Bling

The first push of Manistees have started to move up the rivers after the last blowout. Depending on what river you fished and how far up you went, it was bling or scrap metal. On the Rocky, it was bling-bling as every fish caught was in mint condition and full of fight. It felt nice seeing a fish jump and fight hard in water about 38F. But, the constant howling wind ran me off the river after a couple of hours in the morning. Two cups of java finally thawed me out.

I hit the Chagrin and it was a mix of bling and spawned out Pennsylvania fish. The thermometer barely got over 32F and I was tardy this morning as I arrived at 8:30A.M. It was a slow morning as I bounced from pool to pool. Once the sun got up the fish awoke from their slumber. Fishing tailouts, runs and slicks sandwiched between gravel beds was the ticket. Takes ranged from teasing taps to violent takedowns. I used the last of my uncured King eggs and once again I wasn't disappointed as I had my best day ever on the Chagrin. But, I got lucky yesterday and managed to score some uncured Coho eggs. I even got me some gold as a carp mistaken my white spawn sac for a boilie. The water so cold that the fat bastard didn't even put up fight. I hauled on the beach and he literally sunk in the muck.

The bonus of the day was the huge male that I landed on a frayed 6 lbs test fluorocarbon tippet. I'm terrible for not checking my line for nicks and frays. I previously caught 7 fish and drifted the last 20 yards of a pool before spilling into a gravel riffle. The takedown was hard and once I set the hook, I knew I had a bull on. I gingerly applied pressure and let him fight the current. He parked himself on the bottom and it was a battle of tug of war. I was afraid that the tippet would crap out and I wouldn't get a glimpse of the fish. I finally got him close enough and was the largest fish of the new season for me. I hauled his huge ass on the beach and the hefty ole man probably tipped the scales at 12lbs.

Taking tomorrow off for some much needed sleep and I'm glad as I'm getting tired of tying eggs every night. Sadly, my vacation week is coming to an end and it's back to the grind. Now that it December, we're starting off the winter steelheading season and this is where we separate the boys from men.

Elk Creek Steehead

 

Steelhead Alley covers a wide area across Lake Erie and for many steelheaders, Pennsylvania is considered the crown jewel of this unique fishery. When I first started fishing for steelhead, I heard tales of these creeks and streams. One of them was the outlandish numbers of fish that can be caught in a outing. Intrigued, I had to check it out for myself and of course I picked one of the worst times. I ventured over to Elk Creek, one of the largest of the Pennsylvania steelhead streams on a Saturday and it was low and clear. I was stunned at the number of people and I didn't even hook into anything because of the sheer number of people and the lack of fishable water. I used it more of scouting expedition and I knew I had to come out during the weekday and when the water was higher. 

So why is Pennsylvania considered the crown jewel? The main reason is they get the lion share of stocking allocated by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Pennsylvania on average stocks over a million smolts compared to Ohio's 460,000 smolts. I don't know why Pennsylvania gets to stock so many fish, but I know the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission collects fish at several nursery waters like Trout Run. Then those fish are taken to hatcheries where they are milked of eggs and sperm. There are so many different strains of steelhead collected, that many anglers often call Pennsylvania steelhead "mutts". But, nearly all of their steelhead often run in the fall. Ohio on the other hand, selects one strain and they're reared at one hatchery. But, a lot of Lake Erie's steelhead will run up any stream and there's been plenty of Pennsylvania steelhead caught in Ohio. 

All I had to do was wait for the right conditions. That finally came during my vacation the week after Thanksgiving. Sunday we had enough rain to blow out all of the rivers. I looked at the flow data and I saw that the Elk had spiked and I knew that by morning, it should fish, even though it would be off color. The window for prime conditions in Pennsylvania is very brief. In most cases, some streams can go from mud to clear in under 36 hours. I spend Sunday night tying up a ton of sacs and crammed them in two old Parmensan cheese containers. 

Monday morning I head out and there's some lingering showers. I sense I'll have a great day because most anglers from Pennsylvania don't like fishing dirty water and it was officially the first day of deer hunting season. My plan was fish the mid section of the Elk starting at Folly's End and heading downstream. I arrive at Folly's just at first light and my delight I was the first person there. I took my time getting dressed and walked down to the fly shop. The creek was running off color, but the visible was decent around 12". I crossed over and headed downstream and started at the bend. 

This section of the creek was very narrow as it runs along a low shale cliff. I knew there was a pocket along the ledge. I placed a pink sac on the hook and tossed it out right along the seam. It took all but 10 seconds to hook into the first fish of the morning, a small bright silver hen and it was a quick fight. I put on another sac and tossed out the float at same spot. I watched it drift and then it got dunked hard and I've got another one on. I've heard from a couple seasoned vets that when conditions are perfect, a couple guys can catch a 100 fish. It's possible if you cover a lot of water, because holding water is few and far between. I end up catching five more fish and move downstream. 

The next spot was a little larger and deeper and I sensed that fish were probably stacked in this hole. I would be correct as I started banging fish left and right. Several times I bursted out laughing because it was so ridiculous. I could have called out when the float would go under. None of the fish were huge, just your typical cookie cutter Lake Erie steelhead about 23" and 4 pounds. In this spot, I caught 15 fish and there was plenty of water ahead and it was only 9:00am and I'm already over 20 fish landed. 

