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Fly Fishing for Winter Steelhead

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If you’ve spent any time fishing or researching fishing along the coast of British Columbia, you already know that catching a winter steelhead on the fly is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, angling experiences.

Photo Credit: Scott Baker-McGarva | @uliwon

Lets explore their characteristics, the logistics of pursuing them, and the essential fly fishing gear needed for success. To successfully catch a steelhead, it’s important to understand your quarry.

Please note that you are required to have a BC freshwater angling license and Steelhead tag at minimum. You may require a classified waters tag depending of the river you are fishing. Please refer to the BC freshwater fishing regulations.

Licenses can be purchased in-store or online at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/fishing-hunting/fishing/recreational-freshwater-fishing-licence

What are Winter Steelhead?

Steelhead are an anadromous fish, meaning that, like Pacific salmon, they are born in rivers, migrate to the ocean to grow, and return to the river to spawn. However, unlike salmon, not all steelhead die after spawning, allowing some fish to return multiple times to help sustain the population. Steelhead populations have never been as high as those of Pacific salmon, making this fishery even more challenging. The good news is that steelhead can be very willing biters, a topic we will explore further.

Photo Credit: Damien Bagnoud | @whistlerflyfishingguides

Run Timing

Winter steelhead begin entering rivers in late November and continue arriving fresh into mid-May. The exact timing varies depending on the river’s location and population characteristics. Generally, from January to April, anglers have a high chance of encountering steelhead in most rivers.

Reading Water

While there’s always a chance of a fish being anywhere, certain key areas will significantly increase your chances of success if you learn to identify and understand what makes a particular spot more likely to hold fish.

First, consider the bottom structure, steelhead prefer bouldery water. While they may swim over sandy bottoms, they don’t typically reside in that type of environment. Water with a "walking-speed" current has traditionally been a good indicator of productive steelhead habitat. However, keep an open mind, as steelhead are highly individualistic and can sometimes be found in unexpected locations, which is part of what makes fishing for them so exciting.

Photo Credit: Scott Baker-McGarva | @uliwon

One crucial aspect of reading water for winter steelhead is understanding depth, speed, and how your tackle will allow you to present your fly effectively. We will discuss gear in more depth later, but as an example, if you have a 10-foot sink-tip and come across a deep pool over 10 feet deep with swirling currents affecting the floating portion of your line, your fly may not reach the fish. Casting repeatedly in such water could result in no bites, making it ineffective winter steelhead fly fishing water.

Photo Credit: Scott Baker-McGarva | @uliwon

Your best chance of success lies in finding smooth, evenly paced water that allows for a good fly swing and isn't deeper than your tackle can handle. Modern tackle provides anglers with excellent tools for catching winter steelhead, but the reality is that most productive fly fishing water ranges from 8 inches to 12 feet deep.

Broad, wider water is often seen as prime winter steelhead habitat, but don’t rely solely on this assumption. If you spot a smaller area that looks promising, take the time to analyze how to approach it and how to get your fly in front of a fish. Thinking outside the box can lead to rewarding results.

Photo Credit: Scott Baker-McGarva | @uliwon

Tactics and Methods

The most common method of fly fishing for winter-run Steelhead is using a floating line with a sinking tip. Typically, we cast slightly upstream or directly in front of us. If necessary, we may perform a mend, a motion that lifts the floating portion of the fly line off the water and moves it slightly upstream. This allows the sinking tip to sink deeper while ensuring that the floating portion doesn’t move faster than the tip.

From there, simply allow the current to swing your fly toward the shore. Once the swing is complete, take a step or two downstream. It’s important to keep moving to locate aggressive fish that may be more willing to strike. This differs from steelhead gear fishing, where it's easier to keep your presentation directly in front of the fish for an extended period using an external weight, such as a piece of pencil lead.

Photo Credit: Damien Bagnoud | @whistlerflyfishingguides

Steelhead fly fishing is a combination of hunting and fishing, keep moving, cover water, and search for the fish that wants your fly. This approach also helps in sharing water with other anglers.

Sea-Run Pro Tip: Make sure your swing is fully completed. Keep in mind that where the floating portion of your line is does not necessarily indicate where your fly is. Steelhead can sit in shallow water and, when interested in a fly, may follow it before biting. Avoid pulling your fly away too early for a recast.

GP's Tied by Andrew Redmont

Another effective method for fly fishing winter-run steelhead is using a floating line with a strike indicator and added weight to sink the offering. With this setup, the approach changes, cast further upstream and aim for a drag-free drift rather than a swinging presentation.

