# Swinging on the rock



## PRG (Dec 17, 2014)

hello,

This is my first season fishing for steelhead and I am realizing I need a few pointers. I have focused my efforts on swinging flies in rocky river and have not caught a single steelhead. I have been out about twice a week since september and spent the summer chasing small mouth and getting used to my 7 wt. switch rod w/ skagit line setup and the rocky river system. I have an inkling a large part of my problem is reading the water. I have spent the last several years trout fishing in utah and so swinging flies in the GL has been a pretty difficult transition. After devouring any steelhead literature I can get my hands on as well as digging into speypages, I feel like I am putting my fly in the correct spots with a decent presentation but have nothing to show for it. By correct spots I guess what I have been looking for are runs with water that is 3 ft. or higher with a flow that is walking speed or quicker? I think this is sorta the PNW standard but I am finding quite a bit of water with either shallow and quick enough or deep but too slow. So I guess what I am asking is what are some of the signs you look for of a swing-able fish-holding run here in Ohio? I see all the bait fishermen and centerpinners stacked up in water that clearly holds fish (under migration obstructions, slow deep pools, ect.) but these spots seem basically impossible to swing a fly in. I feel like the season has some effect on this and I know it should be possible to swing flies fall through spring but it sorta seems like all the fish are stacked into these places where I can't present my fly via 'the swing' esp. when the flow is low/clear (under 150 cfs). Any help is appreciated and sorry if this is wordy/unintelligible.

Thanks,

Phil


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## W DeMarco (Apr 23, 2013)

Kinda sounds like you have it pretty well figured out but just have not had much luck.


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## stak45dx1 (Jun 21, 2011)

I won't swing the rock unless it's 200+ cfs, to start with... Any less I'm either looking for a different river or if I have to I'll get the centerpin out. You just have to keep at it, and remember " the tug may be the drug, but THE SWING IS THE THING!" It wasn't until I really figured out how to manipulate the swing that i started to get the grabs.


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## rockriv (Sep 18, 2012)

Check your private messages


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

Swinging for steelhead requires a bit of knowledge as to the bottom structure of the river in order to differentiate holding places for spring and fall runs. Water temperature and flow will dictate where you have the best chance of hooking up - headwaters, tailouts, etc.

John Nagy has a great book out and much information on his website that is worth a read.


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## PRG (Dec 17, 2014)

Thanks guys,
Yeah I'm starting to think it would be worth checking out the Grand or even the cuyahoga when the rock drops below 200 cfs. 
Mdogs, you are right. I'm currently digging back into trey combs book but John nagy's is probably worth a re-visit as well. I guess just spending more time on the water will help me figure out the situations he talks about in the book. It's been difficult translating words into reading the water and like I said, the runs that I have been working through seem like they should be holding fish but I feel like I must be missing something. 
Manipulation of the swing is also something I've been trying to fucus on. But again, reading about mending and fly control hasn't exactly given me the confidence that I'm actually doing it correctly. 
One more thing, do any of you guys fish any traditional Spey flies? I'm thinking about fiddling around on the vise for this spring but I'm not sure how productive these flies are in our waters. I've been pretty much only fishing intruder type patterns and different variations of senyos flies.


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

I fish traditionals once in a while, but purely for fun. Typically, if I do it, its when the water is somewhat warm, low, and clear. That is when you decrease the size of your offerings. I fish in Oregon quite a bit on the Deschutes and Rogue, where traditionals are common, but those are native/ocean run fish. Not quite the same as here. Ours are not picky like those are. While I have hundreds of different patterns of swinging flies, i have a few go-to that I use about 90% of the time. Rabbit tail zonker (string leach), prom dress, AI, lady gaga, and fish taco. Again, our fish are not that picky, so just get something flashy down across their nose.

In terms of mending/manipulation, the key to swinging is to swing across the run as slow as possible, without getting an outside belly, and not too much of an inside belly. What you typically want to do is hold your rod out far, let the fly sink, line straighten up, and then slowly pull it across the current keeping your rod tip just behind the small belly in the middle of the line. Doing this will help keep your speed down and induce more strikes, while also keeping your hook from going sideways which is where you get the most snags.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

timing of the run and the flow is 90% of the game on the Rocky during Fall and Winter. I spent a couple years struggling as you are and still remember my best few days of those years. Both years I caught about a dozen or two so I had some success. We also had the New London strain back then and they would act more like "trout" during fall and winter. Made them easier to catch for me during those times than the Manistees seem to be. If you are using a sinktip of any kind, you may do better with a normal leader off a floating line. You can still swing it as you do a sinktip. I personally think the sinktip is noticeable to the fish when flows are 250 or less. Unless the water is not clear but with those flows, it usually is. With water under 38 deg. F now, you will have to find deeper slow water, that have gravel in or near them. These are the winter spots I have most success in. You do not have to be on the bottom while swinging flies to catch fish. In fact, you may do better within a foot of the bottom. Its just not that hard to get into the zone on the Rocky that you need the sinktip. Another thing is to temper your expectations to the weather and fish mood. I will send you a PM with a couple good swinging spots on the Rocky, as long as you don't tell anyone online.

Keep trying,
Rickerd


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## lorainfly24 (Jun 21, 2014)

Ive been kind of having the same problems this year. but I am figuring a lot of new things out each weekend im out. Ive been researching the winter fishing and was wondering if I should be swinging a lot of marabou flys this time of year? Or should I just stick with what im comfortable with(bad hair day) and just focus on the slow swing and the slack waters?


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## mdogs444 (Aug 29, 2012)

I wouldn't necessarily focus on slack water, but rather the bottom 1/3 of tail outs.

Large maribou style patterns work in winters as does the bad hair day. The trick is to cover a lot of water. Swing through a hole two times, with two flies, then move on. If the fish has passed on it twice, its just not going to chase it. The people who swing one area for hours are not going to be productive.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

Mdogs has a lot of good info. I do the same swing a spot 2X most using 2 different color "complimentary" flies. Good materials as he said, marabou, schlappen, soft hackle, zonker too. Don't underestimate rubber legs also. The classic clauser minnows are just too heavy and don't undulate enough for me. I use those for fast warm water in spring.

Feenstra has a number of good winter patterns, as well as intruders, I also like a black and fire orange belly Montana nymph with some rubber legs and tail for a change of pace. You won't need the metal eyes or heads though on most flys. Another good fly for me has been a Teeny streamer in black/ red or pink/ white or red/ white. Size 4. I will not go smaller than size 4 hooks in winter swinging unless I see the small black stone hatch going on or I can actually see fish holding.

Gee, now I've got to get out fishing again.
Rickerd


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## lorainfly24 (Jun 21, 2014)

so quicker than casting then taking one step? that's usually what I do and it does seem im in long runs and pools for hours. 

thanks guys


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