Steelhead, Erie, PA

[chrisfish]

Reporting from Erie, Pa the current conditions of the steelhead season. Today visited Walnut and Elk Creeks. Elk is so low the lake is running INTO the Creek! We hiked into Elk and found a few pools holding fish. Found one pool with at least 30-40 fish in it. There were a few in the 30 inch class. One guy hooked one on a gold streamer tied with flash-a-bou. About 9 lbs. That was it.
Godfrey run was also slow. One guy had one on when we checked it out. Today it was 81 degrees. Way too warm!! We need rain bad!! The temps are supposed to break Friday - highs in the low 50's, but very little rain.
Hoping the next rain will bring a big run.
Will continue the reports as time and energy warrants! Or until someone tells me they really don't care anymore!!

[chuckwagon]

You keep em coming. We can daydream can't we?


Trey
CW

[chrisfish]

Absolutely!

[Grateful Sam]

Please keep them coming, I used to guide on Elk Creek. Isnt it a bit early for steelhead?

[Flash005]

Hey Chris,

Do those rivers get a salmon run? I used to go to the Salmon River in NY and had been thinking about going back for next years run and Erie is a bit closer the Pulaski. Those salmon sure are fun to catch, but they do bring a big crowd.

Thanks Justin

[chrisfish]

From what I understand no and no.

No, it is not early for steelhead. The paper this past Sunday was actually in a bit of a panic because they are a bit late. We have had a dry and unusually hot (by W. PA standards) summer. Today it was 82 degrees. Well off the average of 67. We have not had any rain in over a week. The creeks are really low. I saw a pool today at elk with about 10 steelhead. They did not look to happy. The water is too low and warming with the daytime heat. The good news is tommorrow the high is going to be about 59 degrees with steady showers developing. We could almost see an inch of rain. If we get that, we could be in for a pretty good run from what I understand.

Years ago they did stock Coho salmon as in NY, but they did not come back very well. My research has indicated that due to the relatively shallowness of Lake Erie, the Salmon just did not cope very well. The Steelhead have done very well here. They stock close to 1 million per year. Three years later they will return from the lake ready to spawn. They range in size from 15 inches to 30+ inches. I am very new at this steelhead thing, but it seems every fish I have seen, has been at least 20 inches. I have heard that once in a while a Salmon does get mixed up with the Steelies. Elk creek has a fall run of Brown trout as well. I heard last week a guy got one close to 10lbs. or something like that.

I fished this morning on the beach by one of the creeks. (Godfrey Run) a nursery water area. The fish were jumping everywhere! It is really tough to concentrate and cast while 8 to 12 lbs. fish are splashing everywhere!! I had one breakoff on a white and yellow wooleybugger. I hope to make it back out in the morning for a little bit before the heavy rain and wind really picks up. I will let you know what happens.


Flash, The crowds are a problem. I am really trying to get used to it. I am already looking to sacrifice large numbers of fish for a little solitude. I don't need 200 Fish in front of me!! 30 -40 of that size are just fine. I had close to 10 fish by myself the other day on a stream the size of Smith's creek at Unicoi!! Fine with me! But then when you hook one, you remember why sometimes the crowd really maybe worth it! I haven't caught a salmon in a LOOONG time, but boy do these things fight. The out of state license is a bit rough. For the season, out of state, it is close to $75. OUCH! Any other questions I'll do the best I can!!

Chrisfish

[chrisfish]

Got to Lake Erie at Godfrey Run at 6:30 a.m. Walked down to the lake to find the surf breaking on the beach! I tried to cast a small spoon, but the breakers were just too much!! I felt like a soogy dog by the time that was over.

I decided to go inland and look for fish already upstream. Went to Elk Creek and hiked up from a park in Girard, PA. I found a pool maybe 50 yards long and 30 yards across with about 50 steelhead! There was no one around. Unfortunately, I had no luck! I threw everything in my box except the boxes themselves. I talked to a guy on the way out who had caught 6 on a peach crystal Meth. ( a local fly) He also said that he had his new 7 weight snapped by the last fish he had brought in! Now he was going to his back up rod - a 5 weight!! We are getting rain and the temps have already begun to drop. Next week could be real good!

