Those who hooked a steelhead know that those spectacular and beautiful game fish will do everything to loosen themselves. Several runs upstream and downstream up to 50 meters are regular and sometimes the steelhead will leap out of the water several times like an acrobat. Steelhead will take both dry and wet flies, and streamers and nymphs as well. Fly fishing for steelhead with a dry fly however, desires lots of patience, commitment and endurance from a fly fisherman. Steelhead can be particularly hard to catch, not necessarily because they won’t pursue a properly presented fly, but because you are searching for a needle in a haystack. 99 % of the water is empty, and you are trying to find that one fish that will take your fly. The reality is that some fly fisherman go years without success. A 10 feet fly rod, weight #8/9 and a 200 or 300 grain sink tip line and a leader with a strength of about 15 lbs will do fine. Angling according to the dead drift method and make sure that the fly will have the opportunity to sink, must give some results.
The size of the fly depends on the season and water level. In summer some larger flies are preferred, size #2 or #4 and in autumn smaller size, #6 and #8 should be used. Remember that steelhead are almost constantly moving. You may find several steelhead in a specific location one day only to find that same location without fish the next day! The Elk River in Erie Pennsylvania has many good pools with gravel beaches where fly fishing is very easy. Long casts are not always necessary, usually some 20 meters are enough. After each cast take a step downstream and cast again until a steelhead has taken the fly or when you finished the pool. Pools that are easy accessible are known to most anglers, so you can encounter other angler at some pools. So don't hesitate to go for pools that have difficult access.
Sometimes a long double-handed Spey rod can be very welcome, especially when long casts are needed. A 13 or 14 feet rod for a #9 line is perfect. Another advantage of a long fly rod is the better control of the movements of the fish although the actual landing or beaching of the steelhead is more difficult. Dry fly fishing is also very popular on those rivers. I always advise also to bring a baitcaster or spinning rod. Some local circumstances are hard to predict and fly fishing is not always possible. Casting the whole day with an 8- or 9-weight rod is also tiring so a relaxed day with a baitcaster can give your muscles some rest.
