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Steelhead on Single Handed Rod

8K views 52 replies 31 participants last post by  Tugs 
#1 ·
Hey guys I'm new to the site and new to Steelheading! I've been chasing trout for about a year on the fly and regularly fish the forks of the Snoqualmie, sea runs in the sound, and many other alpine lakes and streams. I have taken my gear fishing setup out to the Skykomish and Snoqualmie a few times but it just doesn't feel right. I want to get into spey but don't have the money yet for a setup so until then my only hope is on the 7wt single handed. Anybody have any tips or experience fishing this way that they could pass down to a rookie?
 
#3 ·
Cameron there is hope for you and a seven wt. There was one a time before spey rods. I would go 40+ or ambush for lines as the outbound don't spey cast or roll well in my opinion. You can run tips on the ambush and on the 40+ to some degree as well. When I'm swinging a single the two lines that I go with are ambush float and a40+ clear intro. Single handed rods are just fine and on fact preferable on small streams where often a floater with the right weight fly gets it done even in winter. Sometimes the right weight is just the weight of an iron. Is you rod a ten footer?
 
#5 ·
Cameron,

As Dustin mentions, steelheaders didn't have Spey rods until the late 1980s. So either no one fished for or caught steelhead before then, or they did it with single hand rods. I fished an 8 1/2' fiberglass and then later a 9' and 9 1/2' graphite 8 wts for steelhead. The line I used most was a WF8F that I cut the forward 15' of floating line off and spliced in 15' of High Speed, Hi-D to make my own sink tip line for winter and other deep sunk fly fishing. Tragically I caught more steelhead on that old fiberglass rod than I have on all my graphite and Spey rods combined. So yes, I'm confident that a single hand rod works for steelhead fishing.

Sg
 
#8 ·
Salmo speaks truth. The nine is fine. Often with the spey rod you end up covering far off water in a half assed fashion and neglect the lie hanging fruit you are wading on. I've seen many fish taken with twenty feet of line out. I always recommend someone start fishing steelhead and salmon with a single. It gives a better feel for fly control and let's you fish close effectively before you start plying far off waters. Guys that start with a spey often become great casters and less than great anglers.
 
#10 ·
I prefer fishing for steelhead with a single hander. Most of the steelhead around here are not big enough to put a decent bend in the two handed rods that I have!

You will catch more fish if you fish smaller water, and you can nymph fish small rivers extremely effectively with a 9' 7 weight as well as swinging. If you are fishing bigger water, try to ignore the stuff on the far side that you can't reach and fish the stuff you can reach effectively. Don't make the very common mistake of wading in up to your armpits before your first cast, cover the water close in first.
 
#13 ·
A single handed 7 weight is just a dandy rod for steelhead; learning to fish one successfully for steelhead will teach you lots about line control (other than having fish available the single largest factor in successful steelheading).

The Snoqualmie is a reasonable place to chase your first steelhead. I learned the fly game on the Snoqualmie and its forks. My first 50 or so steelhead on the fly came from that system all on a single handed 7 weight rod. If you want to expand your fishing range a bit the Skykomish has some wonderful fly water that can be easily fished with your single handed rod. If the Occupy Skagit effort is successful you will want to looking into visiting that system as well. While the Skagit and Sauk were home waters for may of the region spey rod anglers it has been fished successfully with single handed rods. In fact even though I caught my first fly rod steelhead more than 50 years ago I still have never caught on with a spey rod and fish rods 7 weight or smaller rods. Have not had no problems handling and successfully releasing any of the regions steelhead that I have encountered.

Curt
 
#15 ·
This is a good time of year to fish the pocket-y water near hatchery terminal areas. The main runs get pounded by gear and fly anglers, but the in-between areas don't get fished. A lot of those hatchery fish are shooting up quickly and will stop along the steep outside bank or the edge of a boulder garden to catch their breath, especially when the water's a little up. This'll put them in the range of a 1 hander. Most two-handed anglers will fish the inside edge of a run, but the outside edge, especially near the end of the run can hold a lot of fish that don't get as much pressure.
 
#18 ·
I have a 8 1/2' glass 7wt that I use for smaller water. I have caught some 10lb lake rainbows on it that spooled me a few times, and it has plenty of power for that. I still haven't hooked a steelhead on it, but I don't see why it won't fish fine for hatchery fish. I wouldn't go out to the OP or Kenai with it, but it should be fine around here.
 
