Steelhead Thread 2014-2015

[PatrickC]

CathyG wrote:
Is there decent late winter/early spring steelhead fishing? The doctor says I can't fish until then (broken arm). While I plan on proving him wrong I wouldn't attempt a steelhead trip until then anyway.

It remains good until the water warms in the Spring and they all go back to the lake. The only time it's bad in the Winter is when the creeks are completely frozen over. Though I am working on an ice-cutting sink tip to overcome even that. I'm gonna be rich I tell ya!

Feel better with that arm! And do yourself a favor, do what your doc tells you in reference to the fishing. Pushing it and reinjuring yourself ain't worth it. I had a patient with whom I repaired a ruptured Achilles tendon last Spring try to prove me wrong. While he was in rehab from the 2nd surgery (because he completely destroyed all of the work I did for him the 1st time by ignoring instructions, not using his boot and crutches, and doing heel rises on his stairs 4 weeks after surgery) he finally admitted he wished he done what I asked him to do the 1st time because it cost him an extra 16-20 weeks from partaking fully in his normal activities. Don't try to prove us wrong, you only hurt yourself. I promise, it's not a conspiracy your doctor has against you. He/She just wants you to heal properly and completely ;-) It's that non-stop insanity that lead me to retire from surgery and clinical practice this past year.... God is good. Beer is great. And people are crazy int:

 

[CathyG]

Patrick,

I know you're right about taking the doc's advise but I'm going stir crazy and its only been 3 weeks! Just this week I'm able to put my left thumb and forefinger together so I'm hoping in a few days I can at least start tying flies.

Once I can grip the fly line I figure I can land the fish without reeling. My plan is to start at easy access points (I'm a little nervous about falling) with smallish fish. Probably a brookie stream.

Of course it all depends on weather.

The doctors have actually released me to go back to work for 1 handed work but as a truck driver I need 2 hands.

In the meantime I'll start tying as soon as I'm able. Maybe that will at least take the edge off. It will be like therapy; physical and mental.

 

[Mucka]

Some of my best days have been the late winter early spring after big snow melts / thaw outs. Not to mention crowds are much thinner-always a plus!

Fished lower Elk yesterday around Elk Park Rd. LOTS of fresh fish moving through- and had a day that I'll likely never be able to top again. I thought my arms were going to fall off by lunch. I thought I was having a day til i walked a little further downstream and there were 3 pinners. I swear at any given time 2 of them had fish on. Incredible morning and day overall. Things starting slowing up by evening so I guess most moved through that area by then. Streamerguy got an absurdly girthy brown- I've never seen anything like it. Hopefully he puts the picture of it up!

 

[streamerguy]

Great day indeed!! You tore em up all morning..............wish we would have started down there with you. Still did pretty good at our first location once we actually located fish, and then of course when we met up on the other section.

As great as the fishing was yesterday, I would have been a happy camper if that brown was all I caught. Not a very long fish at all but it was a freakin' football! Catch of the season for me...

 

[Maurice]

Holy Hell now thats a butterball!

 

[djs12354]

That's a slammer, for sure!

 

[docdom]

Was up on the Salmon River Sunday/Monday Steelhead fishing for the first time. Sunday was slow but Monday picked up. The stream was packed.

 

[TimRobinsin]

Way to go streamerguy! who stole my net! LOL

very nice football on turkey day

 

[djs12354]

Doc,

Nice photos. Love the color on the fish!

 

[streamerguy]

Thanks guys. Just about crapped my pants as soon as I saw that it was a brown. Full of eggs I'm guessing........or maybe gorged on shiners, shad, gobies, etc. in the lake.

Good fish docdom! The Salmon River has been on my list for a while. One of these days...

TimRobinsin wrote:
who stole my net! LOL

lol I have been eye balling those nets for a while and after seeing yours in action at the JAM I finally decided to get one. Late grad/early Christmas present. Much better than my older net which ate up flies and wasn't great on the fish. It's a little sketchy for those bigger fish pushing 30in, but overall I'm liking it for steel and of course it would work great for bigger non lake-run fish as well. Seems like a good net for bass too.

 

[docdom]

streamerguy that is one fine brown! There was a report of someone catching a 15lb+ brown on the Salmon while we were up there. It was freezing Sunday but extremely warm on Monday.

I have the same net also! Love it!

 

[PatrickC]

streamerguy wrote:
Great day indeed!! You tore em up all morning..............wish we would have started down there with you. Still did pretty good at our first location once we actually located fish, and then of course when we met up on the other section.

As great as the fishing was yesterday, I would have been a happy camper if that brown was all I caught. Not a very long fish at all but it was a freakin' football! Catch of the season for me...

Touchdown! Nice catch

 

[streamerguy]

I was just happy I didn't make a fumble on the play with that fish.........it got to the point where I was ready to just go home then drive back up and start all over. My brother and I went 0-5 before we got the first one in the net.........and by then I think Mucka already landed 6 or so and lost several others. By the evening we still had an amazing day, but it was extremely frustrating with the amount we lost. Just happy we got that brown in......

Check those hooks and make sure they aren't dull or even bent!!

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Patagonia style fishing in Pa. and NY. Great fish ! You had a memorable day for sure. GG

 

[Mucka]

I was a little concerned when I couldn't get it in the net that I might blow it for you! That slab was tough to scoop!

 

[streamerguy]

This thread's been dead for a while. Anyone doing any fishin??

Since my last post I've fished Elk a couple times. This past weekend I hit Ohio pretty hard. Fishing ranged from poor to pretty darn good........just a matter of finding willing fish. This weekend's not looking too good for me but I'm interested in how things shape up after this recent blowout.

 

[streamerguy]

My brother got a bonus brown trout Saturday afternoon, but the surprise of the weekend was a brookie PAFF'er Mucka caught out of lower Conneaut Sunday morning! Probably a spring stockie from the headwaters in PA. Cool unexpected catch!

 

[Mucka]

Unusual way to get my first brookie!

 

[JackM]

Brookie be wild.

 

[Mucka]

You think? Even better!