4 lb test for Salmon River steelies?

[albacized]

Pretty much everyone I've talked to who fishes upstate NY for steelhead mentioned that they use 4 lb test. I'm just trying to figure out if 6 or 8 lb will work. If not, is it a matter of visibility, the way the heavier line affects the drift or some other issue? Would flouro make any difference? If I make the trek, I'd like to actually land one of these bad boys:)

[lowwall]

In low cold water you may have to go that low but a good small dia 6 or 8lb floro will do it. Amazing how some 8LB tippet materials are the same dia of 4lb of others. Smaller dia they are though the least abrasion resistant they are. I have a love hate relationship with Orvis Mirage for this reason.

That and fish like you would for trout , nymphing mostly with indicators or swinging streamers if you like a challenge.

You will see allot of guys "fishing" differently then most places. The worst of them use small hooks (16-14) hooks wrapped with a little thread. Other use the standard offerings. They use allot of weight typically and a long tippet and keep there rod pointed at the water there whole drift.( Think opposite of high stick nymphing).They usually let the line sweep the whole run they are fishing then hold the drift at the end. They will sometimes jerk the rod at the end of the drift, with the hope that the line/hook has entered a fishes mouth. They hook up more than anyone else usually, they foul hook fish more than anyone else too, as they are lining and snagging and not fishing. They really ruin things for guys who want to catch fish and not snag them.

[albacized]

Thanks a lot. I guess I'll just go armed with a little of each

[splitshot]

Usually lining is a problem during salmon season, not so much after that.

I think your last post is right on!

[JKelly]

Fished Salmon River this weekend nymphing with an indicator and the fishing was great. I used 3x to start and landed a bunch but broke some real nice fish off so I switched to 2x and still hooked plenty. All fish were hooked on size 6 sucker spawn and the color didn't matter. I rarely use less than 3x and don't use floro. 2 BB shot about 8 inches above the fly to get it down.

[lowwall]

Nice Fish!

My Buddies fished the DSR Saturday and caught a bunch of Browns pinning with 10MM Beads, Sunday they fished upriver and bailed early due to crowds and high dirty water down low. No steel caught for them.

Amazing how little weight you need to get down to where you need to be.

I usually use sz 10 for everything. Maybe I should tie some bigger stuff. Do you use the bigger flies in higher water? I have a tough time hooking up in higher water.

[bertberg]

Pretty much everyone I've talked to who fishes upstate NY for steelhead mentioned that they use 4 lb test. I'm just trying to figure out if 6 or 8 lb will work. If not, is it a matter of visibility, the way the heavier line affects the drift or some other issue? Would flouro make any difference? If I make the trek, I'd like to actually land one of these bad boys:)

with 4 lb test you'll hook many fish but you may not land any. I went for the first time about a month ago and was struggling to land fish with 7-8 lb test. Especially coming from salt water fly fishing it takes some practice to be REALLY gentle after the hook set in order to avoid losing fish. I did a lot better using 10 lb test with a small diameter (frog hair).

[Jim Miller]

My go to for steelies is 6lb flouro. One can land most any trout on that test. You can get a realistic drift with that diameter tippet. I try to fish where there is enough current to create a good drift and presentation.... on the bottom and fly first)

( I find a lot of guys use 4 or even 2 lb. tippets in the deep pools to "search" for steelies. The fish are lethargic in the winter and the combo of light tippet and small flies "find" them. YUP... they do get lined!!!!.. not sporting, but some are masters of this technique :confused:)

In high water it's tougher because you can't follow the fish if it takes off downstream. In high water I will go with 10lb flouro and bigger profile patterns. I like dark (black) in off color water... I think it contrasts and is noticed better.
Good fishing!
nice brace of steelies btw. :)

[Tynan]

6lb Fluro is the way to go. I went 1 for 3 on the steelies this weekend. Buddies managed a few as well. Fished Sat and a little on Sunday in the upper river. Took the wife and she loved it. She caught a nice colored rainbow on her 3rd drift but couldn't get a steel this time. She got the bug and can't wait to get back. Sat was tough with torrential rain and progressivly higher flows. Sunday was a wash as it got up to 2400 cfs.

