Lessons From Late Winter Steelheading

Stud

Last weekend was spent swinging flies for steelhead in northwest Michigan.  Leading up to the weekend the fishing reports were sketchy, mostly because Michigan's rivers were choked with ice and not fishable.  When I arrived, the air temperatures were in the mid-teens and the river flows were tight with shelf ice - not promising.  

 I'm dedicated to swinging flies for steelhead - I love everything about it.  While I will employ other techniques such as using an indicator (that's fun too), and if the conditions require I will stoop to chuck-n-duck (although that is only a last resort), if given a choice I will swing flies.  In Michigan, the spring spawning run is not a particularly good time to swing flies.  Although you have high concentrations of fish, the fish are either concentrated on spawning or they have keyed on the nymphs and eggs that are kicked up by spawning steelhead and so they are not inclined to chase a streamer.  Moreover, the rivers get very crowded with people which tends to hurt the swing bite as even an aggressive, player, steelhead will get turned off by heavy human traffic. There is of course the drop-back steelhead but that's another topic all together. 

Gold of Winter

So, I like to head north at the end of winter to avoid the crowds and get some swinging in before the fish transition to their spring pattern.  The best case scenario for this pattern is a mild winter that lingers so the fish numbers increase in anticipation of the spawning run but the temperatures remain cold enough to keep the fish from hitting the gravel.  In that case you will have good numbers fresh aggressive fish and typically far less people. There are two worst case scenarios: (1) spring comes early with an abrupt late winter warm-up that blows out the river; and (2) the winter is brutally cold and the ice prevents both the fish from entering the river and the fisherman from fishing.  If the first worst-case scenario occurs, you will have no choice but to employ the dreaded and infamous chuck-n-duck!  Moreover, very high water early in spring will shorten the run as the fish may quickly and easily spawn in the high flows and drop back to the lake just as fast.  In the second scenario, you are very cold and there are just a few fish in the river, fish that have been in the river for at a month or more.  In short, you will have your work cut out for you.  I was faced with the second scenario.

On the water, the air was cold; mid-teens to start the day and looking forward to mid-twenties.   The river was cold as well and nearly covered in ice in some narrow spots. Water temperatures maxed out around 33.8 degrees!  Naturally, the water was low, clear, and appeared to be dropping as the river was contracting into a solid form.  The only positive factor was a lack of fishing pressure.  Swinging flies in these conditions is technical and will teach you a number of things.

First Lesson: You Don't Always Have to Make a True Spey Cast

For a casting junkie this is a hard lesson.  You are getting into the swing game.  You've become proficient at the snap-t cast and the double spey cast, which makes you finally feel legitimate and not just another poser with a two-hander.  The last thing you want to do is quietly slop roll cast your fly all day!  Don't let yourself get wrapped up in the process - you are out there to fish not just to cast. Many Midwest streams are small and narrow to begin with and with low water and shelf ice they are even more so.  A typical skagit head plus a ten foot sink tip and leader may be enough length to swing a hole or run (probably even too much).  Also, to fish a run properly you may be forced to stand right on the edges of runs; right on top of the fish.  In those conditions, the rip of a heavy shooting head to form a proper d-loop can and will spook fish.  Instead, simply roll cast the fly to your spot.  Such a cast is stealthy and will get the job done. Sure, the cast won't look pretty but do you really care?  When you approach a run in all but especially low, clear, and cold conditions think about distance and what it will take to get the fly in front of the fish.  Don't do more than you have to to get the fly to the right spot. 

Second Lesson: Don't Always Mend

In low, clear water, depth and current can be less of an issue.  When swinging flies you get into a routine: cast - mend - swing - repeat.  The cadence is hypnotic.  However, the mend has a particular purpose and is not always necessary.  The mend is typically used to allow a fly to achieve the proper depth before it begins to swing.  In shallow water a sink tip and weighted fly will likely get the job done without the assistance of a mend.  Unnecessary mends will cause you to snag and the added commotion on the surface may spook fish in low clear water.  At times in these conditions a mend may be necessary, but as with the first lesson, think "what do I need to do to get the fly in front of a fish?" before you cast.

