Steelhead Flies

Todd Ostenson is a steelhead guide and shop owner from Medford, Oregon. He says, "This fly follows the natural tying evolution of my love for heavy stonefly patterns. The first heavy stones I tied were ?Montana Stones,? then came more natural golden stones. Then came beads in the early nineties to my patterns, and the addition of rubber legs via the girdle bug. One small detail to my girdle bugs, during my years guiding the Deschutes, was the bright orange thread head. I wouldn?t tie one with...

These proven favorites are tied to exacting specifications for George Cook (pictured with a very good Alaska King salmon). This beautiful fish, fresh from the sea, was caught at Alaska West Lodge on the Kanektok River where many fish like this are taken each year. George has fished extensively across the length and breadth of our largest state. He developed the Alaskabou series in his younger days while guiding in Alaska. The Alaskabou series was an instant success and they have remained key...

Bead Head Egg, Gorman'sThis veiled egg pattern was created by Oregon fishing guide, Michael Gorman, who has used it effectively on the Siletz, Rogue and Santiam Rivers. Steelhead, Sea Run Cutthroats and resident trout have all fallen for this pattern. Flies such as this have been used for many years on the Sandy River as well. Here's what Michael says about his fly:Having owned a shop in Corvallis --- the Scarlet Ibis --- from 1981 through 2000, I needed to catch fish, and sell customers...

A trout eats about twenty percent of his diet from the river?s surface, and eighty percent from beneath its surface. As anglers in pursuit of trout, more often than not, this means that we need to get down and dirty to find our quarry. Bead head nymphs are the most popular as well as the most effective way to do this. Utilizing an incredibly fast sink rate for such a tiny fly it gets near the bottom where trout would expect to find it. These nymphs are most often tied with counter bored brass...

Webster's Dictionary defines tradition, "as a convention established by constant practice." Traditional flies are the ones that are used year after year. They are commonly known and used by many anglers and are some of the most popular steelhead flies in the Pacific Northwest. Many of these flies are also used for Atlantic salmon as well as Pacific salmon. Traditional steelhead flies come in several forms. Most would be classed as bucktails or streamers. These flies have a wing of hair or...

Webster's Dictionary defines tradition, "as a convention established by constant practice." Traditional flies are the ones that are used year after year. They are commonly known and used by many anglers and are some of the most popular steelhead flies in the Pacific Northwest. Many of these flies are also used for Atlantic salmon as well as Pacific salmon. Traditional steelhead flies come in several forms. Most would be classed as bucktails or streamers. These flies have a wing of hair or...

Bruce Berry has this to say about his Euphoric Muddler: Inspiration for flies comes from many different sources. My Euphoric Muddler came directly from Rick Anderson's Euphoria from Montana Fly Company. Rick is a fly designer and runs Fly Fishing Specialties down in Sacramento, CA. Euphoria is basically a sparsely tied soft-hackle in steelhead colors on a steelhead hook. It is a great mix of materials for movement, offers an explosion of color, is easy to cast, and is one of my personal...

Berry's Improved Fish MoverStory & photos by: Bruce BerryBerry's Fish Mover is an effective fly for steelhead that is offered in two colors: Orange and Blue.Orange is a fade of orange, red, purple and black designed originally for fish fresh into a system. This is the Fish Mover for bright sun and clear-water conditions, but it is also a killer for off-colored water.Blue is a fade of kingfisher, royal, navy and black designed as an anytime versatility color. This is the Fish Mover for...

Rambulance flies dispute the "Fuzz on a Hook" theory! "It's all just fuzz on a hook," is how Mark Bachmann responds to most flies, especially new, untested varieties. In today's commercial fly world there is something to be said for a statement like that. Working for a commercial fly company myself, I am sure there are more than a handful of flies each season that make catalogs without having had the chance to get wet first! The difference in my world of fuzz on a hook and a fly worth talking...