#19 ·
The 7 WT will be just fine for hatchery steel. I fished the shit out of the Sky and the Snoqualmie before I got a spey setup. Doable, but I wouldn't really recommend it as an effective option considering the returns and the typical winter flows / weather. Unless you're fishing from a boat, it's a hell of a lot of work to cover that water well with a single hander.

There is a smaller river north of the Sky where a single hander works great all year when the flows arn't raging. Doesn't see the same numbers in winter that it does in summer, but that would be where I'd go if I wasn't using two hands. Or the Cascade around the hatchery if you're not afraid of crowds.
 
#20 ·
Your 7wt will work great for virtually any steelhead. It'll only limit the amount weight (either sink tips or other junk) that you can throw. It'll handle the fish just fine, just fight them off the butt, not like you'd fight a little trout. I love the Ambush for swinging and you really can't beat a good old fashioned DT line for nymphing (I like to fish a 9wt on my 8wt, etc.). Hell, you could use a 6wt if you wanted as long as you're willing to put the screws to a big fish and not giving a shit if you're going to break your rod or not. You also have to be willing to point your rod straight at a fish that you know is going to kick your ass and break them off. All I fish are SH rods for steelhead anywhere from 6-8wt and never had any issues (outside of one especially pissed off individual where I did point my rod directly at the fish and bid him adieu--on a 7wt nonetheless) landing fish in a timely fashion.
 
#22 ·
Your 7wt will be fine, ambush with polly leaders or a versi tip line. I caught my first Steelhead with a fly on a old 7 1/2 foot Wright Mcgihl glass 7wt and a medalist. Caught a lot of fish with that set up. 80% of people fishing 2 handers are over casting the runs they are fishing. Guys on the bank try to fish the other bank, guys in the boats are fishing at your feet!!
 
#23 ·
The swing will swing all the way to the bank. Even with a long cast you can fish the area close to shore.

It's easy to start overcasting into the water that's too fast. You don't want it to whip out of the seam, but on any polls, you simply can't overcast.

Go Sox,
cds
 
#24 ·
Number one thing I see wrong out there is too heavy of a tip and or too heavy a fly. I prefer a type 3 and a sparse bright fly for winter fishing these days and that setup is easily cast on a single hander.
 
#25 ·
ah did you notice where the guide is directing his clients to cast ? hmm free drifting down the middle casting right to the bank ! or go to Italian creek and run your fly right there at your feet. shazam. we get all overheated about casting a mile, while fish are sliding by right at our feet.
 
#26 ·
"I prefer fishing for steelhead with a single hander. Most of the steelhead around here are not big enough to put a decent bend in the two handed rods that I have!"

Chucker, you need a lighter double hand ;-)

" It's easy to start overcasting into the water that's too fast. You don't want it to whip out of the seam, but on any polls, you simply can't overcast."

C.S... Wow, thank you for that observation. KR will likely correct us here..

Cameron, the single will work.. smaller water will leave you less intimidated. Someone threw you a tid-bit already. I see your shopping doubles though. To hell with the toe.. BOTH FEET.

Best of luck
 
#27 ·
How is this for a mind fark? I don't use a spey rod to cast further.
 
#28 ·
Well, I sure as hell use a spey rod to cast farther. I tell you what, it's an outstanding way to do it too. I can think of quite a few fish that I have caught in the last couple years that I absolutely could not have reached with a single. My only 20+ fish required the distance that I could not achieve with a single, and I had back cast room. My last winter fish could not have been reached by me with a single. There was no room behind me and the fish took on the opposite side of a river that I could not cross. My first Kispiox fish was exactly the same. Distance does matter. You don't always need it but when you do......you really do.

In fact, I can't think of a river where I have caught steelhead where at at least one of the fish could not be be attributed to the distance a 2-hander afforded me. Check that, the Stilly. I have never needed one on the Stilly. There are other advantages and some disadvantages too, but the distance does help.

Having said all that, I have also seen dudes with singles carve up some small pieces of water and hook fish that I would likely have passed with my double. Sometimes it just seems like a hassle to fish small pieces with the 2-hander and the simplicity and precision of a single hander would help. I keep telling myself I'm gonna break out the single, but rarely do. I'm sure that I would be a better fisherman if I made sure to bring it with me every time.

Fish your single. Catch fish and have fun. Come back here and tell us about the fish you catch and what advantages you think you can get with it. I could use the motivation to break out my single.

Go Sox,
cds
 
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