Hook Size 8
The Cotton Candy steelhead and salmon fly has probably created as much curiosity in
anglers as it has fish. No one knows exactly why it works so well. Most anglers think that It
probably represents some type of combination of fish eggs, flesh and milt. All they know
for certain is the fly catches lots of steelhead and salmon. In Alaska, it is also used for
grayling, dollies and rainbow trout.
The Cotton Candy fly works great in the Spring and Summer as well as the Fall. It can be
fished anywhere, including spawning areas, cover, flats and runs. The fly has a
reputation of working well when other flies don’t. It works under tough fishing conditions in
low water, high water, dingy or off-colored water.
We show this fly under the Great Lakes Steelhead section but it is used as much or more
on the Pacific Coast steelhead and salmon streams. The picture shows a nickel hook but
we also have the fly tied on a salmon hook. The fly can be fished on the swing or dead
drifted. It is one of the most versatile flies ever created. It should be in everyone’s fly box.
