FLY FISHING FOR WINTER STEELHEAD

Landing a wild winter steelhead on the fly represents the pinnacle of freshwater fly fishing success, or the Holy Grail of angling pursuit if you prefer. Ocean fresh and full of fight, a chrome bright winter run in the hand is a moment to treasure. They are hard to come by. Unlike fly-fishing for trout, one bite a day should be considered average. It is wise to remember this.

Of my four programs, I prefer pursuing winter steelhead. So it is with great enthusiasm that I offer full day drift boat programs in my 16 foot Clackacraft and full day jet boat programs in my 16 foot, flat bottom sled. I provide lunch, hot coffee, casting instruction and a chance to land a wild winter run. Two persons max. You will be fishing through long streamy runs where resting steelhead will move to the fly.

I specialize in traditional downstream and across presentations using single and two-handed rods because I feel it is the most efficient method for covering the water from bank to bank and the grab is so good! Commercial multi tip lines work fine for single hand rods but when using the spey rod to cast large marabou tubes and Intruder style flies, I suggest loading your favorite reel with a floating or mono type shooting line and looping to the end an Airflo or Rio Skagit style line. The fly lines I use are my own custom-cut shooting tapers to fit my various spey rods. This style of line and a compact casting stroke turn the winter steelhead fishing experience a relaxed, casual affair.

On a very rare day and on only a few streams will I use indicators and floating lines.

Oregon is blessed with many scenic rivers that produce sustainable runs of wild winter steelhead from December through April. On any given day I can choose from seven rivers within 2 hrs of Portland depending on water conditions. I have fished these home waters for over 30 years and look forward to spending a day or two sharing them with you.

EQUIPMENT FOR WINTER STEELHEAD FLY FISHING

Suggested Rods:
Single hand: 8 wt. 9 to 10 feet in length. A Sage 896 XP is an excellent choice.
www.Sageflyfish.com

Two handed: 7-9 wt. 12 to 14 feet in length.
Slow to moderate fast action. The four piece traditional flex Spey rods from Sage balance perfectly with today's heavy Skagit Style lines.
www.Sageflyfish.com

Lines:
There are many Multi tip, weight forward fly lines on the market. They all work great if you can cast them. Practice with the heaviest sink tip attached before coming to the river. Standing waist deep in moving water has a way of turning a good caster into a struggling novice if they haven't practiced keeping the backcast high or worked on their spey casts. Yep, spey casts work great for with single hander but you have to practice them. Check out the DVD "The Art of Spey Casting".

If you're having trouble with the commercial fifteen foot tips, cut them back to 12 or 13 feet. This will make a huge difference in the turn over of the fly and reduce the effort needed in the cast. You will be using type 3 6 and 9 sink tips.

Clothing

I suggest buying the best breathable boot foot felt sole waders you can afford. The boot foot wader will ensure warm feet on the coldest days. They also allow for plenty of room for the angler to layer-up during the cold months of Dec-Feb. If you prefer stocking foot breathable waders, make sure that your wading boot is two sizes larger than your foot size to allow room for two pairs of thick wool socks. Smart wool or Thorlo socks absolutely rock!

A good waterproof rain jacket is essential. Not water resistant like many breathable products claim to be. Waterproof! Elastic, neoprene or Velcro closed wrists keep the rain out of your sleeves when your hands are above your elbows. This is nice during Oregon downpours. The more expensive jackets have these.

Bring layers of poly-pro underwear, mid-weight fleece tops and bottoms and a heavier fleece pant and jacket. The new windstopper fleece jackets are great as a final layer under your wading jacket. No cotton long johns!

Flies:

I will provide flies if you prefer. If you wish to fish your own, make sure you have a good selection of marabou tube flies in your favorite colors. Weighted String Leeches in black and hot pink are very effective. I don't use hooks larger than a size 2 for steelhead on my tube flies. Size 4 seems to be perfect. Standard patterns should be tied on size 1/0, 1 and 2.

Tippet:

Durability is the quality I look for in leader material. I recommend using only Maxima Ultra Green as leader and tippet material. 12 pound for murky water. 10 pound for clear. It's abrasion resistant, strong, ties a good knot and is cheap compared to fluorocarbon material. I don't mess around with the high tech stuff. I've seen too many leaders come apart as the angler was trying to beach the fish. Go Green I say.

Rates:

Drift boat trip---$395/day, two-person max.

Jet sled trip---$450/day, two-person max.



