An Eye for the Steelhead on Dry

An Eye for the Steelhead Dry

by Ken Morrish

Donny William’s take on the classic Quigley Dragon pinned neatly in the jaw of a Kispiox hen. Photo: Ken Morrish Pageto16

Brian Gies works a skater across the North Umpqua’s Split Rock run. Photo: Ken Morrish

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ne of the downsides of growing up and learning to fly fish in Northern California was that somewhere along the way, for whatever reason, I thought that the solution to virtually all angling challenges was simply to fish deeper. Not catching fish? Add some shot, break out the Teeny 400 or throw some larger lead eyes at the problem. I am embarrassed by all the lead and broken heads I have left on streambeds and river bottoms, but then again, with very few mentors, most of whom were dredgers and indicator fishermen, how was I to know that things could have been different?

In the early 90’s as I became increasingly interested in steelhead fishing, this bias stuck with me like a nasty cough. I truly thought that catching steelhead on dry flies was something that a few old freaks in tweed attempted, largely in vain. In my ignorance I quietly suspected that the sum total of all the steelhead ever caught on dries was likely less than my body weight, and I was convinced that I didn’t have enough precious fishing time to waste even a moment of it watching a clump of deer hair wake across a perfectly good piece of water.

Tony’s Umpqua That all changed in 1994 when I first spent a guided day with Tony Wratney. Even then he was a 25-year veteran to Oregon’s North Umpqua. As a teen he learned the river with the likes of Pat Lee who often fished a classic Steelhead Bee dead drift with great success. Tony and his buddies were and remain fanatical disciples of the river and fished it every conceivable way over the years, but one day in 1991 as he and Tim Cain worked a large stale pod of summer steelhead, they experienced a small epiphany. After having put four patterns fruitlessly over the fish, Tim, in an act of frustration, began jerking his fly wildly with his rod tip, mid swing, and the pool suddenly came alive. Numerous fish that were dormant to the classic wet fly swing were now chasing and slashing at his bug in abandon. The river they thought they fully knew was transformed into a new playing field of possibilities.

Tony quickly created a go-to dry fly that came to be known as the “Disk Skater” by modifying the riffle dancer. He first bent the front third of the hook shaft upwards and then, in a moment of brilliance, added the first

“In my ignorance I quietly suspected that the sum total of all the steelhead ever caught on dries was likely less than my body weight” Page 17

An EYe

for the STeelhead Dry

foam “dome” to a steelhead skater. He jokes that this is his only claim to fame, and steady as you lead the fly in, and at all costs avoid yanking or setting but if you have ever watched him fish you would beg to differ. Together Tim when the boil comes. This presentation favors flies that are designed to resist and Tony developed a unique style of fishing this and other dries that they diving under tension and most of them bear little resemblance to natural termed “chugging.” When I first learned this technique from Tony, my fishing insects. Alternatively traditional flies (and tubes) “at all costs style and preferences began a transformation, which continues even today. can be “hitched” with a series of half hitches (or The fact of the matter is that dry fly fishing can be incredibly effective (in hole in the side of a tube) placed roughly one avoid yanking some cases even more so than swinging wets) and it packs a rush that makes third of the shank length back from the eye. This or setting when even the most hardened steeleheader dizzy with excitement. Yet few are willing is a remarkably effective way to make almost any the boil comes” to give the technique a solid try due to our own preconfly consistently skate and skitter. ceptions and assumptions. How many times have steel Tony’s technique and my personal favorite is reeheaders begrudgingly been persuaded to try the dry, ferred to as “chugging.” In its most basic form it is the fished a single run with it to no avail and then happily same as skating but during the swing the angler employs switched back to the sink tip to fruitlessly beat their brains out a small wrist flick to lift and pulse the rod tip. The for the remainder of the day? Plenty. And what did they learn? pulse can be swift and sharp causing the fly to pop That dries don’t work. Think about that logic. The truth about and spit or it can be gentle, attractive and predictable dry fly fishing for steelhead is that for the self-assured angler who depending on conditions and preferences. In either case, the Morrish Pom Skater believes, and is first and foremost willing to tie the damn thing on, angler actively manipulates the fly to animate its movement. an incredibly exciting, explosive and productive angling experience awaits.

