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StoneFly Nymphs for Steelhead

stonefly nymphs

When winter trout are feeding on nymphs there is not much difference between a small trout and a steelhead. They are going to both react and take advantage the same food store source the same way.

This past winter, the more the steelhead feed on the Stone fly nymphs, the more precise our presentation had to be. Just like the steelhead we had to adapt to all variables and conditions of this winter.

When we tried to fish the same way, with the same normal presentations, we were greatly disappointed. Many of the normal presentations produced nothing more than a lot of casting and a few poor hookups.

By late winter it is almost like fishing a winter Midge hatch in a Spring Creek. The same went for the style of presentation. We need to be as precise with the drift as we need to be with midges in spring.

 What I mean by this is that we have to make certain the flies are drifted in the correct structure of the pool, current seam and depth. If we were slightly off, nothing would happen but the fore mentioned poor hookups and casting practice.

StoneFly Nymphs Patterns

Some of the best stonefly patterns to have in your fly box are:

  • Black StoneFly Pattern
  • Golden StoneFly Pattern
  • Yellow Sally StoneFly Pattern
  • Skwala StoneFly Pattern
  • Kaufmann StoneFly Pattern

Although there are lots of stone fly nymph patterns you only need concern yourself with the list above. The more natural looking the better, however sometimes you do need a little bit of flash in the body.

Keep in mind that Stone fly nymphs live and grow in fast moving water. Their normal feeding activities cause him to become dislodged from the river bottom and set adrift.

Trout will take feeding positions in the throats of the pools. Or more precisely, along the current seams in the throats of the pools, that is, along the edge of the fast and slow moving current.

The trick here is to find the ideal seams that the fish are sitting in. To do this you need to systematically cover the inside edge of the faster moving water into the slow moving water.

Depth of the drift is also important; the flies need to drift just off the river bottom. You want the fly to drift clean but within a few inches of touching the river bottom. This is best achieved by using strike indicators.

This is where my favorite term for these things comes from, Drift management devices. By using a strike indicator you can control the depth of the fly and also maintain the drift in the correct current seam.

As I mentioned ​below the Salmon River has a massive population of stoneflies. This population is made up of several varieties of Stoneflies. The exact number would be interesting to know. But for us, we need to know that during the winter months fishing stonefly nymphs in sizes ranging from 8 to 12 will get the job done.

These fly patterns do not have to be complicated patterns. Often the simpler basic nymph pattern works the best. We have also had good results with adding a little flash to the fly, either in the wing case or mixed into the body itself. What is most important is fishing the right locations in the river, getting the fly in the correct water column and depth.

We need to keep in mind; just because it is winter and the river is quiet does not mean the fishing will be easy. Just like the steelhead we need to adapt to what is happening in the rivers.

Stone Fly nymphs for Winter Steelhead

We all know about how winter steelhead fishing can be both productive and an excellent opportunity to enjoy the river without intense fishing pressure. There are lots of challenges when winter steelhead fishing. These includes dealing with the equipment icing up and the Cold. In past winters, however, there have been some historically chilly winter with cold temperatures with many of our rivers totally iced over well into spring,

​Some are unique with even the Salmon River itself having heavy ice mid river on down. And with the historic cold winter temperatures, the Salmon River had heavy anchor ice in the bottom portion of the river for the first time in several years.

We also had an additional Element, the lack of salmon eggs. Due to the unusually stable water flows the steelhead were not exposed to the normal volume of stray eggs.

Typically eggs are set adrift during water flow increases. In fact there was not a water flow increase until spring snowmelt run off.  Add to all of this, we also had an issue with sick steelhead, a thiamine deficiency.  Last winter definitely had its challenges.

We were faced with few choices – adapt or enjoy another winter of cabin fever. Given these choices and never dealing well with cabin fever, we decided to get on the water and adapt. As a result this past winter was a unique learning experience for winter steelhead fishing. The cold was not that big a deal with the new modern cold weather clothing. As for the steelhead we did have a very good fall run, and there was good numbers of fish in the upper river.

We need to remember that the Salmon River and the Great Lakes steelhead do have some unique characteristics. First Great Lakes steelhead will continue to feed while they’re in their home rivers on a spawning run, – our steelhead like to eat.