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	Equipment\|Rods\|Lines\|Clothing\|Flies\|Tippet FLY FISHING FOR WINTER STEELHEAD Landing a wild winter steelhead on the fly represents the pinnacle of freshwater fly fishing success, or the Holy Grail of angling pursuit if you prefer. Ocean fresh and full of fight, a chrome bright winter run in the hand is a moment to treasure. They are hard to come by. Unlike fly-fishing for trout, one bite a day should be considered average. It is wise to remember this. Of my four programs, I prefer pursuing winter steelhead. So it is with great enthusiasm that I offer full day drift boat programs in my 16 foot Clackacraft and full day jet boat programs in my 16 foot, flat bottom sled. I provide lunch, hot coffee, casting instruction and a chance to land a wild winter run. Two persons max. You will be fishing through long streamy runs where resting steelhead will move to the fly. I specialize in traditional downstream and across presentations using single and two-handed rods because I feel it is the most efficient method for covering the water from bank to bank and the grab is so good! Commercial multi tip lines work fine for single hand rods but when using the spey rod to cast large marabou tubes and Intruder style flies, I suggest loading your favorite reel with a floating or mono type shooting line and looping to the end an Airflo or Rio Skagit style line. The fly lines I use are my own custom-cut shooting tapers to fit my various spey rods. This style of line and a compact casting stroke turn the winter steelhead fishing experience a relaxed, casual affair. On a very rare day and on only a few streams will I use indicators and floating lines. Oregon is blessed with many scenic rivers that produce sustainable runs of wild winter steelhead from December through April. On any given day I can choose from seven rivers within 2 hrs of Portland depending on water conditions. I have fished these home waters for over 30 years and look forward to spending a day or two sharing them with you. EQUIPMENT FOR WINTER STEELHEAD FLY FISHING Suggested Rods: Single hand: 8 wt. 9 to 10 feet in length. A Sage 896 XP is an excellent choice. www.Sageflyfish.com Two handed: 7-9 wt. 12 to 14 feet in length. Slow to moderate fast action. The four piece traditional flex Spey rods from Sage balance perfectly with today's heavy Skagit Style lines. www.Sageflyfish.com Lines: There are many Multi tip, weight forward fly lines on the market. They all work great if you can cast them. Practice with the heaviest sink tip attached before coming to the river. Standing waist deep in moving water has a way of turning a good caster into a struggling novice if they haven't practiced keeping the backcast high or worked on their spey casts. Yep, spey casts work great for with single hander but you have to practice them. Check out the DVD "The Art of Spey Casting". If you're having trouble with the commercial fifteen foot tips, cut them back to 12 or 13 feet. This will make a huge difference in the turn over of the fly and reduce the effort needed in the cast. You will be using type 3 6 and 9 sink tips. Clothing I suggest buying the best breathable boot foot felt sole waders you can afford. The boot foot wader will ensure warm feet on the coldest days. They also allow for plenty of room for the angler to layer-up during the cold months of Dec-Feb. If you prefer stocking foot breathable waders, make sure that your wading boot is two sizes larger than your foot size to allow room for two pairs of thick wool socks. Smart wool or Thorlo socks absolutely rock! A good waterproof rain jacket is essential. Not water resistant like many breathable products claim to be. Waterproof! Elastic, neoprene or Velcro closed wrists keep the rain out of your sleeves when your hands are above your elbows. This is nice during Oregon downpours. The more expensive jackets have these. Bring layers of poly-pro underwear, mid-weight fleece tops and bottoms and a heavier fleece pant and jacket. The new windstopper fleece jackets are great as a final layer under your wading jacket. No cotton long johns! Flies: I will provide flies if you prefer. If you wish to fish your own, make sure you have a good selection of marabou tube flies in your favorite colors. Weighted String Leeches in black and hot pink are very effective. I don't use hooks larger than a size 2 for steelhead on my tube flies. Size 4 seems to be perfect. Standard patterns should be tied on size 1/0, 1 and 2. Tippet: Durability is the quality I look for in leader material. I recommend using only Maxima Ultra Green as leader and tippet material. 12 pound for murky water. 10 pound for clear. It's abrasion resistant, strong, ties a good knot and is cheap compared to fluorocarbon material. I don't mess around with the high tech stuff. I've seen too many leaders come apart as the angler was trying to beach the fish. Go Green I say. Rates: Drift boat trip---$395/day, two-person max. Jet sled trip---$450/day, two-person max.