[tie one on]

If you use BIG streamers, or like me you are starting to use tube flies, especially heavily weighted flies (with a cone head, lead eyes, metal tubes, etc.) I have several interesting questions for you.

1. When you cast these BIG flies do your's make a BIG splash when the hit the water ? ( Mine seem to make a splash like a small jig. )

2. If you are fishing in 5'-6' of water after steelhead/salmon what length leader do you use ? Monofilament or Fluorocarbon ?

3. What line weight do you use for your leader ? Is it knotless, or knotted ?

Fall steelhead/salmon time is approaching

Tie One On------------------------<*)))))))><

[MrEsox]

Well I dont know if this will help, but here is what I know and do. I make and use several large flies for pike and bass. These two fish I fish for the most with a fly. For the pike, I tend to tie flies (mostly streamers) on size 1 up to 5/0 hooks. The larger 3/0-5/0 hooks tend to be very heavy. Along with them, I make large 4"+ Clouser minnows with larger sized (I think there 1/16oz but not sure) hourglass weights and much more hair, feathers, and other stuffs then one would for smaller fish. Over all my flies range in that 4"-6" range. For these larger flies I use my 9wt rod. I tried a larger Clouser on my 5wt and well lets just say I wont be doing that again. Needless to say the heavier rod makes a lot of differance with these larger flies. For me if it makes a big splash on hitting the water, that often times can be helpful to get the fishes attention. In a river with a fast current I dont think that a splash will alert the fish since running water can kinda be kinda loud. On a calm water situation though because of the size ya it makes a splash. I often find that only fish that are very spooky like carp or anything that has been fished for hard would be spooked. I've seen trout hit a small mepps right after it hit the water. These fish though were all small (under 15" in size) and would hit anything. I dont get to fish salmon or steelies since I live in the farthest point away from any ocean (here in ND) and would have to travel 2 days to get to the great lakes thus I'm no help there. All I can say is that I use heavy mono and dont have much trouble with it. When after pike a light weight thin wire leader is a must. I have no trouble with Canadian pike in gin clear water shying away from it. As far as line goes, I have 25lb high impact salt water mono attached to a slow streatch high abrastion resist mono of 20lb test. This worked extreamly well for me since I turned to it. Though, the wire leader is still what the fly is attached to. Hope this kinda helped ya a bit.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi tie one on,

If you have a fly with weight and size it will be hard to not get a splash. With Pike and Bass the splash can be a benefit but with trout and maybe Steelhead the splash is not desirable. Just make sure to cast far enough ahead of the fish that the splash is not a problem. It may require a longer drift but probably necessary.

I think I would try to stay away from a metal tube and lead eyes in the same fly. If you use lead eyes I would use a plastic tube. With a sinking fly line you may be able to use a fly with a metal body but no lead eyes.

Frank