Serving  all of "Steelhead Alley" in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York     Turkey Creek Oh, Conneaut Creek Oh, Grand River Oh, Chagrin River Oh,  Rocky River Oh,  Vermillion River Oh,  Twenty mile Creek Pa,  16 mile Creek Pa,  12 Mile Creek Pa,  7 Miile Creek  Pa,  Walnut Creek Pa,  Elk Creek Pa,  Crooked Creek Pa,  Racoon Creek Pa,   Cattaraugus Creek NY,   Zoar Valley south branch,  Clear Creek NY,   Canadaway Creek NY,  Silver Creek NY,  Chataqua Creek NY,                      WE GO WHERE THE FISH ARE....................... 

Home
River Reports
Meet The Guides
Reservation Form
Fly Shop
Best Time 2 Fish
Available Dates
prices and packages
lodging page
Garden River
Steelhead School
Preparation Tips
Ohio Steelhead Fishing
Winter Fishing
Fall Fishing
Western PA tribs
Cattaraugus Creek
NY Trophy Browns
NY Salmon River
Local Flyshops
Camping
stream_etiquette
bait_for_steelhead
extremesteelheading
megasteelhead
ohiosteelheader
fishthegarden
Online Photo Album
Spinning Tactic's
Steelhead Alley Links
for sale

Call 330-565-5457 

e-mail us at

dfishinfool@aol.com

Dfishinfool's fly shop click here

Western Steelhead alley Map

Google Map of Cleveland Ohio

Central Steelhead Alley Map

Google Map of  North East Ohio

Eastern Steelhead Alley Map

Look for this symbol

make sure your fishing with a Steelhead Alley Pro

Honesty is our number one priority at Steelheadschool.com  We want lifelong customers. We strive to exceed our guests expectations.  Our guarantee is simple. If your not 100% satisfied with anything we do contact us.  If we can't make it right. We will give you a full refund. No questions asked.

The original

"Steelhead School" 

 Since 2001

Nov 6th, 7th, and 8th 2009

Often imitated but never duplicated.  We have over 150 satisfied Graduates thru the years. It is a three day adventure into the world of fishing Steelhead Alley.  Our team of local steelhead pro's teach you everything you need to know to be a successful steelhead angler. It also includes a nine hour tour of the hot spots on the streams. We will cover, When to fish where, knots, rigging terminal tackle, leader construction, fly selection, reading water, fighting fish,  spin, fly, spey and cenerpinn techniques plus thee hours of hands on fly tying.  All you will need are an Ohio fishing license and a pair of chest high waders. . The weekend is value priced at $350 per angler and included in the price is two nights lodging. Contact Don at 330-565-5457 for more nfo.

 

Bill Rusinko at Realistics Taxidermy is the only one I will trust with my trophy fish,  He lives in Michigan's UP and he is an expert at correctly painting our great lakes species.

 

Blog's from the Alley's  Steelheader's

 

This link takes you to Greg Lum's blog.  Greg is a good friend of mine and an expert with the center pin.  He is on the river almost every day and his reports are funny but accurate.

 

Bob Williams blog is full of good info and stream reports.

 

Joe Montello is a local steelhead expert.   Check out his blog.

 

www.inthedrift.blogspot.com/

Mike Engelhardt's Blog is packed with great photography and stories of his adventures.

 

Ohio DNR Info

OH Fishing Report

Ohio Steelhead Fishing

Ohio Steelhead Info

 

 

The Best informational book on fishing "Steelhead Alley"

 

John Nagy has updated his great book on Lake Erie Steelhead fishing.

Tube flies are all the rage on the alley.  If your interested in tubes you gotta check out Tony DiBenedetto's web site tubeflytech.com

 

County Visitors Bureau's

Dfishinfool's Guide Service is a proud members of the Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Their website lists local attractions, the areas fine wineries, hotels and other information on the area.

 

Our Team of Guides have the required permits to Guide on Lorain County Metro-Parks property. Lorain County is host to some beautiful well appointed parks.

 

Dfishinfool's Guide Service is a proud members of the Lake County Visitors Bureau

 

 

Helpful links on rigging your spinning outfit for Steelhead

We trust quality RedWing floats and terminal tackle on our guided trips

Here is a great link from Redwing Tackle on rigging up your Spin or Pin outfit

 

 

Team Member Guide Websites

DDon Mathews and Dfishinfool.com have been your Source for Steelhead Alley info since 1997

 

www.extremesteelheading.com

Jeff Novak's website.  Jeff travels the Great Lakes Guiding Anglers.

 

Guide and Commercial fly tier Mark DeFranks website. Mark will tie your custom flies.  From Trout to Tarpon their the place to call.

 

Guide Dick Keagy is a true OhioSteelheader check out his website

 

www.fishwithtrout.com

Guide Travis McAllisters website. 

 

 

Ben's Bait and Tackle Garden River Ontario

 

ATTN:  Clubs, Trout Unlimited Chapters, Sports Shops

We have put together a great Power Point Presentation on Fishing "steelhead Alley" its not just a bragging guide with a bunch of big fish pictures.  We have put together an informative lesson on steelheading.  It contains many tips we have learned in our 10 year history of Guiding Steelhead Alley.   The principals we show you can be applied to many other fisheries. We offer this presentation at a very reasonable cost of $100 plus our fuel expenses.  We have a high Definition Power Point projector all we need is a screen or blank wall and a group of fishermen.  Feel free to contact Don at 330-565-5457 to set up a date for your club meeting.

