Helpful ReplySteelie and Brown Flies 
Divemaster
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Steelie and Brown Flies
Next trip for Steelies is in two weeks so figured I'd start tying now :). Reason I'm asking is because while we've been fishing erie for 10 years in the lake, this weekend was only the second time we've gone after steelhead in the tribs, and unfortunately both times have been complete failures (probably a combination of both its a bit too early I'm guessing and the fact that I forgot my fly rod at home both times which I'm much more handy with in streams than spinning tackle), however we did do pretty good on them in open water this year. From what I've read here and other places the best flies seem to be glo bugs, wooly buggers, and emerald shiner imitations. Anything else that tends to work well for steel? Also, are there any flies that work better for those big 'ol brownies that are in there? After seeing some pictures of the Browns that have come out of the tribs I need to catch one or two this season, and steelhead too, since they're the main target!
Don't want to spot burn so I'll just say I was at walnut today and leave it at that. There weren't too many in there compared to the pictures I've seen but I did lose a big ~26-28"r a bit upstream after it tore down a large riffle. Going to be much easier to fish these things once there's more in the creeks and I can noodle some glo bugs in small eddies and undercut banks!
Thanks for helping out a new steelhead angler, all!
-Sean
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Hobart121
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/09/28 03:10:36
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Classic nymph patterns such as hares ear nymphs work well from what I've heard. But I too am a novice steelheader.
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countryfisher
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/09/28 11:06:40
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Try some pheasant tails and prince nymph variations.
Especially behind a crystal meth or sucker spawn if there's more color and flow.
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johnthefisherman
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/09/28 11:14:45
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Also look up the Miracle Nymph, and a few caddis patterns, I like Defrank's Blue Steel Caddis. Oh, and when the thaw occurs in the spring, black stonefly nymphs are unbeatable.
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pikepredator2
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/09/28 12:37:37
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most of my fish have been caught using sucker spawn in yellow, orange, pink, white, and chartreuse, sizes 8-12. small single eggs size 10 and 12. big fan of the otter's soft eggs. I have a black wooly with a hint of blue flash that I love. small BH peach estaz egg.
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fishnnut
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/09/28 16:11:25
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Try the sucker spawn in a peach/green pattern.
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/09/28 19:02:14
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Thanks for all the responses guys! I have a dozen or so sucker spawns in various colors so I should be good in that department, and pretty good numbers of various types of nymphs too. Just tied up some egg sucking leaches before so all I need at this point are some glo bugs. Which I for some reason suck at tying as simple as they are so I'll have to make a trip to field and stream sometime soon. Anyone have any good patterns for streamers? I mostly just tie them my own style and that tends to work pretty well but I'm sure there's some guys out there who have perfected the steelhead shiner or sculpin imitation down to the last knot.
post edited by Divemaster - 2015/09/28 19:04:13
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johnthefisherman
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/09/28 19:51:38
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Lucky13
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/09/28 20:22:33
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Nice video and website! Thanks.
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/01 15:35:48
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Thanks for the link! Tied up one of those last night and hopefully I'll have time to do a few more tonight after I get back from the local (pgh) creek. I'll see how well they work come Sunday!
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/03 15:49:14
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Anyone do any good today? Somehow the fishing was worse for us today than last weekend and we didn't even catch one last week. Started out at 5:30 on walnut and didn't see a single fish so moved to elk after a while and found a nice school holding in some pocket water that would not respond to ANYTHING we presented. I tried glo bugs, sucker spawn, wooly buggers, emerald imitations, and even egg sacs on my fly rod and could not get one of the dozens of fish to even hit, same story with my dad. Meanwhile there's a kid standing right next to me that got there half an hour after us and left half an hour before that limits out on steel using single eggs. We go back to try walnut after that and see a few farther upstream that are once again, unresponsive and even scared of our flies. What the heck is going on here, is fishing always this horrendous?!
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Guest
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/03 17:24:02
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☄ Helpfulby FiveMilePete 2015/10/03 19:58:06
Are you using fluoro leaders? 6# is ideal for minimizing break offs, but sometimes 4# makes a difference in these conditions.