Chrisfish

[chrisfish]

Baby Girl!! Emma Joy was born monday morning!! My wife and Emma Joy are doing just fine. To state the obvious, there has not been any time for fishing!! I hear it is low and slow anyway.

Chrisfish

[Grateful Sam]

Congratulations! First child? Love the name Emma Joy.

[Flash005]

Thanks for your reply about fish'n up there. I love the Steal. Congrats on the new baby!!!!! Its an awesome feeling! I just had my first, he's 4 months now. The best four months of my live and it will be for you too. I bet you can't wait to take her fish'n!!!

[chrisfish]

No, this is our third child, but our first girl! Our boys are 4 years old and 5 years old. They are trying to be "big" helpers!! Yikes!!

Now for the fishing report:
My dad and I went out yesterday morning. (Friday, October 14th), the streams are down to near summer conditions. It is similar to fishing in your bathtub with submarines swimming around in it! Actually, my bath tub is a bit bigger than some of the pools left! To say the least the fish are really spooky! I caught one around 13 inches long (2 inches shy of legal), and that was it. I had a big one chase a wooly bugger across the pool once and nothing else. Will try on the lake front maybe once this week, but until we get rain, and there is none in the forecast, it is only going to get worse.
I will keep you posted!!

Chrisfish

[Josh Barnett]

Congratulations, Chris!

Keep the reports coming!

[chrisfish]

Baby and wife are doing terrific ...

...The fishing is not so great! One local said in the 20 years he has fished the creeks here he has never seen them so low at this time of the season. I fished for about 2 hours this morning from 7 to 8:30. Found a small shallow pool with about 20 fish stuck due to the low water. I missed one on a ugly gold streamer that I think it struck out of anger. I just didn't have the right angle on it! It would have been a lot of fun because I was using my 7 foot 5 weight due to the low water conditions! That fish had to go 26 inches!! The rain is supposed to begin tommorrow and last for at least2 maybe 3 days. That means real good news. Tune in early next week to find out what the rain means!

Chrisfish

[chrisfish]

Today, October 22nd, we are finally receiving rain! It is 48 degrees and a steady rain is falling. We are supposed to get rain showers for the next 3-4 days. I will let you know how the run is when I get out Monday morning.

Chrisfish

[chrisfish]

This morning I went to upper Elk Creek around the town of Girard. We have had a steady rain that has been falling for the last 24 hours and the temperature is in the low 40's at best! The creeks are a little high and a little stained.

At first light I began to fish a riffle with a crystal meth in peach color. I was high sticking through the fast pocket water. Suddenly the water came alive and my 7 wt. doubled! The reel began to sing and away we went. After calming down I began to move downstream with the fish. It must have realized he was hooked because the second run took me into my backing. I finally got him close and I realize why the fight was so one-sided - I had snagged him in the back! To say the least I was quite disappointed!

As the morning went on the rain became steadier with the temps falling. Just before I left I put some split shot right above a sucker spawn and managed a clean hook-up! He too took off for the hills and rapids. I couldn't keep him out of the fast water. I decided to try and keep him in the large pool I was fishing rather that run the people out of the pool below and that was when he won the battle! The good news is I am learning on every trip! I will keep you all posted.

By the way, Many of you on this board have more experience with these fish than I do ... If you can lend any advice, please - I am all ears.

Chrisfish

[S.Trutta]

Chris, sounds like your having some fun up there with those steelies! I have fished for steelhead quite a bit up by my parents in Michigan. A couple things I have learned over the years that have helped me take more fish....First, Steelhead really seem to like flies on the swing, meaning at the end of your drift when your fly is downstream and swinging across the current to you side. Add an occasional twitch or strip when you get to this point and you may get a few more hookups. Also, don't be afraid to use traditional trout patterns to take fall and even spring steelhead. Large black stoneflies can be deadly, especially if you drop an egg pattern off the back. Large woolly buggers with rubber legs are also lethal. I took my big 13lb buck last year in October fishing 3x and a trout size bugger. Not sure about the fall, but I have also have good luck taking spring steelhead on large hare's ears. The last thing I can say is to have patience. Many many days have been spent on the water chasing those badboys with no hookups and no action. They seem to either be really on or really off, and it usually doesnt take to long to figure out which kind of day it is! One question for you...do you know if they have summer steelhead (skamania) up there! Michigan has these "summer skamania" as they call them, and boy what a hoot. Nothing like fishing your 4 or 5 wt for trout and getting surprised my a 10lb summer fish!! Good luck and keep the reports coming...if i can't be up in michigan fishing for the steelies i can do it vicariously through you!!!

