jifigz
Well-known member
They're lying to you. Those trout are farm raised. ;-)
They're lying to you. Those trout are farm raised. ;-)
ryansheehan
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Oh they must be native then :lol:
wbranch
Well-known member
Native, wild, stocked whatever. Some here obviously hate them and the fishery. There are many reasons one might dislike the fishery particularly because of the crowds. No worse, and often less, than the famous Salmon River with the hordes of domestic and foreign snatchers, snaggers, and world class flossers.
If one is willing to walk a mile or so away from the parking areas or select a less popular section you can often have pools and long sections of riffles to yourself or sharing it with a couple nice guys.
Without naming waters there are some very good waters in eastern Ohio and western New York. It is pretty darn exciting to see a pool with a dozen, or four dozen, 4# - 8# steelhead anxious to eat a well drifted fly. I'm leaving early tomorrow for 4 - 5 days of hopefully bent rods and fresh chrome.
If one is willing to walk a mile or so away from the parking areas or select a less popular section you can often have pools and long sections of riffles to yourself or sharing it with a couple nice guys.
Without naming waters there are some very good waters in eastern Ohio and western New York. It is pretty darn exciting to see a pool with a dozen, or four dozen, 4# - 8# steelhead anxious to eat a well drifted fly. I'm leaving early tomorrow for 4 - 5 days of hopefully bent rods and fresh chrome.
ryansheehan
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I wasn't referring to steelhead. I have no desire to drive 9 hours to fish in a large crowd. I won't lie though steelhead fishing does catch my interest, it's just so far and so crowded.
wbranch
Well-known member
Hi Ryan,
Yes, nine hours is too much. Unless you have a buddy to go with and you could have 4- 5 good days of fishing. The problem with the western PA and NY steelhead streams is many of them are spate streams. They rise very quickly with just a modest rain event and drop almost as quickly. Even when there is a real gully washer and Elk Creek (PA) gets all brown and blown out within a day, or less, after the rain stops, the stream starts to go down.
I try and time a trip to arrive on falling high water, a nice emerald green color, you can't see the steelhead except in some shallow riffles and they can't see you. Falling high water brings in fresh fish from the Lake and makes other fish already in the stream move further upstream.
Typically the western OH and all the PA steelhead streams go from perfect falling water conditions to low and very clear in 2 -3 days if there is no additional rain. I live 260 miles away and it takes me about 5 1/2 hours to get to most any of the streams. I'm retired and can select the best period to go. I follow the weather patterns and used to leave at midnight so I could arrive and get breakfast and be fishing by 7:30 a.m. Now I just can't drive all night like I used to and will leave around dawn and just take my time and arrive around 1:00. Check into my lodging, off load all the gear, put my waders on and go fish until dusk.
I guess "crowded" is subjective. On the western tailwater I have fished for the past 23 years it used to have far fewer drift boats and hardly any wading anglers. Now I might see 30+ drift boats in a day and more personal water craft but since I hunt big bank feeders and my back is always facing the maddening crowd that might be floating by. I just don't see the boats. Also 99% of the floaters are savvy enough not to float too close to me (too close being within 75 feet of my back) It is such a huge river that the people just don't affect me and surely don't deter me from still enjoying the experience.
The Salmon River in Pulaski, NY has an epic king salmon run starting in mid September and lasting until late October. Then the steelhead start to come into the river. You want to see crowded? I'm sure if you went to YouTube and looked for Salmon River salmon videos you would see appallingly crowded conditions. Other than the well know pools on the PA streams I don't consider it crowded. There may be a guy or two in this or that riffle but if you walk a bit you will get away from most of the people and it is rare for guys to try an squeeze in on you.
The Cattaraugus Creek in western NY is really a big steelhead river with purportedly 30% wild steelhead plus very good numbers of hatchery fish. Some of the stream runs through a Seneca Indian reservation. There are miles and miles of virtually under fished water. The problem is it flows through some areas with a lot of clay. It is also a huge drainage so when it goes up from a rain event it can stay high for well over two weeks and the turbidity is just impossible to fly fish.
I wouldn't drive nine hours to fish for Steelhead Alley fish unless I could get on private water.
Yes, nine hours is too much. Unless you have a buddy to go with and you could have 4- 5 good days of fishing. The problem with the western PA and NY steelhead streams is many of them are spate streams. They rise very quickly with just a modest rain event and drop almost as quickly. Even when there is a real gully washer and Elk Creek (PA) gets all brown and blown out within a day, or less, after the rain stops, the stream starts to go down.