 

Area Fishing Clubs

Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders

Pennsylvania Steelhead Association

3 c u Trout Association

North West Pa Trout Unlimited

SONS of Lake Erie Club (save our native species)

Neshannock Trout Unlimited

Emerald Necklace Trout unlimited Cleveland OHF

Firelands Fly Fishers

North Branch Boys Fly Fishing Club Toledo Oh

North Coast Fly Fishers

Tri County Trout Club

 

Other Great Clubs

Buckeye United Fly Fishermen

Derby City Fly Fishers

Northern Kentucky Fly Fishers

Bluegrass Trout Unlimited

Louisville Trout Unlimited

 

"Steelhead Alley"

Steelhead Facts

All of our streams in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York hold fish during the winter months December- March 

MOST YEARS ALL OF OUR STREAMS FREEZE OVER IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY

New York Steelhead fishing is best in October thru December but most years the Cattaraugus Creek s the first stream to get a run of fish

Pennsylvania Steelhead fishing peaks in November and December but gets runs as early as September.  They are the most heavily stocked streams on "Steelhead Alley" and hold the most fish per square mile.

Ohio Steelhead fishing starts in October and lasts until early May.  Ohio streams are usually fish the best in the spring.

After Fishing

Biscotti Family Winery 440-593-5403

Buccia Vineyards 440-593-5976

Popular local winery..!!Debonne Vineyards 440-466-3485

Emerine Estates 440-293-8199

**Fool's Favorite Great food**  Ferrante Winery 440-466-8466

Fools wife's Favorite Grand River Cellars 440-298-9838

Harpersfield Vineyard 440-466-4739

Laurello Vineyard 440-415-0661

Markko Vineyard 440-593-3197

Great place..!!  Old Firehouse Winery 440-466-9300

** Great Wine live music **  Old Mill Winery 440-466-5560

  **  My Favorite wines **  South River Vineyard 440-466-6676

Tarsito Winery 440-224-2444

Lakehouse Winery 440-466-8668

Variant Family Winery 440-466-1314

 

Area Rental Homes

Conneaut

Orange Street Rentals in Conneaut Ohio rents out a nice home in a quite neighborhood minutes from Conneaut Creek. 440-593-4546

Painesville Area

Fairport Harbor Rental Home for very large Groups. 8 BR Sleeps 20.  Vey Nice views of lake 440-773-2741

Fairport Harbor Cottage Sleeps 6 with nice Lakefront views. 440-773-2741

 

Our Favorite Lake Erie Charter Boats

If you want to catch a bunch of Perch without spending a bundle.  Check out the Edward John head boat out of Erie Pa. Just $28 for adults..!! Call 814-883-7622

My Time Too Charters

Capt George Neil runs a 30' Baha out of Ashtabula Harbor  He will put you on the fish 330-637-0989

 

Capt Don  lives right on the water in Fairport Harbor.  His boat an gear are first class 216-337-1208

 

Capt Ray Clark runs out of Ashtabula Ohio in a 30' Baha Give him a call for some hog eyes and perch. 440-241-2214

 

Procaster Charters

Everybody tells me Capt Gary Raymond catches fish when no one else does 440-964-7594

 

Lake Ontario Charters

If your looking for some huge Lake Ontario Browns and Salmon I would call Capt Brian Edwards and Fatal Attraction Charters out of Sodus Bay in Fair Haven NY   315-754-8914

Guides We Recommend

If your ever fishing in central Kentucky look up are friends at Cumberland Drifters for a great float trip

 

If your looking for a guided trip on the Mighty Muskegon or the surrounding Michigan Streams give Chad Betts a call at 231-652-3189

John Valk runs Grindstone Angling .  They are located in South Central Ontario Canada. I have used John as a guide in the past.  He is pleasant and nice to fish with. I highly recommend John as your guide if you travel to the area.  Grindstone Angling also has a very nice flyshop.

 

A neat new concept in floats. 

Quality eggs straight from Alaska to your door

 

More great websites by local steelheaders

The Great Lakes Steelhead Chronicles: A Guide's Eye View of a World Class Fishery

The Great Lakes Steelhead Chronicles provides an overview of the developing Great Lakes steelhead fishery through the eyes of local outfitters and guides.

Topics include:

• The Lakes, Fish, and Rivers

• Fly Fishing Heritage

• Steelhead Culture

• Fishing Techniques and Flies

• Economic Value

• Environmental Issues

Featuring top Great Lakes area anglers Jerry Darkes, Kevin Feenstra, Rick Kustich, Bob Linsenman, Ray Schmidt

 

 

 

 

 

 

No B.S. Ohio fishing reports and Pennsylvania fishing reports compliments of licensed professional Steelhead fishing guide, Don Mathews and the team of guides at Steelheadschool.com

Here at Steelhead School our primary focus is on steelhead fishing on Steelhead Alley in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Our team of guides have guided thousands of successful steelhead anglers since 1998. During the summer months our team of guides keep on fishing and guiding for Trout and warm water species.   I invite you to check back here often to view current river reports and pictures of our adventures.  Plus you can check out  years of old report archives.

