Most nymph fishermen use these weighted patterns when the water gets cold; however, some use them all year. When I tie the steelhead nymph, I always wrap 20 to 24 wraps of a .015 lead-free wire.

No, the Squirmy Wormy is not a traditional “fly,” but we fish it on a fly rod, so here it is. Steelhead-sized worms are typically significantly larger than the ones we use for trout.

The “Egg-Sucking Leech” has proven to be a very effective fly pattern for anglers targeting steelhead in the Chautauqua County Lake Erie tributaries. Photo courtesy of FleegersFlies.com The winter ...

Cast across the stream and mend line as the fly makes its drift, then pulls around in the current. Sinking lines will keep your pattern right near the bottom where steelhead often hold. They are also ...