Classic steelhead flies for trout?

[Big-Bass]

A few years ago I built up a box of steelhead flies to take if/when I go steelhead fishing (which is very rarely) and wondered how effective these flies would be for trout. There are about a dozen silver hiltons, a dozen green butt skunks, and a dozen flesh flies aside from obvious egg patterns and larger stoneflies and prince nymphs. I know the stones and princes will work but how about the hiltons, skunks, and flesh flies? How would I fish them for trout? On the swing? Any help would be awesome and thank you!

 

[troutbert]

One of my buddies used to fish Green Butt Skunks a lot for trout, and did well with them, including some big trout.

 

[Dave_W]

Larger egg "clump" style steelhead flies are very good for stream trout, especially in the springtime on streams where fish are keyed on sucker spawn. Any fly of this sort will just slay stocked rainbows - they just can't resist egg cluster style flies. Pink, red, orange, white. . . it doesn't matter. Stocked 'bows will eat 'em with gusto.

I wouldn't bother with "flesh" flies unless you're in Alaska or plan on chumming in saltwater.

Better yet, very small single egg flies - think under a quarter inch in diameter down to BB size - are very effective and catch wild trout very well, especially in spring and fall.

Speaking for myself, I tend to tie steelhead flies on larger, beefier hooks and I like my small egg flies to be subtle so I don't like the big hooks when fishing for selective trout. My small egg flies tied for steel will stay in the steel box due to the hooks.