by Matt Chapple

Green Butt Skunk and Purple Peril are names associated with West Coast steelhead fly fishing, but they are also effective in the Great Lakes at certain times and there is nothing more exciting in fly-fishing than hooking a steelhead on a swinging wet fly.

Take a trip to a Great Lakes tributary and you will not see many anglers fly-casting.   Steelhead fly-fishing in the Lake Ontario tributaries has evolved away from traditional fly casting techniques.  The majority of anglers on the tributaries are fishing with substantial weight on the leader and a running line.  This method is extremely effective at getting the fly down, but takes the fly-casting out of fly-fishing.  Part of the elegance and enjoyment of fly-fishing is the casting and the motion of the fly line as it travels through the air in delicate loops and swirls.

Techniques with much added weight are extremely effective and necessary when water temperatures fall. Alternatively, there is a certain time of year, between mid October and early December, before water temperatures drop below 40 degrees F when steelhead can be enticed into hitting a swinging wet or spey fly with the use of limited weight or a sink tip line.  By casting upstream and across and using a series of upstream mends which allows the fly to sink, the fly can be manipulated to a reasonable depth.  Once the fly is down, let it swing through the currents.

The majority of steelhead fishing is spent detecting subtle hesitations in the fly line.   When swinging wet flies there will be no question of whether a steelhead has hit the fly, the fly line will halt and the angler had better hold on tight. A moderate drag setting on your reel will help set the hook without allowing too much line out and a little heavier tippet such as 3x will provide some strength for the initial strike. Steelhead are incredible fighters and will waist no time once they are hooked, so be prepared to move downstream quickly.  The types of water are also a limiting factor for this technique and lower water periods are best.  Luckily, fall steelhead like to hold in shallower riffle water like the heads and tails of pools or choppy runs, which is perfect for this technique.

For a challenging and rewarding steelhead outing, break out some beautiful wet flies or spey flies.  Cast them and swing them, there is no finer way to fly-fish for steelhead. 

	Fall Favorite Hook: Salmon/Steelhead size 4-10 Thread: Black 6/0 Body: Silver Tinsel Wing: Fluorescent Orange Bucktail  or Calftail Hackle: Red
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	Green Butt Skunk Hook: Salmon/Steelhead size 4-10 Thread: Black 6/0 Tail: Red Hackle Butt: Fluorescent Green Chenille Body: Black Chenille Rib: Silver Tinsel Wing: White Skunk or Bucktail Hackle: Black
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	Sunset Hook: Salmon/Steelhead size 4-10 Thread: Pink 6/0 Tail: Pink Hackle Body: Silver Tinsel Rib: Oval Silver Tinsel Wing: Orange Bucktail Hackle: Pink
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	Black and Purple Spey Hook: Salmon/Steelhead 4-6 Thread: Black 6/0 Tag: Silver Tinsel Body: Peacock herl Rib: Silver Tinsel Hackle: Purple Spey Hackle ( Palmered) Hackle: Black Pheasant Rump (Collared)