By Jeff "Bear" Andrews

In the late 1970s, when fishing Great Lakes steelhead with a fly rod was fairly new, I learned two things that helped me develop many of the patterns I tie and fish with today: The first was that it doesn't matter what color you use as long as it is black. The second piece of wisdom came a few years later from renowned angler and guide Ray Schmidt. Schmidt said that if you're not losing a couple of dozen flies a day you are not fishing in the right places.

My suggestion to Schmidt was, "Why don't we just start the day by throwing the flies in the river before we start fishing, just to expedite things?" I was just kidding, but later I kept Schmidt's advice in mind as I designed flies for steelhead that did not take long to tie.

Some 20 years later, I continue to fish black flies and I continue to lose a couple of dozen flies a day while fishing steelhead. With a few exceptions, I use flies that don't take long to tie. Great Lakes steelhead are fished over hard by a large number of anglers every year. The fish see the same flies again and again, day in and day out, and they decide to eat them for several important and often contradictory reasons. For starters, I believe that steelhead take flies because they look like what they are feeding on and because they drift to them in the water naturally--that is, they look right to them. Steelhead also take flies that look different from the flies they've been seeing, as a result of curiosity. To make matters even more challenging, I am convinced also that steelhead take flies because they simply don't want them in their nesting areas.

Whatever the steelheads' reasons for eating flies, when you go to the river to fish for them, be observant and flexible in your tactics. When I'm tying flies for steelhead, I usually tie several versions of the same pattern, varying the color and hook size so that I can fish various water levels and degrees of clarity. When you see fish sliding out of the way of a fly, switch to a smaller pattern and a lighter leader tippet. Always be conscious of where you're going to be fishing the flies you're tying. For instance, you'll need to add more weight to a fly that will be fished through a short, snaggy run than one that will be fished through a fairly shallow, obstacle-free stretch of water.

The materials you tie with can help create the effect that you want to get from a particular pattern. In the Great Lakes basin, we tie a lot of nymphs, wet flies and egg patterns in a variety of colors. You can make some of the traditional nymph patterns such as Hare's Ears or Pheasant Tails more attractive to steelhead by adding monofilament or bead-chain eyes and by using some of the new synthetic materials. Occasionally something new added to a pattern will tempt a steelhead to take a second look--and turn to eat.

I use soft hackles and aftershaft (filoplume) feathers and fine rubber and Spandex leg materials to create the appearance of movement in my flies. Marabou, buggy dubbing and natural yarn also can be used to create a "living" fly. The wire you use to rib your nymph or soft-hackle patterns can create the appearance of segmentation and also help to sink the fly.

The following fly patterns for steelhead are economical to tie and they catch fish. Don't be afraid to change the recipes by adding or subtracting a few ingredients. And when you get to the stream, hold on!

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