Anglers have adapted to cold-water conditions with heavier Spey lines and strike indicators above 鈥渉eavy鈥� flies 鈥� the Cowichan, for instance. And there are heavy tips that one can put ahead of sink tip and full sink lines that offer more sink. Also consider that where two currents come together, they form a seam and at least one stream will go under the other. If you position your line to be swept into the seam, you can, with shorter and longer lengths of line, and casting to both sides of the seam, get your fly to fish the entire length of the seam on the bottom of the river where the steelhead are.
Do note that heads of pools can have fish in one foot of water, and thus are accessible all year long, whether summer or winter steelhead. Start above the pool and fish all the water into the top. Sequentially cast as far across as you can and swing that line across to your side of the river. If there is room, cast and swing your fly through the skinny water on your side. Strip another five feet after each cast and swing the 鈥渘ew鈥� water.
When rivers are high, your catching 鈥� with standard tip and bead-eyed fly 鈥� is pretty much limited to shallow riffles and to the soft water beside fast currents. Get to know your river. If you have seen fish in one spot, but not caught them, put that in your fishing records with the date. The next year鈥檚 fish will stop at the same spot, particularly if there is a spring 鈥� more important later in the year 鈥� and small gravel for spawning. Sometimes, records 10 years old will help you catch fish no one else catches.
For spots that are hard to reach, for distance, or with obstacles, sink your line above them, and slowly feed line into each cast so that you can cover all the water you cannot reach from where you are. Also, a very slow retrieve directly onto the reel, level rod tip pointed at the line, is good practice too, as occasionally a steelhead will take the fly.
If you have too much sink and keep catching bottom, but cannot change the fly-line, you still have other tactics. Lift your rod tip high. That will lift the line 鈥� more so if you are doing the Spey. The alternative is to add a longer leader as that will keep the fly off the bottom. In addition, if you are fishing bunny or marabou flies, put a new one on. Typically, one squeezes the fly under the water a dozen times in the palm of one鈥檚 hand to express air and completely wet the inside of the fly to make it sink. To keep the fly off the bottom, fish it right out of the box, without wetting it. And, always, keep your eyes on your flies.
