Steelhead yarn

[fisherdude 69]

lots of great info here...thanks guys ...learning alot here!

[Guest Josh C]

lots of great info here...thanks guys ...learning alot here!

This is becoming a very interesting chat.

I have steelhead fished all the Great Lakes, and spent large amounts of time on Huron, Ontario, Erie and Superior. Out of all those lakes and tribs, i find more yarn fisherman in the Thunder Bay area with the south shore of Erie being next on the list. Funny how local tactics seem to be the mainstay.

With that being said, who fishes other artificials? I myself drift alittle bit of yarn, but rely heavily on plastic egg clusters and jigs when not floating roe.....Just curious, since i dont run into many guys when im out and about on the tribs.

J.

[Guest TerryK]

I throw whatever the fish are looking for Josh, including hardware.

[Guest 700 mountain]

Wow, this is awesome guys!!! I wasn't expecting this post to get so much attention. Thanks to all you guys for sharing your info on here. I've been steelheading for quite a few years, and i still love hearing about what others have to say: tactics, anecdotes, keep 'em coming! Any cool/funny stories you guys have about rainbow fishing?? Throw em on here too, really get everyone fired up for spring! I'll start it. My brother was fishing a little upstream from me on a southern Ont river. Water was a bit fast. So i'm making my drift, and what comes floating by me?? Well, I guess he lost his footing in the quick water, cuz drifting towards me was my bro!!!! I made a few drifts for him, but he wouldn't bite:) Guess I should have switched up colours on him. Anyways, he was soaked, but he finished the day's fishing.

Thanks again fellas

700

[Guest TerryK]

Wow, this is awesome guys!!! I wasn't expecting this post to get so much attention. Thanks to all you guys for sharing your info on here. I've been steelheading for quite a few years, and i still love hearing about what others have to say: tactics, anecdotes, keep 'em coming! Any cool/funny stories you guys have about rainbow fishing?? Throw em on here too, really get everyone fired up for spring! I'll start it. My brother was fishing a little upstream from me on a southern Ont river. Water was a bit fast. So i'm making my drift, and what comes floating by me?? Well, I guess he lost his footing in the quick water, cuz drifting towards me was my bro!!!! I made a few drifts for him, but he wouldn't bite:) Guess I should have switched up colours on him. Anyways, he was soaked, but he finished the day's fishing.

Thanks again fellas

700

I'm also amazed everyone is opening up! Good idea about the stories. Why not start a new thread those so this one can keep going on it's own?

[Castnblast 86]

This is becoming a very interesting chat.

I have steelhead fished all the Great Lakes, and spent large amounts of time on Huron, Ontario, Erie and Superior. Out of all those lakes and tribs, i find more yarn fisherman in the Thunder Bay area with the south shore of Erie being next on the list. Funny how local tactics seem to be the mainstay.

With that being said, who fishes other artificials? I myself drift alittle bit of yarn, but rely heavily on plastic egg clusters and jigs when not floating roe.....Just curious, since i dont run into many guys when im out and about on the tribs.

J.

I pretty much only carry fly gear nowadays so egg & nymph patterns are the norm, but over the years have spent alot of time hucking lures. My favorite was throwing Delfins or Koho's for fall fish. The "grab" is soooo awesome. The fish hit them on the run, so the takes are so much more dramatic than drift/float & fly gear. There is an art to fishing a spoon well. Check out Bill Herzog "Spoon Fishing for Steelhead" He is the master.

Steve Hermanuk was an awesome guy and a great local steelheader who unfortunatley passed away a few years ago. He threw lures 100%. It was freaky watching him fish because he'd throw 3 or 4 casts then dig into his box and change up. He was steady experimenting. He fished spinners and spoons a ton, but his fav was a 2.5 or 3 inch floating rap. Pre or post spawn! You don't see many guys throwin cranks in the walk & wade tribs in April!

Ray D & Lorne A loved the Delfin and the 5 of Diamonds.

John G loves a skunk flatfish (and of couse a Mepps)

Gregg J fishes the red Hot Shot

Also, I think one of the most deadly artificial presentations is a pink & white Marabou jig under a float. Killer!

cnb

[Guest Josh C]

I pretty much only carry fly gear nowadays so egg & nymph patterns are the norm, but over the years have spent alot of time hucking lures. My favorite was throwing Delfins or Koho's for fall fish. The "grab" is soooo awesome. The fish hit them on the run, so the takes are so much more dramatic than drift/float & fly gear. There is an art to fishing a spoon well. Check out Bill Herzog "Spoon Fishing for Steelhead" He is the master.

