Don't forget your midges. Larva, pupa & adult. I have seen steelhead feeding on midges in mid January thru March on a local stream here in Michigan. We are talking small around #22 down! Can't wait till I land one on a hook that small!
Here is a pattern for you to try. I have great success with it year round. It is the Glass Bead Head Pheasant Tail Nymph Soft Hackle or GBHPTSH for short. The name is worse than the tying. It is a fast tye. HOOK #16 or smaller wetfly standard length THREAD Tan 8/0 or finer TAIL Pheasant tail fibers, ringneck or golden work the best BODY Pheasant tail fibers RIB Copper wire HACKLE Soft black hackle with a green metallic shine (hen or starling work great) HEAD Rootbeer or Wine color seed or Rocaille glass bead 1. Debarb the hook & slide on the bead. 2. Tye in 3 to 5 pheasant tail fibers. The smaller the hook the less fibers. The tail should be slightly longer than the hook gape. Tye in the ribbing. 3. Fold the fibers back over the tye in points & tye them down. Twist the fibers into a rope. Wind fibers up to the bead & tye off. The bead should still be slightly lose against the eye at this point. 4. Wind the ribbing to the bead & tye off. 5. Tye in and wrap the soft hackle. 1 or 2 turns at most, the bead should now be snug against the hook eye. 6. Whip finish or throw in 2 triple half hitches. BobH
