Great Lakes Steelhead tips

[morphius]

I am in dire straits here to be honest. I have not caught a steelhead on a fly in over two years. I need some tactics on how to catch steelhead in the Great Lakes area, specifically New York. Any flies/tactics would be great.

 

[schlemoc]

I was up in erie last weekend. Brown or black buggers did the trick. If the water is low, do not be afraid to try something big. I also had some luck on pink sucker spawn. If you are hitting waters with Salmon, use egg paterns and fish downstream of where the salmon are laying. Most people use sucker spawn, glo eggs, or buggers for steelhead in erie. Flashback nymphs and stoneflies are also working right now. Good luck on hooking into one.

 

[Snaggy]

Two years...hmmmm. Sounds like you're fishing over their heads. I've seen steelhead caught on muddlers, streamers, egg patterns, spoons and plugs, jigs and maggots, woolybuggers and a couple of em hit my shiner imitation but I didn't hook any yet. The Rocky River (Cleveland) Steelhead are hitting everything this Fall. It's been crazy so far. My only comments would be to make sure you are getting down and I mean drag the bottom down so you're bumping the bottom. Rule of thumb: Faster water, heavier weight be it split shot or weighted flies. Second, mix it up, try eggs, wooly buggers, streamers and bead heads in different colors. I find myself getting stuck fishing the same fly in the same spot for 2 plus hours. If the Steelhead didn't hit it the first 20 casts chances are they're not going to hit it the next 20. Third, watch your speed...remember the lower river current is much slower than the top water. Keep your line and/or strike indicator from yanking your fly. You have to keep the speed relative to the water flow. Steelhead are smart this way. Smarter than me for that matter! Good luck and let me know when you get one.

Snaggy
<°((((~{

 

[GeorgeMcFly]

I been fly fishing for Great Lakes Steel now for one season in Ohio. I have caught mine all on clousers so far. try red/white or olive/white and get upstream of your steelie hole and swing the clousers right into there hole while giving lil irratic strips. I still have alot to learn about the steelies because I never caught one in the fall yet but once you hook into um you will be addicted forever! listen to snaggy he hits on alot of good points and hes telling ya what I would tell you to do also. keep us posted and get some pix if possible and just don't give up!! I been there before when I didn'r catch any on fall/winter. once you get it down you will catch um just about everytime out . I hope to get me some fall steelies this year for sure!