Third Lesson: Fish Your Feet

This applies in all conditions.  I hooked the Buck pictured below with less than a full shooting head out of the rod tip.  He was sitting in the gut of a hole that begins with a steep ledge and tapers into a long tail out.  The gut is closer to the top of the hole.  The hole is in a relatively wide section of river and the tail out looks awesome - finally a chance to bust out a snap-t!  NO!  Especially in winter, fish seek out the gut of holes (especially alpha fish).  They will also sit at the base of a ledge at the head of a run.  Take your time and fish the water throughly.  When faced with a steep ledge dropping into a gut, fish close and let your fly drop over the ledge.  You never know when that stud may be right at your feet.  

Hammered an egg sucking prom dress tube as the fly passed through the gut of the run in 33 degree water

Tight Lines

Chuck-n-Duck Gravel - There is More to Steelheading

Fun?

Time for some ranting and rambling from atop my high horse. While fishing this past weekend I witnessed a guy attempting to chuck-n-duck gravel (the water was 33-34 degrees) with a Sage Z-Axis switch rod and a Hardy reel - COME ON!  I am confident I know how this scene came to be, let me tell you what happened.  The following is a hypothetical.  Guy likes fly fishing for trout and bass here in the Midwest and wants to try steelhead - you go get some Guy.  Guy goes on the Internet, googles steelhead fly fishing rod and reel, and up pops a beautiful two-hander and a classic click-pawl reel - great, that was easy and Guy is nearly set.  Guy goes to Fly Shop and buys the best two-hander in the store and that sweet Hardy reel.  Fly Shop is very happy ($$$$) and Guy is equally happy but confused - now what!?  Maybe Guy talks to Fly Shop about how to use the rod and reel but more likely, Guy goes to Friend.  Friend has been "steelheading" for years, and every March and April he returns with stories of days of huge numbers and pictures of big dark green steelhead with deep red gill plates, and awesome bold red stripes. Some fish are bright silver but most look like giant toothy rainbows that remind Guy of the eight to twelve inch rainbows from Guy's local trout stream.  So, naturally, Guy goes to Friend for advice.  Wise and experienced Friend, shows Guy how to fish for steelhead using a chuck-n-duck technique. Perhaps, Guy thinks about the technique and wonders why this technique is so different than the fly fishing Guy knows and loves but who is Guy to argue.  So, Guy goes out and loads that Hardy with Zip Line (a thin running line), buys a bunch of slinkies, lead, swivels, glo-bugs, and purple egg-sucking woolly buggers.  That April, Friend takes Guy to some revered steelhead grounds.  Friend points to a shallow riffle.  Beneath the surface, Guy sees a massive pod of fish that appear to be jockeying for position.  Loaded with lead weight and egg fly patterns, Guy and Friend start wailing on that pod of fish.  Sure, some of the fish Friend and Guy land are hooked in the tail, the back, or on the gill plate but some are hooked in the corner of the mouth.  And oh the fight! That Hardy reel is screaming with every fish as the fish thrashes and rolls on the surface heading down stream with the current.  There appear to be so many fish, Guy and Friend even take home a few.  Another Midwest steelheader is born.

What is wrong with this hypothetical?  First and foremost, Guy and Friend were fishing for actively spawning steelhead on gravel.  Steelhead spawn on gravel beds.  Most strains spawn when the water temperatures are around 40 degrees.  When fish are on gravel they are easy to see and since they are interested in spawning the fish don't spook easily so anglers can fish for them tirelessly.  In predominantly wild rivers, those fish are creating the next generation of steelhead in a fragile ecosystem and should be left alone.  In stocked fisheries this is less of a problem.  Second, they are using a chuck-n-duck technique, which is, as explained below, at best quasi-fly fishing.  Third, the steelhead, exhausted from spawning, is hardly at its peak fighting form and the "reel screaming" runs result from  an improperly used click-pawl reel, which relies on the angler's hand to apply drag in combination with the rivers heavy spring flows rather than the fishes strength.  Plus, fighting a spawning fish puts unnecessary stress on the animal - steelhead can be repeat spawners if we let them.  Fourth, keeping a fish obviously kills the fish and snagging a fish may kill it as well.  Finally, the nature of the chuck-n-duck technique ends up leaving a ton of snagged monofilament and hooks on the river bottom and in the trees in the riparian zone.  This waste inadvertently kills a lot of other fish and wildlife.  While Guy and Friend may have caught a lot of fish, if they were irresponsible and disrespectful they may have done a lot of damage as well and employed few skills other than perhaps good vision.  Nevertheless, they have lots of trophies.