The longer they are in the river, especially over the winter, the more trout-like these fish become. The next thing we need to keep in mind is that Chinook salmon can dominate a river in many ways.

In this case the decomposing carcasses of the salmon in the river create a strong nutrient base. What this means for us is a lot of bug life in the rivers – in this particular case, stonefly nymphs.

This last fall we had a light run of salmon. This meant there were fewer eggs in the river over the winter. When we add all of this up, we had wintering steelhead hyper – keyed in on stonefly nymphs.  Obviously the trick here is to capitalize on this opportunity.

Steelhead Nymphs – (Tips & Techniques)

steelhead nymphs

​There are a number of techniques that work well for catching steelhead on fly tackle. Swinging streamers and soft hackles in the spring when they are spawning is a favorite. Drifting egg patterns is a good bet all through the season.

Another, often overlooked, technique is also one that should be in every steelheader’s arsenal; nymphing.

Fishing nymphs for steelhead can be a very productive fishing method and works throughout the season. If you are proficient at nymphing for trout, the same techniques and concepts work for steelhead.

​Steelhead Nymphs

Steelhead nymphs are second only to egg patterns in terms of popularity. Once eggs are no longer available steelhead will shift their attention to nymphs.

​Steelhead runs are a lot different than salmon runs.  Steelhead enter the tributaries in the fall and remain there all winter, and there is also another run again in the spring during the spawning season. Unless they are actually spawning, steelhead feed while they are in the streams.

Most of the Lake Ontario tributaries have a variety of food items for steelies to prey on, including the nymphal forms of aquatic insects. The lake tributaries have a variety of macroinvertebrates including some mayfly and stonefly species, usually plenty of caddis, plus the technically non-insect oddities like tubifex worms that feed on rotting salmon carcasses.

It seems odd that a 10 pound steelhead is going to grab and eat a tiny stonefly nymph or a small aquatic worm, but they do so regularly. I can remember a couple of trips where nymphs were the only thing we could get them to hit.

At first, the eggs will be at the top of the menu for the steelhead. But as water flows come down and the surplus of eggs go away, nymphs become more important. The water levels do not always need to come down. A constant flow of water will do the same; that is, allow the stray eggs to settle out and not be available for the fish to feed on.

Predicting when to fish with nymphs is easier than one might think. Simply give the water flow about a week to stabilize or drop. The egg bite will wind down and the nymph bite will start up.

As the winter season progresses, each pulse of high water will stir up fewer eggs and more nymphs. Keep in mind that the nymph population will continue to grow throughout the winter. By late winter, nymphs can make up the bulk of the food that is available to the steelhead.

You may not think about winter as a prime time for fishing nymphs. The winter months are prime growing time for aquatic insects. Every bug that will be hatching in the spring and through the summer is growing in the rivers through the winter.

Some of these aquatic insects are more active than others, and as a result, they are available for the fish to feed on.

A classic example of this is stone flies. These insects are predators, and so they are actively crawling around the stream bottom hunting for food. This activity makes some liable to becoming dislodged and sent adrift.

This is one reason why stonefly nymphs are so effective in rivers such as the Salmon River. Other insects such as Caddis larva will connect themselves to the edges of rocks and allow the currents to bring food to them.

Obviously, being tied to a rock goes a long way toward keeping you in one place — not as prone to becoming a meal. These are two examples of the extremes; most nymphs fall somewhere in between.

Fortunately for us, we do not have to precisely imitate every single type of nymph that swims in our steelhead rivers. Good general purpose nymph patterns will work just fine. In fact, it is hard to beat a black stone fly nymph. What is important is to match the general size and color of the average size of the nymph. This is easier than it sounds.

For most rivers, fly size ranging from a 12 to a size 8 will work just fine. There are lots of nymphs in the rivers this time of the year that are smaller than a size 12.

 Over the years, I have found that when it comes to steelhead fishing, one needs to show these fish a fly big enough to consistently get their attention. This is not to say that at times smaller flys will not work, it’s just that the larger flies have a tendency to work more consistently.