10-12-09 Ohio, Pa, and NY Steelhead Fishing report Steelhead season is off to a great start.  Recent rains have had little effect on the streams and most are low and clear today.  Conditions will change quickly with each rainfall this time of year.  Even small rains will pull up a run of fresh fish, so it pays to be a weather watcher. We haven't been guiding a whole lot but we have been fishing.  Our team of guides fished the Rocky, Chagrin, Grand, Conneaut, Elk and several other un-stocked tribs last week and we caught fish on all of the streams we fished.  So the fish are here folks. Not just in the lower rivers either. We are starting to see quite a few in some of the upper stretches of stream. Key in on the deepest holes you can find.  The Pennsylvania runs seem to be a bit off, so far, but we haven't fished it as much as Ohio.  I got to spend a day fishing with one of my fly tyers- Dwane last week. He brought his custom Mark Crouse switch rods along for me to try and they cast as good as they looked.  Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to pay for three of them...   Dwane has left BAC Bait an Tackle in Erie Pa and is giving it a go guiding and tying flies full time. He's living near the Grand in NE Ohio and he knows the streams well.  It was nice to spend some time fishing with him. The consensus of the guys is the fish seem to be running bigger than average this year. We are seeing good numbers and Travis and Dwane have each landed over 150 on the fly so far this fall.  I haven't fished a whole lot yet but I have trips all week long nd I'm about to get real real busy.  Mark DeFrank is coming into town tomorrow and we have some openings the next couple of weeks if your interested in a trip.  Give me a call at 330-565-5457. Good Fishin..!!  Don

10-5-09 Ohio and Pennsylvania Steelhead Fishing Report  Sorry its been a bit since I have posted.  I have been super busy since I got home from Canada.  While in the Bush my cell phone voice mailbox over-filled so I may have lost your voice message. Sorry.. Also I got creamed with fly orders while I was gone.  I do have some good news on the fly orders.  Floats and scent are back in stock. Andrea has tied the crystal minnows and Marks is sending me more glo-spawns.  So I will have everything in stock in a couple of days.  I sent out a bunch of orders today and the rest will go out Wednesday. Thanks for your patience.

I want to thank all the people who worked so hard making our Garden River Canada trip so enjoyable this year.  Special thanks to Ben, Little Ben, Gilbert, Tara, Glenda, Jeremy, Ashley, Bob, Connie, Jim, and all the rest of Ben's family for being such great hosts. We had three fun groups of guys in camp. Having close to twenty guys to feed was a bit challenging but Bens cooks managed to keep everybody's bellies full.   Ben's expert knowledge of the river and his willingness to haul us around exploring made the trip especially enjoyable this year.  We saw some Atlantics caught this year.  They were spawning fish.  This was the first time Ben had seen Atlantics so far up the Garden River. This is great news and a sign of how pristine the Garden Rivers flows are.  All of the salmon runs occurred very very late this year and the Pink Salmon fishing was a bit off for the Garden River but there were more than enough Kings around to keep everybody happy. There was a big King Salmon run on the day we left. When we left this year there was still a lot of green in the landscape, so it was a very late fall.  I'm putting together a photo essay of the trip as the pictures come in.  Ben has assured us the same dates and sections of river for next years trip.

Now on to the Steelhead.  I haven't been out yet but our guide Travis has already caught close to a hundred fish in Ohio. He was out after the rain and reports that everything got high and muddy.  Greg Lum confirmed the high muddy water yesterday but he managed to pull two fish on Skinny Water.  The Pennsylvania and smaller Ohio streams will fish much better today.. I plan on hitting the water tomorrow and I'll post a report. Good Fishin..!!  Don

9-18-09  Steelhead Alley fishing report  I'm out of the Steelhead Alley loop right now.  I'm in Sault Ste Marie Canada now.  Mark and Jeff are up here with me and I can't get Travis on the cell phone tonight.  BUT I did have a bunch of pictures of our guide Travis holding some huge early run Ohio steelhead last week.  So I would guess there are more around each day. Give our guide Travis a call  at 330-978-4378 if you want to give it a try in the next couple of weeks.   I must apologize that my voice mailbox was full and I missed some messages this week.  At our bush camp on the Garden River here in Ontario we don't have any cell hone reception and I only get into town one day each week.  PLEASE keep trying if I missed your call.  I will be back in the states on Oct. 1st and we still have lots of good fall dates open on Steelhead Alley.

Rich with a nice King caught on the fly

Dick shows off a nice Garden River Canada Pinky

I have to keep it short.  I'm dead tired and we have 15 new anglers rearing to get out to camp bright and early tomorrow morning. The fishing here on the Garden River is improving each day.  We saw a nice push of kings today but there hasn't been any rain to speak of since August 29th.  The summer was so wet up here the river is high enough for them to be making it up to our camp in good numbers but rain would sure help. The guys are getting plenty right near our camp.  Rich K put 18 in the net Tuesday.  Yesterday, we went exploring way upriver to a section we have never fished, the scenery was spectacular but the fish were few and far between above us.  There are more kings than pinks but the pinks are HUGE this year.  Plus there are quite a few steelhead around. We are seeing quite a few Kings around 20 lbs and the biggest fish so far is a 25 lber that our guide Ben caught bottom bouncing skein.  Last week we caught Chinooks, Pinks, Steelhead, Coho, and believe it or not an Atlantic.  Ben and his whole family have been great hosts and the camp is the best ever.  I have some real great shots and I promise to get more pics up soon.  I look for the best fishing to be the next two weeks. We had some cancellations. I can still get two more guys into camp for Sept 24th thru 29th if anybody is interested in some GREAT salmon fishing call Bens shop at 705-946-6334 for directions.  We will leave Bens shop at 8:30 on Sept 24th.  I'll try to post another report on the 23rd. Good Fishin..!!  Don

