Fly fishing a nymph is an excellent method to choose to catch steelhead. Like nymph stream fishing for rainbow trout only your equipment and the nymph size are beefed up to tackle one of the most pound for pound fighting fish.
To fish a nymph for steelhead use a spay or single hander fly rod is preferred. Have a 10 foot leader is standard length. Set the strike indicator 1.5 feet deeper than the water you are fishing. A strike indicator is really a specialized bobber for fly fishing. You want to set enough weight or split shot in front of your fly on the line to tap the bottom once In a while.
Most fishermen have too much weight on to where it is dragging the bottom. Putting just enough weight on the leader to tap the bottom once in a while will give the nymph just the right natural presentation and look to the fish you want. Ideal water speed to fish a nymph will be about 3 miles per hour and in the depth range of 4 to 8 feet.
To fish the nymph cast upstream and across stream. As nymph drifts by you flick the tip of the rod back and forth and let out line from your line holding hand stripping extra line. Keep giving more line as the nymph drifts downstream. Then you can walk a few steps down stream to end the cast and retrieve the nymph. Then work a slightly different stretch of the stream moving upstream. It is surprising how effective and efficient this method for fly fishing is
Another method for fishing a nymph for steelhead is to do method called high rodding. This method you hold the rod high with the fly line off the water and let the nymph drift straight down from your rod tip. When you feel a strike set the hook immediately.
Nymph fly selections include: a stone fly , moneybug, globug, or pink lady are popular. I prefer the more natural nymph color such as black or brown.
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