1. Leader and Line
set-up; Depending on the
conditions of the river or tributary you are fishing, your line should be weight
forward, either floating, or a medium to fast sink, with at least a 9' ft.
tapered or knotted leader. Line weight for the avid Steelheader is
between 6/8wt., and my preference is a 7wt. WF Floating, with a 9'ft.
6lb tapered leader.
2. Tippet size and
weight; Once again, I can't stress the
importance of current conditions of the water you are fishing, and in
order to maximize your results, you will need several
different sizes. For stained water my tippet choice is
between 2-3ft. long, 2X 6-8lb., slightly stained I'll drop to a 4x 6lb. and
clear water will find me switching to 5x 4.75lb test. If you don't
have a medium to fast sink line, then you will need some weight to get
your Fly Down to the fish. You can use between 1-3 #6 non-leaded fly
weights, depending on the depth of the water, and fly choice. (i.e.
bead head woolly bugger, etc.)
3. Rod and Reel Choice;
My preference is an ORVIS Helios 10'ft 7" 7wt.
Fly rod, and 7wt. Battenkill LA Big Game Fly reel. However, any 6-8wt
Fly combo should suffice if you apply the above mentioned "terminal
tackle." and you maintain the Balance of weight between;
Rod-Reel-Line-Tippet.
