FLYMPH FORUM

Ray, Tim, and others who also swing flies for steelhead:

This question was inspired by the mending post, but I didn't want to hijack that thread. Something I've been wondering about is how does the wet fly swing compares to the steelhead swing?

I do both, but am equally inexperienced at both techniques. Having said that, when swinging for (non-potamodramous) trout, I've had takes at all stages of the swing, whereas I've only had steelhead hit a taut line. (So this effects how I mend, which is the tie to the earlier post). I do know people who will do a dead-drift kind of thing before the fly swings (for steelhead) not only intended to get the fly to depth, but I've never had success with it (nor have I actually seen anyone do so). And then there's what some folks call swimphing...

I'm curious if, for those of you all who do both, you see the techniques used as the same, as different, or just related?

Chris

I think the techniques are for the most part interchangeable. I have incorporated a lot of the basic Spey casts into my single handers trout fishing with fine returns. It all just adds to your bag of tricks and ability to present the fly in a variety of ways. I have never been one to really conform though to this or that presentation for this or that species. The water and position of fish along with the type fly often determines the presentation for me.

As far as the dead drift then swing or just the swing, I definitely use both and commonly with the same fly depending on the water type and the depth I want to achieve with the presentation. I get more bites at the point of change from drift to swing as the fly begins to raise in the column from the tension of the beginnings of the swing. But, this is is also my target time. I specifically try to get his to happen where I think the fish are located. So there is bias at that point.

I would say that my swing is the same.

Like Carl, I fish the swing varying it more for the water fished than the fish. Steelhead are Rainbow trout and take drifted nymphs, eggs, attractors and bait just like resident trout. Whether or not you can feel a subtle take of a Steelhead or other trout on a slack line is more a matter of experience. Takes and refusals happen in the blink of a eye and are missed by the majority of fishermen without visual clues, taught lines, or indicators.

Hi Chris,

I don't know that there's a difference, really. The act of fishing a fly on the swing depends on the water-speed and depth. Presenting the fly in a manner that makes the target species likely to take it depends on environmental factors such as water speed, clarity, and temperature. We can also adjust lines, leaders, fly size and weight options to achieve the presentation we desire. As a rule, the cold water we frequently fish in Western NY, I find a deeper and slower swing to be "generally" more effective...but there are no absolutes, and have had fish chase streamers and rise through the water column to take flies on the swing in very cold water. I suppose it would be appropriate to add acclimatization to the water temp as a factor as well.

This is probably an over simplified answer - but at the end of the line, it is the fish that have the vote. Experiment!

I think it is safe to say that we'd need a spud or ice auger for fishing earlier this week!

Best,

Tim

A kindly chap took pity on me a few years back when I was fishing a local steelhead river and offered a few suggestions. His recommendation was to cast more or less straight across, then mend immediately, and follow the line with the rod tip as the fly swung below me. As it neared straight down stream, he suggested leading the line with the rod tip to finish out the swing. (It's a lot easier to visualize this on stream than while writing about it.) Using his suggestion, and fishing the spot he recommended, I was able to catch my first steelhead on a fly a few weeks later. I was using a sink tip line and a heavily weighted fly. Not the most pleasant combination to cast, particularly with my lack of skill.
The same guy also let me try his Sage spey rod while he rigged my floating line with a chunk of lead core and a tungsten bead fly. There are some nice people out there.

JohnP wrote: The same guy also let me try his Sage spey rod while he rigged my floating line with a chunk of lead core and a tungsten bead fly. There are some nice people out there.

John, that sounds like an interesting rig. Kind of a "married up" fix for a sink tip....... I like that way of thinking.
Can you explain more on how the leadcore was attached? Both at the fly line and the leader to leadcore? Sounds like something I might like to try.

I'll shoot you a pm, Jeff.