mikeg
Posts: 3079
Joined: 5/11/2004
From: Erie, PA
Status: offline
|
Thread written By Formerguide......
Well, it's about that time of year again, the "silly season" if you will... We all, myself included, get hyped up, ready for the shorter days, cooler evenings, and the impending return of some chrome. Now, with this influx of fresh fish, comes a veritable boatload of quesitons on this site- some of them reasonable, some stupid, and some downright perplexing. In anticipation of said questions, below are some answers that I hope will serve people well, in addition to hopefully guiding people in the right direction concerning etiquette, both streamside and on this board. Now, I don't doubt that many of you (a number of whom's opinions I trust) will disagree with me on certain answers or aspects of this- your thoughts are welcome, and please feel free to post you dissenting opinions.
Q. When are the steelhead coming?
A. Probably one of the most asked questions on this board- are they running yet? When's the best time to come up? How far upstream are they? Well, the answer, like many things, is somewhat fluid, but here goes... As early as Sept, and even lat Aug, the occasional fish will enter the tribs. A good, cold rain at anytime from Labor Day on can trigger a "run." Now, that might mean literally only 30 fish. Common sense would tell you that if it's 85 degrees out, and Erie got .35" of rain, well, a few fish might have poked their heads in the first 100yds of stream, but that's about all you could hope for. Worth a 2 hour drive? Most likely not. But, as the temperatures cool, the lake drops below 68 degrees, and the days shorten (let's say the end of Sept) now that .35" of rain might actually bring in a "fishable" or substantial number of fish. But again, it is ALL dictated by the weather, at least in terms of fishing. The fish try their best, whether conditions warrant or not- but almost all die-hard steelhead anglers that I know are religous watchers of the Weather Channel and online radar. After, say, the first of October, any good rainfall should bring fresh fish in. Now, again, I'm going to ask you to use some common sense- if we get continual decent rain, say every few days or so, each rain will cause fish to come in, but not in HUGE numbers, because steady rain allows the fish to spread out, and come in at their own pace. It's when you have protracted periods of no rain, and then get a large rainfall, that brings in one intact, large group of fish, due to many fish stacking up at the mouths or lower portions of the creeks, wating for water to allow them to puch upstream. When people talk about "THE run" etc... they usually don't know what they're talking about. Fish will come in from Sept until the spring, with the bulk of them entering from mid-Oct to the end of Dec.
Q. How far upstream on ****** have they gotten?
A. Don't ask this question- period. If you know fish have been in the tribs for a while, then fish as far upstream as you care to, and look for fish. If you don't find any, go downstream a ways. This is a lazy question, and an ignorant one too. We all put our time in, some pay more in gas money than others, but there are few rewards greater than exploring far upstream, above where people "assume" the fish have gotten, and finding fresh, unmolested fish. We are all on an even playing field, and many people seem to have forgotten (or never learned) the joys of finding things out for themselves. Trust me, you will enjoy yourself all the more for having "cracked the code" without assistance. Conversely, let's say you do find fish, say, 5 miles upstream of the hordes of people- PLEASE, keep it to yourself. There's a PM button- use it if you must, but don't tell people how awesome the fishing was at Follies, you fished all by yourself, couldn't believe no one else was there, blah blah blah... See comments on online etiquette below.
Q. What are the best flies, baits, etc...
A. I will answer the fly question as best as I can- as far as bait is concerned, for those of you who know more about that they me, please feel free to post your answers (I pretty much only fly fish, though I have no problem with any other methods...) Flies- you could make a living off of catching steelhead on pink sucker spawn. Really. If limited to 6 flies, I would choose a pink SS, chartreuse SS, pink/red blood dot, black stonefly (or similar), white zonker, and a black leech or long black bugger. The truth of the matter is this- in the right conditions, stelhead will eat any egg fly in front of them. At times, black works great, as do muted nymphs (hare's ears, prince, PT's, etc...) but when the conditions are right, it really doesn't matter. When water is low and clear, well, I'm personally fishing elsewhere, where the water is NOT low and clear (again, see below...) Now, every year, someone here or on the reports page will talk about a "secret" fly, or the new killer pattern, etc... Don't believe it. Certain flies excel in certain conditions, and of course, some are better than others. But there is no magical fly, for stelhead or anything else for that matter. What's the best fly? Presentation. The guys (and gals) who catch the most fish, simply fish better than anyone else, keep their flies (or bait) in the water longer, at the right depth and speed, and can read water well (ie, knowing seams, pools, edges, etc... and how to fish those areas.) If you're struglling, and the guy beside you is whaking them, take a moment and watch him (or her- that's the last time I'm saying "her") and see what they're doing differently. How much weight are they using? If indy-fishing, how far is their indicator above their flies? Are they fishing faster water than you? Slower? How long are their drifts? Observation can often be one of our greatest tricks- be observant, and don't hesitate to (politley) ask your neighbor what they're using, or for advice. Most likely, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the response.