Steve Hermanuk was an awesome guy and a great local steelheader who unfortunatley passed away a few years ago. He threw lures 100%. It was freaky watching him fish because he'd throw 3 or 4 casts then dig into his box and change up. He was steady experimenting. He fished spinners and spoons a ton, but his fav was a 2.5 or 3 inch floating rap. Pre or post spawn! You don't see many guys throwin cranks in the walk & wade tribs in April!

Ray D & Lorne A loved the Delfin and the 5 of Diamonds.

John G loves a skunk flatfish (and of couse a Mepps)

Gregg J fishes the red Hot Shot

Also, I think one of the most deadly artificial presentations is a pink & white Marabou jig under a float. Killer!

cnb

I have the mentioned book by Herzog. Good read. I like the take on flatfish, its surprising to say the least. Most guys carry them on the Huron rivers i grew up on. Haven't had the chance to try them up here, but i found a few holes where i wish i was carrying my spinning gear and plugs!

[Guest Dan]

Here's my little story about the size factor. Some 30 odd years ago, when I lived for Steelhead fishing (I've since graduated to Brook Trout) , I spent the evenings tying up roe bags with my mom's old pantyhose. That's what we did in those days. Sometimes I was so desperate for Mom to get a snag in them things when I was getting low on the hose I'd secretly put a discreet run in them myself when she wasn't looking. Anyways, while tying up my sacks one night for the next day, I was getting a little tired. I'd go to bed at 9 pm and wake up at 4 am back then for a month straight while still attending high school. I was getting low on both pantyhose and eggs, so I threw the last bunch of my eggs into the last square of pantyhose that I had that evening. I ended up with a golf ball sized egg sack. So, off I went the next day on my bicycle after school to my honey hole. I fished a quarter mile of river or so, and caught some very nice fish. I was getting close to the end of my walk and was also getting very low on egg sacks. I arrived at my best run with only the golf ball sized egg sack left in my arsenal. So of course I hook it up, and drop my line into some slack water under an overhanging birch. I felt like I was dropping my line over the side if a boat searching for Walleye. Sure enough I feel the tap, tap, tap, much the same as a Walleye over the side of the boat bite. I gave it a few seconds and then set the hook. Suddenly this rather large Steelhead goes shooting out upstream into the current. I hold it back for all my tackles worth. Then it reverses itself and shoots downstream, right past me, and then beaches itself on a gravel bar. I ran down and pounced on this thing like it's a million dollar lottery winning ticket. It was a big, big hen, spawned out. I caught my breath, admired her and let her go back to her haven under the over hanging birch. That fish was most likely one of my top 5 biggest Steelhead ever. And I caught her with a golf ball sized, pantyhose tied egg sack. Does size matter? Maybe. Sometimes.

[Castnblast 86]

Here's my little story about the size factor. Some 30 odd years ago, when I lived for Steelhead fishing (I've since graduated to Brook Trout) , I spent the evenings tying up roe bags with my mom's old pantyhose. That's what we did in those days. Sometimes I was so desperate for Mom to get a snag in them things when I was getting low on the hose I'd secretly put a discreet run in them myself when she wasn't looking. Anyways, while tying up my sacks one night for the next day, I was getting a little tired. I'd go to bed at 9 pm and wake up at 4 am back then for a month straight while still attending high school. I was getting low on both pantyhose and eggs, so I threw the last bunch of my eggs into the last square of pantyhose that I had that evening. I ended up with a golf ball sized egg sack. So, off I went the next day on my bicycle after school to my honey hole. I fished a quarter mile of river or so, and caught some very nice fish. I was getting close to the end of my walk and was also getting very low on egg sacks. I arrived at my best run with only the golf ball sized egg sack left in my arsenal. So of course I hook it up, and drop my line into some slack water under an overhanging birch. I felt like I was dropping my line over the side if a boat searching for Walleye. Sure enough I feel the tap, tap, tap, much the same as a Walleye over the side of the boat bite. I gave it a few seconds and then set the hook. Suddenly this rather large Steelhead goes shooting out upstream into the current. I hold it back for all my tackles worth. Then it reverses itself and shoots downstream, right past me, and then beaches itself on a gravel bar. I ran down and pounced on this thing like it's a million dollar lottery winning ticket. It was a big, big hen, spawned out. I caught my breath, admired her and let her go back to her haven under the over hanging birch. That fish was most likely one of my top 5 biggest Steelhead ever. And I caught her with a golf ball sized, pantyhose tied egg sack. Does size matter? Maybe. Sometimes.

