I appreciate the responses and discussion.  Perhaps I unfairly lumped Bughawk in with the types of locals I was describing, but based upon the initial post I read and his first response, I thought I had him pegged well.  Subsequent posts seem to suggest I was off-base.  In any event, I have noticed with a lot of touristy fishing destinations that the locals/regulars resent (unfairly) the out-of-towners and tend to blame all bad behavior on them, whereas the truth is actually far from that with much if not the majority of rude and selfish acts being perpetrated by the locals/regulars. 

As was the point of my post, those who have nearly unlimited opportunities to enjoy the tributaries should show greater patience, knowledge and courtesy than those of us who may make it Up-air once or twice a season. 

The Post-Gazette article was not grossly inaccurate in my opinion.  Since I was lectured to read carefully, i will repeat that same advice.  I was on Elk Tuesday as the Creeks rose and can attest that a major influx of fish did occur and the fish that had been trapped in the lower half-mile or so of the creek began to go forward.  I think this constitutes a major run, if not the "first run" as stated in the article.  Perhaps the "first major run" or the "first significant run in weeks" would have been more accurate.  Even if the fishing did not "improve" there is no doubt it will spread the fish upstream so that good fishing will be had over a greater portion of the stream than before the rains.
 
Also, the writer did not compare Erie tribs to Alaska and New Zealand as equivalents.  What he did was quote another person who said: "To get this kind of fishing and not have to go to Alaska or New Zealand is amazing."  A proper reading of this quote would be that "to get better fishing one would need to go to Alaska or New Zealand."
 
Finally, the writer noted that, "[t]he run is expected to trigger a migration of anglers from throughout Pennsylvania and beyond for an Erie fishing experience considered by many to be world class."  Rightly or wrongly, I believe that "many" people do consider the experience to be world-class.

I never fish weekends. When I was younger, and drank a little, I never went out on New Year's Eve. Soon, it will be like the famous Yogi Berra
quote, no one will fish any more, because it's too crowded.

the shame of it is, it can be a stress RELIEVER, or a stress GIVER, depending on how much self control and kindness one has. 

Bug
Not To sound like a Kiss**** but I gotta catch up on a stream with you someday .
After reading your post ,It sounds like what I encounter every year at ocean city .. In the middel of the red drum run on Assateague ,I find myself staring at the waves breakin and the sunrise over the Atlantic ..and I almost forget that I'm there to fish ! I take a waterproof camera now and snap photos of the sunrise..the sandpipers diggin for sand fleas in the surf or if I am luckly enough a nice drum pic .. It used to be Fish 24-7 now I take time to enjoy the stream / ocean /lake as a whole rather than the one facet I am a part of.
I must admit the best day of the recent year is when I happened to come across a man and his grandson working a slow bend on a DHFFO creek ..I offed a fly I was having better than average luck with .. The boy lagged into a trophy brown shortly after a casting lesson from pap ..I honestly dont know who was more excited Pap,boy or the dumb guy who gave away his last olive caddis emerger(me)
I figure it this way, I 'm here to relax and by luck or grace of god catch a fish ..I have enough stress at work..I  need not add anymore while I am in beautiful western Pa
If ya see a schmuck standing on the side of the stream with a empty stringer and a cheesy grin on his face looking at a gray squirell or the fall foiliage ....well good chance he is drunk ...but on the off chance it might just be me ...Tight lines to you all
P.S.
Enjoy the whole experiance not just the frantic moment of the catch!

Good post.

KJH
Dude I am all infavor of a artifical trib...If I may elaborate on your brilliant yet perposterious notion
Feel free to add something I may have missed
Proposals
1.We need to build 2 artificial tribs 1 between elk and walnut  and another on the east side  so as not to show favoritism. The people from the water park will install the pump system a recycling system__NO MORE WAITING ON RAIN--The creek will be at Ideal level year round   perhaps even heated a bit in the winter to stop ice from forming
 
2. One will have a sandbar in the middle for those guys who like to walk out into the drift  so they dont have to stand in water in front of me all day
 
3. each will have a road and a parking lot that ends in the stream so the lazy fishermen dont even have to get out of thier car to fish
 
4. each will have no less than 4 stands serving IRON CITY , Pirmanti samiches and gobs for all us YINZERS ---on sundays they will roll out the big screen so we can watch the stillers while we fish!
 
5. each will have 2 manchester holes --one designated for LOCALS ONLY and the others for the rest of us heathens who migrate there each fall
(You must show I.D. to enter) run by the W.C.O
 
6. COMBAT FISHING each will have a large octagon ring with fish in it ...after you land one  you must "fight" your way out with the other anglers ( kinda like smear the **** of fishing) to put it on the stringer or release it ...
(great gambling oppratunity for the new casinos) 1/2 of the  house take goes to more smolts  
 
7. SNaggers Paradise --  A area where snagging is permitted but each guy has to pay $100 , Fish in nothing but a speedo , only allowed to use a grappling hook and a tow cable from a auto wrecker ... and the water will be neck deep .only open from november 30th until february 30th
 
at the very least I hope I made ya chuckle
If the fish commish and local orginizations find a way I will gladly load up 2 d9 cats and a earth mover to help out

It is a three hour trip for me from down around Johnstown. I have been fishing for these wonderful fish for a long time,  but only flyfishing at Erie for about 5 years. Previously, I would make several trips to New York each year. I got my father, who is a very good trout fisherman, into this type of fishing as a type of therapy. He and my younger brother are afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis. Thank God I was spared. I have trout fished with my dad for over forty years. When I called him on Monday afternoon and informed him that we were heading up, he reminded me of myself in my younger days, not sleeping, waiting for the first day of trout season. We have a good thing going right now. In the last few years, we have met many very nice fellow sportsmen. We have also turned in to the Fish Commission some un-sportsmen. I hope and pray that I''ll have the opportunity to comeupere with my dad for many years to come. I have two grown sons, both in college. At this time in their lives, they cannot get away from their responsibilities to fish with me and my dad. I already can see that someday I'll be the dad who tags along with his sons up to Erie. Bughawk, we'll be on Walnut on Tuesday, at the break of day till sundown. Keep an eye out for me. I want to fish with you. I'll have a white Orvis (yes, Orvis, it was a gift from my youngest) ballcap, and a Fishpond pouch strapped around my gut. I tend to get a little vocal, especially if i'm hooking fish. We can compare our fly boxes. I have some really nice stone flies, but I really don't want to lose them just yet! I''ll probably be doing some hoofing, but keep an eye out for me just the same.  Fishmonger   

StCroix Boy,
 
You are killing me...  I can see it now.  The one thing I would add is a one way screen at the mouth to catch all the litter, miles of fishing line and other "junk" left behind.  Perhaps we could shut down the stream for an hour once a day for cleaning, which would be to flood the stream bed and flush all the mess downstream where it could be collected.