It's not what it was!!!!

Here is a report on my trip out west to visit daughter.The fishing out here is not even close to what it was 4+ years ago.Fish numbers are way down,people numbers are way up,and the streams that I fish (or sections of them) are much different than before.
It is apparent to me that the return of Steelhead on the Erie Penna. tribs is way down this year and has been declining the last 3-4 years.In the "old" days there were fish present everywhere through out the streams,now they are few and far between and the name of the game is a lot of walking or look to get into the honey holes and combat fish.I feel fortunate that I experienced the good years I did as they were great!
When I first visited the Erie tribs the week days were great as we used to fish some of the upper stretches and see very few other people.Now every day is a weekend with loads of people everywhere,I can only imagine what a weekend is like.
These streams change dramatically with every high water event.On this trip I visited several stretches of what was really great fishable water to find them totally different and the difference was not good.Where there were deep runs now they are shallow riffles,holes filled in,a couple of long sections of stream that were great stretches of water are now shallow featureless water.I guess when I come again I'll have to explore some new areas.
I caught a couple fish the three days I was out but it got to where that when I got up at 5AM Friday I almost said the heck with it the 100 mile drive is n't worth it,but I went anyway and nothing changed it was still disappointing.Now that the weather is cold and lake affect snow is in the forecast I'm folding it up for the coming week and staying close to the fire,it's not worth the drive anymore.

It's 500 miles for me to get to the SR...I will continue to go, fishing pressure be darned....I won't fish Erie anymore though it's much closer.  Fishing crowds help the local economy, it's why this whole thing exists.
 

Nothing stays the same. Sorry to hear about more fisheries that have declined. Still fish, but lots of annoyance and  doing a dance to get around the crowds.  I saw some videos lately. Three deep on small waters. Pass, for me.

Kinda think there is an ebb and flow to Steelhead fishing and the resulting numbers of folks who follow it. Think it seems to follow fish populations and the amount of time each up or down swing takes for many to perceive it and react through participation.
 Have fished Spring Steel- for example- on the SR and its tribs for about 30 years.
    In the beginning of my time  there were many fish- and some large ones too-few Spring fishermen. Ya could walk from Tressel all the way down to the bridge on a  Spring day and only see a couple of other guys and a very few boats. In short order many fishermen ( not by todays standards) seemed to show up. When the bottom kinda fell out of the fish numbers it took a season or two but the participation numbers fell too.
 A few upriver favored May spots were mine alone for a long time- now that fish numbers and participation have come back those places are fulla 0'dark 30 guys and now I avoid them.
 In the 'slow time' commonly fished feeders a lot and had active fish regularly- now they are slashed and burned and avoided  too. Guys are often berated now for fishing those small places because of lousy methodology by many..
 Almost wish for a decrease in fish so as to clear the river of competition for a while  lol.
 Anyplace that gets well advertised with fish numbers and angler success will have the resulting pressure. Could be Bluefish ,Stripers or any species in a particular place-advertise success and 'they' will come.
 Yes the Web has some culpability but have ya ever heard the clerk at your local Tackle shop tell somebody the fishing is lousy ???
 Everyone wants the same fun we have -its not the same but--- hard  to complain.
    When I first started in April someplace in the early to mid 80s some old timer- who likely didnt appreciate a newbie in 'his waters' came over and gave me some tips- the cycle continues--as always- we were all the new guys showing up  at a favored  place at some point in time. 

Yes by all means, please stay home everyone, I'll be upere and it will be worth it for me!

you are so right about those erie waters being changable
i was shocked on my last trip up to find that one hole had expanded by eroding the shale bottom back by a good 10 feet while another hole that had been there for years was totally filled in and dry land....and yes the numbers are way down of fish and way up on people.....kind of sad, but it is what it is

6lb stellie
The walleye fishing is the best its been in years so the steelhead numbers are down. total reflection of the change. If walleye guys put a bigger dent in the population steelhead will push up their numbers and get better return. Ebb and flow of the eco system.
 

Yep,that's probably the reason the Steel numbers are down,they feast on the smolts when they enter the lake.