# Streamer question...



## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

This will be my third year of fly fishing, and I just don't have much luck with streamers. I've caught one fish (a smallmouth) on a streamer, but I would put that as an accidental catch since it was just sitting in the water while I watched a buddy pull a fish in.

I've read up all I can on retrieves, colors, sizes, etc., but still have no luck. I try to match the colors/sizes of the fish around, but nothing. I'll spend most of the time switching up between slow retrieves and fast quick retrieves and still nothing. 

Are there any tips or clues you guys use to help figure out how to retrieve, or is it just trial and error? 

All I can say is thank goodness for nymphs


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

What type of streamers are you using? Honestly I do way better with streamers than I do with nymphs, at least during the summer. In the winter I do better with nymphs and eggs.


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## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

I vary between size 4-8 woolly buggers with the occasional articulated fly.Typically use either black, olive, or brown. All of them are bead head so I can get them down quick.


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## thetree (Mar 27, 2009)

It sounds like you are talking about stripping streamers through pools. I think the most important thing is getting to the right depth. Most people think weight (split shots) will affect the action of the fly. I generally don't fish streamers in slow deep water as I don't have a sink tip line and just don't really like it. 
I prefer to swing streamers in the current or riffles, sometimes I use an indicator. I usually stick to crawfish or sculpin patterns. 
If it is late evening when I think the smallmouth are up hunting in the shallower pools I will put a weighted (cone head) wooly bugger on and throw right at structure like rocks or root balls. I just use a medium speed twitchy retrieve. Seems to work okay.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

That's the best thing about streamer fishing---- there's no wrong way to fish one. Up stream , down stream,Strip it fast, slow, swing it or tight line it to the bottom. It varies day to day. Experiment until you find out what the Fish want on a given day. This time of the year I normally start with a slow retrieve and minumal movement .
Good Luck and Good Fishing


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## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

Thanks for the tips, I really appreciate it. I believe a lot of my steamer issues are "operator errors". I do start with slow strips and twitches with pauses in between, but maybe I should look at a steadier retrieve.


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## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

I will tell you what I believe was a game changer for me. One day I was short on time and desperate to get into a creek. Took my kid to practice and the park had a tiny creek running thru it. I had fly rod in trunk and a couple of white streamers I tied from scrap marabou and a little crystal flash. Since I was in a hurry I did not walk the creek looking for particular areas I just started casting as soon as my feet hit water. Before I new it I was catching creek chubs, rock bass, and little blue gills one right after another. I put no thought into my fishing that day, did not carefully select my fly and did not look for specific parts of the creek to fish and within probably 45 minutes I bet I caught 20 little fish on that streamer that was made from scraps. Looking back on it I felt like I was in the zone that day, kinda like a Jedi fly guy. So maybe you need to jump into a random little creek, blindly pick a streamer, and just start throwing that sucker around without a care in the world.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Most of my warmwater streamers (for bass, crappie, etc...) are white or yellow, for the most part. Usually combinations of colors like white/chartreuse, white/olive, white/blue, yellow/olive, yellow/rusty brown. I don't fish a whole lot of really dark streamers for warmwater fish unless the water is off color, then my favorite color if black/purple. I'm not saying color is the only reason you're not having success, but speaking for my experiences, I don't fish a ton of straight dark and drab colors for streamers. For trout, when I streamer fish, I do throw a lot of olive, brown and more drab colors. For bass and other warmwater fish, I tend to go brighter in color.

Here's a set of streamers (Murdich Minnows) I just did a few nights back to bass fish with tomorrow, you get an idea of the color combos I tend to use.