This is what Bjorn Beech says about the Stinger Prawn Series:"In the 1980's we got tired of fishing normal type steelhead patterns. As fly tiers were playing with various marabou patterns, I came up with what later became known as "Bjorn's Super Prawn."After some tweaks and playing around with hooks it started catching other species especially spring Chinook. The first order I had for kings consisted of a meager 1 dozen flies but the next year that same order was 6 dozen, then 12 dozen, and it...

The Brazilian is a first choice in low, clear water. I?ve always admired Randy Stetzer?s claret fly named "Patricia." However, I wanted a fly that looked a little more "buggy" with a darker color scheme. After some experimentation, I found the color combination of claret and copper to be very attractive to summer steelhead. The Brazilian also does well as a come "back fly." If a steelhead refuses my first offering, I?ll switch to it and often get the fish to commit. If I?m fishing a two fly...

Tied on a 15mm shank, this little intruder has all the characteristics of its big brother: it moves and breathes while maintaining a profile. Brett Jensen, Fly Designer: In the early seventies, fly tying materials were as hard to find as a ?Sasquatch.? Back then, the only reliable options for tying materials were from mail order companies. But, from the very beginning, even with limited access to basic materials, Brett knew he only wanted to fish with patterns of his design. Steelhead have...

Brett Jensen, fly designer, has this to say about his Obie Skater: The performance of the Obie Skater clearly comes from the 2mm foam lip tied right behind the eye of the hook. The hair wing adds support and helps to strengthen the fly's stability. I tie this pattern both with a short and a long body. Both patterns fish well. However, I find the short body pattern is best suited for traditional tail outs or holding water that is soft, slow and smooth. The long body version of this fly fishes...

(1) ea. Chartreuse Stinger Prawn, Skagit Minnow, Bead Head Big Bunny Leech

Hairy, and furry like the Star Wars character, chewy like a piece of soft steelhead egg candy. Steelhead, trout and Dollies with teeth BEWARE. Chewey?s Velcro properties will hang this fly in your mouth longer than a northern sunset. Weighted on top to keep the fly deep, without the point rubbing rocks. ?Bird beak? hook point has excellent holding power when barbless.

Double Agent Fly, Green and BlackThe black/green combo is the original version that is used when either fishing over spooky fish in gin clear conditions or when trying to actually mimic an existing aquatic food source. It has also worked great as trailer to a larger fly when either nymphing or even stripping a streamer/soft hackle setup.Double Agent Fly, Red and BlackIn an effort to increase the visibility and contrast of this fly, an orange bead and wire were added, while still keeping the...

Coachman Bucktail Steelhead FlyFrom the mists of time came the Coachman Fly. In one form or another it could have been represented in the original collection by Dame Juliana in 1496, and may have been ancient even then. There is evidence that as soon as the human race developed metal fish hooks, they started to attach feathers and hair to them. Herl body flies have probably been around since the first metal fish hooks came into the proximity of peacocks. Brown chicken hackles are common...

The wing of a prince nymph, the abdomen of a Copper John. A more durable synthetic thorax, instead of peacock. White wings = Swan. Swan rhymes with John. No awards for originality here. Just a unique design blended from the optimum ingredients of two best selling flies, on a hook to hold anything transitioning from salt water.

Dave's Lightning Stone, PurpleMore evidence that trout and steelhead see ultraviolet colors.

December Day Steelhead Fly First tied by Tom Larimer, the December Day Steelhead Fly has been proven to be useful during late fall / early winter when water temperatures are falling. This has proven to be a great Deschutes River fly during both clear water and turbid water times. It is one of the flies that raises fish to a floating line wet-fly swing, even when water temperatures are pretty cold. It is also proven on the Sandy River in late fall and early winter, but with sinking tip lines....

Who couldn't use a little pink once in a while? Thousands of Coho agree. So do Chinooks and steelhead. These Wogs are a delicious shade of wiggly, sparkly pink with just enough flame orange and pearl for accent.Tied on extra strong, chemically sharpened nickel plated hooks, and weighted with nickel plated brass eyes, these flies may be fished in both saltwater and fresh water, which makes them perfect for fishing estuaries, where fish are fresh and bright. These flies may be fished with either...