The chuck-n-duck technique involves a fly rod/reel rigged with a thin running line attached directly to the leader (or even straight monofilament like conventional tackle).  Heavy lead weight is attached to the leader and one or two flies, typically eggs, trail behind the lead.  The rig is cast by "chucking" the weight overhead which propels the flies to the target.  The heavy weight gets the flies to the bottom in a hurry and keeps them there in deep and or heavy current.  How is this considered fly fishing?  I say it is not.  In simplest terms, fly fishing uses the weight of the line to flex the rod and propel the fly because the fly doesn't have enough weight to do so on its own.  Your spinning rod relies on the weight of the terminal tackle or lure to generate enough flex in the rod to propel the lure to the target.  While the typical chuck-n-duck rig uses a fly rod and reel and flies, the rod is cast and fished just like a spinning rod.  At best you can call chuck-n-duck a hybrid between fly fishing and conventional tackle but it is not fly fishing.  Plus, people typically use this technique to fish actively spawning fish on gravel (giving rise to the local term "raking the gravel").  This is bad for the fish because the angler often ends up either snagging the fish or lining the fish. Lining the fish occurs when the line drifts into a fishes mouth and the fly is pulled into the side of the fish's face rather than the fish eating the fly and becoming hooked inside of the mouth.  Lining is an unacceptable form of fishing; it is dressed up snagging and should not be done.

My understanding is that this technique was developed in the Midwest as an effective way to present flies to fish in deep, heavy, and often swirling currents, which are common in Midwest waters.  Fly fishermen borrowed techniques from bait fishermen and an efficient technique was born.  Is it fly fishing? Is using a fly rod to cast a worm under a bobber a form of fly fishing?  No one cared because  chuck-n-duck caught fish, especially fish on spawning gravel. While fishing the gravel an angler can "sight fish" for steelhead but the angler ends up lining or snagging as many fish as he or she fairly hooks.   Next time you go fishing in the spring find the spawning gravel and observe.  There will be crowds of people and lots of action but most of the action is not legitimate.  There may be a time and place for the technique but only in extreme circumstances.  People overuse the technique and thereby limit themselves, their growth as anglers, their understanding of the water, and their understand of the fish and they litter the river in the process.

Hopping off my high horse, I am a fisherman first and a fly fisherman second and if the water is extremely high and fast when I have the opportunity to be on the water I will choose to fish over staying at home.  So, if the water is extremely high, dirty, and fast a fisherman has no choice but to chuck-n-duck.  I will use the technique, the technique is far and away the most effective if not the only way to catch a steelhead with flies in high, fast, muddy water, and like all pleasurable wrongs I feel guilty and dirty afterwards.  If I had more time to fish, I would have the luxury of being a purist.  I have the potential to be the most arrogant purist on the water but I'm not because I can't be.

All that said, the chuck-n-duck method is a great way to get your hands on a steelhead if you are getting into the sport.  It is not complicated, it doesn't require expensive equipment, and it will catch you boat loads of fish.  But remember the chuck-n-duck is just the beginning of a steelheaders growth.   Use it, get some fish under your belt, fall in love with steelhead and move on.  Trust me when I say the first steelhead that chases and hammers your swung fly, a fly which you tied with the intent that it will swim in a particular way, and elicit a strike.  When you refine your casting and mending, and your ability to read and cover the entire river.  When you can find and anticipate where a steelhead might be once it enters a river.  When all that happens and you get that beautiful chrome steelhead on the swing, a steelhead that you had planned for, a steelhead that is yours, you will never want to go anywhere near that gravel again.

Tight Lines

Craft Fur Minnow

This is a fly that needs to be in all fly boxes. The craft fur minnow is easy to tie, easy to use, and catches fish.  When tied small in length but on a light saltwater hook the fly can catch a smallmouth in a cold northern lake and then trick a snook cruising the beach.  Moreover, the fly can be manipulated using permanent marker, which takes well to craft fur. I recommend tying many in all white and dress them up with different colors as the need arises.

Hook: TMC 800s size 2-8 (choose a hook to suit your needs)

Body: Flashabou (color is up to you)

Wing/belly: craft fur reverse tied (hollow tied)

Eyes: your choice of size and  color to match the fly profile and design

You may coat the head with some UV adhesive for extra durability.

