(a.k.a. Lessons I learned the hard way on the skunk, so you don’t have to)
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Hello fly fishy fam! I recently spent five days fishing solo and camping in Nor Cal before being joined by two of my best fishing buddies who were embarking on their first steelhead fishing adventure; we had an unforgettable week. It wasn’t easy, but we found a lot of success out there and I wanted to share some of the tips that kept me in the game. I’ve spent many weeks over the last 3 seasons targeting steelhead throughout CA,OR & WA and although I had opportunities, I was only able to land 1 large adult while nymphing near Seattle. This season I fully committed to the swing and was rewarded handsomely.
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1) When you start getting discouraged, you’re almost there. Don’t quit, fully commit — to the swing!
On my third morning, I texted Steve: “This is tough man, I’m about to start nymphing.”
No adults hooked. Spey cast great one minute, falling apart the next. Fished hard from dawn to dusk every day, only a few half-pounders. The demon of discouragement was setting up shop in my head, but I stayed true to the swing. "One more morning, then I suppose I'll nymph…"
Then — WHAM — a massive steelhead crushed my fly and broke me off after a short fight in a fast moving tailout. That one grab changed everything, I was on to something. It’s always darkest before dawn, and it really pays off if you don’t quit and fully commit.
2) Heavy water, heavy fish — calls for heavy line.
I kept snapping off while others told me: “I never go heavier than 2x!” or even “8-10 lb mono is plenty.” What was I doing wrong?
Turns out, most of those guys were nymphing or dead-drifting smaller flies and then swinging it “a bit” after the drift (shorter swings) — Even the swingers reported 50% of their fish caught on the drift — It works, yet these techniques differ from what brought me success.
My fish were hammering the fly on the swing, broadside, downstream, in heavy water.
After watching a 10-lbs of chrome violently smash my fly as it backflipped out of the water, instantly snapping 11-lb fluoro like dental floss, I rotated to 1x. I lost the fish, yet gained a new "favorite eat" core memory and a lesson learned which paid off in the following days.
They’re not leader-shy — Sure you can get by with a lighter line, until you meet a fish who proves you can’t.
3) Fly selection does matter.
Yeah, I’ve heard all the sayings:
“They’ll hit a tin can if it’s presented right.”
“They don’t eat in rivers, you’re just aggravating them for the grab.”
I’m sure there’s some truth in that, although you won’t catch me at the vice spinning up tin can imitations. I did meet a local who retained a massive hatcher and found a belly full of crayfish; solid intel.
All of that said, when fish are present or passing through and not grabbing, it’s time to go back to the top and switch it up.
One morning, my big dark pattern was getting smacked, suddenly they wanted no parts of it. It was still dark/overcast, what’s the deal? I could see fish moving through, so I walked back to the top for another pass, this time on a small #8 Assassin wet fly with chartreuse flash — WHAM! 5-lb hatchery fish on the 2nd swing, my first adult steelhead to hit the net.
I decided a 3rd pass was in order, this time a big olive/white intruder with a pink bead would yield a 6-lb wild fish.
Moral: Change flies when the bite goes cold, and don’t sleep on muddlers or the classic patterns.
5) Don’t get discouraged by other anglers — especially guys fishing gear or nymphing.
Ah yes, the dreaded “low-holers”. Can’t they tell you’re fishing your way downstream?!
You finally stick a few good fish, and suddenly a personal fan club starts following your truck around. There’s plenty of water for everyone and runs with no one fishing’em, what gives?
After bushwhacking for 15 minutes into a hidden run, only to watch a bait-dunker sprint to the bottom and to fish the best part before I could take a single cast I almost walked back up the thorn covered ravine that just did a number on my waders. Instead, I muttered a few choice curses, and thought: “No way, José, not today.”
I elected to swing all the way down to him, and ended up landing two adults before I made it halfway. By the time I released the 2nd fish, he was already hiking out with his oversized salmon net tucked between his legs. A victorious feeling, yet I was hoping he was going to stick around to congratulate me, and perhaps entertain a friendly discussion on etiquette; maybe next time!
On my final day of steelheading last season, I bumped into a gentlemen on my walk in who’d been nymphing eggs, going 3-for-3, including a large adult in the morning. He said, “I beat it up pretty good, bite’s over, it’s lunchtime, I’m done.”
I thought “dang, I’m late, that could have been my fish.” almost left —BUT decided to swing a big fly through anyway.
I hooked massive chrome hen, the biggest fish of my entire season, which proceeded to snap me off after I pressured her too hard in heavy water. A truly heartbreaking experience, 7 days of HARD fishing to hook a fish of that class, only to botch it. It was a long drive home, yet I learned several valuable lessons from that experience, I guess the bite wasn’t over after all.
💡Takeaways:
Stay committed, choose the right tools for the fish/water you are targeting, keep experimenting, and never let naysayers, other anglers or any “demons of discouragement” get in your head. Swinging for steelhead will test your patience and determination — yet when it all comes together, you’ll understand why we swingers live for the grab, and you will know there's nothing like swinging your way to a ride on the STEEL TRAIN!
-by Lyle Burlingame
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This is my first time riding something like this, but I plan to write more, I hope you enjoyed it and found it a little funny and somewhat helpful.
Please connect with me on instagram @tightlinetherapy or on Facebook if you’d like to support/follow my guiding and angling journey after a midlife corporate exodus and career change. 🙂
Fish hard. Fish safe. FISH ON! 🎣🤘🏻🫡
Posted by TightLineTherapy