Blackbird or similar dull, very tiny shot? Very dull color and tiny is a must.
Very, very small or no indicator/bobber?
Single eggs & shiners on a size 18 hook are hard to beat for the early season when conditions are like this if you're intent on drifting.
Also, a good strategy in those conditions when they don't want the junk you're drifting is to go big. Not a fly guy, so for me that means soft plastics up to 3" or another type of jig. Many use flatfish lures or other similar things in these early season conditions. Let it drift downstream and work it in front of their face. Guess you'd be looking for a big streamer or emerald shiner pattern. A little bit counterintuitive considering most of what you read about steelhead, but it works.
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/03 21:16:22
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I'm using 6# mono for my leader. Using a pretty small splitshot when needed and no extra weight on flies with weight in them already. For strike indicators I forgot my thingamabobbers at the cottage this morning (I'll be sure to use them tomorrow) so I was using all I had on me which were done trout magnet floats, about the same size I believe. I'll try some bigger streamers tomorrow if I'm not getting any action. Have a few 5.5" or 6" pike flies I can use if necessary but I think a 2-3" shiner imitation would work better, though that didn't work today.
post edited by Divemaster - 2015/10/03 21:17:55
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Guest
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/03 21:42:41
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Get some fluoro leader if you're drifting. Makes a difference, even in stained water, at least in my experience. split shot color/brightness too - need it to be dull and not shiny. Blackbird size BB 3 in these conditions.
post edited by rsquared - 2015/10/03 21:59:58
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/03 22:25:46
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Thanks, I'll change the leader to six pound fluoro in the morning.
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Flyguy638
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/04 15:32:15
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One of our members developed a great streamer pattern called the triple threat and you might find it in the fly tying section , simple but deadly
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johnthefisherman
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/04 20:11:08
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Some good suggestions here.. Also, when it's clear, make sure you switch your flies out often. Oh, and a good thing to do is tie a glo bug color that you can see underwater, and tie a small nymph on behind that in a tandem rig, in effect using the egg as both a fly and a makeshift indicator. The fishing was very tough all around this weekend, with the low, clear water, and lack of rainfall. I think about every fly guy I talked to this weekend, myself included, struggled. Walnut, there were fish in Manchester, but they were extremely skittish, and were acting as if theyd seen a ghost when your fly drifted by. Had to work like a dog to catch two there in seven hours Saturday, and I don't think I saw a legit hook up there Sunday. Oh, and of course, had an encounter with some A-hole with an earing there today, there was about a 5-6 foot space between him and the guy to his left, I was standing there behind them, leaving them plenty of room to cast, not fishing, just watching the fish, checking out the water, and debating whether I should squeeze in somewhere, or move on, when this guy suddenly turns around and flips the hell out about how he "hates fishing with people up his a**, and how if I want that spot so bad, I should just take it, cuz he's done. And he then goes down and gives the same exact spiel to some other guy who was just watching as well. Point is, don't get discouraged, the best is yet to come. These fish have been beaten up day in and day out, and unfortunately, the run is behind schedule this year, with the warm September, and the fact that we've really only had one good blow out so far.
post edited by johnthefisherman - 2015/10/04 20:12:21
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/04 20:36:22
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I'll try that tandem rig next weekend. I had one at walnut this morning but it jumped out of our small net (need to invest in a big steelhead net) and soon after jumped the hook, saw a few hook ups today but not many. Hopefully the rain we are supposed to get Friday brings the creeks up a good bit. Thanks for the tips, man!
post edited by Divemaster - 2015/10/04 20:37:37
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fisherofmen376
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/04 23:12:26
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Great tips already given. In this water clarity flouro is a must.
I got two on streamers and three on single eggs, all on the noodle rod on Friday in about 5 hours of fishing. Fish were schooled up in deep holes with NO FISH in between. Most fly guys I saw were spookin the fish. There's hardly any flow at all right now.
Thanks to 6 point 7 for giving me your spot in the evening. Great way to end the day! I wish I woulda had more daylight. I walked a few miles in the dark back downstream to my car. I ain't normally scurred, but I was scurred! Walkin thru tubes at night with no flashlight. I kept saying "one more cast" and all of a sudden it was dark with howling winds. I won't do that again! Started havin crazy thoughts! Walked from the trestle to the mouth of elk in almost pitch black.