I try and time a trip to arrive on falling high water, a nice emerald green color, you can't see the steelhead except in some shallow riffles and they can't see you. Falling high water brings in fresh fish from the Lake and makes other fish already in the stream move further upstream.
Typically the western OH and all the PA steelhead streams go from perfect falling water conditions to low and very clear in 2 -3 days if there is no additional rain. I live 260 miles away and it takes me about 5 1/2 hours to get to most any of the streams. I'm retired and can select the best period to go. I follow the weather patterns and used to leave at midnight so I could arrive and get breakfast and be fishing by 7:30 a.m. Now I just can't drive all night like I used to and will leave around dawn and just take my time and arrive around 1:00. Check into my lodging, off load all the gear, put my waders on and go fish until dusk.
I guess "crowded" is subjective. On the western tailwater I have fished for the past 23 years it used to have far fewer drift boats and hardly any wading anglers. Now I might see 30+ drift boats in a day and more personal water craft but since I hunt big bank feeders and my back is always facing the maddening crowd that might be floating by. I just don't see the boats. Also 99% of the floaters are savvy enough not to float too close to me (too close being within 75 feet of my back) It is such a huge river that the people just don't affect me and surely don't deter me from still enjoying the experience.
The Salmon River in Pulaski, NY has an epic king salmon run starting in mid September and lasting until late October. Then the steelhead start to come into the river. You want to see crowded? I'm sure if you went to YouTube and looked for Salmon River salmon videos you would see appallingly crowded conditions. Other than the well know pools on the PA streams I don't consider it crowded. There may be a guy or two in this or that riffle but if you walk a bit you will get away from most of the people and it is rare for guys to try an squeeze in on you.
The Cattaraugus Creek in western NY is really a big steelhead river with purportedly 30% wild steelhead plus very good numbers of hatchery fish. Some of the stream runs through a Seneca Indian reservation. There are miles and miles of virtually under fished water. The problem is it flows through some areas with a lot of clay. It is also a huge drainage so when it goes up from a rain event it can stay high for well over two weeks and the turbidity is just impossible to fly fish.
I wouldn't drive nine hours to fish for Steelhead Alley fish unless I could get on private water.
Mwheaps32
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I think I'm going to give the "cat" a try the first weekend in November if water conditions allow
FarmerDave
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I agree. It's pretty darn exciting seeing them even if they aren't so anxious to take ones offering.
gulfgreyhound
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Chautauqua should have fish in it now. GG
PennKev
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I can't tell you how many times I've started out with *ideal* conditions at day break and ended the day fishing perfectly clear water. If the creeks come up with rain, the next day may be good, the day after will almost certainly be perfect at some point, and the 3rd day will be the day it goes back to being very clear and low. And that's with Elk Creek in mind. The smaller tribs will go through that cycle even quicker.
K
kbkpitt
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- May 12, 2008
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If you want to experience steelhead fishing on the Erie tribs...fish in the fall. Here are the dates of my first steelhead caught for the season for the the last three years...Oct 23, 2015, Oct 26, 2016, and Nov 12, 2017. In my camera, I have pictures of each and they are in their early migration stage with a greenish top half and silvery chrome underneath. Lots of **** and vinegar.
Stick with Elk Creek. Park in one of the popular lower spots and walk up and down the creek. Start early- before dawn. Find a spot and go from there. Leave when the morning crowds come in (you can't avoid them), go get some sleep or get a meal in. Start again around 330 pm. Why 330? Not sure, it's typically when the Yinzers start their trek down to Pgh (just a personal timeline I follow)Last one, fish like your taking them out. Limit out after three. Steelhead #1 is no different than Steelhead # 10. Oh and if you hear a guy scream, "dude there are miles and miles of stream, stop fishing right next to me!" That would be me.
Stick with Elk Creek. Park in one of the popular lower spots and walk up and down the creek. Start early- before dawn. Find a spot and go from there. Leave when the morning crowds come in (you can't avoid them), go get some sleep or get a meal in. Start again around 330 pm. Why 330? Not sure, it's typically when the Yinzers start their trek down to Pgh (just a personal timeline I follow)Last one, fish like your taking them out. Limit out after three. Steelhead #1 is no different than Steelhead # 10. Oh and if you hear a guy scream, "dude there are miles and miles of stream, stop fishing right next to me!" That would be me.
wbranch
Well-known member
Greygulf wrote;
I arrived the Chautaugua at 2:00 Sunday. Water was stained and up a bit. Fished from the Route 5 parking lot pool almost down to the lake. Never touched a fish. Out of the four people I spoke to only one had taken a fish early in the day. Fished it Monday morning and it had cleared a bit and it had a nice green color. Fished about an hour in the parking lot pool (didn't have the enthusiasm to walk down to the mouth) No fish. Many fish were being caught at the mouth of Twenty Mile. However there were 23 cars in the parking lot when I arrived at 4:30 p.m. and everyone was down near the mouth. There were no fish in the upper water I fished and surely didn't want to fish with at least 23 other guys. Canadaway Creek was blown out and the Catt was filthy and running at 550 cfs and it was pouring rain when I got there.