[keithJ]

I've done fine with 10 pound test. Only fished up there a couple times but it didn't seem that the steel were leader shy.

[fleshfly]

As mentioned Lots of various techniques for the indy, or slinky fishing. In high pressure situations, in smaller water, I have scene fish move out of the way of a well presented egg, and then with the same tippet see them eat a nymph or go out of their way to smash a swung fly. In most cases this isn't the case as eggs are all usually all you need, and sometime they won't chew anything....but back to questions on tippet, for Swinging streamers I stick with 12lb. Most cases the strikes are sublte on the salmon, but occasionaly you'll get one that just drills it.

[jsynnott]

I was up there this past sun-mon in the higher water. i fished 6 and 8lb brown maxima and I like to fish this any time except really low clear water. that water always has a tint to it and the maxima is a pretty good match as well as indescrutable. I was fishing with a buddy who was using 10lb fluro and he broke off every fish he hooked ( I am a believer that cold water makes fluro brittle, i know others don't agree but...) I landed some nice browns this past week in DSR and some smaller steelhead, the bigger steelies got out in to the heavy current and found their way off the hook (but the line didn't break)

[fleshfly]

very interesting, good point, on the brown color choice, certainly make a lot of sense given the conditions on the salmon.

Maxima is the best stuff, and ties great knots.

[Kal9weight]

maxima does tie a great knot and the price is certainly right. however, a couple of years ago i made the permanent switch to drennan flurocarbon. it ties and equally good knot but is much spendier than the maxima. the diameter is a little off IGFA wise and for most circumstances 4, 5, or 6 will get the job done. i keep spools of 8 and 10lb for salmon and eventually get down to 3lb when it gets low and clear for dropbacks. but, i exclusively use a centerpin so getting the eats is what its all about (lining isn't my thing), i've found that drennan will straighten a hook before it snaps the lead 8/10 times. I have used maxima brown and am quite fond of it, but by the time you drive 300+ miles, pay the tolls, and get a room, a couple extra bucks for the best leader is small change and IMHO Drennan is the best.

[jsynnott]

I wil have to loook into that line, I do find that the Orvis stuff gets brittle
maxima does tie a great knot and the price is certainly right. however, a couple of years ago i made the permanent switch to drennan flurocarbon. it ties and equally good knot but is much spendier than the maxima. the diameter is a little off IGFA wise and for most circumstances 4, 5, or 6 will get the job done. i keep spools of 8 and 10lb for salmon and eventually get down to 3lb when it gets low and clear for dropbacks. but, i exclusively use a centerpin so getting the eats is what its all about (lining isn't my thing), i've found that drennan will straighten a hook before it snaps the lead 8/10 times. I have used maxima brown and am quite fond of it, but by the time you drive 300+ miles, pay the tolls, and get a room, a couple extra bucks for the best leader is small change and IMHO Drennan is the best.

[lowwall]

Will have to try that, Mirage is flaky at best.
Funny how addicting the centerpin is, a friend of mine tried it once and has not picked up a fly rod since. I am 50/50 , I FF the same as I CP, ( but 1/4 the drift!) like both the same with my preferance for the fly rod in water 1000 and under.

[Tynan]

Already debating getting a pin. Funny when I took a walk on the still the other day I thought about having a small pin for some of the runs.

[Kal9weight]

here is some 3lb drennan making quick work of a dropback steelie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp2RDTA4Jf8

Tynan, quit thinking about it and pull the trigger. I throw some 4lb on my pin and strap it to a 10'6" St. Croix rated for 2-6lb test....it makes those 10inch stockies a really good time.

[Tynan]

Kal, I just wasted an hour of work watching your vids thanks;).

[wheels36]

Ive been going to the salmon for over 20 years and tried all leader sizes for steel 4,5,6,8,10 and always seem to do best with 6 flouro in any conditions.