Q. What's the best rod/reel/line/tippet for steelhead?
A. Again, their are a myriad of choices, and an equal number of opinions on this- all I can do is give you my thoughts, which you are welcome to heed or dismiss.
Rod- for me, the best "all-around" fly rod for steelhead is a 10' 7wt. Ideal length for better mending and control, right line weight, short enough to still be useful on all but the tightest streams (which I avoid anyway- ie Crooked, etc...) Lot's of guys now extol the virtues of spey rods, which I too enjoy- however, their usefulness is truly only on the biggest of our tribs, like the Grand in OH, or the Salmon in NY. My ideal Great Lakes spey rod is a 12-13' 6 or 7wt- WAY too big for any PA water. Now, a 9'7 or 8wt is also just fine- however, the added length of a 10' rod is handy. The new "switch" rods, like the 11' 7wts, are also terrific. Nymphing machines, and capable of shorter spey casts, these hybrid rods excel in our area.
Reels- Mmmmm, reels... No other piece of equipment I like more. However, here's the truth of the matter- most of our waters are small, the fish can't really go anywhere, and, to be truthful, none of our steelhead are really going to tax your reel. A dependable reel with a smooth drag is what you need- it should be capable of holding your line and 75 yards or more of backing, and, BTW, you'll only need 25yds of it at most. Play the fish hard and strong, and you'll likely never see your backing (unless swinging a long line, where it's not far to go to get to the backing.) If someone tells you they were 100yds into their backing, 1 of 3 things happened; 1) The fish was snagged (more on that later) 2) The guys was fishing 6X (again, more below) and foolishly let the fish run and run without any real pressure or 3) The guy's a weenine, and is lying or doesn't know how to fish. Regardless if you're releasing your fish or taking home a few to throw on the grill, fight your fish to the maximum extent of your tackle. It's fair to the fish, to the anglers around you, and if keeping a fish, will result in less lactic acid in the flesh, making for a tastier meal. If you aren;t breaking off the occasional fish, you're not fighting them hard enough, and that's the truth. Anyway, back to reels- a smooth drag is all that really matters- and reels from Orvis, Okuma, Teton, Ross, Pfleuger, really any decent reel company, are just fine. Having said that, I own more reels than most fly shops, but again, you do NOT need to spend a fortune on a steelhead reel. Call FishUSA (our sponsor) and they can lead you in the right direction.
Line- any appropriate weight floating line is fine. I like lines from RIO, Airflo and some Sci Angler lines- but any quality floating line is fine. No need for sinktips, unless fishing bigger waters (ie non-PA waters) and some sinking lines are handy in spey situations. My favorite lines are the RIO Atlantic Salmon and Stelhead line, the Airflo Ridgeline Tactical Trout, and the SA Steelhead taper.
Tippet- OK, this is a sore spot with me. 99% of my steelhead fishing is done with 2X or 3X. I haven't used 4X in years, and would never use 5X. I'm going to guess that I catch my fair share of fish. I like tippet from just about anyone, including Orvis, Umpqua, RIO, Frog Hair, you name it. Most tippet comes out of 2 factories in Japan, and that's the truth. High, off-color water? Use 2X. Any clearer than that, use 3X- and if you MUST, then 4X is OK, but I neither use it or recommend it. I can get a fish in clear water on 3X fluoro with no problems- remember, always lenghten your tippet first, before resorting to stepping it down a size- it works wonders, and you'll be able to land your fish faster and more efficiently.
Q. I only know Elk and Walnut- where else can I go?
A. Anywhere you choose to try! Again, exploring is great fun, and part of the challange and mystique of steelhead fishing. Way too many people only come up when the water is good on Elk and Walnut, which means, in essence, they are completely limited and dictated by the current weather conditions. If you learn water other than those 2 streams, chances arem you can ALWAYS find good water. Now, think about that for a second... Always having good water to fish. The truth is, with a little effort and sweat, and a few hours of "exploring" rather than fishing, you can ensure yourself of always being able to find good conditions- imagine that! Seriously, the best anglers often are not necessarily wizards at casting, or expert fly tyers, but rather, they always know where to go and when to go there. Keep a journal, make a note of the water conditions, time of year, etc... you'll be amazed how it can pay dividends. Next season comes, you'll remember that after an inch of rain, in mid-October, spot X really produced, or that after a long period of drought, the bigger water in NY was the best available water, etc... But again, if all you know are a handful of spots on Elk and/or Walnut, you're doing yourself a disservice. But again, as opposed to asking about a specific spot on a specific creek on the boards, please be respectful of those that also fish these waters, use the PM button, or better yet, go take a look for yourselves- you'll learn far more by personal trial and error than you ever will by being fed information here or on any other board.