9-09-09 Ohio Steelhead Fishing Report  Just got off the phone with our guide Travis and he hit five chrome steelhead on a Ohio stream today.  I'm sworn to secrecy on the location but he caught them all stripping flies. Most of the streams are bathtub warm and void of fish but a few of our small spring fed ditches draw in early September fish some years.  Most of the fish stage in the first pools or estuary sections of the streams they do enter.  Its tough fishing, a far better bet would be to fish the breakwalls and stream mouths now.  With all the cold weather we have been getting I'm predicting a early run. If the summer steelheading on the Lake is any indicator of what fall will bring, I look for a banner year.  I'll keep you posted here.. So check back often.. 

Only four more days left in sunny SW Florida for me.  I have been averaging 8-10 hours a day of fishing and the fish are beating me up.  I'm having a blast.  My nose is peeling and hurts from the blisters on top of blisters from the scorching sun.  My back is sore from lugging around Kayaks. I dam near ripped my pinky off while throwing my 12 foot cast net and my eyes are bloodshot from a deadly combination of Margaritas and staring at the water for hours on end.  The Tarpon I have seen don't daisy chain like they do in the spring.  Just a little wisp of there dorsal that leaves you wondering if it was just a mirage. Plus any fish still around are very well educated to the sound of an outboard motor.   I have failed to hit any Tarpon yet but my buddy Capt Dave tells me he's going to change my luck in the morning.  Were going to hit a secret spot of his for Juveniles in the bay at daylight with the fly rods.  Slow Tarpon action isn't such a big deal when there are Snook everywhere. I fished  outgoing tide at the mouth of Phillippe Creek this afternoon and pounded the Snook from the boat but really all you have to do is walk the or Kayak the beach to have non stop action.  There is so much bait that one throw of the net will get you a days worth of bait.  Then you simply walk the surf with your bait bucket in tow.  I have had my best success blind casting to the light colored spots in the surf.  This will be the fish as the bait tend to stay three or for feet away from them.  This seems to work better for me than trying to spot individual fish as it seems as soon as I see them they see me and its game over.   Same goes for fly fishing it seems like 50-60 feet is the distance the fish don't see you and still take the fly.  I haven't kept any yet but I have turned back at least 20 keepers the past two days.  I'll try to get some pictures up soon. Good Fishin..!!  Don

8-31-09 Ohio, Pa, and SW Florida fishing report  It was a good time at the Louisville KY Trout Unlimited meeting last week. Through the years I have fished with so many of the members many have become friends.  We appreciate the continued support from the club.  I am always impressed with how giving TU members are when it comes to charity and Louisville TU members are especially generous.  I met a nice fellow named Mark who runs the Forward Cast fly shop in Louisville at the meeting.  They stock a nice selection of gear including my favorite Scott Rods..  A big thank you to TU for having me down..

On Steelhead Alley the guy's are really getting ready for steelhead season. Seems like everybody is gearing up for steelhead.  The website its are skyrocketing and we have been booking lots of trips the past two weeks. If you would like to join us for some fall steelheading please give us a call at 330-565-5457.  We still have some great dates open for this fall.  Small numbers of steelhead have entered a few streams already in Ohio, Pa and NY.  Just a couple of fish here and there, not really enough to fish for but this doesn't seem to phase our guide Travis.  He has been out fly fishing several times and he has been catching a few each time. He caught a nice chromer steelie last week in an Ohio stream and it had a 18" lamprey still attached to it.  He has been doing quite well catch and release fishing for Browns in Pa. It seems some of the stockers are still hanging out in the streams with the cold summer we have had.  Travis seems to have perfected methods for catching these often tough early season fish on the fly.  Give him a call and book a date, if you want to learn how he does it.

I on the other hand have been anything but cold.  I'm staying out on Siesta Key Florida for two weeks.  The beach fishing has been good during the days for catch and release snook with ladyfish and Jacks thrown into the mix.  The beaches are full of bait and I spotted over 100 snook in a two mile hike Friday.  Yesterday I hit a nice 28 incher on the fly but most of the fish are in the 18-22 inch range.  Season starts tomorrow and Snook on the grill sure sounds good.  Sure Snook are fun but my passion is Tarpon and there are still a few around.  We put the chase on a pod yesterday but we couldn't get a good cast on them before the boat scared them down.  We are going to give it a try again tomorrow morning.  I'm taking the wife out Kayaking this afternoon were going to hit some flats in the bay for sea trout or whatever else we can find.  Hmmm, Tarpon from the Kayak..  Now that sounds fun..

