# went out today...



## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

went out and fished for a few hours to day. didn't catch any steelhead tho.. didn't see any but I guess I didn't look good enough cause this one older guy had caught 2 or 3! I didn't even throw any spawn on just used hares ear nymph and caught 2 chubs. seen the guy as we were leaving! now I am kicking myself for not having a sucker spawn on or something like that. oh well. always next time I guess. at least I caught something this time..


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

At least you got out. thats all that matters. You gonna have those days when you didn't bring the right stuff. I do it all the time and not with just flies either but never the less hated doing it. I once forgot my wading boots and it was in late March so wet waded, sure was cold!


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## dday (Apr 7, 2004)

not having the right fly isn't as bad as not having the right wading boots... ask bobby, i've got a pretty good bruise/scab where i bit it in the river last week cause my 'backup' boots had zero grip....

yeah i have too many boxes, as i am thinking of reorganizing tonight.... but better to have too much right? (like going through 5 clouser minnows last week...)

dday


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## Janus (Jul 26, 2006)

I got out today too! I called off sick and my kids were taken care of, so I went to Rocky. First time out in about 5months. Caught nothing but it was nice to be out there again. Ended up at Coe Lake in Berea casting this wonderod not too used to lake fishing with a fly rod but it was a pleasure to be casting that rod in the sun...alot of people at rocky today..water was a bit muddy but the flow wasnt unfishable, I just am not to versed in steelhead so I just swing em and see what happens. Looking foward to the smallies coming back there.
Good day to be out.
Janus


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## Pay2Play (Oct 23, 2007)

Went out too...lots of fish in tail in and out, alot of spawning going on. Had good results with nymphs.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

next time I will be ready. haha. I will catch one sooner or later.


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## Janus (Jul 26, 2006)

Should have made the drive out...always the "should haves"


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

ya I should have gotten me a steelie by now. lol


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## Pay2Play (Oct 23, 2007)

Janus said:


> Should have made the drive out...always the "should haves"



Yes you should of....would of been worth the trip for you!


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

dang rain started again! now I am ready. its on next trip. I am out to catch me a steel. egg flies and sucker spawns for sure no matter if i get no bites. just curious. I never use split shot usually just beadhead stuff. I got size bb tho. if I use a unweighted spawn where do I place the splits? I always put um like 6 or 10 inches away and only like 1 or 2 at that but I don't know if I am even doing it right. I read joh nagys book but he confuses me with all this right angle no angle corkie stuff haha.


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## flytyer (Jan 3, 2005)

Hey Fishaholic, when you use splitshot , you have to have enough weight to get the fly to the bottom! Sometimes that's one shot, sometimes its more. But you need that fly as close to the bottom as possible, because that is where all the fishes are my friend. When using nymphs I would recomend your shot be 10 to 12 inches up the line. Also try a 2 fly rig, it gives the fish one more choice at eating,


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

I never use split shots either. nor strike indicators. nor any type of egg imitators. usually just buggers and the occasional nymphs. but yeah, I use beadheads most of the time. the rain is good, will bring a fresh batch of fish into the smaller streams. I'd suggest finding a ditch, PM if you need directions to a good one. then highstick it. meaning lift the rod high enough to get most if not all the fly line off the water, this will keep you connected to the fly so you can 'feel' the strike. this work exceedingly well in the smaller streams and ditches.


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## Janus (Jul 26, 2006)

If you splitshot be prepared to lose some flies until you figure out what works.