Jon Hazlett says: I'll never forget the first time I saw an Intruder. I was running the fly shop that used to be in the Ashland Outdoor Store. Mike McCune came down to teach a Spey clinic for us. That weekend, while hanging out at my house, he opened one of his fly boxes. I had never seen such a thing. He had a stable of flies up to 5 inches long. And they were awesome! He referred to them as Intruders. He gave me a brief tutorial on design, function, and rigging. Mike, being the humble guy he...

Egg Sucking Leech, BlackEvolving in Alaska, this became one of the universal flies for trout, char and salmon. It is now used nearly everywhere along the west coast for steelhead and salmon.Egg Sucking Leech, PurpleThe purple egg sucker is a popular fly, particularly east of the Cascades when water temperatures drop in the fall.

Larimer's Egg Sucking Loop SculpinThe Loop Sculpin is a spinoff from the Loop Leech. Like the leech, the Sculpin has a loop of 30 pound Fire Line braid threaded through the rabbit strip body. The stinger hook is looped into the fire line. This design has a number of things going for it. First, the long rabbit strip creates a seductive swimming motion that brings the fly to life in the water. Furthermore, the single rabbit strip creates a large profile though still casts easily considering the...

Fly du Jour: Considered by many experienced anglers to be the very best Deschutes River summer steelhead fly!The "Fly du Jour" has been proven on all sizes of rivers and over a wide range of water temperatures and conditions. It is one of the have-to-have flies no matter where you fish steelhead along the Pacific Rim. The pattern was an instant success when it was introduced in 1990. In the space of a couple of weeks, two different groups of clients who didn't know each other called it the Fly...

Charles St. Pierre designed the Foxee Dog anadromous fish fly series using traditional, proven proportions, but used the latest materials and tying techniques. Following the lines of the famous Nordic Atlantic Salmon Temple Dog Series, the Foxee Dog Series is tied on Waddington Shanks rather than tubes. This places the hook back further toward the rear of the fly, because Pacific Coast fish often grab from the rear of the fly. Foxee Dog flies are tied with a combination of arctic fox and Angel...

The classic versions of the Spey and General Practitioner flies are as effective and legendary as they are beautiful. If a steelhead and salmon angler had to make a choice between the two of these flies and could fish only one, the process of choosing might take the better part of a fishing day and require a Tylenol chaser. Innovative Northwest steelhead, salmon, and spey-casting angler Charles St. Pierre has created another unique fly by combining the best attributes of two legendary flies to...

The 1960 to 1980 era will probably be considered the Golden Age of waking fly development in the Pacific Northwest. One of the early pioneers is Harry Lemire of Black Diamond, Washington. He is credited with the development of a fly he named the Grease Liner. Many Pacific Northwest and British Columbia steelhead have been taken with it. It was tied with a black dubbed body, sparse grizzly hackle, and chestnut colored deer hair wing and tail. Other tyers copied Harry's fly and added their own...

Green Ant Steelhead BucktailThis somber fly has proven itself as a top producer of Deschutes steelhead for at least the past fifteen seasons. It is extremely effective on early season A-run fish and always a good bet for a come-back fly after you've moved a steelhead with a brighter fly. We have modernized this classic fly by having it tied with the latest materials on Alec Jackson Steelhead Iron hooks. Super Premium Quality! ...

This fly was originated by Dan Callahan on the North Umpqua River. However the "Green Butt" is proven on all sizes of rivers and a wide range of water temperatures and conditions. It is one of the have-to-have flies no matter where you fish steelhead along the Pacific Rim. We have modernized this classic fly by having it tied with the latest materials on gold colored Alec Jackson Steelhead Iron hooks. Don't worry, this version is thoroughly proven. We've been using Green Butt Skunks on various...