Strike Indicators

This method often allows for the use of unconventional offerings, such as hard beads, soft beads, and jig-style flies. Read our blog post Hard Beads vs Soft Beads.

One important note: While this setup can be effective, it is not legal on fly fishing only waters in British Columbia.

Hard Beads

Soft Beads

Fly Lines and Sink-tips

The technology of fly fishing equipment has changed drastically over the years, even in just the past decade. We have a broad range of tools that simply didn't exist years ago. This is a broad subject, so hang on for the ride. We are going to deep dive into the three categories of fly rods next, single-handed rods, switch rods, and spey rods. Some have line and sink-tip crossovers, sometimes they don't, so let's look at clearing these muddy waters.

Backing

Let's start with the foundation: Backing is a crucial material (commonly dacron) used in steelhead fishing. For traditional backing, 30lb is a solid choice. Alternatively, you can opt for braided fishing line, which offers higher strength, like 40lb or 50lb, while maintaining a thinner diameter compared to traditional options. Ideally, you should aim for at least 100 yards of backing, but 150 yards is even better for optimal performance.

Running Line

When setting up spey and switch rods for Winter Run Steelhead, start with a running line connected to the backing. This running line can either be a level fly line or monofilament, each with its own advantages.

For traditional fly line running lines, popular options include the RIO Elite Metered Shooting Line, RIO Powerflex Shooting Line, and Scientific Anglers Custom Shooting Fly Line. These lines offer reliable performance and are less prone to tangling, making them easier to manage. While they may not shoot as far as monofilament lines, they are more forgiving when stripping line.

For those who prefer monofilament running lines, the RIO Slick Shooter and OPST Lazer Running Line are excellent choices. Monofilament lines have a slick texture and can allow for longer casts. However, they can be more prone to tangling and may feel less comfortable to strip due to their slippery nature.

Ultimately, the choice between fly line and monofilament running lines depends on your casting style and personal preference. Both have their strengths and trade-offs, so pick the option that best suits your needs on the water.

Running Lines

Spey Heads

The running line connects seamlessly to the head through loops, and the same applies when attaching the head to sink-tips. The "head" refers to the weighted portion of the fly line, which plays a crucial role in fly fishing. This section is what loads your rod and delivers your fly to awaiting fish, making it the key to an effective cast. For Winter Steelhead fly fishing, Skagit-style lines are the optimal choice, offering precision and performance.

These lines feature a short, heavy head designed for effortless casting, even when paired with a heavy sink-tip or large fly. For Spey rods, the RIO Elite Skagit Max Launch Shooting Head is an excellent choice. If you're using a switch rod, consider the RIO Elite Skagit Max Power or the OPST Commando Head.

Heads

Hands down, if you're using a single-handed fly rod and are looking for the best line to get, it's the RIO InTouch VersiTip II fly line. Check out our RIO InTouch VersiTip II review to learn more. As mentioned, this line gives us all our options for success in different water types, but they are not the cheapest lines. If it's not in your budget, don't worry, you can fish RIO Streamer Tip fly line, Scientific Anglers WetCel fly line, or the Scientific Anglers Sonar Titan Sink-Tip fly line with success.

Single-Hand Fly Lines

Tapered Leaders

When we use these lines, and this will remain the same when we look at Switch and Spey setups, we want a short leader. This gets our fly down quickly with our sink-tip. We highly recommend RIO 6' Salmon and Steelhead Tapered Leaders and Scientific Angler Absolute Streamer Tapered Leaders.

Tippet

These leaders are not Fluorocarbon leaders. Fluorocarbon, if you're not familiar with it, is a leader material that is more invisible than regular mono. We do like to use it because of that, plus it's a really good leader material for abrasion resistance. Adding some of this to these leaders is recommended. Our fluorocarbon leader should not be larger than our tapered leader; if it is, fly turnover and castability could be compromised (i.e., don't tie 20 lb to a 12 lb leader). Our favourite fluorocarbon leader materials are Seaguar Blue Label, Seaguar STS, and Seaguar Invizx. This leader setup will remain the same for the next sink-tip setups we are going to discuss.

PolyLeaders

Before we leave the single-handed world, let's discuss Airflo PolyLeaders Salmon/Steelhead. These are sink-tips specially designed to work with full floating lines without hindering casting. A regular floating fly line is designed to turn over a monofilament leader, not a heavy sink-tip. Some of the future sink-tip options we will discuss simply aren't ideal for a full floating single-handed fly line. However, an Airflo PolyLeader is light enough with the right balance of weight for single-handed fly rods as well as lightweight spey and switch rods.