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## chromer14 (Mar 19, 2008)

My rig consists of the indicator, usually one BB split shot followed by an unweighted sucker spawn color depending on water clarity, then about an 8-10 inch dropper with a small black nymph. I have a nymph that I created that is nothing but scrap materials that has produced more fish for me this season than eggs buggers and other nymphs combined. Just use a two fly rig, set the indi at the proper depth, and run the split shot about 8inches from the first fly and you have my rig. Be sure to mend the line, you will get a feel for if you are getting a good drift. Also when I first started nymphing for steelhead I used an indicator called a pop top. I suggest looking into them if you have any doubt about if your drift has drag or not. The top of the indicator has a small stick attatched to it, and it will "pop" up if the fly is drifting naturally. I like the slightly bigger size for steelhead applications. Also, if you are having a problem locating fish, find some gravel and fish the deep water below it. This is where males will stage to push up to the spawning gravel and are often times more than willing to hit a fly presented properly. Heads of runs and pools as well as tail outs are also a good bet.


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## ngski (Aug 16, 2005)

Depends on the water flow, and conditions. If the water is stained and flow is a little high working a hole usually start out with two shots 8 to 12" above the first fly (egg pattern) and the trailer tied 12 to 16" below the egg is something with a little weight wolly bugger, or small black nymph and I'll put on a small shot in between. Flytyer right you need to get the rig close to the bottom as you can. Usually I start with what I think is the depth and add another 12". I would fine tune the indicator and move it down a couple of inches once I get a snag.

Getting the right depth and drift speed is key to a sucessful outing. I've doubled my catch rate from last year with these little adjustments. Plus fishing in PA been helpful too.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

thanks guys for all the help. I will set up some tandem flys. also am gonna look into those indicators. I have some of the round idicators with a lil toothpick stick and you remove and attach that to adjust the depth. I see the pop tops now. I will have to order some. I would say large? there is only small or large.


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## Huron River Dan (Oct 19, 2007)

Order the large pop tops...When you set up use the smallest tippet size you can. Set your depth below the indicator so the split shot is an inch or two above the gravel. Tie your two fly rig up and put your split above the dropper fly.

Dan


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

ok sorry again for being a noob but let me get this straight. I am confused at one part. 
1st you put the split 8 to 12 inches above the 1st fly. adjust the indicator to make the split shot so its a inch or 2 above the ground like huron dan says. but heres where I am confused. I then add the weightless egg pattern and dropper fly off that 12 to 16 inches or so under that . now won't these patterns snag the bottom if the the split shots are 8 to 12 inches above the 
1st fly plus theres 12 to 16 inches of second fly dragging behind it? thats 2 feet of stuff dragging the bottom? or will it not drag the bottom? thats where I get confused. the place I fish lately is like 3 feet deep at most? sorry for the confusion. this is all I am confused about.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

I built 2 tandem rigs so far. one pink spawn and regular tellico nymph pattern. and another orange one with a brown/black tellico on there. all my stone flys have beadheads so i just used weightless stuff. will tie up a few more later.


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

Fishaholic69 said:


> I built 2 tandem rigs so far. one pink spawn and regular tellico nymph pattern. and another orange one with a brown/black tellico on there. all my stone flys have beadheads so i just used weightless stuff. will tie up a few more later.



Did you get all your ? answered bud! If not give me a call 513-646-6522!


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

kinda think I have it down. just wondered about that shot placement 2 or so inches above the stream bed snagging up the 2 feet of tandem rigs behind it? other than that I think I got it down.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

tandem rigs? split shots? youre not flyfishing, youre dredging! youre going to become one of those dweebs that have so much weight at the end of their line they cant even cast it. and they use 8wts. this is in direct contrast to what flyfishing is. I feel like I'm cheating when I use beadheads.


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## flytyer (Jan 3, 2005)

Patricio said:


> tandem rigs? split shots? youre not flyfishing, youre dredging! youre going to become one of those dweebs that have so much weight at the end of their line they cant even cast it. and they use 8wts. this is in direct contrast to what flyfishing is. I feel like I'm cheating when I use beadheads.



Maybe this is why people think all flyfishers are jerks ^! If you want to use a little lead go for it. As long as it's legal ! Don't get that UPSTREAM ONLY TO RISING FISH PURIST I'M BETTER THAN YOU ARE ATTITUDE!!!!!!!!!
When I go fishing I do what I have to, to get the flies where the fish will see them. Just remember if the fish don't see your fly, they sure as H*** wont bite it, and you"re just standing in the river waving a stick!!


