Hey storm,
 
Maybe I can help end the debate.  You already got the prolific part nailed down..
 
I searched "world class" and found:
 
1. ranking among the best in the world
 
ERGO- nearly everything is world class.  It could all be ranked as the best in the world.  Even my local lakes are world class they rank as the best in the world. . .they are at the VERY BOTTOM of that ranking but they rank LOL
 
This remains a debate of sematics and opinions so there will be no universal agreement.
 
I will say that when I fished Erie for the first time in the tribs and hooked a big, giant, fat rainbow trout known as a steelhead, I was blown away.  I had no experience to compare it to.  My trout fishing, previous to that day was comprised of catching whatever the PFBC stocked earlier that day (a practice that I later abandoned).
 
When I came up last month and caught 2 sometimes 3 10-13 inch perch EVERYTIME I lowered a bait I was blown away.  In the past when if we could get on a school of perch locally, you would catch a small amount of dinks.  Few to no humpbacks and rarely did any of them have a belly.
 
When a kind gentleman told us how to sort out our trolling technique and we caught a walleye a piece that was 27-29inches, fat as a hog (fought like a log) my fishing partner and I were BOTH blown away.
 
Because this fisherey is NOT exactly in our back yard, because we cannot have this success locally. . .it seemed like Erie was a world class fisherey.  Because people bang the perch for most of the warm months and the walleyes seemingly eat much of the same time AND because this happens year in an year out  OBVIOUSLY the reproduction is fantastic  and the lake system is prolific.
 
I would love to spend even more time learning the how's.  Not necessarily to fill tickets of fish day in and day out.  Rather to have some good, fairly reliable action and a couple quality fish for pictures and a few smaller table fish.
 
A matter of perspective is this.  My perspective is that, for the money and time and resources expended. . .Erie is a place I would like to be.  EXCEPT when there is a massive lake effect snow storm. . .had to throw that in.
 
Brent

ORIGINAL: skunkboy

Until somebody who has fished every body of water on the planet presents themselves on this forum, arguing over where Erie lands on the world class scale is useless. Don't you guys have flies to tie????

 
 
I think we should start a fundraiser here on the board. We'll take donations and I'll graciously offer to be the guy to fish everywhere in the world. I'll let you all know what I find out 

I'd still have to argue that it is a world class destination for flyfishing for steelhead. This would of course be based on numbers of fish, not overall experience. And it is also using the definition of "world class" as meaning one of the best, not necessarily THE best.

There is no doubt in my mind that Lake Erie is the best walleye and smallmouth fishery in the world.  Now, it all also depends on what constitutes it being "the best".  If you're talking numbers and size of fish...This can hardly be disputed.  I'd also have to agree with Elk Creek being up there as one of the best steelhead fisheries, when it comes to sheer numbers of steelhead.  Regardless of how they got there...they are there.  Where else in the world can you literally catch 50 steelhead in a day???
 
I think "The Best" is pretty vague unless specifics are stated when speaking of the best in regards to what....most serene, secluded, biggest fish on average, hardest fighting, etc...the list could go on.  I would, however, agree that some of the Erie tribs could be considered "the best" when it comes to sheer numbers of fish....and numbers of fisherman too.  Tight Lines!

i guess we can all agree... there are personal differences of what people consider the BEST
there are 3 classifications.... world class/prolific/the best... each with no exact definition and room for personal interpretation


with the rapid decline of natural returns in the west, erie looks even stronger on the steelhead side
but for me... i like the chalange and the surrondings elsewhere
BUT still make the trip at least twice a month

QUESTION- Is the ONE FLY going to touted as the the best steelhead fishing contest in the world?
(can we get shirts?)


bronzebacks.. erie doesn't have the biggest or the most, but has a great (maybe the "best") avg size...
and i guess that makes many/most people's list of the best/world class/prolific


and while this thread may not be "world class" it was very prolific... 2 pages in like 2hrs
how do you bait a hook, and what does the run look like for nov '09??
and who is better locals or pittsburghers?

boy i finally go fishing with my son and i miss all the fireworks lol

I just think the fact that we're having this discussion on the "fisherie" discussion board says it all.
 
Maybe if more people try fishing those other places it won't seem like trolling on 279 after a Steeler game when the eyes are stacked up in 35 feet of water.
 
Good discussion, but we ALL obviously fish Erie and the tribs and should be happy that someone calls our "back yard" fishin' hole "world class".

Check out Pennsylvania's Biggest Fish of 2007:
 
http://www.fish.state.pa.us/bigfish.htm