Good one Dan!

Kevin W lobs golf ball sized all the time. I think he calls them jam balls. Just huge! We all know how many fish he hooks. too funny...

[grumpy 2]

Size matters smaller hooks have easier penetration. When fishing bait you need to fish a #4 or #6 with yarn you can fish a #8 or #10.

With the jam balls I would have to tie the sack real loose or go to a #2

Wacky Wes's golf ball sized yarn should work too jam that up full of scent, get that jam ball milking and rip lips.

[Guest Wes]

...Wacky Wes's golf ball sized yarn should work too ...

Damn It! See what you have started cnb? haha

[Guest TerryK]

Damn It! See what you have started cnb? haha

Ha!

[Guest superior steel]

I pretty much only carry fly gear nowadays so egg & nymph patterns are the norm, but over the years have spent alot of time hucking lures. My favorite was throwing Delfins or Koho's for fall fish. The "grab" is soooo awesome. The fish hit them on the run, so the takes are so much more dramatic than drift/float & fly gear. There is an art to fishing a spoon well. Check out Bill Herzog "Spoon Fishing for Steelhead" He is the master.

Steve Hermanuk was an awesome guy and a great local steelheader who unfortunatley passed away a few years ago. He threw lures 100%. It was freaky watching him fish because he'd throw 3 or 4 casts then dig into his box and change up. He was steady experimenting. He fished spinners and spoons a ton, but his fav was a 2.5 or 3 inch floating rap. Pre or post spawn! You don't see many guys throwin cranks in the walk & wade tribs in April!

Ray D & Lorne A loved the Delfin and the 5 of Diamonds.

John G loves a skunk flatfish (and of couse a Mepps)

Gregg J fishes the red Hot Shot

Also, I think one of the most deadly artificial presentations is a pink & white Marabou jig under a float. Killer!

cnb

I fortunately had a hour available to hit a trib on my way to work today..due to my limited fishing time I decided to leave the roe in the freezer. After tossin Marobou and hare jigs, i gave a plastic worm a shot, hooked one third drift. Nothin else on the worm so switched to a tube.....Float dropped three feet into my drift! Iced a sweet 6 lb hen.....First Early March, open water steelies. The perks of living in S. Ont....

All my fishing was done in a 100 ft run/hole, so those fish likely seen all the mentioned presentations.

If I had a little longer I would have fed those fish a flattie!!

experimentation is key......I have seen many times one colour bag out produce all others! Especially if Beamer fed em the day before!!!

great Thread guys

[Guest Beamer]

Ping-a -T's and Flatfish are my favorites for hardware, I fish a lot of jigs, flies and micro tubes under the float, and fly/streamer fishing for droppies is a blast. As for colors I have tried everything under the "Rainbow" LOL and my favoites are not normal in most guys eyes.

Beamer

[Guest hwickett]

Another thing I am curious about. Does size matter? hahaha

I usually tie my flies big. Maybe the diametre of a quater and as I am fishing I keep trimming until I either hook up or loose it.

One thing I am very anal about is making sure there are no sharp edges on my fly. I tie it, soak it, and check it for points then trim as needed. Does anyone else pay attention to softness of edges on your yarn fly or am I just wacky for thinking such things?

I don't like sharp edges either. I have to have two colors, usually a small dark "eye" in front of a lighter color. Pink with an orange eye has worked well for me on a #8 Gama hook.

HO

[Guest farrell]

I too always tie, soak, then trim my yarn flies before i fish, i like to think it makes a difference although i still dont hook into many fish.

Farrell

[salmonider 1]

Awe steelhead, nice topic!

For starters, spawn outfishes yarn, hands down. Yarn has its applications, but as a whole steelhead are looking for roe. It is SUPER deadly when floated in water with no flow, or when water is super cold, places where yarn balls fail. Roe also has a "drag" quality, as in it has water resistance, which helps it stay at the fishies level when trotted with a pin and float. It also provides a large round siluette(I can't spell) in darker water that allows fresh steel to see it better.

Yarn balls work great after water temps warm up. They are super cheap, probably easier to tie than roe balls, and with so many colours available, its real easy to adjust colour to suit conditions and the steelies moods.

