October steelhead....understanding transition time!

( top steel on a mini-me leech- also, considerable 'nose/lip bumping" of flies on the swing can result in outer mouth hook ups- happens often- let fish take the fly-don't hook set!)

Water levels are perfect after the much needed rain we prayed for!. 1900 cfs and rising on the Muskegon...that's a flood compared to last week's 870 cfs. Tons of salmon are still coming in and so are the chrome silver poaching nomads of fall....Autumn steelhead!
 Since their olfactory sensors are on overdrive from the sexual spawning attraction of salmon eggs and milt, they still have the aggressive/active bait fish 'kill and eat' drive firmly implanted in them.
 They are lovers of the 2-4 feet deep slack/shallow run lies behind Salmon redds. You can easily swing or nymph this water with spey or switch rods with long belly Delta taper floating lines and more traditional spey casting methods.

("mini-me" leech and otter translucent egg dropper- 'hopper /dropper for fall steel swinging")

 At this time of year, you don't have to dredge with heavy sink T-14/t-11 heads and Skagits....not necessary till water temps drop in the 40's and fish lie deeper. Its "skinny water' time and easy pickings for the steelheader and the steels themselves. Its amazing how far and high up in the water column steels will take your fly at this time....all Great Lakes swingers tend to place too muchg empahsis on 'deep dredging"...no need.
Enjoy this time of year and get the 'drug tug' you've been waiting for!
Be patient and work confident holding lies thoroughly.....some people give me crap fro how long I work these holding areas...but!...they produce in the long run!.
 Fall steelhead are preoccupied by a lot of issues at this time;avoiding large king salmon with teeth ready to take a chunk out of them!, for getting too close.......trying to find the rtight comfort zone of a lie, avoiding anglers and boat traffic during heavy salmon periods and always on the look out for a meal.
Also, the power of "green caddis' larvae is deadly at this time since steels see good numbers of dislodged nymphs from female salmon digging.

Posted in: caddis , gray drake , Great Lakes steelhead , Muskegon River steelhead , Otter eggs , spey fishing , string leech , swinging flies , trout and eagle lodge