A few more questions.
Hello, I'm back again with a few more questions for you all.
Some about steelhead, and some about fly tying.
I live in Campbell River so i have turned to the quinsam for steelhead fishing, i have gone out a fair bit and im starting to lose hope in steelheading, can anyone share some information on when the best time for steelheading is, im not talking about a date, more so related to water levels, water temperatures, weather, stuff like that.
Also, in Campbell river I have a very limited access to fly tying materials, and the stuff i can find such as grizzly hackles and spey hackles, are outrageously expensive, i have resorted to the internet for lots of fly tying materials, but does anyone have any good websites where i can buy cheap grizzly hackles, other hackles and just small coloured feathers in general? the kind of feathers used in spey flies? Any and all help is appreciated.
I should point out i have yet to catch a steelhead, and what tactic works good for them? dead drifting, swinging, or do they all have their place?
your questions are all fair and we certainly understand the plight with tying materials..but you won't find good CHEAP feathers,cheap and good don't relate. If you can get down to Nile Creek Fly shop to see a great selection of Steelhead flies and feathers...we are here to do what we can to help..I understand your age might be a barrier but we have a 16 years old tyer working at the store that I know would love to share stuff and info...
Have fun
Originally Posted by VanIsl Flyfisher
I understand the difference between cheap and good hooks and such, but what about feathers? Whats the difference between cheap and expensive feathers?
Quality. Even if you buy a decent cape, or package of feathers, you should always open it up and have a look. Last couple of packages of schlapen I baught looked like they were chewed on by rats.
"It's a curious fact that estimated lengths and weights tend to make a fish larger than it really is!" Mike Maxwell, 'The Gilly'
cheap feather = cheap looking fly nice feather= beautiful fly your proud to show off and when you get that fish it feel like your on top of the world knowing you got it on a well tied gorgeous fly
I have been thinking about this thread today. I have some advice. If you are just starting off at tying, have limitted access to materials, or if you have a budget you need to stay in, spend some time researching EXACTLY what you want to tie and why. I found I have spent money on materials that I don't use, and materials that I can't use how I thought I would.
Fly tying really can provide you with an affordable alternative for obtaining flies, especially some of the salmon and steelhead flies which can go for anywhere between $5 and $15 in stores. This is of course, if you have restraint
"It's a curious fact that estimated lengths and weights tend to make a fish larger than it really is!" Mike Maxwell, 'The Gilly'
Don't despair, winter steelheading is a fairly low odds game for new and experienced steelheaders alike. The best times vary for each river. Some rivers have early runs, others are later. I find the Island winter steelheading window is the beginning of December to mid April.
Steelhead activity level is highly dependent on water temperature. While most Island rivers run fairly cold in the winter, it's the relative temperature that matters. A warming trend that brings a river up 1 degree that normally runs at 4C is enough to make a difference in fish activity. Keep an eye on the forecast and watch for days where the overnight temperature is higher than normal.
Personally, I don't think weather matters as much in the winter as it does in the summer but generally, the ideal conditions are overcast skies and warming air.
In simplest terms, the most productive fly water will be that between 3' and 6' feet deep and walking speed with bottom structure such as boulders, buckets, trenches etc.
All the methods you mention will find fish. For most, a swung fly offers the most excitement as the grabs are electrifying which is why many prefer this method, despite it being not the most effective on many a day. Nymphing can often bring up dour fish that won't take swung fly. A lot of guys use a nymph under an indicator and while it's easy and effective, you'd be better served using a level wind or pin rod as at that point as you're effectively gear fishing. A lot of guys cut their teeth on steelhead by first using gear as it is much more effective and then moving to the fly.
I recommend you read Dec Hogan's and Trey Combs' books on the subject. If you're a more visual learner, Lani Waller's DVD is excellent.
Regarding tying, it's hard to know what is good and what is not without having an eye for it. You'll figure it out as you tie more. Until then I recommend going to stores with a good selection and good tiers. There isn't anyone at the River Sportsman that I'm aware of. Courtney will certainly be able to help you as will Barry at Wholesale in Nanaimo and Matt and Mark at Robinson's in Victoria. Perry Wilson in Port McNeil is a good tyer as well although I don't know if he sells supplies.
John Shewey' book on steelhead bugs is good and covers feather selection a little bit
Last edited by sixguns; January 30th, 2012 at 04:03 PM.
Yep. THere are lots of general rules. I try to follow these:
THe first one through the water usually has the best chance
Fish Falling water levels
fish Rising water temperatures
FIsh Any major changes in barometric pressure (ie weather changes -right before a storm, as weather is improving etc.)
Fish Low light and shadows
FIsh on your days off work
Think about fishing when you have to work
Remember every spot you catch a fish or see someone catch a fish, there will be fish there again.
Nearly every fly in any colour works, pick your favourite and get it out there.
Size and sink rate and presentation are more important than colour.
Cold water = slow swing, and the water is always cold in the winter.
Usually, You have to get your fly down, but try not to dredge the bottom too often or you'll loose lots of flies
If you are not loosing a few flies a day, you likely won't catch many fish
Steelhead are basically trout and will be found in places where big trout lay - behind or infront of boulders & logs, at the head and tail of a pool and in long steady runs. Lately I`ve caught my fish in less than 3ft of water, 10-12 ft from shore at the very end of the swing, so let your fly hang there for a bit at the end of the swing and fish deel into the tailouts until your fly is into the white water of the riffle and hold on.
The aforementioned books are a goldmine of info - find them and read them!
As for cheap flies -lots out there. No need to get into rhea or anything like that. Beware rabbit for novice casters and those on a single handed rod - it`s much harder to cast than say marabou or bucktail style flies. And orange bucktail with a gold or silver body on a big hook is cheap and will catch fish, as is the good old wooly bugger.
If you want something fast and easy, try the mickey finn in a large size, say size 2 or 1 hook.
Popsicle flies have proven their worth - just get a couple bags of marabou and some big hooks and away you go.
A bit more complicated but still relatively cheap, try any version of the General Practitioner you think you can handle. It has plenty of history and cachè.
Or a try a big Doc Spratley but add a palmered hackle to the body. Pheasany rump is cheap, as is wool or dubbing, and a bag of saddle won`t break the bank. Something to consider for durability, use oval tinsel rather than flat tinsel - it`s a bit more expensice, but in the long run, your fly will handle the chewing of dozens of fish rather than just one or two.
Check out the flies here and PM those who tied them for a list of materials, then price them out! Have fun!
Last edited by btree; January 30th, 2012 at 04:42 PM.
"Our tradition is that of the first man who sneaked away to the creek when the tribe did not really need fish." ~ Roderick Haig-Brown
Thanks for all the great information guys! Can anyone point me to a site with quality material? While i am a beginner at fly tying, i am not super new and can tie some patterns nicely, but i am far from experienced.
That said, steelheading rules are made to be broken and for every one you see in all the above posts, I can think of a fish that directly contradicted them. Ultimately, they will be where you find them and the driver of your success or failure early on will be how much time you spend on the water.
Another bit of advice, which Dec talks about in his book and one I really agree with, is don't spend your time chasing reports or running around from system to system. Pick a river that you know gets a run of fish and get to know it. I'm not familiar with the Quinsam numbers but if that is your homewater and you know it gets a decent run of fish, stick to it and fish it hard.
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