Small Stuff for Spring Steelhead

Anyone who has witnessed a large trout feeding on midges has won-dered, “Why? Why would a big trout, who has the ability to feed on smaller trout, bother with a midge?”

- Phil Goes

One could argue that it comes down to availability, curiosity, or the fact that they just like to mess with anglers’ heads; but regardless of reason, they do. Then again, a full-grown man doesn’t think twice about downing a handful of Skittles.

I have yet to see a mature steelhead feed on adult midges, but in a similar vein, they do feed on quite a bit of “small stuff.” Anglers chase them with spawn sacks and Hex nymphs, and when the fishing gets really tough, they turn to drifting yarn flies and beads down to 6mm size. Fly fishermen might run a pair of nymphs in size 10 to 18, and they take a lot of fish too.

A good portion of those fish are taken on or near spawning gravel, and many fishermen say that the fish only bit because it was ticked off. I would imagine that might be true.

But why would a steelhead, fresh from the Great Lakes, feel compelled to feed on these small offerings? That’s the million dollar question.

For years I have turned to the small stuff to put fish in the smoker, and although I have come no closer to finding an answer as to why, I’ve come to accept that. All I know is that many times it’s the small stuff that makes a difference.

Last spring, four anglers were fishing my favorite river bend from dawn to about 10 a.m. I was not one of them. I thought for sure they were into fish. I abused myself mentally. “If only I had gotten up earlier,”… I thought I was too late.