Rich

[Grateful Sam]

It is very common to get false hook ups on steelhead (they are so freakin big), and those are the worst to fight. How are you landing these fish? Are you using a net? You will land a lot more fish if you wear them down and beach them. Catching them is similar to trout. Most of the time you have to put the fly right on their nose. They also like cover, under logs, rocks, or DEEP pools. Elk Creek is such a great river. I miss that place. I was always very successful with white sucker spawns size 16, or the Erie Shiner, which is just a big white streamer size 4 or 6. Streamers are very successful, from bright colors to black. But make em big. Let em drift and strip em back fast. They also like red and pink colors, so keep that in mind when tying sucker spawns. White sucker spawns with red thread, and some patience, actually, you could tie any of your flies with red thread, it puts a nice touch on them. When the water gets really cold, they dont put up as much of a fight, which is good because you will probably be too cold yourself to actually fight them. Good luck. Keep us updated.

[chrisfish]

Trutta and Grateful Sam. I appreciate the info. I have asked many about the swing method. One problem here in Erie ... the creeks are really small. I talked to a local guide today and he encouraged me to high stick as much as possible. Obviously you can swing a booger in some of those runs just the same. The patterns you have mentioned are also what was told to me today. You guys were right on!!

As far as landing them goes --- I have just been beaching them. If you play them right, it is not too difficult. When my dad and I fished together, I would tail them. My Ga. trout net wouldn't get it done!

Summer --- The creeks here are totally dependent on rain or runoff. Because of that in the summer they don't even look like a decent trout run let alone a steelhead fishery! From what I have heard, most of the summer steelhead are taken with downriggers at about 110 feet in Lake Erie.

Today, we got all the rain we wanted and them some. The creeks were blown out with sticks and leaves everywhere. Most people did not have such a good day. But, when the water begins to lower ... look out!! Until then ...

Chrisfish

[chrisfish]

You may have seen this question in another thread from me, but here goes! For all you who have experience in winter or northern fishing - Neoprene or breatheables? What if I can't afford Gore-tex? I would appreciate your imput. Thanks for all your help.

Chrisfish

[Grateful Sam]

I would go with breathables. But you must layer underneath. I dont think it matters if they are gore tex or not, but you definitely need to get the TOUGHEST waders you can buy. I dont know why, but I wore out more waders steelhead fishing than any where else.

[chrisfish]

Thank you for the input. I have decided to go with the breatheables. I am a big fan of layering, so it just makes sense to me. Plus, I can use them in the spring and early summer for the regular trout season.

I hope to be out on the tribs sometime soon and will post a report. The creeks are way down again and we have not yet had the "mother run". We need more rain.

Chrisfish

[Grateful Sam]

Make sure you get tough ones. Patagonia makes a mean tough wader. I dont know what size you are, but here are some really tough waders for a great deal.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/asp/base_no.82762/dept_id.L2~2248/qx/product.htm

[chrisfish]

Thanks again for the information. They seem like a great deal!

Chrisfish

[chrisfish]

My dad and I got out yesterday for a few hours before dark. The water is real low due to a lack of rain again. The leaves in the stream are also a problem because they are still falling. We hope to get some rain tonight and tomorrow. The temps are a bit high for this time of year. Today is close to 70 with the temp near 65 again tomorrow.

We walked up Walnut Creek to the Chutes last evening and found a lot of fish. Saw a woman pull out a fish that had to go 10 lbs. I hooked two with a beaded prince nymph size 18. I could not get them in! My dad got one on a sucker spawn. We had a great time. The water is so low and the fish are so thick in spots that it is hard not to fould hook fish on almost every cast! We had a great time.

