# Newbie Alert! I wanna catch Steelhead!



## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

Hello everyone! I started fishing (spinning rods & bait casting) in August after a good 25 year break. I was drawn to fly fishing and have pieced together a rig (8w). I am hoping to get into the river this Saturday but I'm not sure what fly to use. I have a few that look like individual eggs and a few other fly type flies. I am as green as they come at this so if you have a picture of what I should use it would help. I have been reading as much as I can and practicing casting in the yard. I think I'm ready to get wet. 

Thanks 
Jason


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## toobnoob (Jun 1, 2010)

Im going to guess you have WF floating line on that rod. Personally I think drifting an egg pattern or nymph (or both) under a strike indicator is the most reliable way to hook into steelhead. I use a 7 to 9 ft leader and then about 18 #6 flouro on that. Tie the fly on the end of that and put some splitshot about 18 above the fly to get it down. Place your indicator on the leader so the fly will just tick the bottom every so often.
Another method is to put on a steamer (clouser, wooly bugger or something) and swing that in the current. Cast about 45 degrees downstream and put some slack in the line to get the streamer down to the bottom. Let the line straighten out and swing in the current till is directly below you. Experiment, there is no wrong way to fish a streamer. Dead drift, cast upstream, strip it in whatever, give it a shot. 
There are other methods as well, look up high sticking and tightlining on google. The most important things IMO to catch steelhead (and Im average at best) is to put the fly on the bottom and to fish water that is actually holding fish. I know that sounds obvious but I see a ton of guys every week fishing water that isnt holding anything for hours. Learn to read the river, riffles, tail outs, current seems, cover.


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## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

I was drifting an eggsac a few weeks ago on my spinning rod for the first time so I figured it would be the same type of technique. I see you are in Painesville, I live in Mentor near the Chagrin off of Lost Nation. Should I stick to the tribs of the Grand or try the Chagrin in my backyard?

Thanks for the info. I tend to be a gatherer of information when I get into something. There seems to be soooo much to learn when it comes to fly fishing. Also a lot of jargon that is tough to decipher but I'm catching on. I just want to catch a fish before the end of the year.


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## toobnoob (Jun 1, 2010)

Always a ton to learn!

As far as the grand or the chagrin, I'd say either can be good on any given day. So far this year I've had more hook ups on the Grand and also since there is more access it spreads people out so it's never too crowded.


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