Also Read: Steelhead Trout vs Salmon

When it comes to color, think earth tones, such as dark olive, black, and hare’s ear. Brown will match most of the colors of the nymphs living within the typical rivers and streams.

Steelhead are not that selective when it comes to feeding on nymphs. A good general attractor pattern is often all it takes – remember that black stone fly nymph. I have had great success by taking black stone flies and adding a flash back and rubber legs to the fly.

 Some of the most productive steelhead nymphs are traditional trout patterns jazzed up. This can be done by adding a little flash to the bodies or incorporating some of the steelhead’s favorite colors to various parts of the fly.

Another consideration with fly selection is that we are also talking about catching a large fish. Using somewhat larger flies and larger hooks also increases our landing percentage. This is why often the smallest nymphs I use are size 12. I also tie my nymph patterns onto heavy wire hooks, often referred to as “2X heavy”. Standard trout hooks are often made from lighter wire and will bend easily with a big fish.

We always like to talk about what flies we are using. However, when comes to catching fish, it is more about the presentation. On any given day we can catch fish with six different patterns, as long as they are presented properly. Obviously, this is no different when it comes to fishing nymphs for steelhead. Drifting nymphs is similar to drifting egg flies.

However, there are some subtle differences between the two presentations. The first is that you do not need to keep your flies as tight to the river bottom as you do with egg flies.

 Nymphs have a tendency to get knocked loose and drift slightly above the river bottom. As result, the flies do not need to be drifted as close to the bottom with constant contact. I refer to this as a soft drift– your fly is close to the bottom, but does not need to constantly hit the bottom.

This will take a little practice to achieve and some constant adjusting. But remember, you need to keep your fly within the nymph’s zone, which is the bottom six inches of the river. Another consideration to keep in mind is that nymphs are living, crawling, swimming creatures. Letting your fly swing a little on the end of the drift can often trigger a take.

One of my favorite methods of presenting nymphs during the winter is to use strike indicators and long fine leaders. The long fine leaders give me the chance to get my flys down fast, allowing me to cover more water efficiently.

The strike indicators are used more as a tool to control and extend the drift, rather than to detect takes. With a little experimenting and some practice, you can learn to swing a fly both vertically and horizontally through the water. This often imitates the natural movement of the nymphs during the winter– a little presentation trick that steelhead find hard to resist.

Some anglers like strike indicators, and others do not.  I’m in the camp of really liking them for one simple reason; they produce visual fishing. Its fun when you are a kid and see that bobber dip under, and it’s even more fun when you are an adult and see the strike indicator dive under when a steelhead is on the other end of the line. They are great in lower water with mild current speed. If things are ripping, then another technique is called for.

There are a couple of other advantages to the indicator. With it, you can adjust the drift and get a lightly weighted fly to bounce just up off the bottom where it will be at eye level for a steelhead.

The other advantage is that with the tricky currents you are often dealing with on a steelhead stream, the indicator gives a visual presentation to see if the fly is moving at the speed of the current or being dragged downstream.

If the fly is dragging along the bottom faster than the current, the fish are not going to hit it. Nymphs have to move at the same speed as the current for the fish to hit them.

My favorite indicator is the Thingamabobber, and I carry them in a couple of sizes and colors. They hold in position on the leader and are easy to adjust. They also float very well and are very durable.

I’ve never been a big fan of the “chuck and duck” style of fishing that evolved on the Lake Ontario streams, but if you can’t beat them, join them. Fishing a nymph or any other fly on a tight line using a split shot to get the fly down is often the most effective way to fish, especially when the current at the surface is moving much faster than the current on the bottom where the fish are holding.

This is especially true for cold weather fishing. The whole idea is to cast out, and make a quick mend upstream so the fly is actually moving downstream slightly ahead of the fly line.

If a fish grabs, you feel the fly stop and then set the hook. The trick to this presentation technique is using only enough split shot to get the shot to tick on the bottom but not get hung up all the time. It also helps to have a long leader (check the fishing regulations).

Fly line is important. I use a dark olive colored Wulff Triangle Taper line, so the front end is basically the front of a double-taper line. When fishing nymphs on a tight line, typically there isn’t a lot of fly line out and you manipulate the line to keep as much of it off the water as possible and also use mends to keep it from dragging the fly faster than the current.

