Patient Pesistence

Dry Fly Steelhead taken during a solitary morning session during a low return year

Patience and Persistence:

Each year, as summer approaches, I find myself in a game where going against really low odds is the rule.  There are so many variables working against the possibility of finding that first surface steelhead of the season.  I generally start putting serious efforts in finding dry fly steelhead on my local waters in May.  In good return years, May steelhead counts over Willamette falls has numbered several thousand (most recently during the 2016 season).  In recent years, the May numbers have been much smaller.  Water levels in May can also be a deterrent as the Army Corps tends to release more water to flush newly released hatchery steelhead and salmon smolts downstream.  The higher water changes where steelhead may hold and I theorize that the increased flow tends to keep steelhead on the move rather than settled into specific lies for any length of time.  With flows pushing along the banks, there is a reduction of areas that can be waded effectively and the amount of soft dry fly steelhead water is compressed.

Despite the difficulties, I still regularly fish my home water during the early season.  The river is quiet and peaceful during this magical time.  Summer crowds have yet to show and the bulk of the salmon fishing traffic is still weeks away.  Low steelhead returns also keeps many other fisherman off the river.  It may not be worth the time and effort for the “catch your limit” crowd.  Thankfully, I am drawn to the river for reasons beyond simply catching fish, so dealing with the near impossibility of finding an early dry fly steelhead doesn’t stop me.  Having water to myself without the pressure of other anglers closing in on me is a wonderful luxury.

I find that conditions in May remind me to be flexible and adapt to the changes that higher water brings.  Mentally accepting the scarcity of opportunities and spiritually finding contentment in the circumstances give me peace, joy, and a renewed sense of gratitude for all that steelhead and rivers provide.

I have been regularly fishing my home water, the Middle Fork of the Willamette, every season since moving to Oregon in 2009.  My local ditch hosts primarily hatchery steelhead and is not exactly a world class steelheading destination.  It has nevertheless, been a convenient playground close to home where steelhead occasionally rise for waking flies.  I have learned a lot about surface steelhead from having this humble waterway 10 minutes from my home.  Being in close proximity has me on the water almost daily from May through November and sometimes into December if flows allow.

My frequent forays have given opportunities to become very familiar with holding water at various flow levels.  There has also been the joys of discovering new holding water and the sense of confirmation when a steelhead rises to my fly in a freshly discovered area that my experience and intuition has led me to.

In the seasons I have fished the MFW, the earliest I generally begin raising steelhead to the surface is around the third week of June.  This has been the case even during years with good returns by May.  This reality has been both puzzling and frustrating at the same time.  When May arrives, water temps are generally warm enough for steelhead to rise, yet, my efforts typically just bring casting practice and continued opportunities to build my resolve.

During those better return years, , the river can start getting busy as early as April.  During seasons of greater abundance, May can find the gear crowd and deeper running fly fishing crowd getting in to fish with some regularity.  With me sticking to the surface fly almost always, finding no success during those seasons of relative plenty was puzzling.  Having folks catching steelhead all about while I single-mindedly kept a stupid hair and foam thingy tied on seemed like insanity.

Ironically, during a couple recent low return years, I have raised and hooked steelhead by late May and onward through June and into late fall/early winter.  It is possible that the lower number of boats and other anglers on the river may have worked in my favor.  Perhaps the steelhead that were present found themselves less disturbed and thus in a happier mood for eating on the surface.

In my crazy, ongoing “ dry fly steelhead experiment”  there are certain constants and also certain variables. 

The constants include:

• Utilizing only fly fishing gear
• consistent use of floating lines
• full time use of surface flies.
• Getting out on the river at every opportunity from May through December.

The variables include:

• numbers of steelhead present in the river
• time of year
• weather conditions
• fishing pressure
• size of the spring salmon run (which in turn influences the level of boat and angler traffic)
• river levels
• water temps
• numbers of boats on the water
• changes in river configuration due to flood events
• water types fished

What have I learned through my ongoing experiment?

1. “Good” returns do not necessarily equate to good dry fly steelheading.  Possibly due to more pressure that greater numbers bring to the river.

