[GeorgeMcFly]

soo far i haven't caught one steelhead(rainbow trout) on a fly rod but the jig and maggot spin guys r having a ball . I refuse to use a spin cast! I need better colors of spawn and sizes I think cause of the run off waters. my river has been up high for 3 weeks that I couldn't fish but now we haven't had rain or snow for a week. I am going tomorrow no matter what! might still be kinda dirty so I need the best colors for the situation! any help? I have spawn tied in pink, chartruese, orange and some blood dotted and some scrambled in those colors as wel. I have size 6, 10,and 12. I have spawn in white and estaz eggs in orange and regular glo eggs in all colors but those r too small for the color of water I think. is size 6 egg hooks to big cause I am also thinking something really big for visability and soemthing chartruese or pink? help asap if ya can. maybe tomorrow I can post my 1st pic of a steelhead!

[sandfly]

How about using a fly that pushes more water like a large maribou spey in black..just get it down deep..Or a buuny fly..

[GeorgeMcFly]

never thought of that. maybe I willl make a few

[fyshstykr]

I would think you have enough color options.

Personally I would go more along the lines of something that Sandfly mentioned and that is, are you getting deep enough? and are you getting a long drag free drift in the bottom 12" of the water column?


I think that is the main issue with high water and all.

[cowboy]

Do not know where you are fishing, but in Oregon and Washington adding something shiny always seemed to provide some results.

[fyshstykr]

Tell us more about the river conditions, depth, speed, rocky, holes, etc.

How are you riggin up? type of leader, where you puttin your bugs? how much weight?

I think the biggest issue here is that your flies may not be reaching the fish, and staying in the feeding zone.

Things can also be different when the water is high, the fish will usually move to areas that offer relief from a stronger current, rocks, logs, undercut banks.

[sandfly]

silver flash for clear, gold and copper flash for dirty or stained water, thats how I was taught...

[fyshstykr]

Well let's hear an update.......

[GeorgeMcFly]

sorry for taking so long. the river is way up! never could even fish last time we went. all the snow melted and flooded it again. I live in ohio and fish the vermilion river. its basically slate and gravel bottom and is 2 to 6 feet deep.the steelhead are stocked. I usually use a 9 foot 3x leader and foam indicator when nymphing. never really used anything without a beadhead tho. but if I do i use some bb size split shot to try to get lower. I think the main problem is that we have been fishing blind. the water hasn't been clear for a month since they came in and have yet to actually see one. they just jump outr of the water or get caught by spin casters. we just cast into the riffles and past um. where we remember seeing um last year when I was one of those spincaster.. maybe its the clarity of the water. we think once the water gos back to how it used to be tho that we can see um and actually cast to one by sight we might actually catch one. everyone around here talks about usuing spoons and jig and maggots and all that spin cast stuff. but I am not into that tho. I rather not catch anything than use that so I will just keep trying!

[sandfly]

lead core shooting head with a 2-3 foot tippet(no leader) and a large fly with flash