Often you are fishing about a rod’s length of fly line plus the leader, and you plunk it in upstream, it is in the zone in front of you and you follow it downstream till the fly is dragged toward the shore. It takes awhile to get the hang of this, but approaching it with the idea that the fly needs to match the current speed is the goal.

The basic leader rig that I use for steelhead is 10 feet or so of 10 pound test fluorocarbon leader material tied to the fly line with a loop connection and a small, black barrel swivel on the other end (tied so there is about 4 inches of tag hanging off the swivel for attaching split shot). ​

 From there I tie about three feet of tippet between the swivel and the fly. The straight 10 pound test leader does not turn over on the cast quite as well as a tapered leader, but the heavy butt section and taper sections on a tapered leader will often spook fish in crowded conditions.

​Fly patterns for steelhead nymphing are fairly simple.  I like the Rusher’s Nymph and Jim’s Wing Dinger, both of which look like a small, black stonefly.  I also carry some Hare’s Ears Nymphs in a couple of colors, Pheasant Tails, and simple caddis larvae patterns.

I also carry Jim’s Not Much, which is a tiny red worm pattern and it often works when nothing else does during the harsh winter months. If you cover the basic colors like black, gray, tan, white, and olive, you are all set. The nymphs do not need the level of detail that you are going to need for a finicky trout; they just have to be in the general shape and color of the real bugs.

There are a lot of anglers who fish the Lake Ontario Tributaries for steelhead, and we all enjoy those spring days when swinging soft hackles or streamers brings jarring bites from steelhead.

Yet, those days are typically few compared to the times when they are finicky and not hitting well. Fishing nymphs for steelhead often is the difference between landing one, and getting skunked for the day. These same techniques also work well for drifting egg patterns too.

Best Steelhead Lures

Best Steelhead Lures

Fishing for steelhead does not need to be a complicated as some anglers make it. Having a few basic steelhead lures in your arsenal is all your really need.

A selection of sizes and colors of the following different types of lures should be enough for practically any light or water conditions you may fish in:

  • ​Spinners
  • Spoons
  • Jigs
  • Artificial worms

​Although a lot of people will stick to using natural steelhead bait such as salmon roe, this kind of approach can and does limit your ability to hook a steelhead especially if it a stretch of water you have not fished before.

Best Steelhead Lures

1. Blue Fox Vibrax

If spinning from the bank is your game then you can’t go wrong with an old reliable like the Blue Fox Vibrax.

2. Acme Kastmaster

Kastmaster lure work great when fishing larger rivers as they are pretty heavy for their size. The classic colors such as gold, silver or the blue and chrome will work best.

3. Nightmare Jig

The nightmare jig is easily the best known jig for steelhead fishing. Although it does look rather odd it can be an absolute killer when worked under a float.

4. Artificial Worms

​Plastic worms fished under a float or drifted along the bottom are another popular option. There are a lot of different colors available however I have always found pink to be one of the most successful.

5. Luhr Jensen Kwikfish

If you are trolling the the Lure Jensen Kwikfish or Flatfish lures can force a large steelhead into striking. They have a very distinctive wobble and give out a lot of vibration when trolled.

The best lures for steelhead will have some sort of wobble action or give off a vibration, that combined with some kind of flash like a gold or silver blade is what will force a steelhead to strike especially if you can get it right in front of their nose.

How to Fish Steelhead Lures

Steelhead lure selection need not be that complicated. Before you tie on a lure it is important to think about what kind of water you are fishing and just where exactly will the steelhead be lying.

There are a number of important factors to consider before you select a lure:

  • ​Time of year
  • Light and weather conditions
  • Depth of the water you are fishing

Fishing steelhead lures can fall into two main approaches. Fishing more active lures on the retrieve like spinners/spoons and bait imitators like jigs/worms.

Both types of lures rely on you working them across the river and being able to judge how deep the lure is fishing. Ideally you will want to have the lure bounce the bottom a few times.

Casting is generally done in a large fan like pattern, across and upstream from you. Using a large fan like pattern allows you to cover as much of the river as possible.

