I've said this before about Great Lakes steelies which are the western strain I'm told. My opinion is that it does not matter when the water is high and murky as long as the fish sees the fly and it invades its space. The difference in clear low water is that it looks edible, the tippet is not noticed and the fly again invades the steelies space.
Dances can tell you of a friend who will guide a tiny nymph right into the mouth of a steelie. He outfishes everyone usually and I believe its his method. Last fall there was an exception. For an hour, olive woolybuggers turned them on and I'd guess they took them as crayfish but my buddies had doubles repeatedly while the other anglers struck out. Murf