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## Brasky (Nov 21, 2005)

Patricio said:


> tandem rigs? split shots? youre not flyfishing, youre dredging! youre going to become one of those dweebs that have so much weight at the end of their line they cant even cast it. and they use 8wts. this is in direct contrast to what flyfishing is. I feel like I'm cheating when I use beadheads.


nice holier than thou attitude. would a purist fish with sinking line in boat anchored at the mouth of a river. check out your post from feb. i guess you only fish bamboo with only natural material flies.


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## victor catri (Jan 4, 2008)

leaded or unlead who cares just have fun its just fishin


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

ya I am tired of just waving the stick and wanna just catch me a steelie already. don't get me wrong I dry fly it and woolly bugger it all summer and prolly will swing a few when I can see the steelies on the riffles too. but these guys are on to something. if they catch um they must be doing something right and I don't catch um so I am doing something wrong. I am gonna try to join the catching crowd. I am not a split shot kinda guy myself but I will give it a go.


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## flytyer (Jan 3, 2005)

FA, you can also add weight to your flies when you make them, but to much weight and they wont act right in the current. They'll just drift along like a big ole splitshot looking for a good rock to hang on.


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## silverbullet (Apr 14, 2004)

You were asking about the dropper being below all you weight and snagging bottom. Yes, it may from time to time. What it will mostly do is move about from water currents side to side and up and down, it will look more natural in this manner. The trick is getting the drift just right so it all just ticks, thats where time on the water comes in. I honestly found it better to just run one fly most of the time, Use 2 to hone in on what the fish want, then drop to one. Less costly if you do snag then. Good luck and dont give up.


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

if you are not losing flies you are not going to catch steelhead! "imo" I use lead, and lots of it I even use bobbers .. lol.. I like sticking fish in th eye of the winston / powell / Hardy ppl .. lol.. especially when I pull out sponge bob! Learning to read water is also a must!


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## Huron River Dan (Oct 19, 2007)

With the set-up I mentioned, your flies are going to be moving along just over the bottom. You want to use as little splitshot as you can; just enough to get down. Go with the smallest diameter tippet material you can. The flies will roll along naturally and be right in the steelies vision. If you have questions feel free to PM me.

Dan


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

just trying to get him started right. this weekend I caught most of the steelies on a size 4 love beaded wooly bugger. I use a size 5x tippet. 4x in the larger rivers. this weekend I hooked into dozens of fish, and landed about a dozen and a half. I lost several dozen flies. almost every olive wooly bugger I had is either ina fishes mouth, or on some rock. and maybe a few are in trees.


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## Huron River Dan (Oct 19, 2007)

Flyfishing is not just one method...Some people will tell you that swinging streamers is not really fishing; that it is nothing more then lining the fish when they are on the gravel. Others will say that dead drifting nymphs either single fly or tandem fly rigs isn't flyfishing if you use an indicator. Some people will say it isn't flyfishing if you're not fishing drys. It's all a matter of how you like to flyfish! We as sportsmen need to support any legal means of fishing; because when we can't agree on what flyfishing is we become a target for the antis; and believe me on this, they aren't just targeting hunters! Fish the way you enjoy, but cut anyone who fishes differently some slack and be happy that we have the opportunities here that we do.

Tight Lines To All,

Dan


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

went today and used split shots and the new leader. I tied up some scrambled egg flies with some pink and flame yarn. they worked fine and I now get the idea of split shot. I caught no steelies but did catch 4 chubs on the egg pattern and splitshot method. I could easily see a steelhead biting this. noone had luck except one guy that had 2 ona spin rod. so all in all a great day to be out and a fun day at that. one chub was a grand daddy chub. I couldn't even lift him out of the water witht he rod like usual. seen some sucker fish or soemthing also they were pretty decent size. they were more interested in getting some nookie then flies tho.


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