Stepping into a pre-dawn run, you unhook your fly, make your first short cast, and the anticipation begins as you watch your line swing across the current to the soft inside edge. Nothing. Strip another length of line off your reel. Cast. Swing. Anticipate. As you work your way down the run, you try to only take three steps in between casts, but actually take four. Cast. Swing. Anticipate. The next cast will be in the juiciest water. Every cast and swing comes with chills, and you wait for a steelhead to respond to your best fly offering. Cast. Swing. Anticipate. Searching for unicorns…..
So what is a steelhead?
A steelhead is essentially an anadromous rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), or a trout that has migrated to the ocean. Then, as an adult, they return to spawn in the same freshwater system where they were born. The life cycle of steelhead is one of the things that makes them so amazing. They spend most of their life in the ocean, gorging on food, and can grow to astounding sizes. Unlike their cousins, Pacific salmon, steelhead don’t expire after spawning. They can return to the ocean and spawn multiple times. It is when these adult fish return to spawn in their home rivers that they are targeted by anglers.
Hatchery Steelhead vs. Wild Steelhead
In steelhead rivers across the country, there are Wild/Native and Hatchery Steelhead, so what exactly is the difference? “Hatchery” steelhead are hatchery-raised fish that are released into the river systems. These hatchery fish have their adipose fin clipped so that they are easily identified by anglers who intend to harvest these fish.
In my experience, most hatchery fish have some other funky fin, usually a dorsal that is bent or deformed in some way. According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications, hatchery steelhead are genetically different than their wild cousins within one generation. Hatchery steelhead have less success reproducing when released into rivers.
A “Wild” steelhead refers to any steelhead that was hatched in the river system and usually has wild parents. While wild and hatchery fish may look almost identical (minus an adipose), they are genetically different and will have very different levels of success creating the next generation of these amazing anadromous fish. It is no surprise that more recent studies have shown that hatchery fish can have a detrimental effect on wild steelhead.
Summer Steelhead vs Winter Steelhead
Steelhead also differ within the species itself. This stems from different life histories, and they are known as either summer run or winter run steelhead. The difference between the two is that the summer steelhead enters the freshwater sexually immature. While winter run fish enter the river sexually mature.
Summer fish typically arrive from May to November. They develop and mature for months and months in the river system and normally will travel farther to spawn than winter run fish. Summer steelhead are also known to be more aggressive and will even eagerly take a dry fly. Summer run fish are also typically smaller than the winter steelhead.
Summer run female fish enter the freshwater system with small, undeveloped eggs. On the other hand, winter steelhead enter river systems already sexually mature and ready to spawn. These differences and the length of their journeys explain why summer run fish spend much more time in freshwater. Winter fish may be in the river system for only a matter of days, and summer fish may be in the freshwater system for over a year.
Tactics for Summer Steelheading
Here in Oregon, summer-run steelhead start showing up in late spring. You can go out and start swinging for the first few fish in the Willamette Valley as early as May. While fishing for summer run steelhead, waders are optional, especially through the summer months. Typically, low and clear water leads the angler to swing smaller, more traditional patterns. With the smaller flies comes longer rods (12-14 feet), and longer Scandi lines for more delicate presentations and longer leaders, which makes casting very visually rewarding.
Summer fish are more aggressive and will move farther to take a swung fly, so you can move quickly through a run, moving 8-10 feet between casts, searching for these hot fish. A grab from a summer run is one of the most exhilarating experiences with a fly line. When hooked, the fish will often somersault 100 feet downriver, ripping line as you pray to land this amazing fish.
Tactics for Winter Steelheading
Winter steelhead fishing is a very different game. Instead of long runs in large rivers, many winter fish migrate up small coastal streams to spawn. Rain, snow, icy roads, and high river flows keep many anglers at home, leaving rivers secluded. During the winter, skagit lines with sink tips are essential to present larger profile flies (like an intruder) to deeper fish. You’ll want to take your time fishing runs in the winter as these fish are lethargic and won’t move very far for your fly.
Winter swing fishing requires shorter rods (10-11½’), shorter Skagit heads, and shorter leaders, to swing a fly down and across that tailout to the waiting winter fish. And if you’re lucky, your fly reel is going to be screaming for the next 10 minutes while you have an encounter with a unicorn.
Why Swing?
Swinging flies for steelhead quickly becomes an all-encompassing passion. The progression goes something like this: you become intrigued about the longer rods and 2-hand casting, then you start experimenting with Scandi and Skagit lines until you become a Spey fanatic. Spey casting is easy enough to find success and start fishing, but challenging enough that even an expert finds something to learn each year. Every fishing trip presents an opportunity to improve and learn Spey casting. But the true reason that swinging flies becomes such a passion is the grab of a fish at the end of a tight-line presentation.
For more steelhead-specific conservation information, check out:
For more spey and two-hand expert knowledge and gear in Oregon, check out: Home Waters Fly Shop (@homewatersflyshop)
Article and Photos from Courtney Morris, check him out on Instagram at @sculpinarmy.