CANADA and the Garden River are just around the corner.  Ben had his salmon derby yesterday and it sounds like the fish are running early.  We are ready to go and I can't wait..!!  We have a good group of guy's joining us this year.  We had a cancellation and now we have one opening for the Sept 19th thru 24th leg and two openings for the 24th thru 29th.  The first leg still has several openings and with the cold summer there will be plenty of fish there by the 14th. So if your interested give me a call.  Good Fishin..!!  Don

8-18-09 Ohio Fishing Report  Waves kept me off the big lake today.  I had to cancel at 4:00 AM this morning when I looked at the weather report.  The 1-3 footers forecasted had changed to 3-5's.  This was a real bummer but the guys ended up fishin Pymatuming so it wasn't a total bust.  About 9:00 I got a call from a local farmer friend that my hot peppers were being picked.  So I spent the day canning hot peppers.  This drove me crazy because I knew it would be one of the last chances I would have to perch fish this season.  The Perch fishing off Conneaut remains excellent even though the Walleye bite is off a bit the last couple of days. Sunday, I got out on my brothers boat the "Lost Dipsey" and we got a nice limit of Walleye by 11 AM.  Biggest was 31 inches and smallest was 21.  We hit them 14 miles out of Bula.  We also hit a couple of steelies. There seem to be a lot of steelhead around this year.  We have even see a few in the streams already but no numbers.  My perch season is just about over but the fishing will continue thru September. I am heading down to Kentucky to speak at Louisville Trout Unlimited next week.  As soon as I'm back It's redfish time.  Were going to head down to the Florida gulf coast for a couple of weeks. Then after a couple of days layover back home its off to the Garden River in Canada.  We still have a few open spots on the first leg and one open spot on the last leg if anyone is interested in joining us. I'm sure the steelhead action will be heating up when I return from Canada in early October.  We still have lots of prime dates open for this fall with our team of guides.  Our Steelhead School will be Nov 6th, 7th and 8th and we still have several open spots.  Lets Go Fishin..!!  Don

8-09-09  Garden River Canada Fishing Report  Talked to my good friend and Canadian outfitter Ben Belleau today.  Congratulations were in order its Ben and Glenda's 34th wedding anniversary and it's also Ben's birthday.  I tried but he wouldn't tell me how old he is. Ben has had a great summer and has a new grandson.  Little Ben added another Ben to the family last month.  So I guess he will get the littlest Ben title.  Ben tells me it has been a unseasonably cold summer and a few Chinooks are already in the lower river.  Ben was out clearing out a spot for this falls camp this week and he tells me the roads on the reservation are in great shape this year and we will be able to camp on our favorite section of stream.  Looks like were going to be in for another great fall on the Garden River..!!  Good Fishin..!!  Don

8-07-09 Ohio Fishing Report   The action on the big Lake is where it's at in NE Ohio now.  Both Perch and walleye fishing has been great and we have finally been hitting those football size smallmouth's inshore.  We have been blessed with an awesome perch season.  I have shoved from Conneaut after perch close to 20 times this summer and (knock on wood) we have managed to limit out every single time. The secret to our success has been avoiding the huge pack of boats out there.  Instead I have been targeting mussel beds that are proven producers in the past.  My last few trips out there hasn't been any boats within a mile of us.  The trick is to lure a school of fish under your boat. If you motor into a pack of boats most of the time the schools of fish are already under the boats already anchored.  Many times you will end up scaring away the fish for everybody.  If your near another boat perch fishing give them a wide berth and run your motor at idle.  The prevailing underwater current is west to east in Lake Erie.  If your not sure of where the hot spots are my advise is to locate the perch pack of boats. Approach from the East at an idle speed watching your sonar.  When you locate numbers plan your anchor drop to position yourself over the fish.  All of the commotion of anchoring will scare the school away.  Don't fret they will eventually be back. Have some patience it's usually 30-45 minutes after anchoring before we get a good bite going.  Once there biting its VERY VERY important to keep bait down there.  If everybody's reeled up the school will wander away.  When the fish see others being caught it ends to put them in a feeding frenzy and this often draws more fish.  One big problem his summer has been bait.  Occasionally there hasn't been any live shiners available.  Best bet is to buy salted shiners if the live ones aren't available.  Avoid bringing fatheads and lake minnows from home they don't work as good as the salty's will.  It can be very difficult to keep your shiners alive while perchin even with my onboard live well many die through the day. Constantly dip the dead ones out of your bucket and put them in a zip lock baggie on ice.  They will still work good dead but if they remain in the water they will turn white and mushy.  A good aerator will help but you want one with the motor on the outside of the bucket as submersible models tend to heat up the water. REMEMBER WHAT EVER YOU DO DON'T TAKE ANY LIVE BAIT HOME WITH YOU.  VHS IS BAD STUFF AND SHOULD BE TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY..!!

The Walleye fishing has been going very good but I'm sworn to secrecy of where they are hitting them.  I can tell you that the guys hitting them best are going out of Ashtabula.  Wire line and cranks has been putting limits in the boat.  I haven't personally been out for Walleye for several weeks but my brother Lance is wearing them out.  It may be about time to give little bro a call and bum a ride. Grinning.!!

A special thanks goes out to buddy Mike Brown for hooking me up with a fellow who raises goats.  The farmer was able to measure the hair on the hides and provide me with squares of perfect hair.  We use the goat hair on our popular Crystal Minnow Pattern and recently the fly tying material suppliers have stopped carrying it. Using Bucktail as a replacement as our only choice.  We like the goat hair much better than bucktail. Although the flies look very similar in the fly box the goat hair versions come alive in the water. Through the years it has always been difficult to get good quality hair.  I bought a bunch of goat hair and custom dyed it myself this week. I'm ecstatic with the results I had.  By mixing dye colors I was able to get that perfect shade of dark olive green that has always been so hard to find.  So now I'm hard at tying Crystal minnows trying to catch up. I still haven't been able to get any strike indicators either. So this has put us a little behind on fly orders containing these items, so please have some patience. Sorry..!!

