9/28/2011 Report aka what has happened to ERIE??

I was lucky enough to be working in the Erie area this week.  Headed to Walnut at 5AM Wednesday am, to find gin clear conditions after the heavy rain the night before......I decided to head to the Manchester hole and look for myself what had moved upstream in the rain.  As I walked upstream, I was joined by a guy carrying a flyrod.  We started talking and immediately said "you're stupid for using spincasting gear for steelhead"......I laughed and immediately corrected him as it was spinning gear (I use 9' noodle rods and smallOkuma spinning reels).  I then asked him how long he had been fishing "Mup here"...he said it was his 4th season......I informed him it was my 29th season fishing Erie, and that I did just fine using spinning gear to catch steelhead.  He explained that it took too long to cast when you were "fishing"in the Chutes, and that flyfishing was the best way. He also explained that he was a flyfishing "teacher"......WOW, I was floored.....I mean here I am walking to fish at 5AM and told I am stupid.......and by a flyfisherman expressing his superiority no less...in my opinion, the CHutes is an area of shallow water where the fish are desperately trying to move upstream,when flies / bait whatever is forcefed to them........I guess in his mind I was stupid for NOT crowding into that spot with the others......I continued to the Manchester hole and looked around with my flashlight (as I was the ONLY person there) and saw about 30-40 steeliessitting in a "puddle" with no current....NO WAY was I going to ish there......left there and went to ELk Creek.  I went to the access area, and had a prime spot all to myself......Fishing jigs under a lighted bobber, I hooked a steelhead just as the sun started to get light.....After a short fight it took me around the logs, and broke off.....as I tied up, several flyfisherman approached to my side and waded in.....another two flyguys and two "centerpinners" filled in to my right......I only had about 1.5 hours to fish, and proceeded to land one nice 8 pd steelie, a smaller one and broke another nice one off in the logs, missed a few hits and got some chubs too(all fish released).......I saw one 14 inch steelie caught between the others there.  I did notice that when the centerpinners bobber SLIGHTLY moved,there was a huge rip upwards that sounded like a sword shredding the air.
 
The point of my post was to both give some creek reports but also to ponder what the hell has happened here??  I have been a member here for a long time, fish in Erie 15-30 times a year but seldom post as I dont live nearby.  I generally fish nearer to the Lake, and have never seen so many fly/pin rods in my life.....I mean it looked like everyone had just got them for CHrismas and were all dressed up and there to use them...I really dont care how people fish, but the comment from the flyfishing "teacher" started me off in a bad way.........anyone else see a problem trend here?? I guess I should know better by now then to hit the "nut".........

Must of been wearing camo and a Steeler cap-Like I do.
To fit in you need to shop for clothes at Orvis to flyfish
For normal fishing at least stop at the WallyWorld south of Erie and buy a stadium coat with a local high school football team.
Cover any reference to a Pittsburgh sports team with a Buffalo Bills sticker.

What I got is that pinners and flyguys are a-holes and that you were fishing the most accessible and most populated areas of either stream. The spots you mentioned, have been as crowded since when I first fished them in the 80s. It was actually/probably worse then.

It is what it is. Fish away from the crowds
I won't fish Walnut, I fished Elk 4 times in the last 30 years
If I did go to the spots you did, I would expect to be surrounded and just smile and make the most of it

ORIGINAL: ShutUpNFish

What I got is that pinners and flyguys are a-holes and that you were fishing the most accessible and most populated areas of either stream.

Thats the same message I got. That and WG teaches vocabulary.

it just people
they are what they are and we can't change em

he was probably one of those guys that think they are flyfishing, using giant floats and making wakes from smacking their line on the water and spooking the hell out of the fish all day. i would of went and fished right next to him and would of had him netting all my fish for me while using my noodle. 9 times out of 10 i catch way more on my noodle rod than i see guys around me trying to so called flyfish. let them do what they want we know what catches more fish.

The pinning phenom that's taking place can be attributed to the same insecurity issues, me thinks .
pinning in "general" is seen as "more evolved" than a regular spinning outfit.
Likely due to expense of the gear???

For some perhaps genie, but for me its about effectiveness....I could care less what people think about my gear or methods. I simply choose what I feel to be the most effective way to catch fish in moving water....and not just steelhead either.

Going to the Circus and complaining about the Clowns. That's funny.

ORIGINAL: rippinlip

All I see is yet ANOTHER spinng vs. pinning vs fly fishing thread.

As I said:

Yes...yes, I do...

That was former member whatasajob614 that you met, he was scouting for his guided trip this weekend.


I personally and kind of over fly fishing in Erie until the fish get further upstream where you can have some room.  Fishing with a spin rod in the lower sections is much easier than trying to attempt fly fishing, although I see some guys who do good with a fly rod who know what they are doing.  It just all depends how good of an angler you are in general, some are just naturally better than others and pick up steelhead fishing quickly, others take longer.  However, a bad attitude can come from anywhere whether it has nothing to do with fishing, fly fishing, pinning, lining, snagging, boat fishing whatever.  This guy will get over his delusions of grandure at sometime, but you are bound to run into all kind of "interesting" personalities if you fish around enough people. 

i fly fish because that's what i like to use. there are times i'm sure i can catch more fish if i used bait, which i can on my fly rod. to me it's not all about #'s.
think of it this way for you guys who fish for #'s. if snagging was legal for pa steelhead would you do it so you can brag about how many you catch?
as far as pinners go, most i see that do well is that they are using bait, again i don't! you can talk about drifts etc. against a pinning set up, i feel i could come pretty close if not better using a 10' fly rod and reel, and with whatever a pinner is using for bait, and catch just as many fish. i also don't care to drift my flies 50 yards down creek in front of everyone else to catch fish!!!!
i have to say i never seen a pinner out fishing the lake!

as far as the 'flyfishing teacher' there are people as ignorant as he about. oh wait, i guess i never was inrtroduced to a spin fishing instructor so i don't know if they're ignorant also.

we meet all kinds on erie cricks and lake. loomis makes a good point, there is a time and place for all types of rods. if you don't know how to controll your rod in crowded conditions than go to something easier. will be best for everybody.

and remember, you can't fix stupid.

~UFA, Uber Flyfishing club member.

 to you bait casters and 50yard pinners

WG666 will NOT be receiving a membership application for the UFA in the mail.

I informed him it was my 29th season fishing Erie.

I generally fish nearer to the Lake, and have never seen so many fly/pin rods in my life

29 seasons, and you're surprised at what you encountered while fishing the nut and elk access?  Now that's something to ponder.

I think your seeing more fly and pin rods because they are longer rods and allow you to land bigger fish using lighter line.  Obviously light line can be a key to success when the water is low and gin clear.

why can't we all just get along?

i go up for the fishing, and now that i'm starting to know some of the good people, the company
but to me its all about having fun
if you're not, you shouldn't be there
i fish all kinds of equipment and enjoy each for what it has to offer
i try not to be a richard cranium to anyone when i am fishing and hope they do the same
but if they don't its not going to spoil my day or my trip
there are lots of fish and lots of water, and i don't mind walking

have fun ya'all