Basics of streamers

[GolfvsFishing]

Okay.. simple stuff for the beginner

Do I need to use an indicator?

Do I add any weight to the line?
Do all streamers include a weighted head?

I have heard that I can attach a second fly to the streamer.. like a midge.  Any other tips on setup?

What conditions are best for streamers?  Seems like some of the small rainbows on LMF would not be interested in ‘bait fish’

[glitchmo]

As always -- it depends Pretty much anything can work some of the time in the right situation, but even the 10" stockers will happily eat a small streamer. It can definitely work on the LMF.

Generally, though, streamers can imitate anything from baitfish to crayfish to leeches, or big insects, or really nothing at all. I'm assuming below that you're not talking about the modern big (3+ inch) streamers. That's a slightly different discussion.

The simplest version is -- go get some olive and/or black wooly buggers (they'll usually come in unweighted, beadhead, and conehead) from say 4-10. Use a 9 ft 3x or 4x tapered leader. Go stand in slow/still water (I'm picturing Hickory Hole) cast any direction, let it sink a bit, then slowly strip it back to you. If you want to go deeper, let it sink longer or use a heavier weight, if you're hanging up, use less weight, strip faster, let it sink less, etc...

In moving water (like say upper EH or spillway), you usually want to cast slightly downstream then either let it drift/swing or slowly strip it back to you as it swings. Things get more complicated from there -- if it's not acting the way you want you may need to mend more/less/differently, or choose a different angle. If it's not getting deep enough (say you're in heavy current) you might want to add shot above the streamer on your line. You could fish it with an indicator if you wanted, that can certainly be effective, though since you're usually trying to move the fly an indicator is usually less helpful. You can add a trailing nymph, that works too.

[turfdawg]

It’s really not that simple of an answer. Indicator needed if dead drifting. Weight to match depth and water speed. Sinking leaders or lines might need used and there are different weight of those. Trailer sometimes helpful

[FlyAndStream]

Do I need to use an indicator?
No.

Do I add any weight to the line?
If you need it, yeah.

Do all streamers include a weighted head?
No.

I have heard that I can attach a second fly to the streamer.. like a midge. Any other tips on setup?
Yes, here's a great podcast by George Daniels on streamer tactics.

What conditions are best for streamers?
Many, including high water, early morning, night or late evening, or when there are bait fish present, and others.

Seems like some of the small rainbows on LMF would not be interested in ‘bait fish’
Oh really, tell that to this guy.



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Bill, I disagree with an indicator being needed for dead-drifting, maybe if its far away and someone couldn't high-stick. Also you can achieve an excellent dead-drift with a mono-leader and streamer, throw in the occasional twitch on a 3-4" streamer and you might just have yourself a winner. That's for the clean up round after you've fished out the hole.

[turfdawg]

Aaron, very true on the indicator. I was just mainly talking about long drifts above and below myself where I cannot tightline that far like at swim bridge on the edge of the slack water and current. Have caught many on Deena streamers in that area with and without bobbers. I still want to know what straightened my size 8 hook there. I never got to see that fish but it took several nice runs. #tailwaggingthedog

[darrelln09]

Jan 7, 2019 12:43:12 GMT -6 GolfvsFishing said:

I have heard that I can attach a second fly to the streamer.. like a midge.  Any other tips on setup?

Okay, you’ve gotten some really good advice from the LMFR experts!

I’d just like to add that I like to trail a soft hackle fly behind my streamers. The heavy weight of the streamer (usually a Woolly Bugger or a Slumpbuster for me) will get the soft hackle down in the water column quickly and it will rise quickly at the end of a swing. It also gives me a little peace of mind knowing that the trailing fly is tied off the rather stout hook bend of a good sized streamer hook and that it won’t flex very much on a hook set to a fish on the soft hackle.

[turfdawg]

I think I would describe it like a couple of experts and Bill or even more fitting might be a couple of LMF athletes and a athletic supporter (Bill)

[glitchmo]

Jan 7, 2019 16:46:27 GMT -6 FlyAndStream said:

 

So that's where all the juvenile rainbows went

[troutbum54]

Most of my streamer fishing comes from more big game fly fishing (7wt-9wt) and larger flies (3-8 inches) but my whole experience changed once I began using sinking lines and unweighted or lightly weighted flies. It’s a great way to up your streamer game as you can keep your fly at the correct level for j style hooks and using floating line more for jig style flies (since you’re basically raising the fly up each time you strip since the line is wanting to float up and the fly wants to sink down)

[jonbo]

When the river flow was up a year or so ago, I fished evening hole with streamers using a sinking tip. I did pretty well!