Streamer fishing for steelhead requires a little more effort than fishing an egg fly or a nymph but the results are usually more rewarding. Instead of just dead-drifting a fly you need to add some action to imitate the behavior of baitfish. Both Summer and Winter run steelhead can be caught on streamers. Winter run steelhead move upstream to their spawning grounds rather fast, stopping only to rest. They often take flies softly, due mostly to low water temperatures. Summer run steelhead are in the rivers much longer and usually don’t spawn until late Fall or early Winter. They are often more difficult to fool because of low, clear water conditions but they tend to take the flies more aggressively. You need to consider the stream levels when selecting streamer and bugger flies using larger flies for higher water conditions and smaller flies for low water conditions. The clarity of the water, time of day, sky conditions (cloudy or clear), and even the particular river characteristics can all be factors in choosing the type, size and color of the fly. In general, the best opportunity you have to fool the steelhead is when they first come into the rivers to spawn. They are used to feeding on baitfish and presented correctly, streamers will fool them. Streamers and buggers will also will catch steelhead that are spawning. In this case, the flies represent intruders.