Custom Dying Kid Goat Hair for our Crystal minnow steelhead pattern

Our Steelhead schedule is filling up very quickly. We still have openings for this fall and next spring but soon November and April will be booked solid.  I don't want to turn any trips away in this economy and we do appreciate your business.  On the other hand I am very hesitant to add just anybody to our team, the pool of truly qualified people to successfully guide steelhead anglers is very small.  I want you to catch fish and have fun on every trip.  In the guiding business  80% of our guests are repeats.  With this in mind please do try to book your trip as early as possible.

8-02-09 Ohio Fishing Report   Good friend and Fellow Guide Travis "trout" McAllister got married last night.  He found a wonderful bride named Tara, and I wish them a lifetime of happiness ..!! The reception was very nice and the wedding cake topper was hilarious.. The bride has a fly rod and the groom is hooked.  Well I should say foul hooked.  So it looks like the local fish are safe for a couple of weeks while trout honeymoons.

I had a couple of buddies up perchin the last three days and we limited out all thee days within three hours of fishing.  Thursday we got 120 jumbo's and we could hardly lift the cooler out of the boat.  We were happy as could be. Then three of us went back out Friday and our 90 fish limit weighed exactly the same as the 120 did the day before.  Now were talking Jumbo's.. Many of the fish were 12-13 inchers. The day didn't exactly start out as planned though.  I backed down to launch the boat at the ramp.  I jumped out of the truck to unhook the bow snap.  The truck was still running and as I hurried out the door and I locked it behind me.  OOPs ..... Keys in locked running truck on boat ramp with boat almost in the water at 6:00 AM.  Thank goodness AAA got someone there quickly and I didn't hold anybody up but it sure was embarrassing.. Saturday we watched a huge pack of boats set up miles from us but we managed to be pulling into snug harbors Parking lot by 9:00 am with our 120 fish limit.  It don't get much better than that. Good Fishin.!!  Don

7-21-09 Ohio Fishing Report Last couple of days the Perch fishing out of Conneaut has been great.  We have had 90 in the box by 9:00 the past two mornings. Sunday Jeff, Trout, and Myself hit the smallmouth after we were done perchin.  We hit a few bass but the smallmouth action is very slow around Conneaut.  IMHO...Better bet is to hit the Walleye. The trollers are catching good numbers of eyes, from the deep water just past the Perch pack all the way to the Canadian line BUT there are quite a few eyes in close as well.  Trolling with, Stingers, harnesses and Kabooms has been the ticket and the board lines are producing best.  Keep the trolling speeds low (below 1.9 MPH) or you will have a trash fish fest. Remember the eyes like it slow.  Trolling with the troughs whenever the weather lets you will help fill that box.  There are a lot of steelhead around and a friend of mine put 20 in the box yesterday trolling off Geneva. If dragging lines isn't your game.  Drifting with 1 oz weight forwards  in 35 foot of water has been fairly productive for us the past few days.  Use your sonar to find the schools of bait. Then set up and drift across them.  If your drift speed is above .5MPH your going to need drift socks or 5 gallon buckets to slow you down.  Were finding most of the eyes are working the outer edges of the big schools of bait. Be prepared for a mixed bag of White Bass,  Sheephead, Perch, and some monster Gobies but sorting thru the trash is better than sitting around empty handed in my book. I'm not heading out today (Yard Work) but I'll be on the water bright and early tomorrow.  Jack at Snug Harbor in Conneaut is very busy now. He has the bait you will need and Jason and the boys will make short work of your fish cleaning.  Jack finds time every morning at 5:00 AM to record a fishing report and weather update. Call 440-593-3755 to hear this honest report.  WE don't run charter trips on the Lake but were friends with some of the best Captains. So give me a call if your looking for a quality Lake Erie trip and I'll hook you up with one of them. 

 "Sin or Swim" on ch 68.....Good Luck and Good Fishin..!! Don
 

Where's all the pictures?  I haven't been taking or posting many pics of our recent catches.  Once you get back to the dock the fish in the cooler don't look so pretty.  It is common for the ice and water in the cooler to cause the fishes colors to fade.  So I usually don't take a whole lot of pics of our summer catch on the lake.  Don't fret soon enough this page will be full of steelhead and Salmon pics..

Myself and our whole team of guides want to give a big THANK YOU to Randy A. for giving us our required "First Aid" and CPR training classes last week.  Of the 7 or 8 times I have had the classes Randy's was by far the most informative. THANKS RANDY..!!!!

7-17-09 Ohio Fly Fishing Report   Things are really starting to heat up in the central basin of Lake Erie.  The Perch have been committing suicide and the big summer eyes are starting to show up in numbers.  I went out trolling for walleye with Captain Don Woodruff out of Fairport Harbor today and we got some nice fish despite the rough conditions on the Lake this morning.  I would say we started out in 3-5 footers.  Don tells me there are a lot of steelhead around Fairport Harbor this summer.  They put 24 in the box last Sunday.  Most years, good numbers of Steelhead in the Lake in the summer, means there will be a good run in the streams.  As for the more edible finned creatures..  The perch are hot out of Ashtabula and Conneaut and that's where I have been hanging out most of the past week.  Yesterday I had a couple of buddies up from Ky and the big Lake was just too rough so we fished Mosquito Lake and ended up with about 20 Crappie and 4 keeper Walleye and a bunch of perch.  There calling for 2-4 footers tomorrow but after that they are calling for things to settle down a bit.  Cell phone reception sucks on the Lake so if you need to reach me Early Evenings are best. 330-565-5457  Good Fishin..!!  Don