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## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

I'd like to hit that "in the zone" like you were wannabflyguy, that would be amazing! I've had good luck just walking to a spot on a river or pond and just tossing in my blood midge that I altered (first cast last summer on the GMR with a size 14 nabbed me a 16 in. bass), but not a lot of luck on the streamer. I'll try not to over think 

TheCream, I do use color combination streamers, but from your thoughts, maybe I shouldn't shy away so much from the whites/yellows when it comes to warm water fish. And by the way, those flies are super nice! (as usual, I've been watching your posts on the "what have you been tying" section)

All the info I've gotten has really helped a lot. I have one other person I fly fish with other than my wife, but he rarely uses streamers, so everything I know about fishing the fly has been from videos or articles. It would be nice to get out one day with someone a lot of experience to try to pick up on some new knowledge, since I'm more of a hands on learner


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## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

Jaygilz take a good look at those Murdoch minnows tied by Thecream. I am a huge fan of the dumbbell eyes. Those dumbbell eyes are tied on top of the hook so that the hook point is always up which results in less snags. The dumbbell eyes are so heavy that the fly sinks really quick and you can work a streamer with dumbbell eyes very fast, very slow or somewhere in between if you like. Last fall was pretty much my first attempt fly fishing here in Columbus for smallies and the near Nuff crayfish with dumbbell eyes caught the majority of my fish for me. Thecream those are pretty sweet. I tied a couple olive crayfish patterns this mornin but i do believe I will be copying your Murdoch minnows the next time I'm sittin at the vice. Very nice and I think the smallmouth will like em.


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## smath (Nov 20, 2013)

A good technique when fish aren't actively feeding in flowing water is to toss a streamer tight to the bank and begin stripping immediately. A lot of larger fish, especially trout, will hold close to a bank that offers some kind of protection -- an overhanging bank, tree roots, etc, -- and will strike aggressively at anything that gets in front of them.


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## jmpmstr1998 (Jun 19, 2009)

Thecream......woild you be willing to put up a vid of you rying the murdich minnows?


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## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

wannabflyguy, I do like using the dumbell eyes. I usually use them on the non-bugger flies I've tied...just posted a picture of the non buggers I've done in the "what have you been tying section) and here's another one.








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smath: I've been working on the "banging the bank" technique as I hear that it works great, especially for trout. When wading I try to do it to where I land it close and pull it out and away from the bank...I'll work on stripping it along the bank to me instead...I think it will get more attention that way.


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## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

Jaygilz I just saw the streamers you attached to the what have you been tying thread. I think they look great and I am not sure I should be giving you advice and that it should be the other way around. But I did wanna say that last year Brown caught the most of my smallies. I got the occasional smallie on the olive and black woolly bugger. Several more on the brown wooly bugger. And most by far on the brown near Nuff crayfish. I threw many baitfish minnow imitation colors like blues, whites, blacks and greens and very rarely caught any small mouths on them.


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## smath (Nov 20, 2013)

jaygilz said:


> smath: I've been working on the "banging the bank" technique as I hear that it works great, especially for trout. When wading I try to do it to where I land it close and pull it out and away from the bank...I'll work on stripping it along the bank to me instead...I think it will get more attention that way.


The guide who introduced this technique to me was fishing a brown rabbit-fur streamer with a cone head, close to 3" long. He said this technique would raise the bigger fish in the stream. He said to toss it right to the bank, and strip immediately towards deeper water. This was on a Colorado trout stream and I got the largest trout I've ever seen chase the fly right to the toe of my boot before swimming away. It took me fifteen minutes to get my heart rate back to normal.


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## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

Thanks for the compliment on the flies, and thanks for the info on the brown. Most of the non-buggers I tie up I do for my friend, or, in the case of the ones on the other post, are for trips out to big fish places. I've been tying the baitfish in brighter colors since I haven't had much luck with full on imitations either. The top left one in that post caught my wife a pretty massive bluegill, but again, it was while she was putting something away in her vest. 

I think I just need to dead drift my streamers under a bobber jk

Again, I appreciate all the info. I've been a member on here for a while, but I get nervous to post anything since you all have so much more knowledge than I, it can be a bit intimidating.


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## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

smath: I can imagine it an experience like that would get the adrenaline going! If that ever happened to me, I'd be pretty jittery for a while!


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## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

Speaking of a dead drifted streamer. Last year I bought a Tequilley from mad river outfitters. Daughter and I took it to a local pond and she insisted on fly fishing with it under a strike indicator. Did not seem like a good idea to me but what the heck. 5 largemouths later my 7 year old said "see I told you so". Before I got into fly fishing I would always take a cast net to my local stream and catch Minnies. Sometimes the only way I could get a bite was to hook that minnow just two feet under a bobber. I have been keeping the idea of dead drifting streamers in the back of my mind for when that day come that I can't get a bite.