It is exciting to both fish and fishermen and according to Tony; “it appeals to the steelhead’s lateral line sensors and makes them want to take at least a Dry Fly Methods look or a tail swipe at it.”

There are a number of distinct ways to effectively fish dry flies for steelhead. The most esoteric and least practiced is the traditional “natural” or The Moment of Truth “dead drift” presentation. Since it is a poor way to quickly cover water and One of the beauties of fishing dry is the angler’s constant visual contact locate fish, few practice it but it can be very effective, especially when an with and control over the flies exact location, speed and trajectory. This angler has a strong understanding of a river’s established holding lies. In is also one of the pitfalls as anglers become so engaged with the bug that this style of fishing, large buggy somewhat traditional dry flies work best. they often react unpredictably when the boil comes. This is particularly Hoppers, salmonflies, October caddis and assorted rubber-legged foam true when the not so uncommon violent explosion occurs around the fly. concoctions all work well and anglers can approach the river exactly as So just remember to watch and not react; as often the first boil is a refusal they would a trout stream. In most cases this would mean fishing the or an honest miss and the fly will wake right out of the chaos without the smaller systems with an upstream approach and adapting to the larger slightest bit of tension. In some cases the fish the will boil on the fly three systems as needed. Since this technique is rarely employed deliberately, or more times in a single swing, so just keep you’re cool and wait for the each fish caught in this fashion receives a bonus point. Please see Tony’s weight. If it’s obvious that the fly has disappeared for several seconds or Umpqua Grading Scale sidebar for details. you feel the surge of the fish, lift slow and solid.

Then there is the classic down and across presentation, which is sim If the fish does not commit, you have choices. The best in both my ply referred to as “skating” or “waking.” The standard rules are to slow the and Tony’s opinion is to chill for a minute or two and let the fish settle swing down to that of the water speed or slower, to keep the rod tip high back into its lie. When guiding, Tony goes back with a muddler for no more Page 18

Top left: My largest dry fly fish rose to softly pulsed Pom Skater mid-day in broad sunlight when the water temp rose from 35 to 36.6°. Right: This sea bright BC April fish Page 19 was one of many that came after a Monster Skater in 40° water. Bottom left: A misty morning On Oregon’s North Umpqua. Photos: Ken Morrish

An EYe

for the STeelhead Dry Myth #4: Winter and spring steelhead don’t eat dries.

Contrary to popular belief winter and spring steelhead also eat dries in the right conditions. This is not for everyone but if you have fresh fish in shallow water, (chop and tailouts are best), they can respond remarkably well, especially in Skeena country. I once rose 8 big bright fish in a single day with 40-degree water temperatures and snow all over the banks. Interestingly, the same day my friends fished type 3 sink tips with hardly a pull between them. There was plenty of luck involved but there was no questioning the fishes’ aggressive response to the big dry.

Monster Skater

than two casts, then rests the fish again and tries a smaller dry. When fishing on his own, he goes aback at it with the same dry fly and presentation. If that doesn’t produce he will often move downstream, square up to the fish and try a more aggressive across stream popping presentation. If that fails he moves on to the next player.

Debunking Dry Fly Myths

Myth #1: Dries don’t work when the water is cold.

For whatever reason there is a widespread belief that dries don’t work when water temperatures are low. In the PNW folks often draw the line at 50-55 degrees. Up north they sour on the dry at roughly 45 degrees or October 5th, whichever comes first. Certainly, dries do work best in warmer temperatures with fresh active fish but they also work well when few if any are willing to tie them on. Pierce Clegg, longtime owner of Babine Norlakes Lodge has actually hooked and landed multiple steelhead in 32 degree water. My personal best dry fly fish came in 36.5 degree water. Fish adjust to their surrounding water temperatures but know that fishing a dry at dawn on a bitter cold morning is not as effective as fishing once the water warms a bit. A slight increase in water temperature is far more important than the base water temperature.