Switch and Spey Tips

While Airflo PolyLeaders work well for both switch and spey setups too, most anglers use RIO 10’ sink-tips and RIO 15’ sink-tips in type 3 to type 8, depending on water speed and depth. RIO Slick Cast MOW Tips and RIO iMOW Tips provide even more fine-tuning options, allowing anglers to mix and match floating, intermediate, and sinking sections for a precise presentation.

Having a variety of sink-tip options easily accessible for your day on the water will help increase your chances of getting that right swing.

Just before leaving sink-tips, we would like to mention the RIO Tips Wallet for proper sink-tip storage and organization.

Single-Handed Fly Rods and Reels

In past years, spey and switch rods were not an option for Winter Steelhead fly fishing in BC, anglers exclusively used single-handed rods! Fishing for winter steelhead with a single-handed rod is challenging but rewarding. The ideal setup is a 7-9 weight rod, 9’6” to 10’ in length.

Recommended Steelhead fly fishing rod models include:

For Steelhead fly fishing reels, good choices include:

Switch Rods and Reels

Switch rods are the newest addition to the steelhead fly fishing toolbox. These rods evolved from their bigger sibling, the spey rod. Switch rods are shorter than Spey rods, ranging commonly from 10'6" to 11'6". They utilize the same types of lines as spey rods, with tweaks to work better with their shorter length compared to longer spey rods.

Reels for these rods differ from those of single-handed rods. Due to the nature of the lines used with these rods, we will want larger-sized reels than indicated by our rod's line weight designation. By this, we mean an 8wt single-handed rod pairs perfectly with an 8wt or 7wt-8wt reel, but this reel on an 8wt switch rod would be too small to accommodate the fly line and backing. In this instance, a 10wt-sized reel would be our better pairing.

As alluded to earlier, we are using spey-type casts and lines with switch rods. This gives us an advantage on the river with more casts that are easier and require less backcast room, all of which increases our chances of success.

Why would we use a switch ord instead of a spey rod? River size dictates the rod choice. Smaller to medium-sized rivers are perfect for Switch rods. By medium, we would classify the Chilliwack as a medium-sized river, for example. On these sized rivers, a longer spey rod is just not needed and can even be a hindrance. Save your spey rod for bigger water.

Switch Rods we like include:

Reel recommendations are:

Spey Rods and Reels

We have come a long way with spey rod technology for winter steelhead fishing. When spey fishing began becoming popular, 15’ 10wt and 14’ 9wt rods were the most common tools at our disposal. While a few situations may warrant a 14 rod, today's winter steelhead rods are more in the 12’6” to 13’6” length and 7wt or 8wt.

Rods of this size offer all the advantages we want from a spey rod: longer, easier casts even in tight quarters, better line control allowing for a better presentation, and the power to land a strong fish quickly. Similarly to switch reels, our spey reels need to be upsized. Our lines are thicker and longer even than switch lines, so buying an 8wt labeled reel for an 8wt spey rod just is not going to work. We are going to need more 10wt to 12wt sized reels to take all the line and backing. This part of getting set up is what our experts at Sea-Run are here for, to set you up right.

Good spey rods to look at include:

Recommended spey reels:

Winter Steelhead Flies

The simplest way to approach fly selection is by grouping them into categories: big flies, small flies, bright flies, dark flies, natural flies, and wildcard flies. Each has its place and purpose. Steelhead strike flies for reasons not fully understood, whether out of aggression, curiosity, hunger, or sometimes, seemingly no reason at all.

What we do know for sure is that we want flies with some movement. Materials such as marabou and rabbit are widely used. Flashes and UV materials are good to help grab the attention of steelhead. While bright flies are no doubt effective, don't be afraid to throw out something with some black and blue or black and purple. Winter steelhead will bite these.

Generally speaking, water conditions can help guide your fly size selection. In dirtier water with lower light, larger flies are better. In clear water with a brighter sky, size down your flies. At the end of the day, pick a few patterns that tick the box of our fly selection chart and roll with that. Spend more of your time worrying about where you will catch a fish than what you will catch it on.

Steelhead Fly Tying Tutorials

Essential Winter Steelhead Fly Fishing Accessories

We will need something to carry our gear. Sling packs are a great way to carry around your essential gear for a day of fly fishing for Winter Steelhead.

Sling packs we like:

Hip packs are another popular option for storing your gear. Here’s our favourites:

Vests are our other option for transporting gear. We like the following:

Packs, slings and vests will allow us to carry items such as nippers or scissors, leaders and leader material, sink-tips, flies, sunglasses, water bottle, snack bars, and other items you may deem necessary for a day on the water. let's look at other accessories just mentioned.