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## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

Isn't it a wonderful feeling getting out fished by kids?  my kids have that same luck. Got our six year old an eagle Claw fly rod and on his first attempt at fly fishing, he was killing us with the amount of fish he caught


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

jmpmstr1998 said:


> Thecream......woild you be willing to put up a vid of you rying the murdich minnows?


I could do that. Might have time to get to it this weekend.


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## fly_ohio (Oct 31, 2014)

I found dead drifting streamers in cold water is often more effective than slow strips. Especially with buggy streamers that use rabbit strips or marabou. The material still pulses even when dead drifting. A big (like 3-4") zonker under an indicator has given up some nice browns during the winter/early spring.

Early season streamer fishing can be touchy with water temps below 45, keep it slow and low. Save the fast strips and erratic action for warmer temps when the fish are willing to chase. Find that slow deep holding water and work it hard, the slower the strips the better, just enough to keep the fly off the rocks.

This book is the bible of fishing with streamers. Its a gamer changer for many people.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Streamers-Trophy-Trout-Techniques/dp/0881506729"]Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout: New Techniques, Tactics, and Patterns: Bob Linsenman, Kelly Galloup: 9780881506723: Amazon.com: [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@51atn3Fb0dL[/ame]


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## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

fly_ohio said:


> I found dead drifting streamers in cold water is often more effective than slow strips. Especially with buggy streamers that use rabbit strips or marabou. The material still pulses even when dead drifting. A big (like 3-4") zonker under an indicator has given up some nice browns during the winter/early spring.
> 
> Early season streamer fishing can be touchy with water temps below 45, keep it slow and low. Save the fast strips and erratic action for warmer temps when the fish are willing to chase. Find that slow deep holding water and work it hard, the slower the strips the better, just enough to keep the fly off the rocks.
> 
> ...


I'll have to look into getting a copy of that book. I figured that the colder the water, the slower the retrieve since the fish will be more lethargic. The info I've gotten so far has been way better than just reading online. Much appreciated!!!


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## lorainfly24 (Jun 21, 2014)

the murdich minnow tying session is on you tube. The one by tight lines I like the best because there using it strictly for smallmouth even though it originated as a salt water pattern. The bart - O - minnow looks just as good. They sold me on these two patterns when they showed the underwater view of them. Cant wait to try these tomorrow.





 (murdich)





 (bart - o -minnow)





 (underwater)


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## wannabflyguy (Aug 21, 2014)

Jaygilz, got into a little creek tonight. My brown craw pattern did not get a hit. Neither did my olive craw, or my brown wooly bugger, or my white marabou streamer I made from scraps. But the third cast with a white and bright green (which I previously stated I had never had any luck with) clouser minnow brought me a nice smallie to hand. I missed three more on same clouser before it got dark,


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## jaygilz (Apr 22, 2014)

wannabflyguy said:


> Jaygilz, got into a little creek tonight. My brown craw pattern did not get a hit. Neither did my olive craw, or my brown wooly bugger, or my white marabou streamer I made from scraps. But the third cast with a white and bright green (which I previously stated I had never had any luck with) clouser minnow brought me a nice smallie to hand. I missed three more on same clouser before it got dark,


way to rub it in  jk. 

Hit a pond for a couple hours last night and had no luck at all. Tried a Mrs. Simpson (wet fly made of pheasant), white/green streamer, brown/olive streamer, and a black/orange one. I feel like I have to get the skunk off me soon, last night put at 0 for 5 this season.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I do my Murdich's a little differently. Very similar but a couple of minor differences. I'll film it at some point this week, didn't have time on the weekend. The differences in mine are I use Sparkle Hair instead of Flashabou in the tail, and Laser Dub instead of the Ice Fur for the "cheeks"/collar. The Sparkle Hair adds the flash you want but also has more "body" than Flashabou. Flashabou goes really slender, the Sparkle Hair has a little kink in the fibers so it looks more full. A little goes a long ways with it, too.


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