Myth#2: Dries don’t work well when there is sun on the water.

There is no doubt that low light and shadows are best, but as long as the angle of the light is relatively low, dries are worth a go. One may wisely choose to fish wet beteween11am and 3pm but I have seen plenty of fish eat well when the early rays are beating straight downstream in the morning hours.

Also note that fishing in the fall, especially in more northern latitudes, can be productive all day long in direct sunlight as the angle of the sun is essentially low throughout the day.

Myth #3: Dries don’t work in deep slow water.

As long as water visibility and the fore-mentioned conditions are met, fish will at times come up more than 12 feet to eat a dry. For big slow tanks I like big flies fished with a good deal of chugging action. The deeper the water, the bigger the fly. In shallow faster water stick with smaller flies and less action.

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Conclusions Throughout the calendar year and across a wide variety of conditions, dry fly fishing is sadly not the most effective way to catch steelhead. However, I consider it the most engaging, exciting, sporty and spectacularly unpredictable method. Dry fly fishing, (particularly chugging) is also a quick, efficient way to locate and activate fish and far more productive than most assume. Under stable summer steelheading conditions, Tony maintains that a good dry fly angler will move twice as many fish as a wet fly angler and ultimately land the same number of fish. For many of us, such a claim is hard to swallow, if not preposterous and feeds the mythology that prevents most of us from ever tying one on. Like all steelheading, dry fly fishing is mental game that ultimately boils down to confidence. If you were to watch Tony fish the rivers of the PNW and BC with a skater, as I have, you to would believe his claim. Keep your mind open to conducive conditions such as shade, well rested water, structured tailouts, rising water temperatures, low angle light, overcast light, as well as stale or dour conditions. Also never underestimate the power of fishing a method that differs from that of other anglers. Don’t wait to put it on until you are desperate, but rather put in on when the water looks too good to be true.

Be creative, animate the fly’s swing and fish it like it’s the tastiest thing a steelhead has ever seen. After a few soft boils, a subtle committed nose rise or a few explosive refusals, you too will begin to believe that a well-fished dry might in fact be the tastiest thing going.

“Tony maintains that a good dry fly angler will move twice as many fish as a wet fly angler and ultimately land the same number of fish.”

A large Bulkley buck contemplates the culprit: A black and green Pom skater.

Photo: Derek Botchford

Tackle

Rods: Faster action rods are preferred for dry line fishing. I like two-handed rods from 10.5’ to 13’ in line weights 6-8.

Lines: For casting all but the largest dries I prefer Scandi style heads. For really large dries I will use a Skagit or Rage type head.

For those anglers that fish relatively “open” rivers with plenty of room to create a deep “D loop” long bellied lines are also fine.

Leaders: I prefer 12-15’ Rio Salmon and Steelhead tapered knotless leaders in 12 and 16 pound test. I find floating poly leaders too limp in windy conditions. I also find heavy butt sections helpful in aiding turnover.

Tony’s Umpqua Grading Scale Method

Points

2 1.5 1 .5 0

Dead drift dry Skated dry Wet fly, dry line Sink tip or weighted fly Indicator nymphing

Seven Great Dry Fly Rivers Lower 48 The Trinity: Bonus points for pulling it off in the heart of indicator country The North Umpqua: The ultimate playing field for testing and improving one’s skills The Deschutes: The great desert river with long shallow productive runs The Grande Ronde: One of the most intimate varied and approachable steelhead rivers British Columbia The Bulkley/Morice: Over 100 miles of the worlds most productive dry fly water The Copper: For whatever reason the big fish here love to eat skaters The Babine: Hard to get onto but worth grabbing a spot when it appears Page 21