main flow and to the far side. This causes the fly to briefly pause, then come speeding downstream until it begins coming across in the lower part of the swing. I often find myself drawn to faster swings because they tend to elicit the most violent and aggressive rises from steelhead. The hair-trigger response of a steelhead launching itself across the surface to crush your fly tends to leave a lasting impression!
On some pieces of water, the productive zone will continue until it culminates in a well defined tailout. I tend to keep fishing deep into the tailout as steelhead sometimes hold in slots in the very bottom which is often assumed to be to shallow. Some runs just continue to widen and slow until a big slow pool is formed. In that case, I will fish down until the water gets too deep and slows to the point where the main current is no longer discernable.
 |
| Lower section of a run where the water deepens on the far side as noted by the darker green color and with boulders providing cover, this looks fishy to me. Todd Hirano photo. |
 |
| The whitewater convergence behind a boulder can sometimes hold small water steelhead. Todd Hirano photo. |
 |
| The head of a miniature pool where steelhead could be tucked right in the white water. Todd Hirano photo. |
Thanks for these great, detailed tips. A few quick questions re the "reverse Turle" termainal knot: 1) Do you typically only use down eye hooks and 2) by reverse Turle do you mean starting by going up through the eye of the down-eye hook and then tying the Turle normally from there?
ReplyDeleteYes, that is correct, I am using down eyed hooks. You can use up eyed hooks, but the down eye hooks accentuate the leader coming off the fly in a downward orientation. And yes, start by entering the leader from the bottom of the down eyed hook and tie normally from there. Feel free to email toddhirano@yahoo.com if you have any other questions.
DeleteSuper. Thanks very much for your reply!
Delete