How to Tie and Fish Three Deadly Fly Patterns for Great Lakes Steelhead

[@colejfishingadventures]

Great video man!! I love how you focus the camera on the hook, it makes it so much easier to focus on what you’re doing! I love making fishing videos too and your videos are awesome!! Keep up the great work! 🤝🔥

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I truly appreciate that. Best of luck with your videos, too!

[@mistercarpenter5895]

This is a very good video. I like how you paired catching a fish on the fly you’re tying. ⭐️

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Thank you! I really appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. Best of luck on the water.

[@hookedoutdoors152]

I love your videos man thank you for sharing on how to tie the flies as well man I really appreciate it much love buddy we will talk soon 🤜🏼🤛🏻

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Thank you for the comment, my friend! Drop a line anytime. Would be great to hit the tribs together again soon.

[@hookedoutdoors152]

@@darkskiesflyfishing I’m all about it buddy

[@deepintrout4874]

I feel like I fish with you up at the flats around the time. You caught the first fish in the video when there was ice on the shore. I came down by myself in the evening. You were the only one at the stretch where the waterfall comes off the hillside there. I asked to fish with you and we did well.

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Yes sir, that was me! That sure was a lot of fun! I truly enjoyed fishing with you that evening.

[@deepintrout4874]

@@darkskiesflyfishing That was definitely an amazing evening and it looks like you had quite a morning as well hope to run into you again. Someday up there really was awesome.

[@JohnBordick]

As always a wonderful video with great close-ups of your fly and also seeing the fly in the steelheads mouth. Great job.

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

I appreciate the comment! I really wanted to emphasize the patterns by showing them in the fish’s mouth. Many times, we see tying videos but very rarely does the tyer say why the fly works, how or when to use it, or show it in action. So it means a lot to me that you noticed these things in this video. Thanks for watching!

[@christophertoland7146]

Thanks I’m going to tie these up and give them a rip on the salmon river this season!

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Awesome! I know they’ll do well for you!

[@williamswanson6199]

Thanks for sharing great video and great fly tying

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Thank you for watching! I truly appreciate it.

[@DonohoeDSc]

Ralph, great video, I’m thinking of making a run from Maryland to Erie before Christmas and your clips (along with the grin at the end of your intro - giving that hint of a nice Erie trip with results) are great incentives to ‘just make the trip’; I can’t wait!

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

You won’t be disappointed if you go! Truly, I had a spectacular day, landed over 20 fish in about 5 hours. Biggest was a little over 30 inches. And this time of year you just don’t run into the numbers of other people like you do earlier in the season. So go get ‘em! And best of luck!

[@jamiegrames7744]

Awesome video thank you can't wait to try here in Michigan

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Thanks for watching and for dropping a comment! Really glad you enjoyed the video.

[@mackandsteeze]

Awesome video, I’d fish with you any day. You got a sub from me, keep up the fine work!

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate you saying that. Have a great day.

[@jeromeartigliere7003]

I’m going on my first steelhead trip and thanks for sharing! I really like the idea of using a walts worm then awesome

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

I seriously think a Walt’s Worm could be modified to catch almost any fish on the planet, lol. Best of luck!

[@Irideus]

love this

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Thank you everyone for watching! If you get a chance, please like and subscribe, and drop a line to let me know what your favorite patterns are for Great Lakes steelhead!

[@splitarrow1]

Have you noticed a difference in newer eggstasy yarn? I was trying some up last night and my older yarn says made in Great Britain. A new package says made in Italy and is a lot tighter yarn. Makes a smaller egg and isn’t as flowy. Not sure I like this stuff made in Italy.

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Yes, I have noticed a difference. The new stuff is very clumpy, too. The finished product doesn’t look as nice but it still catches fish. For most of my steelhead eggs I’m now using the Roe Yarn, which is different than the Eggstasy yarn, and I do like it better for larger eggs. The Roe Yarn is a lot more flowy.

[@splitarrow1]

@@darkskiesflyfishing assuming that’s the spirit river roe yarn? I’ve seen that as a new option. I just bought a single package of hareline easy egg chenille as it looks similar to the spirit river, just in better colors in my opinion.

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

@@splitarrow1 yes, the Spirit River Roe Yarn. And actually, I think they’re now owned by Hareline.

[@Tailchaser73]

Another name for Oregon cheese would be "Tillamook".

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Not gonna lie, I had to Google it! Looks like tasty stuff. Thanks for watching!

[@downandout6670]

I’m having issues with the Eggstasy yarn. Been getting the thicker shorter fibers. I guess it’s stuff made in Italy? Shame.

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

I have had the same issue. It’s very clumpy. I’ve been able to pull them a little longer, just stroking them away from the cord, but sometimes I’ll use a wire brush to comb it longer. They no doubt changed something in the process of how they make this stuff. Last week I bought six packages of it and it was all like that! Thanks for watching!

[@downandout6670]

Yes it’s frustrating lol the original stuff was the best for “taco eggs”.

[@brooktroutangler5917]

my 2 cents fwiw......scrap that whip finish tool and get the Matarelli style.....

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Funny you say that. I just bought one over the weekend!

[@fishclinic6235]

Eggs flies wieighted?!?! Pretty basic at best. Please drop some a little more on flies besides. Last one reminded me of actually “flies I was hoping to see. Caddis lava, hex nymphs, stones and such….

[@darkskiesflyfishing]

Generally speaking, I keep my fly selection very simple no matter what I’m fishing for and focus more on presentation than fly choice. Almost any pattern will catch steelhead in the Erie tribs, but they won’t eat if your drift has drag. When I’m not using the three patterns mentioned in this video, I’m probably using some sort of white streamer, like a White Death, a black Woolly Bugger, or some sort of big, flashy nymph if the water is high and off color. But 80-90% of the time, I’m using one of the three flies in this video, which I also tie in different colors so that I can match water clarity and conditions on any given day. Thanks for watching!