The next spot was along section of high cliffs and creek flows fast and there was plenty of pocket water to hold fish. Just like the past spots, the first drift doesn't even go more than 10' and it gets sucked under. This particular fish feels a little larger. It stubbornly holds in the current and eventually I get the upper hand. It's a beefy male that's almost 30" and this one is worthy of a picture. I take a couple quick pictures and release it. I work my way down the cliff and I'm picking off fish. A friend calls me asking me how's the fishing and I tell him I'm slaughtering them. There's a brief silence and then he tells me he should have called off. He knows me well enough that I'm not bullshitting, because he fishes in Pennsylvania a lot. I'm pretty sure he's feeling regret, because days like this are few and far between. I'll take full advantage of this outing as it could a long time when I have another day like this. As for the tally? I don't know, because I lost count. All I know it's a boatload of fish. 

I've down to 1 jar of sacs and there's still more water to cover before I hit the posted property at the bend. The last spot is wide and flat and there's a nice hole under a sycamore that hangs over the creek. I'm popping off fish, but not as many as I'm fishing small pockets. The last spot turns out to be the motherload of fish. If people were hanging out on the banks, I would have been putting on a clinic as I start a series of consecutive hook ups. I'm like a kid in a candy shop grinning and giggling. Eventually I clean out of the hole and start working the pool until I see the posted sign across the creek. 

But all good things must come to an end when I ran out of sacs. I looked at the time it was close to 3:00pm and I had a long walk back. What were the final numbers? A lot of bright fresh fish and I estimated that I was close to 80 fish landed. I've never had a day like this and there were a lot of things that had to go my way. First was the high water and it brought in a lot of fish as previously high water events were rare this fall because of the weather. But that's the weird thing sometimes very little fish come in and other times there's a huge push. I got lucky today that the Elk just got a monster push. The huge factor was I also didn't see one person which is very rare for the Elk even during the weekday. Then I covered a lot of water as I'm the type that doesn't camp at a pool. 

As I walk back, I noticed the water is starting get clearer. By tomorrow morning the deeper pools and holes will take on that emerald green hue that Steelhead Alley's streams are famous for. By the weekend, all of them will be low and clear and full of anglers. Even though I had a succussful day, I would still rather fish in Ohio, because our rivers are much larger and more a challenge to fish. What happened today here, would never happen in Ohio for obvoius reasons. Pennsylvania has and always will be a backup plan for me. 

It's a unique fishery that every steelheader should get to experience, but you might be as lucky as me. 

Creek Critters

Earlier in the week we received enough rain to get the rivers high. Some of the eastern rivers started to come down when another dose of rain fell and they went back up. For the upcoming weekend, I wanted to fish east, but with gas at $3.10 per gallon, my options were slim. The Grand was still too high, Conneaut was too far and the Chagrin was questionable. Both the Rocky and Vermilion were low and clear. Also, the Rock would be a zoo this weekend.

Friday evening the Chagrin was coming down to the point that I knew it was fishable and I needed to tie goober sized sacs. I woke early and found the flow gauge was at 650cfs. That meant the river was a little high and dirty. When I arrived the river looked decent, but not great. I knew I was in for a tough day. I plugged away at several pools and worked the tailouts. For my efforts, I caught a couple of hens and that was it. For the entire time out, I didn’t see one person. On the way home it started to rain and through out the evening it rained off and on. I was concerned that the rain could blow the river out. I tied some sacs and if the Chagrin got blown out, I would have to the fish the (gulp) Rocky.

I woke early Sunday morning and checked the flow gauge. The graph showed a slight hiccup and the Chagrin dropped to 550cfs. I geared up and started to walk through the woods. As I walked to the river in the dark, I could hear some rustling. I turned to see what it was and there was beaver feeding on a large tree. He froze when I shone the light on him. I wanted to get a picture but it was too dark. The beaver made a break for the water as I fumbled with the camera. I was surprised how fast he took off.

This section of the river runs through one of the many Cleveland’s Metro parks found in Cuyahoga County. It also runs through one of the wealthiest communities in Ohio. Many people don’t know how much urban wildlife there is. The Chagrin acts as a natural highway and many animals use it to get around. In this park, there are deer, turkey, beaver, coyotes and raccoons. There are also some animals that people hear, but don’t often see. One of them is the Great Horned owl. I was fortunate enough to hear one this morning. It was somewhat eerie hearing that owl call. By now it was first light and I tried to see where the bird was perched. I scanned along the treetops and I finally caught a glimpse of the owl. It was sitting at the top of a large sycamore calling out as I heard another owl in the distance. This is the time of year when horned owls start looking for a mate. I continued walking and startled another beaver feeding along the bank. He bolted for the water in a hurry. What is unusual with these beavers is they don’t construct lodges, instead they live in the river’s banks.

Today, the river was in better condition. I fished the same spots and the results were better. All of the fish caught came from the tail end of pool and along the edges of the main current. It was a mix bag of fresh and older fish. As I was fishing, I noticed a large buck and doe emerge from the woods. As with the owls, deer are mating and this large buck was courting the doe. In this area, deer tend to be more use to people and they stood there watching me. I got the camera and used the zoom to get a shot. During that morning, I saw about 10 deer.

