# How do you catch a steelhead in love?



## randallbob (Mar 13, 2011)

Ducman491 and I were fly fishing for steelhead in a few smaller steams today. We came across 4 to 5 steelhead that were transitioning between the tail of a pool and a riffle. They were obviously pairing up and attempting to spawn. We were able to get fairly close to them without them spooking. But nothing we tried seemed to work. I was using a white wooly bugger and he was using a darker wooly bugger type thing. They wanted nothing to do with anything we tried. Since we have fly fished for steelhead only a few times (like twice) we were left with a few questions we could not answer. I was hoping to get some answers to these deep mysteries of the chrome.

	Is it hopeless to try and catch a steelhead when they are spawning?
	Instead of wooly buggers should we have downsized to something like sucker spawn or a black stone fly?
	How do I distinguish between spawning fish and fish that are willing to bite?
	At this time of year is the best tactic to aggravate them into hitting my fly?

What prompted this is the fact was WE COULD SEE THEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! Yet we couldnt get a strike. Its one thing to be fishing murky water where I think fish are and not get a hit, but it is a completely different ball of wax to know there are fish there and come up empty handed.

Thanks in advance for the advice.
-Randallbob


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## fredg53 (Sep 17, 2010)

Trout worm well nevermind leave em alone

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

I have yet to make the trip myself...But a freind of mine fishes steel alot....He always uses egg patterns and nymphs....and does very well.....size 12-14 pheasant tails or gold rib hares ears and a egg pattern....once you see which pattern the fish are taking...put that one as the bottom fly......


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

Find actively spawning fish and concentrate on the deeper water immediately below them. Use egg patterns or silver/white patterns resembling pieces of flesh released while digging the redds. Often, fish that have spawned or those waiting will hang out below spawning fish for an easy meal. Pick a long portion of river to walk with a lot of gravel/rapids and don't spend too much time in one place - keep finding the active fish, spend a little time below them, hit the next pod/pair.


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## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

We were within 5ft of them at some points. I saw them cruise right over top of my bugger a number of times. I will say it was less frustrating than endlessly casting into muddy water for hours on end not knowing if the fish were even there.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

My advice take it for what you will, only use one fly at a time. 2 flies just gets you fouled and lose flies or fish swim away. Egg flies catch females mostly. If you catch female, the males will leave also. Try big streamers that mimic sculpins. These fish like to steal eggs. Males will react in a offensive, manner toward an egg stealer. Try to strip the flies a foot or two in front of their nose, or swing them into range sloooowly with the current. You can get them to attack once in a while. It is true the Dropback fish down below are much more fun and looking for food. 
Rickerd


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## bigduck10 (Feb 15, 2009)

Two schools of thought. 
1. Leave them alone. I prescribe to this one. Better for the fish

2. Go ahead and have at it. I have heard some guys using s bugger or a Streamer.


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## injun laker45 (Jun 28, 2011)

You were too close. I like to be above the fish and
let the current take it down to where the fish are holding.
Usually two or three males hanging with a particular female.
We never wanted to catch the females and if we did it was CPR


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## Chef T (Feb 28, 2011)

Everybody has an opinion on bed fish, lol, but it can be done with success and ethically. Being 5 feet in front is too close, the jig is up. You need to fish spawners like its a hunt! Approach the fish slowly first, trying to be at an 45 degree angle so your presence is minimal. Slow down and check the behavior the fish. That will tell you if they are players or sulkers. If they are players and hold their ground, observe the ritual. Typically there will be more than one male present. Pick the dominate big boy for your first vic. You can catch him by swinging large, light weighted streamers. The bigger the better. Once he's hooked, the next male will say thanks and move up to his spot.Rinse and repeat. Keep that gal doing her thing and you can pick off every guy that wants some action  . Make sure to get the weight of your rig right and you'll never snag a fish and it's fun. I love watching a huge buck chase down my fly, lol. I've had them follow it right back to me, a few feet off my tip. As far as the females, I leave them alone. They are my "bait". Also make sure to swing in the dark water behind for droppies and other males. 
My 2 cents..


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

It's a catch and kill fishery. I don't fish for actively spawning fish. 
People can fish like they want. Some people th


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

Do like a guy I seen using a maggot sz 4 hook and a cpl large splitshots ??


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## spectrum (Feb 12, 2013)

Chef T pretty much has it down, the only thing I'll add is change up your flies if your not getting them. I've fished a group of 10 one time for 1 hour and nothing switched to the same fly with a orange head and picked them off one at a time. Most likly where I got tennis elbow


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## bigduck10 (Feb 15, 2009)

I had the same thing on a large group of drop backs couple of years ago.
Thought I was going to have to cut my arm off it hurt so bad.


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## ducman491 (Oct 31, 2011)

I was 20 yds upstream of where they were sitting in a riffle trying to cast across and drift down to them and they would swim right past me chasing each other as if I wasn't there. They weren't concerned at all with me.


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