Quest Outdoors

riverhick · Egg Joined: 24 Mar 2007 Posts: 1

Hello everyone,

I have been fly fishing for steelhead/salmon for about 6 years now and just recently purchased a spey rod setup (13' 8w Redington Redfly DBL handed+ 11/12 Redington Breakwater with DT floating line) and am very anxious to get out and improve my skills. I don't have anyone close to me who could inform me on what types of patterns might be most effective for spey fishing and was wondering if some of you could help me out a little. I have been tying up Popsicle patters, sculpins, and standard nymphs but was starting to get overwhelmed by the massive amounts of spey patterns I saw when searching online.
Also, I've noticed that some of the patters would be more effectively presented with a sink tip system. Would I be able to get away without the sink tip for these flies, at least until I get a sink tip system?
Just to help out, I'm from the Grand Rapids area and fish the Grand, Rogue, and I travel to the Manistee's (frequently) and everything in between.

Thanks! Very Happy

downtime · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 1:41 pm Post subject:

One of my favorite flies for swinging is prolly a marabou spey. They are basically just a popsicle with less marabou. A bunch of color combinaions work but black marabou over purple with some red Krystal flash seemed to be the best!!

Old Timer · Egg Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 1

Downtime due you do alot of spey fishing, could you post some pictures of your spey flys.

MPsteelheader · Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:10 pm Post subject:

i dont think time has anything to do with finding a color combo that works IMHO Laughing

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Ken (speyday) Crowne · Adult Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 97

I would definately stick with the sink tip systems you are using.

I would also focus on a few key pattern types, rather than color plates... but put even more focus on presenting them right; and at the right times.

Big, nappy, olive/brown sculpin patterns will do very well. The pattern shown on this site is a perfect example. Dont be afraid to go BIG....as big as a lure might try to imitate.
Giant egg sucking leeches will also produce,
and white alewive imitations will also score.

I would say that those are color plates that will consistently produce fish when shown to them at proper times. My best luck with white has been on summer fish and early fall run fish.

If you want to tye fancy stuff, i understand....its fun. But not really necessary.

Eric · Lunker Joined: 06 Mar 2004 Posts: 277

Here's a couple patterns that work for me... at least hooking up Wink

http://www.questoutdoors.net/skills/ftying/patterns/spey/bunny-strip-sculpin/

http://www.questoutdoors.net/skills/ftying/patterns/streamers/feenstra-sculpin-emulator/

2 suggestions on fly line...coming from a "still learning" caster after 5 years.. PRACTICE with what you use on the water, DON'T practice with a floating line then expect to be proficient with a big old sinktip. Diff timing, diff cast, etc. I've seen many people that cast cast pretty good with a floating line, but get em fishing with sinking stuff and it's pure chaos. Yes, the lines do weigh the same +/- a bit but they perform much differently especialy when you start playing around with the super short shooting heads that many prefer for the MO and Man. Don't be afraid to try off the wall stuff as well, gave our webmonkey a HUGE Erie emerald shiner to use last year on the MO and he ended up nailing a nice fish. I believe his words were something like " I bet none of these fish ever saw a pattern like this before"

Here's one last link to a super sinking shooting head system that's easy to cast, it's the one I use all the time on the MO, love the interchangable tips!

http://www.questoutdoors.net/gear/preview/guideline-power-taper-ddc-connect/

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