Steelhead 2013-2014 Thread

[ryguyfi]

One piece of advise. If you're fishing in the snow do yourself a favor and leave the felt boots at home. If you've never fished in the snow before you can thank me later.

 

[MrMustard]

Do you guys think there will be issues with the streams icing over this weekend? Looks like lows in the 20's/upper teens Thursday and Friday.

 

[ryguyfi]

I'm sure there will be ice on the streams. It won't be completely iced over. You just have to know where, or what sections to fish.

 

[PatrickC]

ryguyfi wrote:
One piece of advise. If you're fishing in the snow do yourself a favor and leave the felt boots at home. If you've never fished in the snow before you can thank me later.

Unless you want to feel taller…then use them :-D

 

[dano]

I don't mind the snow, it's the cold,,,
Got out Tuesday late afternoon before it got too bad.
Water temped out at 34 degrees but managed 4 fish in about 3 hours of fishing.
The lampreys have really done a number on the steelhead population this year.

Hand were wet and shaking but managed a few pics before it got too dark.

 

[fishingood]

So it's good down near Uncle Johns, or should one try a further up section of Elk.

 

[dano]

Anywhere where there is a slow tailout, preferably with a slot. Fish that enter a pool will usually sit in the tailout for awhile before moving up. Fish do move in this cold water and those moving fish are usually the players.
Down low usually has more aggressive fish that move.
The higher up you go, the more wintering fish you'll find schooled up but they're usually sluggish holding fish.
Fish streamers low and nymphs on up.

 

[dano]

If the Erie creeks don't have much flow, they will ice up fast once the ambient temp gets into the mid to low 20's.

 

[PatrickC]

There a tons of fish scattered throughout Elk. This is the time of year to fish where you want. The pressure drops way off from here on out.

 

[JackM]

I had established a tradition of going up Thanksgiving weekend. I broke that last year and will probably miss again this year. Usually, I met for a few hours with Maurice who has also such a tradition. His is a long time more than mine.

I remember one year, 3/4 inch of ice on the creek. He and Mick and me spent about 1 hour breaking ice out of a hole about 40 foot wide by 100 or so feet long.

When we were done, I was sweating in 22 degree temps. We waited 10 minutes, looked at the hole and Maurice says: "There ain't no fish here." We had to leave. I never understood why we didn't wait for them. But Maurice has this nutty idea that you have to fish where the fish are....

(PS, Maurice can tell you about the night before. His version is way funnier).

 

[McSneek]

Haven't been to the Erie tribs since a single day trip in December 2011. May make it up for a day or two in a couple weeks but only if night time temps stay close to or above freezing. My last time up I think the temperature dropped into the teens the night before and it was probably after lunch before my fly line finally stopped freezing up, guides were clear and most of the ice chunks floating down the stream had melted. It was a PITA trying to fish with what amounted to a frozen clothes line. Couldn't really drift a fly with all the ice chunks. I can handle tough weather conditions but when they impact your ability to actually fish it's not really worth it especially when you live a fair distance away.

 

[PatrickC]

McSneek wrote:
Haven't been to the Erie tribs since a single day trip in December 2011. May make it up for a day or two in a couple weeks but only if night time temps stay close to or above freezing. My last time up I think the temperature dropped into the teens the night before and it was probably after lunch before my fly line finally stopped freezing up, guides were clear and most of the ice chunks floating down the stream had melted. It was a PITA trying to fish with what amounted to a frozen clothes line. Couldn't really drift a fly with all the ice chunks. I can handle tough weather conditions but when they impact your ability to actually fish it's not really worth it especially when you live a fair distance away.

It does suck when you live far away. You have to choose dates to come up in advance and you get what you get. And, unfortunately, because you can't get on the tribs very often...it remains an ongoing challenge. I feel for you.

When I fish by myself, I get to pick the trib with the best conditions and if they are all bad....I go fish for something else. Because I'm on these waters all of the time, I have had the opportunity to stay dialed-in regardless of conditions. And frankly, that is what clients expect (as they should).

Come up when you can and enjoy it for what it is. Folks can down play this contrived fishery and call them dumb steelhead, but what they don't tell you is that it took them years to sort it out as well. It's just not as simple as some would lead us to believe.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

PatrickC wrote:

Come up when you can and enjoy it for what it is. Folks can down play this contrived fishery and call them dumb steelhead, but what they don't tell you is that it took them years to sort it out as well. It's just not as simple as some would lead us to believe.

Thats very true. Took me 3 trips and I still am learning. GG

 

[skeeter]

I have been fishing Erie for over 7 years and it wasn't for the last 2-3 years that I feel like I have really dialed it in. Of course over those past couple years, I have had to make the best of my one trip a year with young kiddos now. I always make the best of it, you have to, fish or no fish, all day, dawn to dusk. I'll be there next Thurs-Sunday, and I cannot wait. Just not looking forward to the drive.

Tight Lines....

 

[streamerguy]

Debating between tomorrow or Saturday. Saturday is supposed to get into the upper 30s and a low of 32, and as much as I hate dealing with ice on the rod/line, I also wouldn't want to go up there only to have the snowmelt affect the fishing. What do you guys think??

 

[Mucka]

I'm having the same debate. Would the snow melt bring streams up that quickly? Being my first year I've never been in the situation before.. I was planning on Saturday myself but how much could the melt affect things?

 

[streamerguy]

Thinking about it more, I don't really think it'll get warm enough to melt the snow that quick. From my experiences, a slow warmup may bring the water up but it'll still have a nice green color. If it's gets very warm(up into the 40s and above) quickly then the streams will start to blow out. I don't know.......I'm sure they'll be just fine Saturday and probably Sunday too.

I have decided on going tomorrow though, mainly because Saturday's supposed to get windy(yeah I'm chickening out lol). I've been hearing the slush has been pretty bad in the mornings too.

 

[Mucka]

Yea I was thinking about tomorrow but I think Saturday is going to be my day. If I dealt with 40 mph gusts lasts Saturday I can do 20 this Saturday haha. I'm hoping a melt brings things up a little for the afternoon too. Tight lines

 

[dano]

I drove into Girard for Thanksgiving with family, I walked over to Elk to take a look. Nice flow bank to bank with no slush or floatinng ice. It looked prime. Had about 10" of snow on the ground.

 

[streamerguy]

Thanks for the report dano. Heading out in a little bit....