The bite shut off around 11:00A.M and I decided to hit another spot farther downstream. The fishing was slow and I talked to a couple of anglers that caught a couple here and there. I agreed with them the fishing on the Chagrin was average. It was like that last fall as the fish really didn’t come in until spring. I managed to catch a couple more and my back started to ache. It was about 12:30P.M and I decided to head home to watch the Browns and Ravens.

Once again the Browns made the game interesting and I thought they lost the game when Phil Dawson missed the tying field goal to force overtime. The ball clanged off the bar and hit the crossbar, then bounced back onto the field. I was disgusted with the poor effort from the team and changed the channel. During commercial I switched back to CBS and noticed the game was still on. I was puzzled and found out that the officials reversed the call as the ball hit the crossbar extension. By doing that, the ball broke the plane, therefore it was good. The Browns won the toss and marched down field to set up the winning field goal. Dawson’s kick was good and I wished I could see the look on Art Modell’s face. These Browns make the Kardiac Kids look flat line.

I'll be taking Turkey day off for some much needed sleep. Next week, I'll be cashing in my vacation time. That week is also deer hunting season. A lot of guys will be hunting instead of fishing. Memo to self - find orange toque.

I'm Beat

Next year, I’ll be 40 years old, the big 40. This weekend left me sore and tired. Stumbling along the banks, buckling my knees, tripping over downed branches, feeling winded and a sore shoulder from pinning all day. I could be the poster boy for Advil. Time to hire a personal trainer and drop the fatso foods. But then again, I wasn't in great shape in twenties and thirties as I smoked and drank a lot. 

The two excellent days of fishing made all of those aches and pain more tolerable. The Grand is still producing a ton of fish. Some larger fish have moved in as I caught a couple of fat hens that topped 30+ inches. The fish are spread out and I hit them at every spot. The weather this week has been much colder. Didn't get a water temp reading, but after a hour, my feet started to ache from the cold water. Unlike last week, the fish started to retreat into their winter homes. The tail end of pools, flats and eddies were the ticket. I surprised to see other anglers passing up those spots. The fish were gobbling up and asking for seconds when it came to my uncured salmon eggs.

As I’m writing, we’ve had rain falling for several hours. A lot of the other rivers need rain and they could use a good flushing as the leaves are starting to pile up. Time to take a nap……

Grand Days

The fall steelhead run in Northeastern Ohio is official underway. One river that has been on fire is the Grand. During the past week there has been reports of some anglers hitting the motherload of fish.

Now time to vent. This week, I took Thursday off to go to court to fight a bullshit traffic ticket that I got from the North Olmsted police. Speeding is one thing, but to get a rolling stop infraction in my subdivision at 2:30 in the afternoon and there wasn't a car at the intersection??? I pull into the driveway and was ready to get out, only to see this cruiser come roaring up my driveway. The way the cop acted he thought I robbed a bank. I wasn't too happy that the cop raced up my driveway and I gave him an earful. The cop tells me there have been complaints about people not stopping. I called bullshit and starting arguing with him. I made a right turn and I stopped. A complete stop is so subjective and hiding in somebody driveway doesn't give him a full view. I could tell he was going to be a hard ass and wasn't going to give me a break. I figured I'll see how far I can take before he threatens me. We went back and forth and he started to get pissed. His buddy riding shotgun just glared me. Too bad, that's what happens when you dick people over, don't expect them to be pleasant. He issued the ticket and I told him I'll have my day court and get off my property. 

I went to court and told the judge not guilty and my case was set. A month later, I was back in court. I researched the internet and I didn't have good chance of winning because the officer had his buddy riding shotgun. I knew both of them would tell the judge that I didn't stop after all cops tell the truth all the time right? I didn’t want 2 points on my record, since I had to drive as a service tech, so I asked for a deal. I guess the cop must of had short term memory, because he didn't remember me. I thought he would look at me and say "your the guy in the red Jeep that was running your mouth" . He dropped the charge and issued me the ever popular burned out tail light. It was a $30.00 fine and I could live with that. It was a done deal as we didn't even step in the court room. I walked downstairs to settle up and then the shit hit the fan as I was presented with a $146.00 bill. The clerk told me the $116.00 was for court costs. I started bitching that my local income and property taxes paid for the judges, clerks and cops. She on the other hand, heard this a million times and was unmoved. What a fucking racket, you beat the charge but you'll still get it in the ass. I paid it and stormed out of the building. I was still steaming and what a better time then to head for the Grand.

