Steelie Dries

[Shmogley]

Been watching a few vids lately and noticed some guys catching steel on dry flies. even mouse poppers..
now around here you dont see it so often. usually its subsurface stuff.

was wondering if you guys have any success with steels on dries at all? and which ones would you recommend for trying to entice that surface bite?
it looks really exciting, even if the catch rate is lower.

thanks for any tips

 

[IR4Jflyfishing]

I tried collectively for probably 100 hours last fall and spring... I couldn't do it, in total I probably landed 3 fish with about a dozen "rises". I found a lot more success skating a fly in the surface film, aggressive males mostly but I did catch a few females.

If you do want to go out and try I'd suggest long leaders (12 foot at least) also you are going to want to target faster water, although it seems strange an active fly in broken water was the only success I saw. My father caught one on a "trout style dry" (drag free in calmer water) but that was one fish of the countless we tried casting to.

The only fly I caught fish on was like a tarpon slider/gurgler pattern, I fished it like I would an alaskabou; tightline swing with little 2inch pops of the rod tip. Not as aggressive as a bass popper but at the same time you have to move a bit of water.

I personally think you are better off fishing them in the spring or to holding fall fish.

 

[JuniorFloatnFly]

Ive heard stories on the saugeen of people catching them on dries targeting browns. Ive seen them rising a few times in the georgian bay tribs too.

 

[Rain-Bow]

I've heard that the steelhead in Ontario don't respond well to dries.

 

[Shawarma]

that would be incredible to catch steel on the dry.

 

[fishermandan420]

Id love to catch them waking /skating, but i have a hard enough time getting them to hit a wet swung fly. From what I hear its pretty tough. Look on spey pages, a lot if guys skate foam flies, and muddlers out West

 

[miles]

I had a steelhead follow and come out of the water to try to attack my float twice while reeling in this spring so its definitely possible

 

[Dozer]

Red topped, black bottomed Raven float imitation should work - I've had countless numbers of fish slam my float over the years. The days they do hit it will happen more than once.

 

[miles]

I have had fish hit floats all the time fishing waters with rezis in it or fishing smaller floats. Particularly when I fished more floats with yellow tops, anyone who has fished an indicator can attest to fish being interested in them

What happened last spring was over 8 feet of fast water with a 15g float. The fish was plowing across the water for 5 feet half way out of the water with two violate strikes one right after another at the float. I was targeting carp but when my buddy saw a bunch of bows he convinced me to take a couple drifts, it happened on my first or second cast and tripped me right out.

 

[Shmogley]

sounds like a popper with something bright on the head might be worth shooting lol

 

[IR4Jflyfishing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjRBLdPyqBw

Might as well add this to the conversation

 

[Shmogley]

nice demonstration at the end there

 

[AKnook]

Why not? Any fish will hit top water. They will hit, but not as readily.

Good read....

http://www.ginkandgasoline.com/steelhead/why-ask-why-try-dry-flies/

On a recent trip chasing Arctic grayling I threw mouse patterns. I had many hits but was unable to set the hook because of their small mouthes. I stuck a few but missed much more. Even though the fish were keying in on hatches they hit whatever presents itself. Why not just try? It sure made my trip a lot more fun watching grayling smash a skating mouse. It was funny since I caught the smallest fish of the entire trip on the mouse patterns and the largest on size 12 blue duns. Always fun seeing them hit a fly that they wouldn't normally be associated with hitting.

 

[Shmogley]

yea thats the idea. give it a go and have fun with it
thanks for that article, good read indeed