2. Most of my dry fly steelhead success comes in low light conditions during early morning, evening, or during overcast weather.   While this generally makes sense and is accepted as common steelheading wisdom, it could also have to do with when I spend most of my time on the water.  I have gotten a few dry fly steelhead with sun on the water, but I generally avoid bright conditions due to my own needs for comfort.  (I am a wimp when it comes to summer heat and blinding sunburn weather).

3. Dry Fly Steelheading is a “numbers game”.  While I am not a numbers guy (in terms of needing to catch as many steelhead as possible), finding steelhead on the surface can require persistent effort and putting time on the water.  I reason that my odds increase if I am on the water once a day vs. once a month.

4. It is important to keep moving.  A  couple runs that I fish tend to provide the majority of my surface action, but having multiple runs to cover increases the odds of finding an active steelhead. 

5. Exploring new water is also worthwhile to expand your possibilities and to test one’s ability to read good dry fly steelhead holding water.  There is great satisfaction when  that smashing rise comes in that new location that you just had a certain feeling about .  Finding new water is also a great way to get away from the crowd.

6. Stay positive.  Steelhead can be gone today and here tomorrow.  I have fished some favorite runs regularly over periods of time with no success then one day, I raise and hook steelhead in multiple locations in a given piece of water that seemed barren of life in days prior.  Steelhead are on the move and each day brings new possibilities.

7. Learn to adapt to various river conditions.  When the river runs at a given level for a period of time, I can become locked into a routine of how and where to fish.  I will be counting on steelhead to hold in certain locations where I can reasonably hope for a rise.  When levels change, whether the  river drops or rises, it can be disorienting and even discouraging.  Those familiar holding lies may have changed or disappeared with the change in flow.  Typically, lower flows push holding lies further into the main flow and higher water puts holding lies closer to shore.  Relearning the rivers at different flows can be exciting and rewarding, again, like finding new steelhead holding water.

8. Find Peace and Joy in being on the water, regardless of whether the steelhead rise to the occasion.  It is a great blessing to enjoy nature as the river refreshes my soul.  As I reflect back on my days as a former Child Welfare Caseworker, I realize that being out on the river was literally lifesaving self-care that helped sustain me in a very stressful career.

Have fun out there and remember, to find success with surface flies, you must tie one on and keep it on.

Dry fly hen glows in the low light of an overcast morning 

IF4 in Eugene - come support the Fly Fishing Collaborative

Fish Well, Do Good! Join True West Custom Fly Rods for the International Fly Fishing Film Festival April 17th at the Wildish Theater. The IF4 is a wonderful collection of professionally made fly fishing films from around the globe that highlight the beauty and culture of fly fishing. The IF4 is an exciting night of films and raffling off over $4000 in great fishing gear, art, and trips all for a great cause! The film festival is a fundraiser for Fly Fishing Collaborative, a Portland based non-profit working to provide sustainable solutions to human trafficking. By partnering with the fly fishing community and local leaders in high trafficking areas, FFC fights for freedom and recovery for children affected by human trafficking each year. Watch the trailer, and then hit the link and get your tickets. Every ticket purchased helps to put power in the hands of the powerless! The Run Down: April 17th @7pm- Doors open at 615 to view raffle prizes Wildish Theater in Springfield, OR Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at Homewaters and Caddis Fly Shops or online below 2019 IF4 Trailer Buy Tickets Copyright © 2019 True West Rods, All rights reserved.  You are receiving this because you have signed up for our newsletters at an expo or trade show or are already a customer of True West Rods. The Fly Rod...Customized!  Our mailing address is:  True West Rods 331 Kings Row, Creswell, OR, United States Creswell, OR 97426 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Surface Steelhead Tips

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Dry Fly Winter Steelhead

With all the fun I was having experiencing surface steelhead into early December,  I just couldn't get myself to stop fishing on top, even as winter steelhead season was definitely upon us.

It was a chilly 38 degree morning on December 14, 2018, but my homewater was still running at summer levels so I stayed with my summer gear and summer approach with a surface fly.  I started at the top of a favorite run and I was pleasantly surprised with a sudden aggressive rise to my green-butt yellow stimuwaker.   The steelhead was instantly hooked and taking off on it's first run.  I was anticipating that I hooked into another late hatchery summer run, but this steelhead seemed to fight with more determination than I'd expect from a tired hatchery brat.  As the steelhead drew closer I was able to see that it was not a large fish but that it seemed quite bright.  I  was then determined to land this steelhead so I could get a better look.  I wondered if it might even be late running wild steelhead.

