I fished Saturday from 10a to 4p. I started at Pineville, then Ellis cove, couldn't find a parking space at LFZ, then tried some new water for me around 81 bridge...not a single grab. I fished eggs n stones. Nothing. To add insult to injury, around the 81 bridge I was across from a guide and his drift boat with 2 clients. They were spin fishing with what looked like a Raven float and a white Mister twister or something. They were hooking up regularly on the south side of the river. The run in front of me looked awesome, I was regularly ticking bottom and fouling, but not one hook up. Very frustrating! I guess it's true, 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish. I'm on the wrong end of that stat!

Thanks!
Stuff happens.
Guides have the luxury of time on the water.
They know the bet angles, which bank fishes better and what is working for bait.
 
Keep pitching and you will get strikes.

Yuk,at least the weather was nice for us,I was out there also but way west on Elk Creek in Pa. and did n't get a hit or see anyone play with any, I believe our problem was the snow melt raised the water level and dropped the water temp. as I talked to a couple guys that said they had some action at dawn but then it stopped.I had a nice time just walking around and BSing with some great people,can't catch them all the time!
I like that dog,looks a lot like my Boxer

I am wondering if the PA fish spawned and dropped back already...

Yuk, that's the name of the game man. If you were fouling up on bottom too much you may have been dragging bottom too much which leaves your bait with an awful presentation. Keep trying. Its always worth it once you hook in to a few

Dimes on to something there.
If you a hanging bottom take off weight until you feel bottom once or twice in a drift at most.
I try to not touch bottom at all but that is a personal choice and at times it is needed to get hits when fish are less active.

Dime and Two Bob, I had not considered hanging too much, but something to consider next time. PA, haven't been back to Erie since we bought the cabin up here, but I have many good memories on Elk Creek. I used to do well fishing Jeff Blood's really simple white Zonker pattern. When wet, it looks like a dead Emerald Shiner. Dead drifted it like an egg or nymph. I've tried it up on the Salmon River a few times without success so far. As TB was saying, you got to put the time in on the water and remain patient. I probably need to fish with somebody that knows the river better than me!

 Ya either gotta fish where they are or put your time in and find them.  There are no secret spots on this river.   I am still trying to learn myself.   I have found on a few occasions this year that what I though was a tick on the bottom was actually a hit.      

Especially in the lfz Clint. I had a day in the head of the church where I was hooking fish in two different spots in a common drift. The hits out towards the other bank were aggressive and hard... I was also successfully hooking fish while letting my nymph just slowly sink in the slack water straight below me. These fish were gently grabbing and nibbling the nymph... some were actually grabbing it ever so gently and slowly swimming away with it. It was quite a contrast.

Two Bob, there is nothing better than being keyed in on a spot where the drift is perfect and drag free while not hitting bottom and getting fish... seeing your mend pattern straighten right out followed by a head thrash

I just go it cause I'm stupid.
Cast mend and if you feel anything its a fish.
No brainer.