Tips

When salmon fishing if you show up when the sun is rising, your late.  You have already foregone a large percentage of your most productive time!  Get there early and you will put more fish in the boat!

On your small trout flies size 18 and smaller, I always offset the barb on the hook.  You do this by grasping the fly hook with pliers and slowly bend it to the left or right of the main hook shank.  This will allow you to hook those trout that you would have otherwise missed, because on a standard hook if the fly is sideways and flat in the fishes mouth it can have trouble finding flesh on the hook set.  I also do this with my large Siwash hooks on my spinners, spoons, and wobblers.  Every little advantage helps!  Give it a try, you will definitely hook more fish.

When fly fishing and using a sinking or sink tip line many people make the mistake of using too long of a leader.  You only need a leader 3' to 6' long.  It also doesn't need to be tapered, standard monofilament works great in these short lengths.  The advantages:  less tangles, less snagging on the bottom and firmer hook sets.

Big Steelhead like big flies.  Period.  Remember these are the same fish that hit big spinners, spoons, and wiggle wart plugs!  Heck, I've even caught 6lb. steelhead on K14 Kwikfish!  Big flies = bigger hooks = better hook holding ability = less lost fish!  Big flies also fish closer to the bottom and that is where the fish are.  Fish with big flies and you will hook and land more steelhead.  Use Sizes 4, 2, 1/0 and 2/0 in the summer, and don't be afraid to go bigger in the winter.