Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2014 - 10

Fishing the
Glo Bug
by Carl Haensel
photos by the author

Stepping into a stream with an egg pattern on
the end of your fly rod is a great way to catch
Steelhead are in the clear water of Walnut Creek,
a steelhead. Learning the fine points of fishing
Erie County. Target these wary fish by using
these patterns can take your steelhead fishing to
fluorocarbon leaders, smaller flies and dead
the next level. Focus on using your egg pattern
drifting your presentation. In the clearest water
like a nymph and dead drifting it deep and on
conditions, use the most natural pattern you
the same level as the fish. Use a 7- or 8-weight fly
have to avoid startling the fish.
rod with floating line, along with 2x or 3x tippet
on your nymphing rig.
Many steelhead will not move multiple feet
to take a fly. On days when the fish are finicky, they may
can be longer in faster water and
not move 6 inches. Fish will often ignore a pattern that
shorter in slower water. If water
has significant drag and is not drifting like natural food. If
levels are up and steelhead are
you see steelhead, take the opportunity to fish to them and
on the move, some anglers like
see how they react. If they actively move away from the
to swing their egg patterns. This
fly, pick a less vibrant pattern. If they make no move when
can be a good strategy to fish in
your fly is 2 feet away from them, focus on getting a closer
shallower areas including riffles
drift. Pay close attention to your fly in the water. If it drifts
and tailouts of pools. Cast across
2 feet over the head of the fish that you are targeting, the
and slightly down with your egg
fish will rarely bite.
pattern and maintain a tight line
Steelhead in riffles and runs will be more likely to take
as it swings through the water. If a
larger and brighter egg patterns, and they will usually be
fish hits, be ready for a hard grab
holding tight to cover. Use a strike indicator and plenty of
on the line. If fishing fast water,
weight in the form of splitshot to get your fly down to the
keep a loop of line in your hand
fish. If you are not losing egg flies, you are often not fishing
to give fish that hit some slack
deep enough or close enough to structure or obstructions.
immediately. Make sure your
When fishing in this manner, you will often get snagged up.
drag is appropriately tightened,
After enough snags, even if you do not lose your flies, your
and check it regularly to avoid
hook will dull. Plan to replace your egg flies throughout the
breaking fish off when they
day to make sure that you have the best odds of hooking up
cannot take out line.
when a fish hits.
Many fly patterns imitating steelhead,
Riffles, runs and pools in the steelhead streams of
salmon and other eggs exist. From top
Pennsylvania vary greatly in depth and speed. Adjust your
to bottom: soft gel egg, salmon bead
strike indicator appropriately every time you shift from run
egg, Babine Special, Clown Egg, Sucker
to run or pool to pool. The length should be about 1 to 1
Spawn and skein egg.
½ times the depth of the water. Strike indicator distance

10

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2014

Soft Gel Egg

Salmon Bead Egg

Babine Special

Clown Egg

Sucker Spawn

Skein Egg

PFBC Facebook: PaFishandBoat
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2014
