Fishing Forum

I am an avid fly fisher and usually fish nymphs and dries. I go out about once or twice a week either to the Provo or Weber. I fish a 9ft 5wt normally on these streams but have always wondered what are the best ways to throw streamers? I use floating line so i am not sure if i need other type of line for streamer fishing but i would love to learn how to do it and go after some big browns in the fall time. What type of leader and flies and other gear do i need for streamer fishing?? Also any other adivce on how to approach the actually fishing would be great!

Thanks
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Nice Ive been fishing streamers pretty hard this season mostly on the river, still water has its own tactics but for now Ill advise on river tactics.

I like to mix it up and have the ability to present dries as well as huck some streamers. So I use the same hardware as for dries or nymphs a 8' 6" 5wt I like a 8-6 over a 9 just because I feel I can get better accuracy with a 8-6 but that's just my personal preference. If you own a 9 that will do.

Some will tell you to switch to a 6wt even a 7 which is fine but Ive been using a 5wt for many years and its doing fine however never hurts to have a 7wt in the arsenal for warm water.

I use FG's 5-6 furled leader and tie on 3x or 4x tippet so I have around a 8"6 foot leader but Ive also used just straight Flouro ( P-Line 6lbs ) pinch on 2 size bb split-shots. Depending on the water I'm constantly sliding the split shots up and down but mostly have them about 6 inches from the fly.

The 3 tactics I use is, swinging them trough a hole, stripping them along the bank, and dead drifting them down a run. I use a use a water haul to cast up stream.
Lots of articles online on how this is done.

For a while there I was fishing sculpin imitations; sex dungeon, zoo cougar, & zoo cougar variants but there expensive and some are just to large. I found a book called No hatch to match and started tying some bugger variants some with hares ear some with peacock herl bodies in smaller 14 to 16 sizes. (Great book by the way if you get a chance grab a copy. ) Its funny how a small 6 inch fish will tak a size 14 streamer [laugh]

Dont forget the muddler minnow, double bunnies, mohair leach, Oh there always the standard woolly bugger all in natural, black, white, purple & rust colors.
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Some pretty good advise. I do a lot very similar and some a little different. I use the 3 tactics you mention but frequently rely on a 4th when I spot a fish upstream. I cast upstream and instead of a dead drift I'll tight line it and direct the streamer downstream. You should be able to land the majority of fish you spot with this technique with a little practice. I try to sight fish as much as possible no matter what type of fly I'm using because I enjoy it more.
My other differences are that I use no tippet. It serves no purpose with streamers if your leader isn't visible. I use fluorocarbon leader usually up to 9 ft. I frequently use about 4-6 ft of leader on smaller streams. I prefer weighted bead head streamers to using shot. I use a 3-5 wt typically just depending on the size of the stream and the size of the fish.
And don't forget that after swinging them through a hole you can frequently get strikes while bringing your line back in so don't just bring it in as quick as possible.
For trout fishing in rivers my experience is that every streamer works well when properly fished. If you're getting more little fish hooked than to your liking then move up to a larger streamer.
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I start with mohair leeches and go to crystal buggers and even wooly buggers.

I fish a 9' 5wt with either a floating line or a sinking line. I am pretty lazy about it. I cast across stream, let it drift/sink for a few seconds and then strip it in. Take two steps down stream and repeat. Do that six times and change colors and keep going until you run out of river or energy which ever comes first.

I fish lakes mostly but for the first ten or so years I fished rivers and LOVE to throw streamers. If you want to head up some time I live in West Jordan just let me know. I'll show you what I do. You might learn a trick or two.
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Pretty much the same for me. If the flow is slow I go with a floating line and I use thread furled leaders because you can squeeze them in water to have them absorb which then acts like a sink tip. Then I will vary the length of tippet to find the zone.
Like Riverdog, weighted or bead head streamers.
Faster water I will use a Type II full sink. Cast straight out and follow it down.
I also have some Streamer lines. Not too crazy about them however as all the weight is in the 15' tip. Very heavy. Like casting a bunch of split shot with the duck and chuck.
Like the others, I generally use a 5 wt. in 8' to 10' lengths, but I also use a four wt. Just not BIG streamers.

This was a 7'6" 4wt. with floating line and #12 CBS (Canadian Brown Seal Leech)

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After a 35 yr. layoff from fly fishing I returned to the hobby in 2006.
In 2007 I returned to streamers. There is nothing more exciting than seeing a big brown racing down the river opening its large mouth and taking my streamer within two feet of my leg. My best memories are throwing streamers. More than once, I thought my arm was going to be pulled out of joint due to vicious hits and hook ups.
I use a 6 wt. fast action rod, type 4, sink tip and a leader
no longer than 5 ft. I use many types of retrives. The jerk-strip
made famous by Kelly Galloup moves large browns. With a $20
vice from Cabelas (gift from my daughter) I have tied at least 200
streamers in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Articulated patterns are my favorite. I am now gettting ready to tie the Boogie Man, Heifer Groomer and Zoo Cougar.
Pattern color is very important. One quick story. In the spring
of 2010 I was on the lower Weber for my 2nd time. I was throwing
a rust color slumpbuster. Fish after fish striked or rolled at
the slumpbuster but no fish. I had another pattern made from tabacco brown which looked like a match to the rust. I changed
to the tabacco brown and started catching fish after fish.
Throw a olive Circus Peanut. You will drive the fish nuts.
My approach to river streamer fishing is ACTIVE.

Maybe someday all the streamer guys can get together on the
middle Weber and throw some streamers. I know this site
has some real experts on streamer fishing. Good Luck.

Hey Sinergy or Riverdog---Any tips for streamer fishing on the middle Weber. I hear the Middle Weber is far more difficult
to catch fish than the lower Weber when throwing streamers.
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[quote Browntrout\]

Maybe someday all the streamer guys can get together on the
middle Weber and throw some streamers. I know this site
has some real experts on streamer fishing. Good Luck..[/quote]


That would be great you can count me in [cool]

[quote Browntrout\]
Hey Sinergy or Riverdog---Any tips for streamer fishing on the middle Weber. I hear the Middle Weber is far more difficult
to catch fish than the lower Weber when throwing streamers.[/quote]

I use to hit the section in Hoytsville & Coalville quit a bit. I hit it about a dozen times this summer and with a extremely high flows the fishing has been mediocre at best.

I just read on the board the flows are down and there discontinuing releasing water from Echo & Rockport add in the cooler water temps and now would be a great time to fish that section. Same tactics as mention earlier only you got get your flies down in the lower water column which can be tricky due to snags and hang ups but once you find the right weight that section can produce some numbers.
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LOL! I had no idea there was a fly called a Slumpbuster. I've heard the term before, but it was never related to fishing. That's funny.
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This is why I use streamers! The biggest fish was 22 1/2" and I don't know the girth, but I would guess 11-13". I thought it would weigh somewhere around 4-5 pounds? I like to use floating line with a tungsten leader with about 12-18" of 15lb test fluorocarbon leader to connect to the fly. I prefer to have a straight connection to my fly, and using the floating line allows me to mend the bow out of my line. There are a million ways to fish streamers, and all of them are worth it. I use a 9 foot 6 weight rod, but I use 3-6" streamers so the extra length keeps them away from my head. No I will not share the exact location, ha-ha. I live and fish in Wyoming.
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