Now for the fishing. Early in the week, a little birdie told me that the Grand had a monster run of fish. Most the other streams were starting to run low and clear. But the Grand was still holding its color. I arrived at the lower section of the river around 10:30A.M and I could see about 10 cars in the lot. As I pulled in, I didn’t see anybody fishing the one section above the bridge. I got dressed and walked down. I was puzzled to see nobody up or down stream, I had no idea where most of the people went. As long as they were far away, the better. The river had a nice flow and color, the visibility was about 2’ and slightly stained. I had a couple containers of King salmon eggs and put them to use. Within a few minutes, I had my first fish. That was a prelude for things to come as I started to hook in fish. I was stunned at the number of takes. I had barely moved 80 yards and I had 8 fish on the beach. The word was that a lot of Pennsylvania steelhead moved up the Grand. They were either fed up of being crammed in tiny pools or the sheer number of anglers scared them back into the lake. What was PA's loss was Ohio's gain and I welcomed the fish into our larger streams. I continued below the bridge and there were 3 guys fishing. I fished below them and I started hooking up. Those uncured eggs were the ticket as the other guys had skein and they were trying in vain to fight off the hordes of creek chubs robbing them blind. When it was all said and done, I had a banner day. Most of the fish were on the average size. I was surprised that the fish hit all afternoon as this spot is right in Painesville and usually gets hammered daily throughout the season. I wondered if the fish made it further upstream as I had plans to assault the upper stretches this weekend.

I woke early Saturday and the blast of cold air hit me as I walked out the door. It had to be below 32F as there was a heavy frost on the grass and the Jeep's windows. I drove off and headed for the mid section of the Grand. When I arrived it was 6:45A.M and it was pitch black. I started the long walk upstream to the mouth of a feeder creek. It was hard to navigate through the grass and sedge as it covered most of the trail. It was eerie as all of the vegetation was covered in frost and the woods were quiet. I finally arrived at the feeder creek and it was twilight. The water was low and I noticed the float was starting to drag. I only had about 2’ of line and I knew the fish wouldn’t be holding in water that shallow. I started to gun and run back downstream. Without sunglasses, I could make out rocks in the water. The water had a tea color and the flow was moderate to slow. The one pool that I do well in the winter was too low and I skipped it. I was able to find some deeper water. It was tough to pin as the flow was really weak, I was able to fish from the bank and I had the first fish of the morning, a jack. I fished for several more minutes and the creek chubs drove me out of there.

It was cold enough for ice to form on the guides as I struggled to get off long drifts. I hit another pool and worked one small hole. It paid off as a large hen crushed a pink sac. But, it was a case of one fish here and there. I knew there had to be one place where the fish were holed up. I finally found the spot around the bend and it’s a section that a lot of anglers walk by. The fly guys don’t fish it because of the trees and newbies can’t read the water here. I started to drift along the inside of the bend and a small hen took it. At first I didn’t set the hook hard as I thought it was creek chub. Then it was off to the races as I started to hook into fish. I managed to beach a couple of fish and lost a couple more. The river here is about 3’ to 4’ deep and is great during the winter months. I continued to walk downstream and I found another of my money pools vacant. This pool was a classic steelhead alley pool. It was about 3” deep and cut along the bank and tailed out to a riffle. I couldn’t see bottom and I knew this spot was packed with fish. I started at the head of the pool and started banging fish. It was about 11:00A.M and I landed my ninth fish of the morning. All of the fish were starting to get dark and I assumed they were from Pennsylvania. I was somewhat surprised to see nobody on the water this morning and I decided to head farther downstream as the fish in that pool shut off. 

I drove to the other side of the river and started the half a mile walk to one of my favorite spots. I finally arrived I was happy to see nobody there. This riffle spilled into a long run that was about 4’ deep. This run can hold a lot of fish when the river is low as there isn’t that much deep water here. It took some time to get the fish biting and then the dinner bell rang and the float started popping. It was a mixed bag of jacks, males and hens that fell for the pink sacs. When I use uncured eggs, I usually tie about 100 sacs, because I’ll go through a lot of them. After 5 drifts, I’ll replace the sac as they become white and lose their scent. I was down to 3 sacs and I had landed 17 fish. I looked at the time it was 3:00P.M, I told myself one more fish and I’ll head home. It had been about 20 minutes since my last fish. I moved farther down as I cleaned out the upper part of the run. My wishes were answered as a small jack leaped from the water. I released the fish and started the walk back. I was beat, my shoulder was tired and my back was aching. I finally made to the lot and called my buddy. He was stuck at home painting and wanted to go out tomorrow. I told him it was another banner day and I’ve never seen so many fish in the Grand. He told me he would fish for a couple of hours early in the morning and head home to paint. I laughed and said “If you were here today, you would of used every excuse in the book to weasel your ass out of painting". I took my time driving back and I when I got home I started the long process of tying another 100 sacs for tomorrow's trip.

Currently, all of the rivers are getting very low and clear. With the exception of the Grand, there are fish, but there are spread out. The colder temperatures don't seem to effect the fish as they are being caught in the faster water. The weather outlook for next week is a blast of cold air with rain or snow in the forecast. We could use another dose of high water to push more fish into the rivers.

Welcome to the Rock

We finally received enough rainfall to get the rivers up and flowing. Like with any heavy rainfall, it was going to take some time for the waters to clear. After work, I stopped by the Rocky to see the water conditions. The river was running very stained but not flowing too hard. This is due to the heavy build up of summer silt. The busy season at work winding down, I would be able to slip out of work a little early.