We are busy getting ready for the fall steelhead runs.  Jeff and Mark are sitting at their tying benches every time I call.  As for me I have been trying my best to do two dozen a day BUT like a true fish bum I have been too tired from fishing most evenings to tie flies.  I have two local tiers helping me out instead.  Mark has caught the Tube fly bug and he is now selling Eumer Tube fly materials as well as selling flies tied on their tubes.  He has been incorporating many of our favorite patterns to tubes.  I have never met anyone in my life who can sit there and tie like Mark DeFrank.  The thought of tying flies 10 hours a day sounds like prison to me but this guy loves it. Saltwater, Trout, Salmon, and Bass patterns he will custom tie it all for you.  He is working hard to build up a inventory so he can get join us on the Garden River trip.  We still have a few openings left for the Garden River Trip in September and we are taking reservations for the fall school right now.  Our fall and spring schedules are getting full.  I have been trying to add a couple of more local guides to our team but the pool of candidates is very limited and I haven't had any success.  Chris (the bug man) Kazulen is going to help guide on our Maryland and Pennsylvania trout trips next spring.  How about a float trip for Cutthroats in July in nearby Maryland.  Most people don't even know about this hidden jewel..  We will also be having a Trout Fly Fishing School in Maryland next spring.  Mark has been working out the details with Mesach Browning's Cabins and  new has finalized May 21st, 22nd, and 23rd as the dates.  I'm really looking forward to this fly fishing school and I believe the Casselman River is the PERFECT location.

We are currently booking Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 daily steelhead fishing trips with our team of guides. Please call 330-55-5457 and talk to Don about our open dates

Other up-coming events !!

Garden River Canada Sept 2009 Salmon Trip

Fall 2009 Steelhead School

Spring 2010 Trout Fishing Trips

Spring 2010 Trout Fly Fishing School

Steelhead Alley Fly Shop.....!!!!  Seems like everybody is gearing up now for the up-coming runs.  Orders have been thru the roof.  We have registered the name "Steelhead Alley Fly Shop" and plan on expanding to keep up with growing demands.  Thank You to all of our dedicated customers.  I am sorry to report that Kid Goat hair is getting impossible to find. This is what we use to tie our popular Crystal Minnow Steelhead Pattern.   I have exhausted my supply of Crystal minnows in Olive Green Color and the only alternative I have is to use buck-tail a a replacement material.  If anybody can help me out with a source for Kid Goat hair it would be appreciated.  Also I am currently out of the 5/8 strike indicators.  I have them on backorder from two different suppliers.  Your guess is as good as mine when they will arrive.  We are up-dating our Deadly Dozen selection with a couple of great new patterns and they will now be shipped in Morrel fly boxes. Check out our Fly Shop web page for more details.

Fall Steelhead School Nov 6th, 7th, and 8th 2009 We are taking reservations now. It will be held the the Comfort Inn Ashtabula Oh. Still just $350 an angler and that includes two nights lodging.

click for 7-14-09 report

http://www.steelheadschool.com

For More "steelhead Alley" Fishing reports Click here

We want to hear from you

contact us

dfishinfool@aol.com

330-565-5457

Tackle we depend on..!!

Online Fishing License

Save valuable stream time, buy your fishing license online the day before your trip.

\OHIO LICENSE

\PA ONLINE LICENSE

\NY FISH LICENSE

Webmaster - Guide Don Mathews

330-565-5457

All guides listed below are self employed.  We have joined forces.  We believe that by networking together on the stream our group of local guides can give the best steelheading experience possible.  We guarantee it.. Feel free to call any of us at anytime to check on availability or to just talk fishin..   Don't be fooled by the NEW wave of guides in Ohio.  These guys are your true local steelhead pro's

Guide  Jeff Novak

www.extremesteelheading.com

330-984-7406

Guide  Dick Keagy

www.ohiosteelheader.com

330-646-8150

Guide Travis McAllister

www.fishwithtrout.com

330-399-2746

Guide Mark DeFrank

www.defranksflies.com

724-317-8582

Guide Bob Williams

www.screamingreels.net

440-487-8111

Guide Kurt Bitikofer

A

Greg Lum

TTo book a trip with any of the above guides please call Don Mathews at 330-565-5457 .  He handles the website and our central booking calendar at steelheadschool.com  You may also call your guide of choice at anytime with questions or to check on availability.

Stream Maps

Ohio

Pennsylvania

New York

Best Area Bait and Tackle Shops

Anglers who travel to the area are in luck.  Dan, Eric and the team at FishUSA are there for you.  They stock what you will need.  Don't waste your money at the marts. FishUSA will have your order to you very quickly.  They also have a storefront in Erie Pa. with everything they stock available there.   You can stop there and get online prices on the spot.  Tell them I sent you.

Gary and his wife Dot run a great baitshop near Walnut Creek in PA  called Poor Richards  I have been a customer there since Gary bought the place many years ago.   The prices are good.  The selection is great, with everything you need to catch fish, fly or spin.  They clean fish and will exchange your fresh caught steelhead for a smoked fish on the spot.  Check them out..!!

Jim runs Folly's End fly shop and campground.  Jim bought the shop a few years ago from my good friend Larry.  Jim has done a great job of keeping the shop well supplied for steelhead fishermen and done some nice improvements to the campground.  Clyde Murray has worked at the shop for years.  He is a steelheading icon. Clyde's friendly advise has caused the demise of countless steelhead.  The shop is located on the banks of Elk Creek in one of the most productive sections of stream. You can park on the left side of the driveway going down to the shop. From there you can access the stream to fish. Please stop in the shop and let them know though.