I arrived the Chautaugua at 2:00 Sunday. Water was stained and up a bit. Fished from the Route 5 parking lot pool almost down to the lake. Never touched a fish. Out of the four people I spoke to only one had taken a fish early in the day. Fished it Monday morning and it had cleared a bit and it had a nice green color. Fished about an hour in the parking lot pool (didn't have the enthusiasm to walk down to the mouth) No fish. Many fish were being caught at the mouth of Twenty Mile. However there were 23 cars in the parking lot when I arrived at 4:30 p.m. and everyone was down near the mouth. There were no fish in the upper water I fished and surely didn't want to fish with at least 23 other guys. Canadaway Creek was blown out and the Catt was filthy and running at 550 cfs and it was pouring rain when I got there.
C
CRB
Well-known member
Few fish in the streams.
Poorest return of fish this time of the year, ever.
Poorest return of fish this time of the year, ever.
M
moon1284
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I'll be out this weekend on the NY side as long as something is fishable. My favorite time to fish for steelhead is september. Sept is best time for hot fish, October is the best time for crowds.
Find good water, swing something that looks like an emerald shiner and you should hook up once or twice in a day.
Find good water, swing something that looks like an emerald shiner and you should hook up once or twice in a day.
M
moon1284
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Ryan we might be splitting hairs here but you can be on the best steelhead water in ny/pa in around 7 hours coming from northern va. I worked in Alexandria this winter and was able to get home in 7 hours and the water im talking about is slightly less of a drive.
Acristickid
Well-known member
Dates are irrelevant for Erie because daily conditions dictate.
Low water and bright blue skies in November is probably not going to be as good as say end of September after a couple big storms in a row with falling water levels.
Season doesn’t sound good so far- two experienced fishing buddies hit Erie and another in NY and didn’t do well last weekend. Boo.
Low water and bright blue skies in November is probably not going to be as good as say end of September after a couple big storms in a row with falling water levels.
Season doesn’t sound good so far- two experienced fishing buddies hit Erie and another in NY and didn’t do well last weekend. Boo.
PennKev
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I can barely justify an occasional 1.5 hour drive for steelhead now given the poor returns and huge crowds of the last several years. And while I'm critical of some aspects of the steelhead program, it was something I took advantage of on a regular basis when quality of the fishing was more reliable.
bigjohn58
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- Sep 23, 2006
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Unless you live in the western part of the state I have no idea why anyone bothers going to Erie for steelhead. I can be to Oak Orchard in 3 hours where I have a chance for salmon, steelhead, AND monster brown trout! I'm heading up there right after work today for a 3 day weekend of fishing. If you could catch something in the Erie tribs other then steelhead I'd maybe consider it again. That area of Erie is really only good for the lake fishing for smallies, musky, and perch.
B
Brown71
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bigjohn, I agree 100%! We used to spend a lot of time in Erie, and know basically every stream from PA to Buffalo. Now, we almost always go to the Lake Ontario tribs. The fishing is not even comparable.
And, if you spend some time learning the LO shore, there are a bunch of small tribs that get great runs of all 4 species, but yet have almost zero crowds. They are water dependent though. It is simply amazing up there. Last year was especially good, as early water had fish in about every trickle that runs into the lake, and the coho run was the best Ive seen since 2009.
We usually go up 4 times or so a fall/winter, and almost never fish the well known places.
And, if you spend some time learning the LO shore, there are a bunch of small tribs that get great runs of all 4 species, but yet have almost zero crowds. They are water dependent though. It is simply amazing up there. Last year was especially good, as early water had fish in about every trickle that runs into the lake, and the coho run was the best Ive seen since 2009.
We usually go up 4 times or so a fall/winter, and almost never fish the well known places.
wbranch
Well-known member
CBR wrote;
Agreed but don't you attribute that also to just terrible water conditions? Here we are going into the 3rd week of October and there still hasn't been a really significant rain event to blow the streams out good and initiate a really good push of fresh fish from the lake.
.
Agreed but don't you attribute that also to just terrible water conditions? Here we are going into the 3rd week of October and there still hasn't been a really significant rain event to blow the streams out good and initiate a really good push of fresh fish from the lake.
