Euro-nymphing for Erie trip steelhead

[edhank]

What rods are yinz using for tightline/euro/mono-rig nymphing the erie/great lakes tribs for steelhead?

It seems like my 10ft 3 wt recon rod would be a little light for steelhead, but with the size flies and lighter tippets we sometimes have to use, my got 9' 6wt sage rpl might be a little much.

Thoughts?

 

[kobalt335]

The 6wt would be fine. Some people go light with steelhead rods, but I like the backbone. I use a 10ft 7wt.

 

[ThePharmacist]

I'm not a Euro/Tightline expert by any means. Fishing for them with the ten3 seems tempting, but catching/landing them with a ten6 or ten7 is more reasonable.

 

[PennKev]

6wts are completely adequate for PA steelhead under normal conditions.

A 10ft 5wt would probably get by OK. Lighter rods, while perfectly adequate for the actual fishing techniques are lacking when it comes to landing a fish.

 

[moon1284]

Never fished for sh in pa and probably won't. Haven't nymphed for steelhead in a long time. When I did nymph 10' 7wt was the go to rod.

You could probably land steelhead with a 10' 3wt but I don't know anyone who would think that is close to the right tool for the job.

Steelhead are a lot more fun when they chase and eat the bait rather then when you drift the bait into their mouth imo.

 

[whheff]

On Erie I used a 10' 7wt. mid flex rod. It gave me good reach and soft feel with plenty of back bone.

 

[albatross]

Last time I was up I used a new to me 10' 5wt Orvis Helios. It was more than adequate for the steelies.

 

[RLeep2]

I don't know Euro nymphing from Euro nymphets, so I won't comment on that part of it...

I haven't really fished for them in the PA tribs in well over 20 years, but when I did I always fished a slower action 9' 6 wgt, a Diamondback Americana to be more specific. It seemed about right to me; enough to overcome most of the hotter fish that usually make up the earlier runs and also enough to comfortably wear down the somewhat loggier later fish once the water falls below 40F and pretty much stays there. This is one of the few fisheries I have any familiarity with where prudent rod weight choice is to an extent dictated by prevailing water temps. A 3 wgt. could probably handle a lot of the slower metabolism fish that that are present from say, Thanksgiving on. But I don't think I'd want to use a 3 wgt. to turn and wear down the fish of October while the water is still well into the 50's. Not enough rod, IMHO..

 

[edhank]

moon1284 wrote:
.....

Steelhead are a lot more fun when they chase and eat the bait rather then when you drift the bait into their mouth imo.

I love swinging for steelies. My first steelhead on the fly was caught swinging a bugger through a run, above Follee's End shop.