Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Steelheading Recommendations

If you want to fish the erie tribs in ny, look up cattaraugus creek outfitters.  They have private water on the premier erie trib as well as cabins right on the river that you can rent.  I believe Nick Pionessa is guiding for them.  Great guy and no one more knowledgeable about swinging flies for great lakes steelhead.  

If you decide to diy i would highly recommend going mid week if at all possible.  Even with covid keeping the canadians out, the streams were still very crowded this year in the fall.  Fall is the most crowded season but is when the fish are the hottest and is obviously a nice time of year to fish.  

On Monday, May 31, 2021 at 7:17:49 AM UTC-4 willia...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks, all! All signed up for the Zoom meeting. Erie looks like the best place to get started.

-Will

On Sunday, May 30, 2021 at 12:59:57 PM UTC Carl wrote:

Great Lakes steelheading is primarily a fall activity (There are some spring opportunities, but fall is more dependable).  There are great runs in Michigan, but from DC, your best bets are Erie or Ontario runs.   The Erie season seems to be about mid-October til the streams freeze over.  I've gone fishing in December and been breaking through ice when wading and was still able to catch some fish out of the faster/deeper holes.

The TU presentation should be great and Steelhead Alley has some great guides.  I don't know of anyone who has been disappointed by them.

Fishing for Erie steelhead is great.  The streams are small, maybe 30 ft across in places.  It is primarily nymphing in these smaller streams, but you can swing streamers.  

The only thing I would warn you about is that the run is highly weather dependent.  Too little rain and the fish stay in the lake or just hunker down in a few holes.  Too much and the wader becomes unfishable.  But the shale bottom streams clear up fast.  One the streams were up and high my first day, and on the second day, they reached good flow at about 2pm, after the water steadily dropped all day.  Once the water dropped to the right level, the fish started to turn on.  

Carl

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Carl Zmola

On Fri, May 28, 2021 at 12:30 PM William Hea <willia...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi, all! Thank you in advance for your help!

My girlfriend and I have been doing a lot of trips in Western MD and Central PA for wild trout and having a blast. We'd like to start targeting some bigger fish and would love to give steelhead a try.

Any recommendations for where/when to go to get started on steelhead for a road trip? I'd prefer to drive rather than fly. If there are any  guides you recommend we'd be all ears.

-Will

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