Today, I got lucky and finished work early. I got to the river around 3:00P.M and there were about 5 people fishing. One of my favorite spots was vacated. The river was lower than yesterday, but it was still running stained. The night before I tied some jumbo skein bags. Skein can be a mess and I prefer to tie them in sacs, rather than hauling around a big bag and cutting chunks. The fishing at first was slow and the constant gusting wind kept blowing the line off the reel. I was fishing the lower section not far from the lake. During the fall, steelhead often stage in lower section before heading upstream. The river is wider but it's not very deep. There was a decent current and I started drifting along the seam. Since the first riffle isn't very far from the lake, winds can affect the flow. Whenever the wind is blowing from the north, the water surges upstream. It common to hear the water gurgling and then all of the sudden it stops. Some time the water level will go up several inches. During one year, the wind out of the south was so strong the lower section dropped by half. It was odd seeing the river take on a whole different character. The flow was very fast and the fish were stacked into several deep pools. But, as soon as the wind stopped the water starting moving upstream.

I moved around and tried different colored sacs, but I didn't have any takers. I decided to move downstream about 50 yards below the first riffle. I was going through a lot of sacs because of the snags. Leaves in the water were also starting to become a problem. Then I finally got into a fish that took a pink sac. It leaped from the water and raced upstream. It felt like a fairly large fish and when I got to shore, it was a large hen that had to be at least 30". I took a quick picture and released her. I resumed fishing in the same spot and it was slow. Nobody else was hooking into anything. Then I noticed a steelhead floating belly up go by me. I grabbed it by the tail and didn't see any visible wounds. Some guy came by and told me some angler caught it upstream at the pool. When he landed the fish and he simply kicked it back into the water. I tried to revive the fish, but it was beyond help. The angler probably over fought it and with the warm water temperature, the shock was too much for it. I all ready had enough skein and salmon eggs at home. I asked several anglers downstream if they were interested in taking the fish. As soon as I said it was a hen, one guy jumped at the offer. It is very important during this time of the year, that fish are not to be over played. Let them run or jump once and then get them in quick.

Even though I live 10 minutes from the Rocky, it's my least favorite river. The river is often referred to as the "urban jewel" Several people I know often call it the "urban sewer" Because of the Lakewood and North Olmsted water treatment plants. The main reason why I don't like it are the crowds. During the fall and spring the entire river can be a zoo. In the winter months, most of the fairweather anglers are on the couch, so the crowds tend to be more tolerable.

One thing the Rock has over the other rivers is access. The main river is flows thorough the Cleveland Metro parks. There is 13 miles of river to fish on and plenty places to park. Because of it's suburban location, peace and quiet is hard to find. One of my favorite places is the lower section near the marina. The mouth of the river is about a half a mile. During the spring when most of the anglers are harassing spawning fish, I'll be down at the marina. In the spring, large schools of emerald shiners move up river. Not to far behind are skippers or dropback steelhead heading back to the lake.

So far the water levels on most of the rivers are still running high, but they're fishable. Get out while you can because the water will start to drop fast.

The Clown Egg

This pattern was developed in Michigan (not sure) and is one of my favorite egg patterns. The clown egg is similiar to the glo bug. The only difference is more colors are used. I like to mix up as many color combinations as possible.

Materials

Kamasan B420 #8

Red 6/0 thread

McFly Foam - Brite Red, Cherise, Orange, White, Chartreuse, Early Girl, Steelhead orange and pink

Wrap the thread around the hook several times

Cut a piece of foam and tie it in. Then move the foam to the side. There should be four different colors used for this recipe.

Repeat the same step.

Tie in another piece of foam.

Tie in the final piece of foam. All of the foam should be next to each other.

Pull up the foam and wrap the thread around the base of the foam. Then let go of the foam and build a head and whip finish.

Pull the foam up and with a sharp pair of scissors, cut across. You can fluff out the fibers to give it a more rounder shape. Try as many color combination as you like. I find this pattern is great on early season steelhead or when the water is off color.

Beginner Steelheader Mistakes

Beginner steelheader mistakes and we've all been there and done that. I can look back when I was wet behind the ears and can laugh at all of the mistakes I made early on. But that's how we grow as anglers whether our quarry is steelhead or bass or pike. 

Here are some common mistakes

Wrong Rod - Using a 6'6" bass rod for steelhead isn't going to catch you a lot of fish. Long rods are critical in achieving drag free drifts and float control. The best rod for a novice should be a 10'6" to 14'6" rod. Stores such as Cabelas sell them starting off at as little as $50.00. 

Incorrect Float - The worst floats for steelhead are the large plastic ones with the metal plug. Not only do they make a lot noise when they hit the water, but the metal plug pinches the line and weakens it. The end result is when an angler gets snagged, the line will snap. The end result is your float and rigging is gone. The newbie steelheader should have one kind of float and that's the Raven FM model. That model is very versatile and can be used in all types of water.  

Incorrect Depth - I've seen beginners either have too much line or not enough under their float. If your float is dragging and constantly going under, then you have too much line and need to adjust. Your float should be able to drift freely. But I've also seen some anglers with not enough line and they're missing the strike zone. 

Missed Takes - Steelhead takes come in a wide range. Some hits are hard and others are really light. During the winter months, when the water is cold. Steelhead tend to be more sluggish. More than often the takes can be subtle and many rookies believe they've bottomed out and don't set the hook. When ever the float goes under I set the hook, regardless if it's slow or fast.