Size of both baits is dependant on conditions, and the state of the run, for example, really fresh unmolested fish, even in ULTRA clear water will eat HUGE jam sacks. Fish that have been in the river a while tend to turn trouty and even in dark water want smaller bags/yarnies.

Confidence is a huge factor as well. While on a recent coastal trip, not being able to use spawn, I had my faith in yarn renewed, buy loads of fresh jumbo steel.

Anyways I'm done. With all this steelhead talk, I think I'm goona have to slam a few tommorow...ON ROE!!!!!!!

Ride the big one! BC TOMATO, taken on yarn[attachmentid=411]!

[heavy haul 0]

wilson,

when did you get back from central america??

did you haul anything down there?

[Guest TerryK]

Bout' time you spoke up Kevin! lol

Btw, you suck for posting that picture. Damn man, that's a fine specimen!

A friend of mine in Oregon sent me this picture of a resident Rainbow he caught. Beauty.

[Guest flyinfinn]

just wondering if any of you guys have used this product to cure eggs its made by atlas and called spawn sac e-z cure i have not seen this stuff here in town for a few years. but i found some in duluth last spring so i bought the last two jars, i used this stuff before and you could bounce the eggs off the floor like high sky balls the only thing is that the jars i bought turn the eggs chart-green just want to know if anybody has used them with any luck. (the stuff sold here is called shake n cure by atlas.)

[Guest 700 mountain]

just wondering if any of you guys have used this product to cure eggs its made by atlas and called spawn sac e-z cure i have not seen this stuff here in town for a few years. but i found some in duluth last spring so i bought the last two jars, i used this stuff before and you could bounce the eggs off the floor like high sky balls the only thing is that the jars i bought turn the eggs chart-green just want to know if anybody has used them with any luck. (the stuff sold here is called shake n cure by atlas.)

Hey flyinfinn, I bought a cpl jars from DNR and found the same thing, those eggs are firm. I think i over did them a bit, and they ended up a little dry. I'm hoping a few days in some spawn juice will have them in good shape. I got the natural (white powder) and orange(a reddish powder), and tried out a bit of both. I haven't used them yet, but i like the natural coloured ones better. I've always found natural eggs were best, and if you want colour, just use different coloured netting or put a little piece of yard ahead of the bag. Can't wait to actually get out there and start testing it out on the fish instead of sitting here talking about it!!!!!!

700

[Guest seamusmc]

Hello,

I am planning on making the drive from Winnipeg to Toronto (home) this spring and would like to stop to do some steelheading (if that's a word). You mentioned Superior tribs, are there are wadable (no boat) streams/rivers you could kindly recommend on the north shore? I'm thinking from t-bay to Sault St. M. Also, what month is best.

I am assuming you fished the north shore?

Many thanks.

This is becoming a very interesting chat.

I have steelhead fished all the Great Lakes, and spent large amounts of time on Huron, Ontario, Erie and Superior. Out of all those lakes and tribs, i find more yarn fisherman in the Thunder Bay area with the south shore of Erie being next on the list. Funny how local tactics seem to be the mainstay.

With that being said, who fishes other artificials? I myself drift alittle bit of yarn, but rely heavily on plastic egg clusters and jigs when not floating roe.....Just curious, since i dont run into many guys when im out and about on the tribs.

J.

[JustMe 5]

I'm like Wes and tie on the spot but there's nothing wrong with going prepared with pre-tied flys/leaders.

There is a product called a "Pips" Leader dispenser (popular on the West Coast) that is a great organizer for pre-tied leaders. Do a search and check it out.

cnb

They are called Pip's Box, I found mine at www.mackslure.com

[Guest Beamer]

just wondering if any of you guys have used this product to cure eggs its made by atlas and called spawn sac e-z cure i have not seen this stuff here in town for a few years. but i found some in duluth last spring so i bought the last two jars, i used this stuff before and you could bounce the eggs off the floor like high sky balls the only thing is that the jars i bought turn the eggs chart-green just want to know if anybody has used them with any luck. (the stuff sold here is called shake n cure by atlas.)

I cure it with my own mixture that works, equal parts brown sugar and pickling salt(usually a table spoon of each in a litre of distilled/bottled water don't use tap water) and a bit of raspberry jello. Works great

Beamer

[Guest flyinfinn]

do you use those eggs for steel or do you eat them yourself. they sound tasty. just kiding two years of watching you catch 2 fish to my one you must have somthing good going.