Which flies to swing for steelhead/salmon?

[BioGuy]

After moving to NY a couple years ago I made a few trips up to the SR area last season, but I wasn't really set up well for this style of fishing. I'm fixing that going into this year, so the question...what are your favorite flies to swing for steelhead & salmon? Fall vs Winter? Has anyone had much success swinging for salmon?

I'm tying up some modified (more spey style) green butt skunks, and a few marabou speys in blue/purple. Any other suggestions?

 

[WBDluver]

i never really swung flies for salmon, i usually high stick nymph or indicator fish. I also found that the steelhead change what they hit as the seasons change from fall to winter to spring.

 

[CTobias]

You want flies with a lot of action for kings. The traditional style stuff might work once in a while, but swinging big gnarly annoying flies will prove better.

For steelhead I like swinging anything that is black, purple, black and purple, olive, dark blue and black, or just dark blue. Just a little bit of flash is needed on your flies.

 

[CTobias]

Also, you should pick up some browns while swinging for salmon and steelhead.

 

[LyNcH]

Olive, olive.....did I mention olive? Seriously, olive. All your other streamers and spey flies will look nice swinging through the current, but at the end of the day, from one spey guy to the next, nothing out produces an olive based fly when swinging on the SR.....and I like all my other flies!

 

[BioGuy]

Thanks for the info guys! Time to start tying.

Ctobias: That first brown is awesome.

 

[sneelhead]

Wild Bill's intruder (Spey clave member)
Developed for GL steelhead and reportedly deadly. Want to tie me some?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[beeber]

Yellow slumpbusters and black wooly buggers. When they strike on the swing it's one hell of a rush! I have not caught that many swinging for salmon but I have done okay swinging for steel in the fall.

 

[BioGuy]

First attempt: Olive & Black Intruder (style, I didn't have any shanks + stinger hooks).

I tried taking everyone's advice into account. Going to tie the same(ish) in blue & purple too.

In order: Red chenille butt, olive marabou, olive floss body, oval silver rib, olive and black marabou, 2x black hackle wings, 2 strands UV pearl flash.

 

[LyNcH]

That'll definitely do the job. That is a perfect low water fly that'll dance on the end of a scandi head/polyleader setup. If you have any olive ostrich, throw some strands around the collar and have it run parallel and the same length with your marabou.

 

[lightenup]

First attempt: Olive & Black Intruder (style, I didn't have any shanks + stinger hooks).

I tried taking everyone's advice into account. Going to tie the same(ish) in blue & purple too.

In order: Red chenille butt, olive marabou, olive floss body, oval silver rib, olive and black marabou, 2x black hackle wings, 2 strands UV pearl flash.

View attachment 10974

A lefty? I am having the house re-modeled and my vise is put away until they are done.......I am missing it.......
Hopefully a month or two more......
Nice looking fly!