Reading Water - I believe in the saying "10% of anglers catch 90% of the fish" This can make or break a rookie steelheader. Reading water is very difficult in regards to what's at the bottom. I tell newbies to think like a fish. Where would I hide? When the water is cold, where would I hold? When steelhead first enter a river, they seek out deep pools with cover or long sweeping riffles. The reason for this behavior is steelhead are often wary entering shallow water from a deep lake. During the winter, steelhead will seek out slow flowing pools. The best place for steelhead to hold is at the tail end of the pool. Tailouts deflect the current as the bottom starts to rise. This allows the fish to expend less energy. A pair of polarized sunglasses also helps.

Poor Etiquette - In the quest for the first fish, manners often take a backseat. Nothing drives a veteran steelheader crazy, then a newbie wading out to retrieve a snagged hook or starting to fish 15' below them. Take the time to watch others fish and ask questions.

Fishing the same spot - Hole beating isn't very productive. Most rookies tend to fish not very far from the parking lot. These spots usually get pounded hard and the fish gradually start to wise up. Not to mention some of these spots will be packed. The best advice is to go off the beaten path. Not only you find peace and quiet but a lot of fish for yourself.

Giving Up - Steelhead are a challenge and I have seen some newbies throw in the towel after a couple of weeks. Fishing is not catching and it does take time. The best advice I can give is research on the internet, read some books, join a fishing club or ask a veteran to take you fishing.

Using Fireline as a mainline - Believe it or not, I remember running into a newbie who had a centerpin and his mainline was 30# Fireline.

Crystal Meth

Crystal meth is another egg pattern widely used along steelhead alley. It's similiar to the sucker spawn. The only difference is instead of yarn, diamond braid is used. This pattern is effective in water that is murky. Like the drug, steelhead get addicted to it.

Materials

Hook - Daiichi 1530 #10 - #12

Diamond Braid - Pearl, Red, Hot Pink, Shrimp, Chartreuse and Orange

Thread - 6/0 red

Wrap the thread around the hook all the way to the end of the shank.

For this example, I'm using shrimp braid. Unlike sucker spawn, crystal meth is tied using single loops. Place the braid on top of the hook and tie it in. Then pull up the braid and wrap the thread several times. This will securely hold it in place. Take the braid and fold it over making a loop. Wrap the thread several times to hold it in place. The loop should hang over the side of the hook.

The next loop should be the same size.

The next set of loops will be larger.

Repeat the same step. As you can see the loops have a weaved appearance.

The final loops should be the same size as the previous ones.

Build a head and cut the excess braid. Whip finish and apply head cement. This is what the fly should look like a cluster of eggs.

Fishpond Blue River Chest Pack

I'm very minimalist when it comes to things, especially when it comes to hauling my gear. The less is better, that's my motto. I see a lot of guys on the rivers that have too much stuff in their vests. They look like they're ready for a 3 week expedition and the only things missing are a sleeping bag and a frying pan. I usually see them fumbling about going through the endless pockets looking for something. Then I would hear them complain about their sore shoulders or back. I wanted something simple. I've had chest vests but I always found them cumbersome. A lumber pack was more practical so I headed over to one of the local fly shops. 

The store is a high end fly shop and they had a wide selection of vests to choose from. One vest that caught my eye was the Fishpond Blue River pack. What I found appealing about it was it could be used a chest, lumber, or sling it over your shoulder. It measures at 9.5"x5"x7 is about 366 cubic inches. It had a large fly bench that had plenty of room for my streamers, egg patterns, nymphs and jigs. That meant no more fly boxes. It had enough pockets for all of my needs and it felt very light. Whenever I go fishing, I carry the basics - a single small box for sinkers, hooks, beads and swivels, forceps, floats, spools of 3X and 4X tippets, spool of 10 and 8 pound leader material and a leathermen tool. It had plenty of pockets and zippered compartments. There's also tabs and loops to attach various tools and spools of line.

So we'll see how this pack performs in the long run. 

Sucker Spawn

Ask any Lake Erie steelheader what's their favorite fly is and the most common answer will be - sucker spawn. The sucker spawn is one of the most widely used patterns along Steelhead Alley. The majority of steelhead I've caught when fly fishing has been this pattern.

The sucker spawn is suppose to resemble a mass of fish eggs. This pattern is relatively easy to tie. I buy most of my yarn from arts and crafts stores such as Joann's or Micheal's. A large ball usually costs a couple of dollars and can last a long time.

Materials

Daiichi 1530 hook - #10 to #14

3 ply yarn - white, orange, peach, pink, and blue

Thread - 6/0 red

Wrap the thread around the hook all the way to the end of the shank.

Cut an 8" piece of yarn. For large hooks such as #10 or #12, you can use 3 ply yarn. For smaller hooks may need to remove a strand. This will make the fly less bulky and easier to work with. Take the yarn and fold it in half. The first loop will be a single one as shown above. Wrap the thread around the yarn about 5 times. Then pull the yarn up and tie the thread around the hook 5 times. This will hold it in place.

Take the yarn and fold it over as shown above. This will be the first pair of loops. Wrap the thread around the hook 5 times. You can adjust the size by pulling on the yarn. Then pull up the yarn and wrap it 5 times. This will keep the loops from moving.

