CAPTAIN HOOK
The Erie Diary by Captain Hook  
 
70's - 80's  decent runs of Coho with a light mix of Steelhead / no crowds on creeks except for the mouths of the tribs. Most creeks wide open to fishing. Trout Run and Walnut are the major targets. It's the beginning of a new fishery!  
 
80's - 90's Steelhead runs increase Coho slowly fade / crowds still mainly near mouths and shorelines. Runs are mixed good and not so good numbers.
Most creeks are wide open, traffic still very light.
Most new fishing ideas and information came from the West Coast, and the Great Lakes Fishing magazine. ( most fishermen didn't know this) Flies, Egg Sacs, Lures ,Rods, all West Coast ideas! They had the experience. 
 
90's - 2000  Steelhead runs continue to get stronger every year. Mouths of creeks are packed with fish and people. Awesome runs of fish are entering the creeks fairly steady.
The internet becomes a major media, newspapers are printing steady articles from Erie to Pittsburgh. Cell phones are ringing steady. The crowds start to increase stronger. Creeks are busy but still decent room if you walk a little. 
 
2000-2010 Steelhead runs are crazy ! Fish are packed in all areas of water from Rt.5 - I-79 ! People are everywhere , cars are jammed parked , Internet is on fire with info ! 
12-20 fish a day is normal for most fishermen. People from Canada to South Carolina to Wyoming to Maine are all flocking to Steelhead Alley !
I-79 traffic is tripled from Sept. - December !
Land is being posted fast , parking is a major issue in most areas , litter is everywhere, bathrooms are almost non existent, no fish cleaning stations, cell phones are now part of fishing gear ! 
The writing is on the wall. There is no way this can, or will continue like this !
Combat fishing has entered Erie Pa.strong and the Fish Commission is stymied ! 
 
2010-2016  Steelhead runs have decreased fairly rapid with each year becoming less.
Crowds are still very heavy in most areas. Some issues have been addressed with some bathrooms, parking and land owner leases. Combat fishing is accepted in most areas with limited access to upper creek areas, regular fishing areas are now overly busy.
There are no Steelhead fishing secrets, every day is a Saturday, internet fishing news and weather is daily watched, catch numbers on average are low. Seems fish size has also dropped just by reading the Pa. records past years.
 
Good , bad , whatever you rate it now, it's still fishing.....beats working !  
 
 
       
 

Mountian Man

nerka
they built it and we came  now its the after the gold rush era...... the lazy fat fisherman left,,, now the serious skilled are left,,, kinda glad this happened... let all the lazy fisherman stay home catching fresh stockies that hit anything......but im still catching steel lol lol it aint hard if u WALK A LITTLE ..............JUS SAYING

Its hard to carry my lawn chair and styrofoam cooler.