Steps (I omit the obvious steps e.g. secure thread to hook):

1) lash 2-5 strands of flashabou to the hook above the point - tie in the flash at its midpoint so that the same length of fibers are laying towards the hook eye as towards the bend of the hook;

2) double over the flash fibers so that all are pointing towards the bend the hook and trailing off the back (flash should be 1-1.5 times the length of the hook shank);

3) wrap the thread to the eye of the hook;

4) cut two bundles of craft fur - each bundle should be roughly the size of two match sticks*;

5) tie in the craft fur by the butt ends with the tips of the craft fur point towards the direction of and draping over the hook eye;

6) hollow tie the craft fur by stoking the fibers toward the back of the hook**;

7) hold the craft fur in place and make a few thread wraps behind the hook eye to secure the fibers;

8) whip finish and glue*** on 3D eyes on either side.

The hollow tie technique creates an elongated teardrop shape reminiscent of the typical minnow or fry. The glue and eyes will hold the fly together. The number of steps listed is deceptive. Most of the steps occur seemlessly and in close succession. 

* Tying Tip: ideally the bundles should be indentical, however in practice such a goal is not practical; the bundles should be as close to the same size as possible. Nevertheless, if one bundle is going to contain more material than the other make sure said bundle is secured to the top of the fly. Having more material on the top of the fly helps the fly track correctly (hook point down in this case). For example, this technique is employed for unweighted bonefish flies to allow the flies to track hook point up without the addition of dumbbell eyes or other weight. 

** an Internet search will provide step by step instructions on how to "hollow tie" a fly.

***Use Super Glue Gel.

DH Pass Crab

The deer hair ("DH") pass crab.  This pattern is another Tarpon crab fly I put together.  I'm sure other crab eaters would take a bite as well but the structure and style is directed at enticing Tarpon.

Hook: Gamakatsu SC-15 2H  size 3/0
Tail: Two pair of tan grizzly neck hackles plus one tan and one purple rubber leg (doubled over)
Eyes: EP mono eyes
Body: Tan (natural) deer hair with purple and blue ice dub fibers mixed in.  The deer hair is spun and trimmed to a crab shape

Deer hair crabs are nothing new to the world of saltwater fly fishing.  This particular crab pattern is my recipe only to the extent that I didn't follow a previously designed crab recipe when I was tying (though the addition of the ice dub to the deer hair may be a new twist).  You may substitute the ice dub with bits of Krystal Flash for the same effect.

This crab pattern designed for ocean side or beach side Tarpon, which are cruising outside or near passes in southwest Florida (the "mud" line).  I suspect it could double as a permit fly when permit are cruising with the Tarpon in the same context (big permit will do that from time to time).

Full disclosure, I have no idea if this fly actually works but it swims properly and looks "fishy" so I suspect it will.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Tight lines.

Dreaming of Warmer Days

Like much of the country, the Midwest is trapped under a relentless cold and never ending sheet of ice - not particularly conducive to fly fishing.  So, as with my brothers in arms around here, I am forced to dream of warmer days, of flowing water, of tides, tails, and a savage tug at the end of the line rather than experience the same. Metaphorically, I was recently laid off, so I also dream of warmer, more certain times and more viable futures.  Under the circumstances, I've had some time to read, get behind the vice, and ponder new patterns, fishing techniques and destinations.  Having Florida and Tarpon on the brain, I have been reading up on flies and techniques tailored to Southwest Florida.  The following posts will discuss a great book and some new flies destined for the King.

Here's to warmer days.

New Swinging Rig

This is a weight rig that I have been playing with for swinging flies. The use of small worm weights for fishing streamers and swinging flies may be relatively new but this rig is certainly not novel. However, I strung a rubber band through the weight as a peg. Using the rubber band allows me to move the weight up and down the leader without damaging it and the rubber band will hold the weight in place. 

Here, in the Midwest, we come across some narrow, relatively short runs and the "fishable window" (for lack of a better term) can often be quite small. Incorporating worm weights with long leaders and floating or intermediate tips can allow you to get your fly into that fishable zone quickly and get it out without hanging up.

Also, the weight is in front of a modified prom dress with a hackle collar. It hasn't caught a fish yet but it looks great in the water. It is intended for dropbacks in high water but it could be a good deep winter fly.

Tight Lines.

Getting Back Into The Blogging Game

2014 was a big year - just not for fishing.  Between weddings, a yellow lab puppy, and life generally things just got in the way of time on the water. We did get out to swing some flies at the end of the year so it wasn't a total loss:

In any event, 2015 is a new year. I miss fishing and have challenged myself to get out on the water or behind the vice as much as possible:

Getting off to a good start - some tarpon killers for the upcoming season. Perhaps a tutorial is in order.

Tight lines.