Leaders

I would like to think my success in helping anglers find and catch steelhead has improved over time. I will admit, as a biologist I study; "cause and effect", "stimulus and response". I do not mind adhering to tradition as long as my experience concludes that it is the most effective way to fish. My assignment is simple, attach angler and fish. Mission is completed when the angler releases steelhead.

There are some parts of the equipment I am fairly flexible on. For example, I am a G Loomis pro staff and so are my rods. I personally don't care if the rods you bring are Sage, Scott, Loomis, or whatever. Single-handed, double, it doesn’t matter. Waders: You should be comfortable, and they shouldn't leak.

I do get fussy about items that can determine the outcome in hooking and or landing fish. These components are; hooks, leaders, flylines, and reels.

Today I will talk about leaders. Leaders have several functions but the three critical parameters for steelhead are; abrasion, tinsel strength, and camouflage. Let me preface my remarks by saying. I always talk from personal experience of teaching fishing hundreds of days a year. Ever want to find out how good you really are? Spend one week taking a new angler out each day, try and coach them into a steelhead. You will find out real quick, what you know, and what you think you know. I don't say what I teach is the only way, but it is effective, because we get it done day in and day out.

Leaders are broken down into two categories: Those on floating lines, for fishing in or on the surface (I am not going to address nymphing leaders today) and leaders attached to a sinktip.

Sinktip Leaders: Tradition says that to fish close to the bottom, leaders must be short. (Less than 5 feet). Tradition also says steelhead are not leader shy and you can fish leaders as thick as you want. I try to adapt to the conditions I fish. If I am fishing during spring runoff with less than 3 feet vis., I know I could tie the fly on the end of the flyline and these new fish probably wouldn't care. My dirty water leaders are usually less than 4 feet. Do the steelhead ever find conditions where they do care? Yep. A good example was this last spring up on the Sauk. Low and clear till the last week.

You see, steelhead didn't grow to maturity by being stupid, they know when conditions are such where they feel secure. They also catch on fast and know when they feel "exposed". Low lighting such as found at daylight and dusk find steelhead holding and moving through soft and or shallow waters. They know predators can't see them. Dirty water does the same thing. Why do I enjoy fishing off colored water for native steelhead? Because that’s when the really big boys feel comfortable about lying in close. Why does the Dawn Patrol fish with light sinktips and thick dark leaders? Because at first light, the unmolested steelhead are lying in soft shallows and these fish can't see the leaders.

As conditions change to bright and sunny, the water clears and angling pressure increases, steelhead naturally move into waters that are deeper and faster. Line shadow and boat shadow both produce hide and seek conditions. They feel exposed.

I grew up fishing the Stilly N. Fork. It goes to gin clear each summer and angling pressure can really wise these fish up. That same leader that did just fine in the security conditions can send these mid day gin clear fish a scurrying. (My low lighting summer time leader is generally about 6 feet.) So what does Joe angler think when sun gets high? Fish won't bite. You can extend your day significantly by changing your leader length and material. How long will I go? Out to 9 feet. I can see Salmo now. 9 feet! You must be nuts! you can't get a fly down on a 9 foot leader. I won't tell you how I do it, that’s a trade secret, but longer leaders do work. By the by, that new mono line that is built for lakes is awesome! Same principle.

There are several leader materials that have smaller diameter but I prefer not to use these on sinktips. They tend to be brittle and have little abrasion tolerance. - not good for fishing in the rocks. A couple are too shiny. That new fluorocarbon that has revolutionized gill netting is getting good reviews. Too expensive for the amount of leader me and mine go through in a year. What gives me good abrasion factor and camouflages well? For sinktips I fish Maxima Ultra Green, until the water goes to 15 feet visibility, then I go to Max. Clear. Max. Camo is fine under "feel secure" conditions.

For floating line presentations like fishing on the Grande Ronde, things change up quite a bit. The window of steelhead vision looking in the surface is increased, so my leaders are longer until low lighting. Sometimes as long as 15 feet, but 12 is the norm. We are tossing wakers and skaters which are wind resistant so I like a leader butt that will turn over well. Mason is what I will use down to the tippet. Now is the time I will go with that small diameter leader material. Orvis super-strong is what I use. It's small and non-glare.

If you are having trouble hooking steelhead in "exposed conditions", instead of telling yourself "they just aren't biting", try changing your leader up a little. What do you have to lose? Dennis Dickson
http://www.flyfishsteelhead.com