The second pair of loops will be larger.

The 3rd pair of loops should be the same size.

The last set of loops should be the same size as the first pair of loops. Wrap the thread around the hook several times and cut the excess yarn.

Form a head, whip finish and apply head cement.

The end result is a cluster of eggs. This pattern can be used under a float or bottom bounced. The best colors for me are white, pink and peach.

Float Fishing on Steelhead Alley

In recent years, float fishing along Steelhead Alley has taken off. Many of the streams found along Lake Erie are tailored made for it. The majority of streams are often slow flowing mixed with sections of riffles and runs. Because the streams tend to run low and clear, steelhead will seek out the deeper holes and pools. Fishing these areas with a fly rod is challenging if not impossible. Steelhead Alley has a unique fishery because the streams are so different from other areas found around the Great Lakes. Because of the low and clear conditions. Many anglers have resorted to longer rods, light lines, and small presentations. 

Rod

The average float fishing steelheader uses rods ranging from 10’1/2 long all the way up to 15’1/2 long. The reason for using such long rods is because the majority of streams tend to run low and clear. Due to the clear conditions, line control is important as it helps to keep as much line off of the water as possible. The less line on the water, the less drag there is. It’s easier to manipulate the float and drift into the target area without spooking fish. The Longer rods also absorb a lot of energy from a fighting fish, which is essential when using light line. There's been plenty of times that I've landed large fish on 6-pound test. My rod of choice is the 13' G Loomis GLX. It's the perfect rod for the Great Lakes steelheader. The rod is light and well balanced however, it’s very expensive costing $595. There’s plenty of entry-level rods out there made by Raven, Temple Fork, Shimano, Okuma, and Daiwa that can run from $45 all the way to $150. 

Reel

Many float fishermen today use a centerpin over a spinning reel. The biggest advantage a centerpin has over a spinning reel is its ability to free spool. By free spooling, the line comes off the reel effortlessly. This allows the angler to better control the float and presentation. Also, the line is taut and the result is very quick hook sets. Unlike spinning reels, a centerpin is much more expensive. Low-end models made by Raven and Okuma start at $200.00 and some of the top end models such as Kingpin, Milner, JKW Young and go for over $600.00. It’s a difficult reel to master, but once learned you'll never go back to a spinning reel. 

Line

Line selection is very important when certain conditions come into play such as water clarity and time of year. When using a float set-up, the line is broken down into 3 segments - mainline, leader and tippet. For the mainline, I like to use a strong abrasion resistant monofilament. Over the years, I have used a variety of lines such as Trilene, Sunline, and Suffix and the best so far has been Blood Run, which is specifically made for float fishing. The line is strong, not as stiff in cold conditions and mends well. For the mainline, I would suggest using a 15-pound test. When it comes to snags you want the tippet to break off instead of losing your entire rig. 

For the leader and tippet, I strictly use fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon is more abrasion resistant as many of the streams run over shale bedrock or the bottom is often littered with rocks and other debris. For the leader, you can use either 10 or 8 pound test. The leader is where I place my sinkers. Attaching the tippet to the leader I use a micro swivel. Swivels are great as it reduces line twist. Depending on the time of the season, I use either 8 or 6 pound test, but generally use 6-pound test. With longer rods, there’s no need to go heavy. I’ve caught plenty of large fish on light lines. 

Floats

When it comes to floats, I pretty well use nothing but Raven’s FM floats. They’re versatile working in every type of water. The smallest I’ll go with is 4.2 grams up to 5.5 grams when fishing a large river. For the tubing, all Raven floats use the 3/32" silicone tubing on the top and 1/16" tubing on the bottom.

Shots

Split shots are what make your presentation look natural to a fish. On the water surface the current might look fast, but on the bottom, it’s much slower. This is due to objects on the stream bottom such as rocks or other debris. As the water hits these objects it slows the current down. This is why steelhead prefers to hold on the bottom. When placing shots on a leader, the heaviest shots should be placed on the top and progressively use smaller ones as you go down the leader. I usually never place a shot on the tippet, but there has been debate whether it affects the presentation. The reason for this is as I mentioned before the current is slower on the bottom. By doing so, the fish will see the presentation first and it looks more natural as there is no drag. For the majority of fishing, I like to space my shots evenly along the leader. But, some water conditions call for different shot patterns. When the water is fast and shallow, I’ll stack most of the shots high up and leave one or two at the bottom. If a section is fast and very deep and short, I’ll drop all of the shots to the bottom to get my presentation down fast. 

Hooks

The best hooks for steelhead are ones that have a wide gap and are of a thin profile. Hooks should be of high strength and stay sharp. Some of my favorite hooks are Owner SSW and Kamasan B983. I tend to prefer size 8 hooks for sacs or shiners. For beads, I’ll use size 10 hooks. 

Bait/Artifical

The majority of anglers either use sacs or jigs. Shiners can be difficult to get during the winter and transporting them can be a hassle. I primarily use sacs and when conditions are clear I’ll go to a jig or a bead. 

Float fishing is a great alternative to those who hate the complexity of fly fishing. I find it to be one of the most productive ways to fish for steelhead.