Guide IntruderBy: Scott HowellNow that I make a living on the water guiding every day, my extended sessions creating at the vice are over. I now simply need to have proven fly patterns in my box that I have ultimate confidence in. When it comes to Intruders, I have narrowed my arsenal down to two basic styles. The first of these that probably defines my contribution to the Intruder pattern is the Signature Series Intruder. This is a saddle hackle "shellback" Intruder that has already been...

No other material moves in the water like wet rabbit strip. Every hair comes to life. Its recent popularity in new age steelhead flies can not be over estimated. Flies, which display a lot of life-like movement, are most successful under the widest range of conditions. According to our correspondence with Oregon Marine Science Center biologist, Dr. William Pearcy, West Coast steelhead eat a lot of squid while at sea. According to stomach sample autopsies from steelhead caught beyond the...

Jeff Hickman is a very popular local fly fishing guide who grew up in the Mt. Hood area and hung out at The Fly fishing Shop in Welches, Oregon during his formative years. Here is what he says about his Fish Taco series of flies: "When I get hungry, there is one thing that always comes to mind?a fish taco. It is the one thing that I don?t ever get sick of. The hunt for the best taco cart around is full time?and the fish taco is always the best indicator of the cart?s cuisine. I would say that...

As tied by Charles St. PierreThis is a fly that could be fished on the swing for steelhead and salmon year round using anything from a Skagit head and a heavy sink tip to a full floating line and long leader. Named after two legendary Pacific Northwest steelhead rivers and influenced by numerous northwest "Intruder" fly variations, this fly was designed with a full calendar year's worth of fishing in mind. The ease with which this fly is cast along with its effectiveness, and the variations of...

According to Tom Larimer, "A product of late night tying after one too many shots of Irish whiskey dropped into Guiness Stout. It's a great searching pattern in low light periods during the summer. However, the "Car Bomb" really shines on rainy days with heavy overcast skies."

Joe Gert Steelhead Fly The Joe Gert was first tied by Mike Duley for Joe The Barber while camping at Gert Canyon on the Deschutes River. To our knowledge, Joe Gert is the first fly to use round rubber leg material for the wing and tail of a conventional steelhead wet fly. The motion of the rubber wing & tails swims and crawls through the water with life mimicking movement. There are some copies of the Joe Gert out there but most miss the whole point by being too sparse in the wing. The idea is...

The Felon came to life in the tying vise of world champion spey distance caster, Travis Johnson.The Felon has been a very successful Deschutes pattern. It is usually fished just below the surface film with a floating line.With a picture like the one above suppied by JC Christenson, no futher words are needed.In the words of Tim Rajeff, that master of prose, "Get out there."

Travis Johnson's "Get-Cha-Some" is a careful blend of proven traditional proportions with both natural and space age synthetic fibers. This fly was designed to come alive when wet, swimming with a seductive action. It is at once easily seen by the fish, but the subdued colors are non-threatening. The Get-Cha-Some is a proven come-back fly, often taking fish that that have risen to, but refused a gaudier offering.Travis says, "It seemed that for an entire season nearly every client showed up...

Johnson's Hanky Panky Steelhead Fly Travis Johnson: "Well sometimes even your pet can be a muse. I named this fly after my yellow lab Henry (Hank for short). He is a wild, high energy, free spirit. I wanted a sparse fly that would produce its own background. (The flash in the wing really gets it done.) The classic steelhead colors of purple and chartreuse can't really ever be beat. The elongated butt with a veil over it provides great visual stimulus for the steelhead. I like to believe that...

Travis Johnson says of his Outlaw Fly: I like tying steelhead flies, a lot. I also love looking in peoples steelhead fly boxes. I am not afraid to try something new for steelhead either. With all that in mind, I developed this fly for the purpose of minimal zing body materials to allow focus on the wing and the tail. In the case of the ?Johnson?s Outlaw? I use arctic fox in a bit fuller wing with the idea that it would provide its own background. What really happened was exactly that, but it...