Always be on the look out for signs of small pockets or holes in the river bed as this is where steelhead have a particular liking for. They will happily move through main runs and tailouts so be sure to work these extensively, in fact these should be your first focus on your initial casts.​

Spinners/Spoons

Fishing any lure for steelhead that requires a retrieve to activate it’s action or wobble is probably the most effective way to force a strike from a large steelhead. ​

The name of the game here is to work the lure slowly.  Cast across the water and slightly upstream in front of you, allow the lure to sink so that it may hit the bottom. Then start a slow retrieve.

The retrieval rate should be just enough to keep the lure from hitting or snagging on the bottom. Steelhead will very rarely if ever take a lure that is several feet higher than them in the water column.

You will need to practice this and get a feel for the weight of the lure you are fishing , how deep the water is and how strong the current is running. All of these things will effect your ability to work the lure slowly in front of the fish. ​

Jigs/Worms​

Jigs and worms will generally require the use of added weight or a bobber to get the best distance possible.

You can bottom bounce or drift fish your way down the river when using nymphs and worms. Again just like retrieving a lure you’ll need to work the nymph/worm through the runs and tailouts.​

One of the best skills you can develop is learning to distinguish between a strike and you weight bouncing or snagging in the bottom. This unfortunately takes time and experience.

The more natural the presentation the better. You are trying to imitate a nymph or sub-aquatic insect moving down river at the mercy of the current. Letting them drift naturally without any interference from your rod tip or line is key.

Nightmare Jig for Steelhead

Nightmare Jig for Steelhead

Despite it’s odd color combination fishing the Nightmare Jig for steelhead is one of the most effective ways to snag a trophy fish.

So just what is it about these little jigs that make them so effective and what is the best way to fish a Nightmare jig for steelhead? 

Nightmare Jig for Steelhead

​Fishing a nightmare for steelhead usually involves working the jig to give it some life.

If you are not familiar with the Nightmare Jig it is a type of jig pattern with a very distinct look and a strict color combination:

  • ​Head – The head is white and can either be a painted head of the jig or it can be a white bead that is slipped onto the hook shank before tying the rest of the body
  • Body/Collar – The body/collar or sometimes called the throat is made from red chenille and will generally only take up about less than half the hook length. Typically it will can be much smaller than this though
  • Tail – The tail is usually black marabou feather or sometimes for a stiffer tail rabbits fur can be used

​There are quite a few variations on the pattern of the Nightmare jig however, they mostly conform to what is described above.

It appears that the contrasting colors of black, red and white seem to bring out a predatory instinct in steelhead.

A lot of steelhead lures do still to plain colors such as silver or gold but they have the added advantage of a reflective material. With the nightmare however it really is the contrast between the colors.

Why they strike them is not that important really. Learning how to present them is more important.

​Fishing a Nightmare Jig

​When fishing with nightmare jigs your two best options are:

  • Drifting ​- drifting the jig downstream at the same speed as the river​​​
  • Float fishing – suspending the jig beneath a bobber/float at a certain depth

​Just be aware that the naming can be a little bit confusing. Some people will refer to drifting when they are actually talking about float fishing. They will use the term to “drift” their float down the river.

The choice between either technique will usually come down to water speed and how deep the river is.

In faster water it is best to drift the nightmare lure along the bottom. Whereas in slower moving water the better option is to use a float.

​Drifting

Drifting is what can be defined as a bottom up approach to jig presentation. You can either add weight to the line several feet from the jig or use no weight and rely on the weight of the jig itself.

When using weight the technique involves drifting the weight along the bottom. The unweighted jig is then free to move through the water in a much more natural manner.

​Without weight the jig is just cast on light gear and worked along with the current adding the occasional twitch to give it some life.

​Float Fishing

Float fishing as the name suggest involves suspending the jig beneath a float or bobber. You can fine tune the depth at which the jig will run.

It is easily the most popular method when fishing for steelhead with a nightmare jig.

You can use either a fixed float or a slip float. The fixed allows you to fish at a specific depth whereas the slip float has the added ability or varying the depth. If you are just starting out then you may want to stick to the fixed float.