Let’s begin with tippet material. Leaders can be crafted from either standard monofilament, like Maxima Ultragreen, or fluorocarbon. While fluorocarbon is slightly more expensive, it offers key benefits such as increased invisibility underwater and superior abrasion resistance. If you opt for fluorocarbon, consider top-quality options like Seaguar Blue Label, Seaguar STS, or Seaguar Invisx. Regardless of the material you choose, a tippet strength between 10 lb and 20 lb is ideal, with 12 lb and 15 lb being the most commonly used.

As mentioned, our leaders should be short in length as we want our fly close to the bottom. Too long a leader and our fly is too high in the water column. We like a leader of 3 to 4 feet in length. When it comes to a nipper to cut our leader material, the Dr. Slick Cyclone Nipper is the way to go.

One of the best ways to attach necessary tools to our chosen packs is the Simms Carbon Fiber Retractor.

This handy accessory helps us keep tools such as the Dr. Slick Cyclone Nipper easily accessible is feature we definitely want to make our day out as smooth as possible.

Pliers are another accessory we will need. Pliers will allow us to crimp down barbs on hooks, which is required by law on all streams or rivers in the Province. Pliers will also help us remove hooks from a caught fish. There are many plier options to choose from; it really boils down to personal choice and budget. We like the Dr. Slick Barb Plier, it's nice and compact, comfortable to work with, and of great quality without a huge price tag.

Similar to pliers, fly boxes are available in a wide variety of choices. It really comes down to your own preference and what you think will best suit your needs. Morell Fly Boxes are one we like to suggest as they're all foam, making them lightweight. They float and if you drop or fall on them, they won't break. Another option and one of the more affordable is the Dragonfly Flat/Ripple Fly Box in the medium or large sizes.

A good pair of polarized sunglasses is a must on the accessory list. Polarized glasses cut the glare off the water, allowing us to see water depth much better. Sunglasses also give us eye protection, which is a good thing when sharp fly hooks are flying around. For all-purpose use, we like the brown/amber lenses or green. Both of these lens colours are great on bright sunny days and are good even on overcast or rainy days, they brighten things up for usage even in these darker conditions.

Maui Jim Sunglasses and Smith Optics Sunglasses are our two top-end sunglasses. Both brands have excellent lenses and solid warranties if an accident occurs. If the top-end glasses are not in the budget or you tend to misplace your sunglasses a lot or you're a chronic sunglass destroyer, Suncloud Sunglasses and Calcutta Sunglasses come in at a much lower price and are really great quality for the money. Read our blog post the Benefits of Polarized Sunglasses When Fishing for more information.

Over the past few years, nets have become increasingly popular among river anglers, and Moby Nets are a top choice. Locally crafted in Mission, BC, these nets are works of art. Among the most sought-after options are the DK Special Rubber Mesh, DK Special Black Mesh, Custom Black Mesh, Steelhead Rubber Mesh, and Steelhead Black Mesh. Moby nets offer unmatched quality, making them primary choice.

Another great net option is the Frabill Floating Trout Net in the 19 x 23 inches. Don't let the name Floating Trout Net fool you, this is a perfect net for steelhead. What makes these nets our ideal choices are their shorter handles and large hoop size, being large enough for a steelhead to fit into.

If you do go down the road of using a net, then another accessory to take a look at is the Loon Outdoors Magnetic Net Release, Dr. Slick Magnetic Net Keeper, or the Scientific Angler Magnetic Net Holder.

Last but not least, it's highly advised to carry a nail knot tool with you and know how to use it. We live in a time where everything is loop to loop connections off of your fly line, it's a fast, great system. But if there's ever a failure of a loop, say off your sink-tip, having and knowing how to use a nail knot tool lets you re-attach a leader quickly. We carry the Dragonfly Nail Knot Tool, Dr. Slick Eco Knot Tyer, Tie-Fast Knot Tyer, and OfishL Knot Tying Tool.

Watch our instructional video on how to use a nail knot tool.

Waders, Boots, Jackets, and Clothing

Waders are pretty much mandatory for winter steelhead fly fishing. The weather can be cold, the water is always cold, and we are always wading out into it. Breathable waders are our go-to and they now own the wader market, we see almost no neoprene waders available anymore.

Breathable waders are very comfortable to wear. They allow for free movement and help us easily adjust to different climate temperatures. You can dress up for the cold or dress down for the warmer spring conditions and be super comfortable in the same pair of waders. Breathable waders range greatly in price. Type of materials, the amount of layers of materials, zippered or non-zippered options, and pocket configuration are all factors that can contribute to pricing.

