Indigo Guide Service

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Steelhead Fly Recipe… Crystal Egg (Estaz Egg or Sparkle Egg) by unknown

I have a wide variety of nuke and crystal eggs in my boat each day for steelhead and salmon.  The crystal eggs give me more versatility and fly pattern depth than simply having yarn selections.  They work well in all conditions and are a "must have" pattern for my trips.  Kevin Morlock

Best For… steelhead, salmon and trout

***Materials listed in tying order

Hook… Mustad, octopus,beak "Big Red" (92567R), size 4-6

Body (inner)… Estaz, Cactus Chenille or Ice Chenille

Wing (outer)… a lighter colored egg yarn than the inner color

Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Steelhead Flies… Morlock’s Steelhead Ammo by Kevin Morlock

I really never had a name for this pattern until tonight when I needed to post it on the site.  I have been tying and successfully using this pattern for over ten years.  It is simply a shortened Woolly Bugger, a pattern that looks about like anything… bushy and buggy.  It is a four material fly and flies off the vise.  I tie then in unlimited colors, bright if I’m planning on dirty water or natural for clear conditions.

Best For… steelhead           Could Also Be Used For… salmon and trout

***Materials listed in tying order

Hook… TMC 105, size 4-6

Eyes… medium bead chain

Tail… marabou

Body… sparkle yarn

Hackle… pheasant (or other hackle of choice)

Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Steelhead Fly… Steve’s Steelhead Stone by Steve Martinez

This stonefly pattern was a steady evolution over the years, it is easy enough to tie and has a nice look.  I like the bead head to give a segmented look and a little weight to fish heavy, like a stonefly.  I found that some of the stones had a slightly lighter underside than their back and I think the high contrast on this pattern is good at getting noticed.

Best For… steelhead and trout

***Materials listed in tying order

Hook… Mustad R70, size 8

Head… medium tungsten in black

Tail… black rubber legs

Body… *medium sized, tan rubber band

Hackle… brown grouse

Back… oil can foil

*Use a black Sharpie marker to darken the back.

Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Steelhead Fly… Morlock’s Spring Stone by Kevin Morlock

Our first hatch of the year in west Michigan that is important to steelhead anglers are a couple species of black or dark stoneflies, they range from size 10-20, but most are in the 12-14 range.  The steelhead are not critical on size and many feel that a bit larger stonefly pattern will produce more action, stonefly patterns tied on size 6-8 egg hooks are a good choice.

Best For… steelhead and trout

***Materials listed in tying order

Hook… Mustad C67S, size 6

Tail… turkey tail

Ribbing… light copper wire

Body… 3-5 strands of peacock herl

Hackle… pheasant neck

Back… *turkey tail

*This is the same turkey tail piece that was used for the tail, now brought forward for the back.

I had a question about the pheasant neck feathers I was using, so I have included a picture.  They are the feathers near the white ring.

References:

West Michigan Fishing Report for February 23rd, 2010

Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Martinez’s Goby in olive by Steve Martinez

Gobies represent a large portion of the diet of many predators that we like to target in the Great Lakes.  Especially if you like to fish shallow flats for carp and smallmouth bass.  This pattern could also carry over as a sculpin pattern in rivers, though I might tie the head thicker.

Best For… bass and carp            Could Also Be Used For… salmon, steelhead and trout

 ***Materials listed in tying order

Hook… Umpqua, TMC 200R, size 6

Eyes… medium dumbbell in red

Tail… rag yarn

Tail… 4 strands of copper tinsel

Body… flat gold tinsel

1st Collar… Hareline Dubbin, Hare’s Ice Dub in peacock

2nd Collar… rag yarn

Head… dear body hair in brown

References Links:

Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) — information about round gobies.