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[Spawn Sack]

In the next couple months I plan to get out on the Vedder and work on my fly casting (single hand spey). My primary objective is to improve my technique, but if I hook a steelhead in the process - all the better! I'm hoping to get a bit of advice on what type of setup and flies would work well this time of year.

The only fly line I have now on my 8wt is a clear intermediate sink tip. It is better suited for lower/clear water for coho, but it will have to work for the time being. Down the road I would like to get the Rio Versitip floating mainline and tips for steelheading.

I was planning to run about 4-5 feet of straight 15LB Maxima Ultragreen with a non-slip loop knot to my fly. I have some tapered leaders, but I find just a piece of staright mono turns over fine for me.

As for the fly...I have no idea what works best this time of year. In my steelhead box I have a small but decent variety of intruders. Some pink/purple, some back/purple, and some other color combos. I have a lot of trout flys and wonder if any of them would work? I have some fry patterns although I have never fished them.

If anyone could give me a few words to the wise that would be awesome. Like I said I am mainly going to to work on my casting, but I would like to at least up my odds of hooking a steelhead on the fly before the season is over.

[Noahs Arc]

Just remember the river is fly only in may below crossing only and completely closed June.
I don't fly fish steel but I know guys that do and fish those color intruders. Steelhead are very aggressive in the spring months.
As for trout patterns I wouldn't recommend using them because the hooks are probably far to thin of a gauge.

[Spawn Sack]

Noahs Arc, thanks for that. I'm done with the gear rod for this steelhead season and am going to put some time in with the fly rod.

A dumb question: During June can you "fish" on the Vedder if you're not using a hook? I find practising on water a lot better than on grass. I could just cast with a piece of wool on the end of my leader. I'll check and see if the regs say anything about this.

[roseph]

If you only have a clear tip, chances are the fish will be looking up at your fly (which is usually the case anyway) so you want to make sure the fly has a nice silhouette - I always swim the fly at my feet to make sure I like the shape and movement in the water. 

For fly selection when it comes to steelhead in my experience it doesn't matter.  If you're looking to hook up you should be more concerned with your presentation of the fly and water temperature.

You can also make or buy a heavier sink tip for not much $$.  Go see your local fly shop and they should be able to help you out.  You didn't mention what line you're using so it's tough to give specific advice for this.

Let us know how you do.  I've tried single hand spey a few times but failed and blamed it on the line .  Found it a lot easier with an actual spey rod.

[HOOK]

right now is actually a very good time to try minnow/fry patterns for steelhead. Of course it helps if the clarity is pretty good for the fish to find such small flies. I have seen a few steelies hooked on small muddlers during the spring

[Noahs Arc]

HOOK, you would know more than I about steel on the fly, it just sounded like Spawn Sacks  fry patterns were for small trout. Although I don't fly for steel, I fly fish and my Cuttie patterns would not hold up to a steelhead.

[Spawn Sack]

Yeah, the fry flies I have I think are more for trout. I doubt the hooks would hold up to an average sized steelhead. I'll stop by my local tackle shop and see what they have in fry flies for steelhead. Thanks for the tips guys.

[Sandman]

Yeah, the fry flies I have I think are more for trout. I doubt the hooks would hold up to an average sized steelhead. I'll stop by my local tackle shop and see what they have in fry flies for steelhead. Thanks for the tips guys.

Just tie your fry patterns on Steelhead/salmon hooks.  Also, the May steel are usually thinner than they were when they came up in January, so the trout hooks may actually hold. My last steelhead on the fly was in March and was on my clear intermediate tip (after I had lost my only versi tip earlier that morning).  The fly was a pink squidro.

[HOOK]

You dont have to fish an exact size match to a minnow. sometimes just the hint of profile, colour, shine is enough to get a good pull. I enjoy tracking white with a hint of orange or pink in it during March-May, i also add a decent amount of pearl flashabou and a pearl flash body. Of course these white flies are 3-4" Intruders but they are pretty sparse and sparkle like crazy.

If you want to fish a minnow pattern then tie a beadhead rolled muddler on a size 4 or 6 Tiemco 7499 salmon hook. I use these for springs and coho and they will hold up. while they provide a slightly larger fly remember you DO NOT have to tie it on the entire shank length which is how you make a smaller fly on a larger hook 

Good luck out there


TIP - if you hate tying muddlers with deer hair then try this - tie the entire fly the same as usual but instead of deer hair for the overwing use a thick hide rabbit zonker strip. I but the magnum strips and cut them length wise (they are to wide otherwise) and then tie these in as wings. They swim awesome and fish have responed very well and rabbit is way more durable than deer hair and yes these have been fied tested for about 4-5yrs now. I do however still carry deer hair ones in my box, i just tie a 5yr supply when i tie them LoL

[Sandman]

TIP - if you hate tying muddlers with deer hair then try this - tie the entire fly the same as usual but instead of deer hair for the overwing use a thick hide rabbit zonker strip. I but the magnum strips and cut them length wise (they are to wide otherwise) and then tie these in as wings. They swim awesome and fish have responed very well and rabbit is way more durable than deer hair and yes these have been fied tested for about 4-5yrs now. I do however still carry deer hair ones in my box, i just tie a 5yr supply when i tie them LoL

I will have to give that a try.

[RalphH]

A dumb question: During June can you "fish" on the Vedder if you're not using a hook? I find practising on water a lot better than on grass. I could just cast with a piece of wool on the end of my leader. I'll check and see if the regs say anything about this.

see the Provincial Synopsis Pg 9 middle Column:

It is unlawful to:
Place any fishing gear
in any water during a
closed time (a "no fishing" period)

[Spawn Sack]

Thanks a lot for the tips guys. Also good to know about the regs, I definitley won't be practicing on the river during June with a piece of wool instead of a fly - that's for sure!

[colin6101]

There are lots of other areas to practice if you want water. Just go to cultus or to the fraser or one of the many sloughs

[Spawn Sack]

TIP - if you hate tying muddlers with deer hair then try this - tie the entire fly the same as usual but instead of deer hair for the overwing use a thick hide rabbit zonker strip. I but the magnum strips and cut them length wise (they are to wide otherwise) and then tie these in as wings. They swim awesome and fish have responed very well and rabbit is way more durable than deer hair and yes these have been fied tested for about 4-5yrs now. I do however still carry deer hair ones in my box, i just tie a 5yr supply when i tie them LoL
[/quote]

I just learned to tie muddler minnows the other night so now I get what you mean. So in this variation you don't use any deer heair and just tie the rabbit zonker in right behind the bead head? Do you still use the feather piece for the tail?

[Sandman]

TIP - if you hate tying muddlers with deer hair then try this - tie the entire fly the same as usual but instead of deer hair for the overwing use a thick hide rabbit zonker strip. I but the magnum strips and cut them length wise (they are to wide otherwise) and then tie these in as wings. They swim awesome and fish have responed very well and rabbit is way more durable than deer hair and yes these have been fied tested for about 4-5yrs now. I do however still carry deer hair ones in my box, i just tie a 5yr supply when i tie them LoL


I just learned to tie muddler minnows the other night so now I get what you mean. So in this variation you don't use any deer heair and just tie the rabbit zonker in right behind the bead head? Do you still use the feather piece for the tail?

I have only ever seen zonker muddlers with the spun deer hair still behind the bead.  The rabbit just replaces the deer hair overwing, adding movement to the fly.  with the zonker extending back, most are tied without the tail, but you can keep the tail, or even tie in a little red for contrast to a darker zonker wing.