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19
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countryfisher
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/05 12:26:38
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☄ Helpfulby FiveMilePete 2015/10/05 23:17:54
Fishing Manchester on a nice weekend in October with low clear water but he doesn't like fishing like that... well NOBODY likes fishing like that! Too bad that's guaranteed in those conditions so if you wanna try to fish there then deal. Otherwise figure something else out.
Early season is the worst. Keep telling myself I gotta try the whole streamers wading out near the mouths thing, but I haven't yet...
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/05 14:34:26
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Didn't realize how bad the crowds would be as it is my first steelhead season, so I really don't plan on fishing spots like that again during the weekends, maybe during the week days if I get a chance or two. Probably going to stick to the less crowded spots even if I catch less as neither my dad nor I are fans of crowds like that, part of the reason I love Wild brookie fishing in north central PA, don't see one person all day haha.
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H3Fisher
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/05 14:46:29
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Divemaster
Didn't realize how bad the crowds would be as it is my first steelhead season, so I really don't plan on fishing spots like that again during the weekends, maybe during the week days if I get a chance or two. Probably going to stick to the less crowded spots even if I catch less as neither my dad nor I are fans of crowds like that, part of the reason I love Wild brookie fishing in north central PA, don't see one person all day haha.
Its going to be packed everyday now till it gets cold. And will get worst after some days of rain. But walking will lead you to areas with less people and fish.
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fisherofmen376
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/05 20:03:49
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And the runn iz ovur. Crowds flock to streams to katch suckers.
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19
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FiveMilePete
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/05 23:16:12
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johnthefisherman
Some good suggestions here.. Also, when it's clear, make sure you switch your flies out often. Oh, and a good thing to do is tie a glo bug color that you can see underwater, and tie a small nymph on behind that in a tandem rig, in effect using the egg as both a fly and a makeshift indicator.
The fishing was very tough all around this weekend, with the low, clear water, and lack of rainfall. I think about every fly guy I talked to this weekend, myself included, struggled. Walnut, there were fish in Manchester, but they were extremely skittish, and were acting as if theyd seen a ghost when your fly drifted by. Had to work like a dog to catch two there in seven hours Saturday, and I don't think I saw a legit hook up there Sunday. Oh, and of course, had an encounter with some A-hole with an earing there today, there was about a 5-6 foot space between him and the guy to his left, I was standing there behind them, leaving them plenty of room to cast, not fishing, just watching the fish, checking out the water, and debating whether I should squeeze in somewhere, or move on, when this guy suddenly turns around and flips the hell out about how he "hates fishing with people up his a**, and how if I want that spot so bad, I should just take it, cuz he's done. And he then goes down and gives the same exact spiel to some other guy who was just watching as well.
Point is, don't get discouraged, the best is yet to come. These fish have been beaten up day in and day out, and unfortunately, the run is behind schedule this year, with the warm September, and the fact that we've really only had one good blow out so far.
Well, if I were flyfishing, I would ask you nicely to move away, and if you didn't I would take your hat off with a well placed back cast. Or something like that.
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FiveMilePete
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/05 23:20:58
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fisherofmen376
Great tips already given. In this water clarity flouro is a must.
I got two on streamers and three on single eggs, all on the noodle rod on Friday in about 5 hours of fishing. Fish were schooled up in deep holes with NO FISH in between. Most fly guys I saw were spookin the fish. There's hardly any flow at all right now.
Thanks to 6 point 7 for giving me your spot in the evening. Great way to end the day! I wish I woulda had more daylight. I walked a few miles in the dark back downstream to my car. I ain't normally scurred, but I was scurred! Walkin thru tubes at night with no flashlight. I kept saying "one more cast" and all of a sudden it was dark with howling winds. I won't do that again! Started havin crazy thoughts! Walked from the trestle to the mouth of elk in almost pitch black.
