Tips for steelhead on the fly

I went up to Port Hope today and was a bit disappointing I saw tones of fish but just couldn't seem to connect. I ended up accidentally snagging one on a size 18 nymph but aside from that I got goosed. I am new to fly fishing so I'm going to tend to say my lack of ability to land fish is my selection of flies and and technique most of all. Can anyone give me any pointers for the Ganaraska river?

Flies I tried today. wet soft hackles size 12 (red tails, black bodies), pheasant tail nymphs sizes 14-18, black stoneflies size 10, Michigan wigglers size 14 (green, pink, yellow), prince nymphs 14-18, pegged beads trailing stoneflies.

Maybe it was just one of those days, cant always catch fish but I am just looking to improve as much as possible and would love to hear some tactics for fishing the river. Always looking to increase my fly inventory so if you have some patterns to recommend feel free to toss them my way I tie all of my own flies.

Gold ribbed hares ear 12-14 and some egg patterns should of done the trick. Others to consider are copper john, chronomids and maybe some olive caddis nymphs. Trying to hook steel on the fly is a whole different ball game bud, especially on a river that's had the snot beat out of it for the past week. Don't beat yourself up too much over it, your day will come!

that is a good point, I was a little late to the river so chances are every pool had already been hit hard. Thank you for some fly suggestions I am always looking to increase my fly box size. Hopefully next trip I get to the river earlier and will have a change in success, all in all though it was a great day and it tops anyday at the hospital!

I tend to lean toward larger stones and bigger streamers. Throw em something different, and swing those streamers....set up far upstream and hold the fly in front of those fish.

Prolly just one of those days I've been successful will all those flies in the last few days keep at it tight lines

I was there this weekend and had got a few real nice fish on a 14 hairs ear.

how are they with the smaller sizes I tend to tie most of my patterns on a size 16-18, very few in the 12-14 range do you recommend the larger size?

Depending on the nature of the fly, I'll sometimes carry 3 or 4 different sizes of the same fly. Some tied heavy, some sparse, with a bead head, some without...

if your not at port hope by sun up your to late.. bring three rods now float fly and spinning rods .. if one does not work try the others. been having very successfull days switching back and forth .. come early and you will be happy

black woolly buggers , march browns the stone fly was good