I fought the steelhead carefully,  but with steady pressure.   I was eventually able to lead the steelhead into a shallow bay.  It was a bright hatchery hen in perfect form.   I took a few photos and rejoiced in the blessing of getting a second dry fly steelhead in December.  Water temperature was 44 degrees.

I later emailed a picture of the steelhead and the story of it's capture to Bill McMillan. Bill responded that he felt like the steelhead looked like a winter run which must have strayed up my way possibly from the Clackamas. At the time of encountering this steelhead, there were 3 non-finclipped winter steelhead counted that ascended Willamette falls.  Catching this steelhead on a dry fly was definitely like finding a needle in a massive haystack!

On December 30, 2018 I found myself on river that is better known for it's hatchery winter steelhead run and parades of sidedrifters that pursue them.  This is not among the popular winter steelhead fly swinging rivers, but as an extra opportunity to fish coincided with my better half's plans, I went for it.

I drove into a little town along the river and managed to find some river access up and down from a popular boat launch.   The water above the boat launch looked and fished well, but it was no surprise that I didn't find a steelhead that was willing to rise in the 44 degree water that was also showing some color.

I made my way to the water downstream of the boat launch and noted it to be running fairly briskly as it came out of the rapids below a long pool.  As I surveyed this run, I saw that there were two rocky outcrops on my bank that broke up the current and formed soft cushions downstream as the current evened out.   I fished the first bay and felt that it swung my surface fly nicely,  providing a miniture flat where a winter steelhead would have a break from the main flow.

I felt a fair amount of confidence and anticipation,  even in this unlikely location and under atypical surface steelhead conditions. There was a high water event the week before and the river was on a steady drop, so at least I had that on my side.

That first piece of water below the rock break didn't produce any excitement  so I proceeded down to the second outcrop to swing through the soft water below.

I had just recently purchased a 11' 3wt Vector trout spey that was on sale from my local Cabelas and balaced with a 200gr OPST Commando head and 50gr 10' floating trout tip. I was enjoying casting my purple and black Bivisiwang with this light setup.

I remembered that there are folks who are concerned with overplaying and tiring steelhead out with such a light rod.   I knew that as long as I was staying with my typical 8# or 10# maxima for tippet,  that I would still be able to fight steelhead aggressively with a low rod position and clamping down on my click/pawl reel.

As I settled into fishing the flows below that second break, I noted that the rock structure extended diagonally underwater towards mid river.   This made for cover and soft cushions where steelhead could hold.  As I fished through this juicy stuff I was imagining what it would be like to put the light rod to the test with a legit winter steelhead pulling on the other end. 

I made a cast across the break formed by the diagonal rock structure and as my Bivisiwang came past the bump of current, I suddenly saw the boadside form of a steelhead launching itself across the surface as it took my fly.  My line drew tight and the fight was on.

My chance to confirm my ability to quickly land a winter steelhead on a light trout spey presented itself quicker than expected! I lowered the rod as I tightened into the steelhead with my little 3 5/8 Perfect.  The steelhead made several short but powerful runs, but I kept as much preesure as possible on the reel to slow and tire the steelhead without breaking the 10# maxima tippet.

Within about 5 minutes, I had the steelhead near shore in a convenient shallow area. I was able to get a few photos while noticing that the steelhead was still very strong and fresh.

Getting 3 steelhead on surface flies in December has never happened to me before.   This has given me enough encouragement to fish on the surface full time through the rest of winter and beyond!  I hope to have more dry fly winter steelhead stories to tell in the coming weeks.

December Dry Fly Steelhead

Dry Fly Steelhead in December, a first!  Photo by Todd Hirano

I have so much fun with pursuing steelhead on the surface that I have a hard time putting my surface flies away when winter steelhead season comes.  I generally switch gears to subsurface fishing with big irons swung on a dry line by the time December 1 arrives.  This is also when many winter steelhead rivers open for the season.

By this time, I generally stop fishing my homewater as winter rainstorms typically keep the middle fork Willamette running high and dirty.  This year has been an unusual exception.   Dry conditions have allowed my local ditch to stay at summer levels, so of course,  I have continued to fish it with summer methods, despite the cooler water.   Obviously, I am not always in touch with reality, but it's too late to change.