The Centerpin

The first time I watched a centerpin in action was when I was fishing on the Credit River. It was the early 90s and I was attending college north of Toronto. I would often make the drive down nearly every weekend to visit friends, go clubbing and of course fishing. Growing up in Northern Ontario, I first cut my teeth fishing for steelhead on the St. Mary’s and the streams along the east shore of Lake Superior. The streams of Lake Superior were vastly different then the streams around Toronto. At the time, I was strictly a fly fishermen who employed bottom bouncing and sink tips. 

I was walking back after a day of fishing when I saw two anglers using very long rods and floats. Intrigued, I walked over and asked them what type of set up they were using. They told me it was a centerpin. It resembled a large fly reel and I noticed it was free spooling. I asked them if the reel had a drag and one of them told me no. The rod had to be about 15’ long and they were fishing a pod of kings in one pool. They were using small floats with single eggs. I asked them how much it cost for the gear and one of them told the reel was expensive and he bought it from a shop in England. As a college student that barely had enough money to make it from semester to semester, buying an expensive rod and reel was out of the question. That was the last time I would talk to somebody about a centerpin. During my time in school, I would see them from time to time on the rivers. Back at home, I would ask my fishing friends about centerpins and none had a clue what I was talking about. 

In 1998, I had the opportunity to move to the U.S. Me and my fiance moved to the Cleveland area and I started to look into the fishing prospects. One day during the spring, we were walking along the Grand River and I noticed several anglers fishing. I walked over and I could see them fishing the faster water. One them hooked into a fish and I watched a large steelhead jumped from the water. At the time, I didn’t even know Ohio had a steelhead fishery. I remember from my junior ranger days at Turkey Point that people fished for salmon off of Long Point. It sucked being stuck on the sidelines as I sold all of my fishing gear before moving to Alberta the year before. During the summer, I saved my money to buy some new gear.

During the summer, I scouted the several rivers in the area and noticed all of them were relatively shallow and they ran over shale. They ran gin clear most of the time, except for the Grand. The deeper pools were fairly slow moving. It reminded me of the rivers back in Southern Ontario. I decided to purchase both a fly and float rod. During the first couple of years, I found the float rod was better suited as most of the fish were found in the deeper water, especially during the winter. I mainly used the fly rod during the fall and spring. But, I was limited with the spinning reel as I had to continually open and close the bail when running a float. I needed something better and that when I started looking into getting a centerpin. 

At the time, pinning in Ohio was only done by a handful of anglers. Nearly all of them bought their gear in Ontario as none of the tackle stores in the area carried them. I started looking on the internet and one place where I found a centerpin was Ebay. It was a John Milner Kingfisher and a 13’6” Raven float rod. There were a couple of days left before the auction was over. Oddly, there was very little interest generated and I was bidding against five others. It was a tense two minutes and to my joy I won the auction. I was now the proud owner of a centerpin. I got both the rod and reel for $225.00 and it was a bargain as I would later find out that the reel alone would go for $399.00.

A few days later the package arrived. Inside were a box of floats and a small book on float fishing. At the time, there were no books on pinning and very little information on the internet. I was left to my own devices and it would be trial and error. After work I would go down to the Rocky River and practice. I no idea how to cast and I looked at the reel and tried to figure out what would be the easiest method. For the first several weeks, I began to wonder if it was worth the money invested. I found myself fumbling and cursing with the tangles, bird's nests and short casts. By now it was almost the end of September and I still struggled.

I found the easiest way to cast by pulling the line off the spool and side casting. It was very simple, but I noticed a big flaw – line twist. The more I used the side cast, the more the line started to twist. I combat the problem I would cut the twisted line and retie. This was a waste of line and I had to find a better way. I began to research on the internet and I found a website from England. The British were the ones to invent the centerpin. They primarily used the centerpin for carp and bream. In the videos, one cast caught my eye and it was the Wallis cast. The one advantage of the Wallis cast was it didn’t create line twist, but it was a more difficult cast to learn. I watched the video several times and tried it in the back yard. The first several attempts were pathetic as I had to untangle wads of bird nests. My timing was terrible and I had to slow down the process. The key to the Wallis cast was timing. I continue to practice and I started to see the fruits of my labor. I started get longer and more accurate casts. I felt confident enough to try it out for the upcoming weekend. 

I drove to the Grand River and started off at one my favorite pools. I took a deep breath and made my first cast. I effortlessly casted out 50’ and got the float where I wanted it. I was pleased and watched the float head downstream. The line came off the reel with little resistance and it covered the entire pool. I worked the pool and made several adjustments. After 30 minutes, I finally got my first fish on the pin. The float popped and went under. I set the hook and the fight was on. It felt like a large fish as I gingerly palmed the reel. I gradually applied more pressure on the reel. I felt like I had more control of the fish as I didn’t have to rely on a drag. I managed to get the fish to the net it was nice male. 

That was almost 6 years ago and today you’ll see some angler on any of Ohio’s steelhead rivers using a centerpin. In the past couple of years it has really taken off as several tackle stores carry several models. I’ve taught a lot of guys on how to use a centerpin. I rarely even use the fly rod anymore. I find the centerpin is better suited for the streams along steelhead alley. Hopefully this fall I can retire the Milner and replace it with a new one.