Q. Can I wade through posted land if I stay in the streambed?
A. No, and that's that. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are misinformed. Double posted banks means keep out.
Etiquette- OK boys and girls, time for the nitty gritty on this one. Numerous past posts, several by me, have addressed this topic before, but let's give it another go around. Now, of course the following are merely my own opinions- you may agree or disagree. However, one thing we can all agree upon is that there is an alarming lack of streamside etiquette on the tribs. Here goes...
Elbow room- there's not enough of it at times, and that's a fact. Don't crowd your way into a spot, give your fellow anglers as much room as you can, and never take a guy's spot if he's landing a fish, taking a piss, etc... First come, first serve is the rule. If you think you're too close and there's not enough room to sqeeze into a spot, chances are you're right- move on. There are plenty of spots- if a guy is "hogging" a hole, ask if you can share it- if the answer is yes, great! If it's no, then respect that and move to another spot. ALWAYS make room for children and the disabled- this is non-negotiable. Be polite, help an angler net a fish when need be, get out of there way when they are playing fish, and they will respond in kind. Don't walk through someone's drift, ever. If not sure the proper etiquette or position to stand, watch what others are doing. If you're way out in the middle of a pool, and everyone else is in a similar spot 10 feet behind you, you're out of position. Don't cast over other people's lines. Play fish quickly, and to the maximum that uour equipment can handle- again, if you're not losing the occasional fish, you don't play them hard enough. If 2 guys are super close together, don't assume it's OK for you to stand equally close- chances are they know one another and have a system in place. Again, when in doubt, just ask. Few people will mind a polie request to share water, but remember, just because they say it's OK to fish there, you still need to give them ample room- they were there first. If you fished a run the day before, or in the morning, that does not mean it's "your" spot later that day or the next. If you are having great success, and the guy next to you is not, be neighborly, offer them a hand- everyone on here has benefited from the kindness of strangers at one time or another. Don't litter- EVER. Most of our waters are private, and open due to the generosity of landowners. Pick up trash, whether it is yours or not. Respect landowners, don't do anything in front of their homes that you wouldn't like in your backyard, and be sure to tell them "thanks" when you do see them. Don't trespass. Treat the land with respect- if you need specifics on this, then this might not be your sport- go take up golf. Take your kids, your spouse, your parents or your friends fishing- you'll never regret it. Now, to another touchy subject, "internet" etiquette.
Don't spot burn. If you have, know of, or have found a great, out-of -the way spot, good for you- keep it to yourself. You aren't the only person who knows of this spot (believe me) and by posting it's whereabouts or conditions, you're announcing to the masses to go there. This topic has been dicsussed ad nauseum, so I won't beat a dead horse, but please, use some common sense. Many other sites (and I wish this site would adopt this) do not allow the naming of specific rivers, spots, and accesses. I would like to see posts and reports limited to the following- Elk, Walnut, Mouth of Trout Run, and 20-Mile. All others to be referred to as West-side or East-side tribs. Elk to be discussed as mouth-Rt5, Rt-5 to Rt20, Rt20 to Follies, and Follies and above. If someone says "fished Elk yesterday, between Rt5 and RT20, water was great, caught a lot of fish" well, isn't that enough? He's given you all that you need to know to have a successful day yourself, without getting too specific. Similarly, if I guy posts that he fished a smaller East-side trib, water was great and dropping fast, caught fish all the way to Rt5, well, again, isn't that sufficient? Does it matter if it was 7 Mile or 12 Mile? We have to protect our resource, and that means being smart when posting on this board. Don't whine about not having time to explore, having to drive too far for it not to be good, etc... Like many of you, I drive a decent dsitance to fish, my time is limited, and I want to catch fish. But don't ask to be spoon-fed information, it's annoying, and it lessens your enjoyment in the long-run, as well as does nothing to improve your skills as an angler. Don't post how far up fish have made it. Don't post private property or private access. Too many times, someone will post a specific, oftentimes under-fished spot; you can guarantee that the next day, that spot will see a drastic increase in traffic- it's a given, and is empircal. Resist the urge to brag about a spot, report with pics instead (which we all enjoy seeing them anyway!) and PM people specific questions and answers if you care to do so.
Well, that's about it for now- again, feel free to post your own thoughts on the above, and good luck to all this season. I hope everyone catches plenty of fish, enjoys the camraderie of family, friends and fellow anglers, and that everyone has a safe and productive steelhead season.
Dan
_____________________________
"If money's not loosened, this sucker could go down,"
-George W. Bush 2008
I guess we're the real "suckers"!
|
Printable Version
Steelhead fishing 101...By Formerguide! - 
New Messages 
Hot Topic w/ New Messages 
Locked w/ New Messages
No New Messages 
Hot Topic w/o New Messages 
Locked w/o New Messages