What flies? When?

I have been searching and cannot find adequate information. Can anyone help explain what flies perform best in the different seasons for steelhead? Also, any suggestions on where to find fly usage info for bass in the spring, summer & fall? Thank you.

Forget the pattern confidence is all you need. Presentation is more important then what your putting in front of them to eat. Thats my take as a non fly fisherman.

Well all the "confidence" in the world won't make a fish bite the wrong offering, but I get the point. Fish do some strange things and once in awhile they will bite even a bare hook. But I do believe there are certain things that work better than others.

good advice pwk, i'll go through 6 or 7 different patterns/colors before I give up on a stretch that I think is holding fish.

you know pinner, i was always a firm believer in super small split shots. was fishing with my buddy who's an excellent steelheader and his rig had some honker split shot on. he said you gotta get down to the fish. so i started using larger shots and whammo, been catching alot more fish.

I fished 4 days straight twice this year.  Did a lot of walking and tried a lot of different things trying to see what would work.  The most important thing I found out was right drift and right weight.  Weight was the biggest lesson learned this season.  I always went light not wanting to spook the fish.  I can pretty much say now that I had a lot of unproductive days cause I was blowing the fly right by or right over the fish.  I really think we can all learn a lot form the pinners who seem to get drift right more often that not.

ORIGINAL: fisherofmen376

"I really think we can all learn a lot form the pinners"

Somebody just threw up in their mouth

Oh, I think more than one.

Three major fly patterns are really all you need to catch steelies and they will bite one or more of these pretty much any time.  As noted above, size and color matters when the flow is high or low, off color, etc...

Pattern one - streamers
These would be the woolly buggers, minnow patterns, picket pins, mickey fins, polar shrimp, salmon flies, etc...  The idea is something that looks a bit like a minnow.  Size usually around an #8 to #12, but increase or decrease according to conditions.  Colors that have been successful for me have been silver, olive, blue, orange, gold and black.

Pattern two - eggs
These would be your sucker spawn, glo bugs, moe eggs,etc...  I like a #14 most of the time with up to #10 for the high water and #16 for low and clear.  Colors, pink, yellow, white, orange and light green.

Pattern Three - nymphs
These would be pheasant tails, prince nymphs, hares ears, caddis, small stoneflies, etc...  Size #14 to #16.  I usually do not fish these when the water is high.  I prefer to fish  nymphs in low and clear.  Most patterns are in natural, dull colors like black, dark gray, olive, brown, tan, etc...

As noted above getting the right drift and weight is very important.  You need a natural drift where the fly is not being dragged along.  You should also try to keep the fly near the bottom. 

Tandem rigs can work as well.  Try a glo bug with a nymph dropper.  Put the dropper about 12 inches or so behind the glo bug.

Good luck fishing.