I always carry a little LED light in my bag since I almost got stuck once. That was 15 years ago.
post edited by FiveMilePete - 2015/10/05 23:22:30
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/06 07:16:41
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fisherofmen376
And the runn iz ovur. Crowds flock to streams to katch suckers.
Well, if they're big enough suckers haha. I will admit I love fishing for Redhorse and Buffalo in the Allegheny, though.
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/06 07:17:49
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FiveMilePete
fisherofmen376
Great tips already given. In this water clarity flouro is a must.
I got two on streamers and three on single eggs, all on the noodle rod on Friday in about 5 hours of fishing. Fish were schooled up in deep holes with NO FISH in between. Most fly guys I saw were spookin the fish. There's hardly any flow at all right now.
Thanks to 6 point 7 for giving me your spot in the evening. Great way to end the day! I wish I woulda had more daylight. I walked a few miles in the dark back downstream to my car. I ain't normally scurred, but I was scurred! Walkin thru tubes at night with no flashlight. I kept saying "one more cast" and all of a sudden it was dark with howling winds. I won't do that again! Started havin crazy thoughts! Walked from the trestle to the mouth of elk in almost pitch black.
I always carry a little LED light in my bag since I almost got stuck once. That was 15 years ago.
Yup, have to have some kind of light. Headlamps work well for the pitch black at five in the morning.
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johnthefisherman
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/10/06 09:15:59
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FiveMilePete
johnthefisherman
Some good suggestions here.. Also, when it's clear, make sure you switch your flies out often. Oh, and a good thing to do is tie a glo bug color that you can see underwater, and tie a small nymph on behind that in a tandem rig, in effect using the egg as both a fly and a makeshift indicator.
The fishing was very tough all around this weekend, with the low, clear water, and lack of rainfall. I think about every fly guy I talked to this weekend, myself included, struggled. Walnut, there were fish in Manchester, but they were extremely skittish, and were acting as if theyd seen a ghost when your fly drifted by. Had to work like a dog to catch two there in seven hours Saturday, and I don't think I saw a legit hook up there Sunday. Oh, and of course, had an encounter with some A-hole with an earing there today, there was about a 5-6 foot space between him and the guy to his left, I was standing there behind them, leaving them plenty of room to cast, not fishing, just watching the fish, checking out the water, and debating whether I should squeeze in somewhere, or move on, when this guy suddenly turns around and flips the hell out about how he "hates fishing with people up his a**, and how if I want that spot so bad, I should just take it, cuz he's done. And he then goes down and gives the same exact spiel to some other guy who was just watching as well.
Point is, don't get discouraged, the best is yet to come. These fish have been beaten up day in and day out, and unfortunately, the run is behind schedule this year, with the warm September, and the fact that we've really only had one good blow out so far.
Well, if I were flyfishing, I would ask you nicely to move away, and if you didn't I would take your hat off with a well placed back cast. Or something like that.
I don't think I was crowding this guy, at all, but if he woulda asked me to move, I woulda. And, of course, watched him take his two probably lined fish home on his blue rope. I guess, as I say, in Erie, there ain't never enough fish, we always need rain, and yer always p*ssin somebody off. That said, usually never even bother fishing Manchester on a weekend, unless it's up. As the season goes on, and the creeks come up a bit, the fish will spread out a bit, the numbers will increase, and give ya a bit more elbow room.
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Divemaster
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/12/02 20:12:33
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Not sure if I'm going to get answers or get yelled at for asking, but, have any patterns been particularly hot lately? I'm going up soon for would could possibly be the last time this calendar year (hopefully not!) and the goal is to catch and land at least one fish for the weekend. We've been skunked the last three times or broken off in the two cases I hooked one and it's driving me crazy LOL.
Also, for those of you who've been fishing lately, would a better strategy for now be to go with fly fishing or will the fish be more inclined to take eggs under floats with the cold/low water?
Thanks!
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H3Fisher
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Re: Steelie and Brown Flies
2015/12/02 20:39:52
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In the creeks globugs and minnow imitation. Very light tippet, waters been clear. Lost a couple this past weekend on small beadhead nymphs also.
Conditions are ruff. If you can try to holdoff till day after rain.
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