Chrisfish

[Grateful Sam]

How could you not get them in, are they breaking off? What kind of tippet and leaders are you using?

[chrisfish]

Frog Hair 5X 4.4 lbs Fluorocarbon tippet. I don't really have a good reason! The water was real fast and I was afraid to put too much pressure on them. I seem to think the hook on the nymph wan't real sharp because I didn't break them off. I know it was in the mouth because they gave the classic head shake you get from a good steelie! My angle could have been wrong too. I got a bath from one I foul hooked! He came right past me in about 5 inches of water, went sideways and just soaked me!! It was great!

I hope to get out on Tuesday or Thursday and check it out again. We were supposed to have rain this morning. Not much rain fell at all. We have had winds in the 50 mph range so the leaves are a real mess.

[Grateful Sam]

I used 6 lb or 8 lb leaders and tippet when fishing for steelhead. You can be a bit more agressive with them when you are using stronger line. 5x tippet seems kinda light when fishing for 8 to 12 lb fish.

[chrisfish]

Right now the water is so clear it is like fishing in the bath tub. Some guys I have talked to using 6lb test or higher have very few takes if any. So, you either trade off takes or lose fish. I do agree and just about willing to forget the 4 lbs. test myself. What is the sense in hooking them if you can't get them in?

Chrisfish

[chrisfish]

Well, we had rain. After last week we were very excited because there was a good number of fish in the creeks. I went back Tuesday to find very low water and very few fish! I do not know where they all went. There is no way they all made it up the falls. After the rain we expected there to be a big run. It didn't happen. Had someone asked me on the way out what to do, I would have told them to go home to their wife or girlfriend. Don't have one? Then go find one! It was that bad! I did manage to hook one -- about 13-15 inches long. Better than getting skunked. There were way more people than fish. This next week is bringing in some rain and snow showers with much cooler temps. We will have to wait and see.

Chrisfish

[Grateful Sam]

Hey Chris, can you take some pictures of Elk Creek and post them on the message board? And we havnt heard an update lately? Sure there has been enough rain and snow for the river to be perfect.

[chrisfish]

Well, we had our first snowfall of the season yesterday. We ended up with about 5 1/2 inches of snow here on the shore of Lake Erie. I decided to head out and fish in the snow. It was really coming down. The nice thing is there were very few people! I fished for about 2 hours (then my fingers began to freeze). I lost one and just couldn't get any takers after that. I only saw a few hook-ups.

When I got back to the car I took my 7 weight apart and laid it on top the mini-van. I must have been in a hurry because when I got home and got out of the car all that was on top the car was the section of the rod with the reel mounted to it. The top end of my rod was gone! I was real sick.
I went back and walked around the parking area access and kicked around in the snow for a while. It was no where to be found. I got home and after sulking for quite some time decided to call L.L. Bean and find out how to get the other half of the rod. I finally talked to a nice guy named Ken in their fly fishing department. He told me to send it back. "For what?" was my response. He said if I send it back they would take care of everything! I didn't know what to say! I figured it would be a hefty price tag to replace part of a rod and I wan't ready to buy a complete one since this one isn't even a year old yet! I am very greatful for their 100% guarantee. I just didn't think it would cover my stupidity!! Hopefully, I will have better fishing stories for you in the near future.

I will get some pictures of the tribs for you all to check out shortly. It has been sort of busy here in the past week. With Thanksgiving coming, it will not slow down till next Friday or Saturday.

Chrisfish

[Waldo Miller]

Chris,
Did you happen to go to college in Chattanooga, Tn? I was looking at the photo's on NGTO and thought I recognized you...If not, sorry!

[Waldo Miller]

Did you go to school in Chattanooga? Just wondering.....one of your photos on the NGTO website looked familiar.

Waldo Miller

[chrisfish]

I went to Grace Baptist Academy and TTU. Why? I don't recognize the name, so tell me, who are ya? Sorry I haven't checked the board in a while, been in Ohio visiting family.

[Waldo Miller]

Ok, that's where I recognized you....TTU. Probably in McGilvray gym or something like that I used to go in there a lot to play Basketball besides going to church and working in the bus ministry for several years there.