When it comes to waders, we stock three major brands: Simms, Patagonia, and Grundens.

Simms has the widest range of options. Their non-Gore-Tex waders include the Tributary and the Freestone. The Tributary uses a "breathable fabric" and doesn't have the same reinforcement in the lower legs as the Freestone. Freestone waders are made with a Quadlam fabric that has been around for a long time and has been very reliable. The Freestone is also available in a zip model.

Gore-Tex Simms waders include the G3 Guide, a long-standing top seller, and the G4Z, Simms' top-of-the-line zippered wader.

Simms Waders

Patagonia makes some of the best waders on the market. The Patagonia Swiftcurrent Expedition Waders in zip and non-zip models have been very popular. These waders have unique options such as a waterproof inner pocket and suspenders that can be adjusted so that the whole front of the wader collapses down, essentially turning them into pant waders. Patagonia uses their own H2no breathable material, which has also been very good and reliable.

Patagonia Waders

Grundens is a licensed Gore-Tex dealer. Their top wader is the Boundary. They are available with and without a zipper and are made with Gore-Tex. The Boundary has been well received by many customers, with common comments praising its comfort and freedom of movement. Their non-Gore-Tex wader is the Bedrock, which has also been well received.

Grundens Waders

A few comments on waders: We have mentioned zippered options in all three of our stocked brands, and we have seen zero zipper failures across the board. Fit is extremely important with breathable waders. We want to ensure ample room to bend down, step over logs, and so on, but not so much material that it causes rubbing and chafing. We also want to ensure enough room for layers on cold days.

Wading Boots

With our waders, we need a pair of wading boots. These go over the neoprene stocking foot of the wader. The stocking foot keeps water out and your foot warm and dry, while wading boots are meant to get wet. They provide ankle support when hiking over big rocks and come with rubber, Vibram, or felt soles. Read our blog post about the differences between felt sole and Vibram sole wading boots.

Simms wading boots include the Tributary, Freestone, Flyweight, and G3, all available in felt, rubber, or Vibram soles. As you spend more, you get better comfort, higher quality construction, and longer-lasting boots. Grundens Bankside boot has quickly become a favourite, with users commenting on its comfort. Korkers wading boots, including the Greenback and River Ops, are also very popular. A unique feature of Korkers boots is they have interchangeable soles, allowing you to switch between felt or rubber options.

Rubber and Vibram Sole Wading Boots

Felt Sole Wading Boots

Interchangeable Sole Wading Boots

Jackets

Winter steelhead fly fishing can lead to uncomfortable weather, but modern technical clothing keeps us warm, dry, and comfortable. A good breathable rain jacket is essential. Popular options include Simms Freestone Jacket, Simms Guide Classic Jacket, Simms G3 Guide Jacket, and Simms G4 Pro Jacket. We also like the Patagonia SST Jacket, Patagonia Swiftcurrent Jacket and Grundens Vector Wading Jacket.

Socks

For socks, choose Merino wool. These wick moisture away from the skin, keep you warm even when wet, and come in various thicknesses. We are big fans of the Simms Merino Lightweight Hiker Socks, Simms Merino Midwieght Hiker Socks, Simms Merino Midweight OTC Socks and Simms Merino Thermal OTC Socks.

Base Layers

Base layers are crucial for warmth, with options from Simms Fishing Products and Patagonia providing breathability and moisture-wicking properties. Read our blog post all about layering for Winter fishing conditions.

When it comes to mid-layer tops, we highly recommend the Simms Thermal ¼ Zip Top, the Simms Challenger Hoody, or the Patagonia R1 Pullover. These high-quality options provide exceptional warmth and comfort, ensuring your time on the water is both enjoyable and well-spent.

Top jacket choices for winter include the Simms Fall Run Jacket, Simms Fall Run Hoody, Patagonia Nano Puff and Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody. These thin, warm jackets offer water repellency and quick drying.

Hats and Headwear

Headwear varies with conditions. Cold days call for beanies from Simms or Patagonia. Rainy days require waterproof caps like the Simms Cascadia Rain Cap or Simms Gore-Tex ExStream Hat, while normal fishing days work with standard ball caps.We hope this guide helps improve your chances of success on the water. Winter steelhead fly fishing is both challenging and rewarding, requiring the right knowledge, tactics, and gear. Thanks for reading, and tight lines!

Post your questions in the comments section below or feel free to contact us by email searun2013@gmail.com, by phone at 604-931-5044 or stop by the shop at #110 1140 Austin Avenue in Coquitlam BC.

Good luck on the water.

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