[SteelFeathers]

Going to Spences Bridge for the first time this November. Anyone have suggestions as to the size of flies to use and whether floating line fished near the surface or sinking heads fished down in the water column is more common?

 

[mvinsel]

Both big and small, floating & sinking for Thompson

Thompson river steelhead are known to take small nymph-like patterns as small as size 6 or smaller, and big maribou popsicles, and a whole lot that falls in between.

I'd recommend
Doc Spratley 6, 4
(or other nymph like pattern such as black & grizzly wooly worm or Silver Hilton)
General Practitioner (in orange and black) 4, 2,
(or other prawn patterns, such as Squamish Poacher)
Maribou Popsicles (variety of bright and dark colors) 4, 2, 1/0
October Caddis 6,4,2 (or other high commotion waking flies)

As for lines, some of the runs fish best with a sink tip, or a cone head or weighted fly, but Thomson steelhead will come up for a dry fly even in wintry conditions.

A lot of the decisions of what pools and how you'll want to fish depend on the water level. There is a great chart on the effects of this in Art Lingren's Thomson River Journal put out by Frank Amato. He also has some interesting variations of Doc Spratleys and good history.

Vinnie in Juneau

 

[PEISpeyGuy]

another suggestion

Good luck in November!! Just thought i would add the "NEED" for a good pair of wading cleats for your trip. I made a few trips last December and the footing is hardcore to say the least. I bought the Dan Bailey model in Kamloops after my first day there and i can say that your time in the river will be a lot more pleasant. The topic of favorite stream cleats has been run through alot here on the site so a search will get you some good ideas. I considered myself a great wader till i met the mighty Thompson!!!

salmon chaser

 

[t_richerzhagen]

A friend

won't fish there without a flotation jacket. Cleats and staff as a minimum.

 

[wintershope]

Big and Small

If it is not too late to let you know.
I have hooked three fish up there. One was on a hot orange intruder/gp style fly that was like 5" long, one was on a size 3 green butt spade, and the other was on an orange butt caddis pattern size 3. two of my friends got fish on 1/0 gps one orange, one black. It seemed to me that,last time I was there however, most people had the best results with flies smaller than size 3, however that may be related to the castability of a smaller fly than to the fishes preference, I got skunked on every fly. To me a Black GP 1/0 - 3 would be a good choice, black always works, eventually. Pick a fly that you have faith in and stick with it, I bet that will work best.
good luck