Article Written by Brooks Robinson. Learn More About the author below / Article Read Time: 5 Minutes
The Great Lakes trout and steelhead tributary fishing is kicking off strong, and even though we could use a little more rain across the region it seems we are on track for another great year. We thought we’d highlight some ideal setups, flies and tactics for those looking to get in on the action this fall, and in hopes you can skip a little bit of the learning curve if you’re new to the game. While every tributary is different having slightly unique nuances compared to others, there are tons of similarities allowing you to take a general approach to have success on the water.
TOP 3 PREFERRED ROD SET UPS
In many instances these setups can be used on most Great Lakes tributaries, but there are often scenarios where larger rivers or smaller creeks can require gear outside our listings. Although there are many other ways to target migratory trout and steelhead, these are the more common methods of fly fishing, and a great starting point if you are just getting in on the action.
1. INDICATOR SET UP
Rod: 9-10ft, 6-8wt
Line: Specialty Series - Salmon Steelhead
Tapered Leader: 7.5ft or 9ft, 8lb – 12lb
Tippet: Ultra-Premium Fluorocarbon Tippet 1x – 4x
Additional Tackle: Micro Barrel swivels & Small removable split shot, Oros Indicators.
Flies: Glo Bug Eggs, Estaz Eggs, Egg Sucking Leeches, Stonefly Nymphs
Preferred Fly Colors: (Eggs) Oregon Cheese, Chartreuse, Pink, Blue. (Egg Sucking Leeches) Black/Orange. (Stonefly Nymphs) Black / Brown.
Helpful Tips: Run 1.5 – 2X the leader length from your indicator to your split shot, based on water depth. For example, if your water depth is two feet, the leader section between your weight and indictor should be around 3.5 - 4ft long. Choosing the right weight is crucial to having a proper drift when leader length is dialed in.
2. SWING SET UP
Rod: 10-12ft, 6-7wt Switch Rod
Fly Line: Two Handed Series - Compact Switch
Sink Tips: 5-10ft Intermediate, Type 3, Type 6
Leader: 10lb -16lb Fluorocarbon XTR
Flies: Intruders, Articulated Leeches, Flesh Flies
Preferred Fly Colors: Baitfish, Pink, Purple, Copper, Black/Red, Cream.
Helpful Tips: Lighter sink tips and leader size for calmer, slower water. Heavier sink tips and leader size for deeper, faster water. Understanding the weight of your fly patterns and the material they are tied with can help dictate sink tip length and density choice.
3. TIGHTLINE | HIGH STICK SET UP
Rod: 10ft 5-7wt
Line: Specialty Series - .027’’ Running Line
Leader Build: 14lb Euro Nymph Leader Material, .014’’ Tri-Color Indicator Mono, 10lb Fluorocarbon XTR
Tippet: Ultra-Premium Fluorocarbon Tippet 1x-4x
Additional Tackle: 3mm Tippet Rings, Micro barrel swivels, small removable split shot.
Flies: Glo Bug Eggs, Estaz Eggs, Egg Sucking Leeches, Stonefly Nymphs
Preferred Fly Colors: (Eggs) Oregon Cheese, Chartreuse, Pink, Blue. (Egg Sucking Leeches) Black/Red. (Stonefly Nymphs) Black / Brown.
Helpful Tips: Chose a split shot weight so your tapping bottom a few times without getting stuck. Slowing your drift down compared to the actual flow of the water can greatly enhance bites in heavy, fast water.
TOP PREFERRED FLIES
The vast majority of trout and steelhead are entering tributaries to chase down salmon eggs, which makes fly choice fairly straight forward, however, there are many waterways that do not have salmon meaning anglers need to focus more on streamers and nymph patterns. These fly patterns are a great starting point if you’re fishing a new tributary and unfamiliar with exactly what to throw:
- Glo Bug Eggs – Ideal for most water situations. You can tie these flies in tons of different colors, as well as varying sizes.
- Estaz Eggs – Best used in fast, heavier, off-colored water. Tying these in bright pink, orange, and chartreuse tend to be the most successful color patterns.
- Streamer – Best for tributaries that have no salmon or hold a ton of baitfish. Olive and white are a great starting point for colors options.
- Egg Sucking Leech – Typically these are best used where rivers have slow, mucky moving estuaries prior to rocky bottom. Black rabbit strips with a red or pink egg are best.
- Intruder – These can come in tons of sizes and color variations and best used when swinging runs. Copper, turquoise, pink, black, and anything with some flash in it works well!
- Stonefly Nymphs – These can be best used in waterways where salmon are not present or later in the Fall when salmon eggs are no longer prevalent. Typical sizes range from 6-12.
Number 1 Focus: Timing
Timing is everything when it comes to Great Lakes tributary fishing, especially rivers and creeks that are not controlled by dams. Hitting the water at just the right time can make for an exceptional day of catching fish, whereas mistiming your trip turns into more of just a learning experience. Learning how to study water flows on the rivers and creeks you plan to target is the easiest, most important way to succeed in catching migratory fish. A key factor is understanding the average flows for that time of year, what your maximum flows are to where it’s too dangerous to fish or it’s a waste of time, and the minimum flows to where fish won’t enter the waterways.
HIT IT ON THE DROP! I’ve always succeeded in fishing tributaries when water flows are receding back to normal, coming down from large pulses of rainwater. The higher the pulse of water, the better! This is when understanding average flows for that specific time of year is critical. Try to time your trip on a day when flows recede into slightly higher than average water levels, as that will typically result in much better angling opportunities. Water levels that are receding back to normal from very high flows carry a ton of food along with them, and often pull in new, unpressured fish from the lakes. There are many Apps available to monitor water gauges, but we like to use one called River Data. Some smaller creeks may not have a registered gauge, so understanding flows for the next closest tributary is going to be your best bet.
Other Helpful Tips:
- Watch the weather. Anticipating the rain and how much precipitation can fall is ideal for smaller tributaries.
- Get there Early. Don’t sleep in and go stand on top of everyone else!
- Pick up after others so we can always enjoy public water or private easements.
- Support your local shops in the area as they can help point you in the right direction.
- Leave actively spawning fish alone.
- Learn the regulations prior to fishing as many tributaries have their own rules
About the author
Brooks Robinson was born in Cortland, NY and grew up on a small lake just 10 minutes north of the Cortland Line Office. He started working at Cortland Line 10 years ago in fly line production. Currently he is part of the product development team and an inside sales rep covering Maine to Maryland for both conventional and fly fishing products. In his free time you can find him fishing the Upper Delaware for trout or fishing saltwater for tuna and striped bass. Brooks currently resides in Syracuse, NY with his wife Rianne, two daughters and son Finn who love to fish and spend time outdoors.
