# Fishing Streamers



## MarkM (Sep 7, 2007)

I have never been a big streamer fisherman but I want to start using them more. What are some tricks and techniques you guys use to fish them? What about streamer fly patterns?

Mark


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## cbassonafly (Oct 5, 2012)

I love fishing streamers; there is lots of info out there about how to do it and how not to do it. They way learned was just trial and error. Do what feels comfortable; I grew up using spinners so when I first started I just treated the fly like it was spinner, casting it down stream through the hole and stripping it up. I found some good success doing it that way, then I began trying other techniques; casting up stream, or straight across the current. I've caught fish on all of them. I do have the most success cast down stream and stripping the fly up stream, but thats just me and my experience. 

As far as flies, I've really gotten into articulated streamers (weighted or no weight), I just love the way move in the water. I'll typically use a sink tip leader too if the hole is really deep or the current is fast. The streamers I really like though are wooly buggers and ugly bugs (you can find ugly bugs in sportsmans warehouse). I like them in colors: olive, brown, and black. Hope this helps, I'm no expert on the subject, but it is a very fun way to fish and you can catch some very nice fish doing it!


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## drsx (Sep 8, 2010)

Where are yo buying your articulated streamers?


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## browntrout (Apr 27, 2008)

There is nothing like having a brown almost rip your arm off hitting your streamer.
Color is more important than pattern. But, I fish mostly articulated patterns.
Two of the biggest browns (over 20") I caught this past year were on a modified
articulated Ice Pick/Olive&White (Rich Strolis pattern). Some days it can be very slow but stick with it. I now use a full sink line - which I believe helped me to consistently
catch larger fish this past year.


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## cbassonafly (Oct 5, 2012)

drsx said:


> Where are yo buying your articulated streamers?


Just a hobby of mine, but I like to buy them when I got on trips, I visit fly shops to see different patterns and collect the articulated ones. But most fly shops sell them, there over priced in my opinion... But I do tie them too quite a bit, and that's where most of mine come from. You search you tube for different patterns and can tie them... That's what I do. And I agree with browntrout; color is more important.


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## ted (Oct 22, 2011)

A favorite pattern of mine: clouser minnow in olive/white. 

Fish it down and across and watch the browns come running!


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## drsx (Sep 8, 2010)

I forgot to mention that I second the Ugly Bugs from Sportsmans. They are simple but honestly they work very well in these utah waters. Brown and Olive are my favs


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

This is for .45. He's always bitchin' cause I don't contribute to fishin' stuff. :mrgreen:

I like to start short, casting into a seam or in front of a potential holding spot for fish. I'll let it drift like you would fish a nymph and let 5 feet or so more out each cast, graduating to down and across. This way you can strip it in front of fish that are holding at different points. Sometimes I'll let it all the way out to my backer, to reach fish further downstream.

I also love whacking fish on the head that are actively feeding, especially on late spring caddis hatches. It seems like when a good evening caddis hatch is happening and fish are keying on them, they get more aggressive because of the fluttering-elusive nature of the bugs. If I see one rise I'll try to slam it right in front of them. Often times they will hit it shortly after hitting the water. I usually end up fishing well after dark in this type of scenario. After dark streamer fishing is at the top of the list for me.

This splake was caught on a heavily weighted olive zonker at about 11 PM. My leader was a complete rat's nest and only about 18" long, with knot deductions. 










Another often over looked method is casting upstream and stripping a bit faster than the current.

Also, I like to tie streamers with a good amount of weight, sometimes so much that casting is difficult, but heavy bugs are definitely useable in different situations.

I keep sinking tips on hand for certain waters as well.

I agree with color being a bigger factor than size/pattern. Olive, brown tones and black are good ones to have on hand (As well as lighter colors). I usually make 8-10 good cast/retrieves before I switch colors.

Sometimes fish like natural, no flash type streamers, sometimes they like em dressed up in their club shirts. Sometimes they're just random, right?


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## madonafly (Dec 27, 2007)

You guys don't find a full sink line easier to cast big flies with. I always felt like sink tips were so clunky. All the weight in a short area like trying to cast a bunch of split shot.


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## cbassonafly (Oct 5, 2012)

madonafly said:


> You guys don't find a full sink line easier to cast big flies with. I always felt like sink tips were so clunky. All the weight in a short area like trying to cast a bunch of split shot.


It is not the prettiest fly fishing to watch


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Top of the page, yipee!!

I like streamers and I'm fond of yellow and red; old standby streamers like the Mickey Finn. There's a lake near here that the trout just love Mickey Finns. I can't find them for sale around here but they are an easy fly to tie:









Years ago I took some business associates up to the High Unitas. One of the guys, from Iowa for crying out loud, insisted on using Platte Specials. like #6s. He tied one on and I laughed and told him to put on one of these #16 sow bug thingies. Uh...the hog farmer catches three 16" Brookies before I get a bite. All four of us switched to Mickey Finns that day and this "guide" was humbled for sure. Needless to say I've using Platte Specials around here ever since:









Oh, yeah, technique......Throw the streamers out in the water and strip them in.


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## madonafly (Dec 27, 2007)

Stillwaters are easy!!! LOL But for me, what works at stillwaters doesn't work in local rivers. Just like local rivers and Idaho rivers are different too. For me :roll:


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

I use the same streamers virtually everywhere I fish....I like green, black, and brown buggers.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

I don't get to fish rivers and streams much any more due to back and hip problems.
I spend most of my fly fishing time on still water these days.
I like to cast and strip streamers with a full sink line from a pontoon at places like Strawberry.
I have also been spending a lot of time at local Community Ponds with my streamers. I have sized them down to micro leaches in size 16 to 10.
Fishing these small leaches dead drift under a very small indicator is a lot of fun.
If the fish want it moving, I simply extend the length from the fly to the indicator and strip and pause.
If the fish are holding deep, I may go with a sinking line.

Fishing streamers this was has allowed me to do more fly fishing and for longer durations.
I have tied some of my micro leaches on a jig hook, using a gold bead in place of the lead head.
This allows for a horizontal presentation of the fly when fishing it dead stick.
It have been very effective for me.

My favorite material to use for my leaches and small buggers is Ice Dubbing and Semi Seal Dubbing.
This material makes great looking bugs.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

madonafly said:


> Stillwaters are easy!!! LOL But for me, what works at stillwaters doesn't work in local rivers. Just like local rivers and Idaho rivers are different too. For me :roll:


OK, you want me to do rivers? What size? How fast? How big of fish?


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## madonafly (Dec 27, 2007)

Buggers ain't streamers ;-)


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