General Streamers

Streamers are created to imitate a swimming prey or baitfish. They are generally fished by swimming (stripping) the fly across the river or lake.

While smaller trout and other species focus on eating bugs, once the fish matures, it becomes territorial, and will bite at intruders, as well as eat them. Therefore, streamers are particularly effective at catching big fish!

While a dry fly or nymph require precise presentations, streamers are best fished in a wide arc, where you can quickly cover a lot of water. Swim the streamer next to deep cut banks, through deep pools. The faster the streamer moves (up to a point), the faster the fish must react, and the bit can be viscious! Heavily weighted streamers incorporating Tungsten Beads, Fish Skull and Fish Sculpin Heads sink quick, where Big Fish are ready to strike.

Which Streamer to Use? If you know a water body has crayfish, try a Crayfish Streamer. If there are Sculpin Baitifish, try a Sculpin Baitifish Streamer. Leeches? Try a Wooly Bugger. But don't get too caught up with exact matches. Fish strike at many styles of streamers, and the efficiency of covering a lot of water with a streamer will allow you to quickly try a number of patterns...and the fish will let you know what they like!