Bruce has run the Grand River Tackle shop for years.   They have a great selection of Steelhead gear as well as lake fishing tackle and live bait.  Bruce is a steelheading pioneer.  They are located near Painsville on your way out to the Fairport Harbor boat ramp

Barcelona Market is located just a half mile ease of Chautauqua Creek on Lake Rd.  The have NY fishing licenses, bait and steelhead tackle.

Stop in and see Frank at TMF Orvis if your ever near Ravenna Ohio.  Frank is about as good natured and friendly as anybody you will ever meet.  He runs a very neat and tidy shop that has a great selection of fly fishing gear for the steelheader, trout fisherman or saltwater angler. His fly tying material selection is great.  They also have lots of quality rods and reels. 

Chagrin River Bait and Tackle

Located in Eastlake Ohio selling fishing licenses bat and some steelhead tackle. 440-942-9716

Erie Shore General Store

Some bait and tackle located in Eastlake Ohio 440-942-3470

Karran Shop

Karan Shop has bait and steelhead tackle plus a selection of Lake Erie Tackle. Located at 413 South Ridge  Geneva, Ohio (440) 466-3561

Elk Creek Sports

 I have known Dan Seaman since I started guiding in Pa.  his shop Elk Creek Sports is open early has licenses, shiners, bait and everything else the Steelheader needs.  He is located on Rt.5 right at Elk Creek. 

BAC Bait and Tackle has Several stores with a great selection of fly tying materials, bait, tackle, rods, reels and waders. Located around Erie Pennsylvania

Neshannock Creek Fly Shop is located on a nice trout stream about an hour or so south of Erie they have a great fly fishing selection

Erie Outfitters

Craig Lewis runs Erie Outfitters Located in Sheffield Lake Ohio.  They have a great selection for the steelheader as well as lake fishermen.  There is a nice launch down the street that puts you about 6 miles from the sandbar. A lake Erie fishing hot spot in recent years. Erie outfitters has shiners, bait and licenses.

CustomFishingTackle.com

John DeMartino owns the online store CustomFishingTackle.com  out of Rochester NY.  He is a Great Lakes pioneer of using Centerpins for steelhead.  He also builds custom Rods and sells a wide selection of gear for the centerpin enthusiast online

Area Camp Grounds Open year round

Jim and Clyde at Folly's End have a great fly shop on site at their riverfront campground. You can access one of the best sections of Elk Creek from their campground.  They offer daily stream parking and camping. As well as seasonal camping.  If your near Elk Creek stop in. They will hook you up.

Uncle John's Elk Creek Campground is located right on the stream near the mouth of Elk Creek.  Fishing is very good on their property.  John is a great guy and he let me hold my Boy Scout Merit Badge Classes in one of his cabins for free.  The cabins are for rent they are new and are very nice.  The showers and restrooms are great The place is always clean and well kept.  It is very angler friendly. He offers daily stream front parking for a small fee.

Indian Creek Campground Geneva Oh  Phone 440-466-8191

Best Area Chow

Cleveland, Willoughby, Mentor, Painsville

If you can' find something you like to eat in Cleveland  your in trouble.  I'm not going to waste your time trying to list hotels or restaurants in the Cleveland or the burbs.

Geneva

Best Friends Restaurant Located right at Exit #218  Good Breakfast and reasonable prices. 440-466-0041

Chops is located right at Exit #218 On Rt 534.  They have a nice dinner menu and serve some local wines

Ferrante Winery is my favorite place.  Don't wear your waders. Good Italian food.  Meals are $10-$20.  Located 5 minutes from Exit #218 call 440-466-8466

Ashtabula

Crows Nest Restaurant Follow Rt 11 north and you will dead end in their parking lot. Good choices lots of selections reasonable prices.  The monster bowl of Chili will warm you up.  440-964-2696

Conneaut

Beef and Beer Great food for the money.  Home cooked meals.  Daily specials, Hearty burgers.  Bottled beer your real likely to run into one of us there. They Even have a fish tank table. Located Right at I-90 Exit #241 Right near the state line.  440.593.3667
 

Biscotti's Restaurant  186 Park Ave Conneaut  Local favorite Pizza and Italian food Call 440-593-6766

 Fairview Pa

Crowleys is just 2 1/2 miles south of I-90 on Rt 18. Great food but don't wear your waders. They have a grill in the center of the place and you can cook your own steaks if you want. Call 814-774-8450

Avonia Pa

It's hard for me to drive by Avonia Tavern Just West of Walnut Creek on Rt 5. Great Wings and Burgers all the food is great and they have reasonable prices.

Erie Pa

Teresa's Deli is located at 5360 West Lake Rd.  Just a short drive from walnut creek.  The subs are fantastic and a big hit with the area fishermen all 814-833-6913

Follow I-90 to Peach Street and there are a lot of choices.  Quaker steak and lube wings are a local favorite.  Or jump on I-79 North to Mill Creek Mall.  All the big chains are in town. 

NorthEast Pa

Lighthouse Inn 3704 East Lake Rd is our favorite over that way. 814-899-9300

Plummers is located East of 20 mile Creek on Lake Rd just across the NY state line.  They have good burgers and cold beer