Legends Of the Fall

Now that the fall steelhead season is in my rear view mirror, I wanted to voice my concerns and appreciation for the fishery. Fall 2011, I liked it! Most days fish were not easy to come by there were very few [one} 12-15 fish days. At least when your trying to swing or strip flies at them. No, it was fish hard and walk alot for 5-6 pulls a day. Almost like real steelheading. After last year I decided if I was going to catch fish consistently I would have to discipline re discipline myself and the way I was fishing. No more hitting the stream at 8am, sloppy casts and poor presentation and still coming away with a dozen fish by mid afternoon. I really enjoyed all this. It was far more gratifying than those spoiled years we suffered through early in the decade. When guys wrote of 50 fish days?? Actually on days this Oct when I was still sniffing around for my first fish at 10am I kind of smiled remembering those days. Any way it was all good. If you fished at the right times and were patient and payed attention you caught fish.

Now the most disturbing thing. It was early Dec. I was on Elk, I was fishing the section around Follies. and i came to a pool that has long been "My Pool" a pool that always held fish, always. Alot of guys walk past it becouse there are bigger easier pools above and below it. And in this pool only one drift takes fish because of the bottom contour. Many of you know the pool now. Granted it was a Friday just like Saturdays now. There were 6 guys in the pool , it should fish 2-3. I sat there for an hour maybe more then fished with my buddy fishing the run leading into the pool, and watched a pool get fished out. On Elk Creek in Early Dec a prime pool gets fished out. Those six guys put about 15 fish on stringers and all left within 30 minutes of each other when the bite quit. From the high bank I could see clearly into the pool ( 5-6 cfs) and there may have been 2-3 fish left in the pool!! Not passing judgement if you want to keep a fish now and then fine, if your fishing to put food on the table fine {but I would be careful with that},,, But at the present state of the fishery killing fish in Oct and complaining about no fish by Thanksgiving is what your making for yourself!

If you need to take a fish home take a beat up old female and let the big bright ones go. Because really they all taste the same 'Smoked"

Let's hope there are some fish around come March!

Maybe after the current generation, who seems to love pellethead trott, passes on, we can stop tossing mutant trott into drainage ditches and calling it fishing.

ORIGINAL: fisherofmen376

 Some parts of Elk are wider than the Yough.

 
ahhh   no

But at the present state of the fishery killing fish in Oct and complaining about no fish by Thanksgiving is what your making for yourself!

Actually you are one of the few people who have complained about low numbers of fish during this season.  I had no problem finding fish by Thanksgiving, and my last day out in mid December landed well over a dozen fish. 

If that hole that was fished out has the holding properties that you say it has, then it probably filled back up with 20 or more fish within a couple days or after the next high water event.  My best advice is that when you see a pool that can hold 2-3 anglers comfortably and 6 people are fishing it, keep walking!  I wouldn't even fish Folly's on a Fri/Sat/Sun anywhere close to the campground or downstream to the wire anymore.  Way to many people there!  The road going into Folly's is always filled with just as many cars as any other access points, plus you have all the people camping and staying there on top of them.

If you need to take a fish home take a beat up old female and let the big bright ones go.

You must have something wrong with your taste buds or don't cook fish very well, to suggest people should only keep beat up old fish to eat. 


My prediction is that the water conditions in March will have a much larger effect on the quality of steelhead fishing, than the number of fish being kept through the fall and winter.  There are usually a decent amount of fresh Ohio strays that run Elk in spring, and they are much more fun to catch than the old beat up fish that have been in the tribs all winter long.

ORIGINAL: papinner

Here's my thoughts on this year. I have noticed that since the beginning of November there have been a lot of drop backs which an inexperienced angler will mistake for fresh chromers. So I feel that the decline of fish later in the year has nothing to do with people taking them it is because the fish have spawned and are heading back to the lake. As stated earlier Erie is by far one of the easiest steelhead fisheries of the great lake if you can't catch fish here then you should sell your gear or hire whatsajob I here he's a guide now.

I think you have the answer to low fish numbers presently in streams.I too believe a bunch have spawned and dropped back with high water,they drop back a lot faster than they come up.Now the question is how many are yet to come up this winter/spring?

ORIGINAL: anadromous

Smoke em if you got em...lots of fish. Pebble mine concerns? You bet, catch and release in Erie PA tribs? Who cares...string em up. Put and take. I am allergic to fish so I release... So there are lots of extras. For real pick your battles, find a real cause to support,catch and release on the Erie tribs is a beat subject. Burbot is another matter...

"Nearly 80% of anglers release their catch, the study found".(copyright 2006 Associated press)

I wonder if that study asked the Walleye if they C&R?

ORIGINAL: RhnstnCowboy

I wonder if that study asked the Walleye if they C&R?

Personally, I'd like to see a two day shotgun season on Walnut and Elk.

That's what I like about you Cowbow...never afraid to stir the pot a little...

ORIGINAL: neaphyte

...My apologies for trying to stir some intelligent conversation.

 
best post of the thread

ORIGINAL: Noplacelikehome
If you guys don't think Erie is world class, than why do people from as far away as Finland or Alaska come EVERY year??? Why are there more out of state plates at Elk or 20 mile than PA?  Are those people lost??

Because there are absolutely ridiculous numbers of big fish in little streams. Simple.

The popularity of something does not necessarily make it world class.

I love fishing for steelhead. Probably my favorite outdoor pursuit. But I have no delusions about what I'm doing when I'm there. I'm catching fish raised in a hatchery and stocked in ridiculous numbers in streams that were never meant to see anywhere that number of steelhead. And I love it. But that is certainly not the definition of a world class fishery.

They forget that some people actually go fishing to catch fish. Not drink beer and take pictures. Anyone can do that anywhere.

ORIGINAL: Noplacelikehome

..... Funny though when I catch a 19 inch largemouth bass on a spoon and its a nuisance fish!!

I have that same problem musky fishing too. 

ORIGINAL: RhnstnCowboy

I wonder if that study asked the Walleye if they C&R?

Personally, I'd like to see a two day shotgun season on Walnut and Elk.

That might thin the crowds.........somewhat.