Rick Kustich - Blog

Steelhead and water temperature

10/30/2023

A thermometer is an important piece of a steelheader’s equipment and will help to unlock some of the mysteries of a river. The optimum water temperature range for steelhead is 42 to 58 degrees F. Within this range, 50 to 55 is ideal. What this means to an angler is that within the optimum range, steelhead tend to be most aggressive and capable of moving a long distance to intercept or chase a fly. This temperature range can be found on most Great Lakes rivers from late September through November. That is why I prefer that time of year for steelhead fishing. In the fall, steelhead are spread throughout the river in a wide range of water and are susceptible to a range of angling techniques. Normally, fall water temperatures need to fall into the mid 60s before steelhead enter the stream or river.

But actual water temperature does not always tell the entire story. The direction of the mercury often has a great significance. Cold fronts that blow through the Great Lakes region can reduce air temperatures by 20 degrees in a short period of time, causing water temperatures to drop by 5 to 10 degrees or even more overnight. Streams and rivers with a predominance of bedrock are particularly susceptible to wide temperature changes. Rivers that have more groundwater influence or that run out of an impoundment or large body of water may not have such dramatic changes.

A significant decrease in water temperature will slow steelhead activity. Therefore, fishing is often more difficult after a cold spell, especially for swinging flies, so I try to avoid fishing the early morning hours after a cold night. A number of times a cold front has moved through in the late morning or early afternoon while I was on the river, and as the water temperature dropped throughout the afternoon, so did the number of fish interested in taking a fly.

Rising water temperatures have the opposite effect. Even a small to moderate increase in the water temperature can have a positive impact on steelhead activity. Based on the notes in my fishing log and my observation, some of the best steelhead fishing coincides with stable or rising water temperatures. I try to time my outings to meet such conditions. After a very cold night, I prefer to fish the late morning and early afternoon, allowing the water temperature to recover. I also do my best to select days to fish when temperatures will be on the rise as opposed to falling.

You can still find quality steelhead fishing even when the water temperatures isn’t in the optimum range. During winter months, you can seek out solitude on most rivers, and an understanding of water can play an important part in your success. When water temperatures drop into the 30s, a steelhead’s metabolism begins to decrease. This generally causes steelhead to hold in slower water or flows that are out of the main current.

Steelhead can remain quite active during the winter months, especially when the water temperature is fairly stable. I have had good success swinging flies in 33- to 35-degreee water that has held stable for a time. Given the fish’s slower metabolism, presenting a swinging fly in a slow, controlled fashion will work best in the winter. Steelhead will generally not chase a fly as far or with the same aggressive manner as they do when temperatures are in the optimum range.

Excerpted from Advance Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead by Rick Kustich

Basic Leader for musky fly fishing

9/6/2023

If you ask a dozen musky fly anglers about their leader construction, you will probably receive a dozen varying answers. There are many options. And while I use a few variations during the year to meet certain conditions, my main leader is quite simple and can be constructed in mere minutes.

For the main leader I use 30 or 40 pound fluorocarbon of 4 to 8 feet depending on water clarity. For the bite guard I use knotable wire such as the American Fishing Wire surflon micro supreme 7x7 in 26 pound or 40 pound or the Scientific Angler 1x7 nickel titanium wire. A double surgeons provides for a dependable knot between the fluorocarbon and bite guard. Make sure it is carefully constructed and properly seated and that the difference in diameter of the materials isn't significant. A loop-to-loop is another alternative for connecting the fluorocarbon to bite guard. The bite guard is approximately 18 inches in length. This is a good length for performing the figure 8 movement. When the bite guard knot hits the tip top it’s time to roll into the figure 8.

For the connection to the fly line a loop-to-loop works well with lower diameter fly lines. If the fly lines doesn't have a manufacturer's welded loop, it can constructed by doubling over the line to form the loop and lashing it down with tying thread. UV knot sealer or crazy glue completes the loop. The loop in the fluoro is constructed with a perfection loop trimmed tight to allow for easy movement through the guides. My preferred connection is an Albright knot trimmed tightly and finished with knot sealer to allow for smooth passage through the guides during the retrieve. I'll also use tying thread to smooth out edges that can catch in the guides of the rod. The Albright is necessary for thicker diameter lines.

For the terminal end I have been using a locking snap for easy fly changes and to maintain a consistent length of the bite guard. While I tend to make minimal fly changes during a day, the snap makes it quick and easy for the times when a change seems warranted. For years I used the figure 8 knot with a long tag end. This knot can be backed out and retied to maintain a consistent bite guard length through multiple fly changes. Now I use either a figure 8 knot or 3 to 4 turn improved clinch to secure the locking snap. The improved clinch tends to leave a slight kink in the wire when completed.

For a lower profile than that of using the snap, a Homer Rhode loop knot or Lefty non-slip loop knot may be preferred. However, with this approach the bite guard length lessens with each fly change. One solution to this is by using the loop-to-loop connection between the fluorocarbon and bite guard. A separate bite guard is attached to a handful of your favorite flies with a perfection loop at the other end. The perfection loop at the end of the fluoro needs to be large enough to fit over the fly. A fly change is then made by simply exchanging the bite guard and fly through the large loop on the fluorocarbon and carefully seating the loop-to-loop connection.

Photo: Nick Pionessa