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[robbo1970]

Been reading a lot about this method on the web and was wondering if anyone had tried for steelhead on the vedder. Was thinking 15lb mono for leader with 10lb flouro  for tippet fished under a indicator. What flies to use I'm not so sure, weighted stonefly nymphs and go bug, egg sucking leeches. Any suggestions?

[Every Day]

I haven't ever tried it in the Vedder, but I did it lots this summer for summer run steelhead.
Most of the flows I nymph fished on were smaller flows, where the steelhead were quite picky after being in the system for a while.

It would be a lot more difficult in a flow the size of the Vedder and with the water clarity it has.
It would be much more effective and efficient to swing intruders (cover water fast and make sure the fish can see it).

If you were to nymph fish, I would go to the upper river in low clear water periods late in the season (March/April).
Cast upstream and allow it to bounce bottom. What I have found with trout and steelhead alike you need to be RIGHT on bottom for a good success rate.

I had VERY good success on this pattern (my variation of the chain gang stonefly):


Other things I would try would be caddis nymph patterns and glo bugs.

Cheers, and good luck,
Dan

[Sandman]

Been reading a lot about this method on the web and was wondering if anyone had tried for steelhead on the vedder. Was thinking 15lb mono for leader with 10lb flouro  for tippet fished under a indicator. What flies to use I'm not so sure, weighted stonefly nymphs and go bug, egg sucking leeches. Any suggestions?

I have tried this, and I have caught fish using that setup in the Vedder, both in the upper river and in a few choice location in the lower.    I plan to use that method this weekend using a few roe flies I tied up and I have a few egg sucking leaches to try as well.  Swinging flies will allow you to cover more water more efficiently, but this is great for when the conditions allow.

[nickredway]

If you think swinging for winters is more effective than nymphing a glow bug then you obviously haven't done much swinging for winters.

[kalex60]

If you want to float fish use a gear rod

[HOOK]

using a fly rod is way more challenging because even with a couple small split shot its alot tougher to get and keep your presentation where you need it to be as opposed to a float rod. I may just try out some nymphing for steel a few times this year, I have done it before but it produced no results. other thing that is alot harder is mending the fly line to keep yourself with a drag free drift and you are also stuck with very short drifts which means it takes a long time to cover the same water as you could faster with a float rod.

to each their own right 

[bigblue]

With the challenge of fly fishing for a winter steelhead, this is a pattern I am planning to tie up for January steelheading.
This looks like it will get down fast and be visible at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATSFj7ku3GU&list=UUqbUkYg_DJnyX89-fXcJTBw&index=63

[Sandman]

If you think swinging for winters is more effective than nymphing a glow bug then you obviously haven't done much swinging for winters.

Did I say that?  I said swinging allows you to cover more water more efficiently.  That is to say, your fly will see more water in a shorter amount of time.  I did not say a swung fly would be more effective than a drifted glo bug.  In fact I do believe that I said it is a great method when the conditions allow.  My first steelhead in the Vedder was on a drifted glo bug on New Years Eve down by the Sumas confluence.  My second steelhead on the Vedder was on a drifted Purple and Orange Egg Sucking leech up above Alison Canyon in February.  My third was on a swung Squidro just below the Crossing on cold March morning.  My personal record on the Vedder has the drifted fly beating the swung fly by a 4-1 margin, and I have caught steel on other rivers using drifted nymphs but then I have also caught steel on stripped flies, that doesn't mean I am going to give up drifting or swinging.

[nickredway]

Was referring to Every days assertion that swinging would be more efficient and effective than nymphing which it isn't for winters.

[Every Day]

I guess it might be different with winters.
Swinging is way more effective from what I'v found on larger flows with summers.
Small flows, especially when sight fishing, nymphing small natural presentations will always come out on top.

I just like the idea of swinging. I feel it gets in front of more fish, more quickly and covers water better than nymphing, especially in large rivers.
This is probably why spoons do so well on the swing for winters.

Cheers,
Dan

[nickredway]

Temperature is everything, the gap between swinging and nymphing is way bigger in the winter than in the summer because swinging relies on fish moving some distance to the fly which in the winter temps they typically don't.  Successful nymphing is the same as float fishing, you dead drift the presentation into or just above the fishes face, it requires little effort for them to move and you will hook up with way more. It takes longer to cover a run but is way more effective and efficient in the winter. Hardware is more succesful when swung because it gets down faster, stays down longer and vibrates and lights up the run more than a fly does. Spend a season alternating between hardware and swinging flies for winters and you will see what I mean. Personally I don't indicator nymph fish for steelies but if the original poster wanted to catch a few fish then that is what I would suggest if he didn't want to go down the gear route. It's not as efficient as fishing a pin or level wind and requires quite a bit more skill to get a good drift but it surely beats swinging if you want to hook fish IMO.

[robbo1970]

Thanks guys, was thinking of setting up indicator like this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLIP4Ki2U8Y , but when he says about adding a blood knot for split shot I'm not quite sure of the best way. Maybe just tie a small piece of tippet onto the leader with a long tag end?

Sorry for all the questions.

[Sandman]

Thanks guys, was thinking of setting up indicator like this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLIP4Ki2U8Y , but when he says about adding a blood knot for split shot I'm not quite sure of the best way. Maybe just tie a small piece of tippet onto the leader with a long tag end?

Sorry for all the questions.

I believe he was suggesting the blood knot above the hook just as a stopper for the split shot.