For Ontario fly fishers looking to reel in rainbow trout, the Lake Huron tributaries — Sauble, Saugeen, Nine Mile, Maitland and Bayfield — are among the finest steelhead rivers in the province.

Here are a couple of flies that are sure to bring you some action when fishing that area.

Photo courtesy of Mike Verhoef

Sassy Steelhead Sculpin (Olive Version)

• Hook: spey hook or 4X-long streamer hook – size 2 or 4, or use a tube
• Thread: 6/0 black or olive
• Body: Caddis green midge cactus chenille
• Wing: rabbit strip – dyed golden olive
• Overwing: pearl flash
• Legs: round rubber hackle – white
• Eyes: lead dumbbells – small (optional)
• Hackle: schlappen feather – barred olive
• Collar: micro squirrel strip – sculpin olive

1. Lay down a solid thread base to a point opposite the barb.
2. Tie in cactus chenille at rear and wrap body forward to an eye length back from the eye.
3. Tie in a hook-length of golden olive rabbit strip on top where the chenille ends. On top of the rabbit, tie in 4 to 6 strands of pearl flash.
4. On the bottom side of the hook, tie on 2 pieces of white rubber hackle that are twice the hook length, doubling them over to hang out towards the back end on the bottom side. (OPTION: For a little weight, add a small set of lead dumbbell eyes on the bottom side in front of where the white rubber hackle strands were tied in.)
5.  Take a barred olive schlappen feather and cut off about an inch of the bottom thick stem and then tie in bottom. Palmer wrap it forward, half-way to the eye.
6.  Take a length of sculpin olive micro squirrel strip, tie in the end and palmer wrap it 2 or 3 times towards eye, tie off and then whip finish.

Photo courtesy of Mike Verhoef

The Only Nymph

• Hook: scud hook, size 8 or 10
• Thread: 8/0 black
• Bead: gold tungsten 5/32 inch
• Tail: deer hair
• Rib: gold wire, fine
• Body: midge cactus chenille, brown
• Side wings: goose biots, black
• Collar: peacock dubbing

1. Slip a 5/32-inch gold tungsten bead over hook.
2. About 1/3 of the way back along the hook on the bend, tie in 5-7 deer-hair tips that are half the hook length, trim off excess. Pheasant tail could be used, but I have found deer hair tips are tougher.
3. Tie in a length of fine gold wire and a length of brown midge cactus chenille. Wrap the chenille forward to an eye length back from eye and tie off. Wrap gold wire as a rib, evenly spaced to same spot and tie off.
4. Take 2 black goose biots and tie in one on each side with curve pointing out from sides and up a little with tips ending where chenille and wire started, trim off excess biot butts.
5. Take a small pinch of peacock dubbing and apply to thread and wrap in front of the biots, which should be right behind bead as well, whip finish.

Related read

• Steelheading Ontario’s West Coast