On this day (Sunday,  December 9, 2018), I was able to negotiate an extra day of fishing since my normal friday fishing day was cut short.  To make appearances of being a decent husband,  I came home early from fishing on Friday to drag the brand new 500lb hot tub my wife purchased from the garage where it was delivered,  to the back of the house where project management wanted it.  I felt like I earned some extra credit.

I elected to hit a coastal drainage in pursuit of winter steelhead like normal people do.  I fished hard from about 8:30am til about 2pm.  I readily got back into the flow of swinging my favorite Winter's Hopes on a full floating Beaulah Aerohead cast with my vintage Sage 7136.  I had an enjoyable time fishing through the overcast and light drizzles through the day.

By early afternoon, I had not received any chrome feedback so my mind wandered towards heading back towards home and trying for one last dry fly steelhead for the year on my homewater.  At the end of the last run, my line drew tight and the lively pulse of a fish was felt. Just as I thought that my plans to head homeward was being joyfully interrupted, I realized that my fishy encounter was smaller in scale than hoped for.  I stripped in the scrappy fighter and found it to be a perfect male cutthroat of about 15 inches. A respectable prize, but when a guy's mind runs on one track, expectations can become distorted.

After releasing  the hardy cutthroat, my focus returned to getting in some time on familiar runs close to home.  I made the drive back through overcast and intermittent drizzles.  As I rounded the bend to a favorite run,  I noticed a drift boat with gear fisherman anchored low in the water that I typically fish through.   I wondered "what could those guys be thinking fishing here today?"  Then I thought of what those gear guys might be thinking about a fly angler fishing through there in hopes of getting a steelhead on a surface fly today..

I figured to start fishing at the top of the run in spite the unexpected company on this unlikely day.  As I set up and began walking to the top of the run, the gear guys pulled anchor and of course,  they also fished through the lower run that I intended to fish as well.  I guess solitude is not a guarantee, even when one might assume folks would be focussing their attention elsewhere so late in the season.

I fished through until my swings were overlapping the area where my gear chucking friends were achored.  With less than 30 minutes left before dark,  I left for the lower run, never mind that the gear boat just fished through.  I was fishing the my usual foam waker with a couple tweaks:  two forward facing indicator posts - one black and one white,  tied on a #4 gamakatsu octopus hook.

Purple and Black "Bivisiwang" tied on #4 Gamakatsu Octopus hook.  Photo by Todd Hirano

With the overcast and silvery/greyish glare on the water, the black post on my fly showed up best.  As I approached the bottom of the run, I could only occasionally pick out the black post of my fly in the rapidly dimming light.  With the cooler water,  I fished at a slower pace and strived for swings that lingered over likely water longer.  I was near the lower limit of the run when I saw and heard a splash in the distance and then I  felt a pull.  I realized that I raised a fish, but was it a steelhead and would it come back after feeling resistance?  The next cast went out cleanly and as I desperately sought to spot my fly in the near darkness, I faintly saw and heard another splashy rise in the same area.  I didn't feel any resistance as I continued to gently twitch my fly into the dangle.  I continued to be hopeful for the opportunity to confirm the identity of the rising fish and also that it might be the December dry fly steelhead I was after.

The third cast to this fish went out cleanly as my vintage Sage 7136 and Beaulah Aerohead did their job in executing a smooth double spey.  I twitched my waker through the swing and in the familiar location,  the same rise came, this time followed by solid resistance.   I instinctively swept the rod towards the bank and came tight to something that was definitely more substantial than the cutthroat I hooked a couple hours ago.  The creature fought doggedly and powerfully. It had enough authority to be immovable at times, but it eventually succumbed to steady side pressure and when it came closer to the bank, I was able to positively identify it as a steelhead. I was eventually able to pull the steelhead to the bank and contained it by kneeling down in the river to keep the steelhead between me and the bank as I took photos. (Water temp: 45.3 degrees)

What a unique surface steelhead season it has been!  I have gotten steelhead on the surface every month since May.  I am truly blessed by God beyond mere existence,  but blessed in exuberant abundance!

Bivisiwang cannot be seen as it is hooked in the tongue of this December Buck.  Tying my waker on the Gami Octopus hook proves to hold steelhead solidly.  Todd Hirano photo.