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Steve with a Ohio Bonefish LOL..!!
4-30-05 Spring Creek Terry said he wants to move to Ohio now..!! A beautiful Ohio Manistee released to fight again..
4-30-05 My friend Terry and his wife Lori were planning a Grand River float with me today. The Grand was blown out 1900 cfs so that ruled out the float and with rain forecasted there was little hope we could fish anywhere. Terry wanted to come anyhow so we counted on the weatherman being wrong. Well, the weather man was wrong and we didn't get the predicted 3/4 inch of rain. Hey, I would rather be lucky than good any day...We started on the Chagrin this morning. Visibility was 10" when we started. We hit a few nice ones and lost a few more. Grinning! It was hard fighting them in the 700cfm flow. So we decided to go skinny in the afternoon.
4-30-05 Greg helps Terry with his nice fish he caught on the fly
The move paid off and we found some fresh fish that hadn't been beat up. Did real good. Used a variety of flies all day. Mixed it up and hit them on nymphs, eggs and streamers. Best luck was on the Crystal Minnow. We dead drifted with indicators most of the day but did get a few on the swing with tips. We got either hogs or skippers. Not a lot of three yr old fish. Lots of jumpers. One big male was 32" long and took me way downstream. We saw the backing a quite a few times today.
4-30-05 Guide Jeff Novak with a nice Ohio fish notice the water color. It wasn't a sight fishing day.
Looks like it will fish good on a few of the tribs tomorrow. All the Pa tribs will be OK. Conneaut and Vermillion will fish but will still be high. Grand is out of the question. Chagrin is still a little high but fishable. Rocky will be nice. Skinny water is going clear. Hopefully we will not get any more rain tonight or you can throw all of the above out the window. Don't expect big numbers of fish but if you stretch your legs and do your homework there is still steel to be had.
4-29-05 Guide Greg Senyo with a nice Ohio Manistee Hen caught on his wiggle stone pattern
4-30-05 Terry and crew at the Chrome Dome..
4-29-05 Friday Went over to the Vermillion River today to see the Steelhead smolt stocking. The ODNR had quite a event today. The k- 2nd grades from Vermillion Elementary were on hand. They had a steelhead coloring contest, and the winners from each grade got a new fishing rod and the chance to stock a bucket of fish. Hats off to ODNR for a great event today..!!
4-29-05 Guide Don Mathews with a nice Western Ohio Skinny water hen on the fly
After the awards. Chief Steven Gray talked about the success of our steelhead program and Kevin Kale brought out a mounted fish and explained how the stocking program works. Then it was time to stock the 40,000 little Manistee strain fish into the river. The first few went in by buckets then the tubes came out. The kids went wild as each tank was emptied pouring thousands of smolts shot out the tubes into their new home.
4-29-05 A good crowd turned out to watch the ODNR stock the steelhead smolts
4-29-05 The look on these kids faces say's it all
After the event and a quick lunch. Myself and Greg took off for a west side skinny water Trib that Greg fishes. We found it in nice shape and loaded with fish. We had a terrific day and both of us made double digits. With rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow things aren't looking good. I'll keep you posted..!! Don
4-29-05 Greg knew right where to go..
4-29-05 Two steelhead in a fish tank. Note how the larger one has lost its par marks and is at the Smolting stage.
4-29-05 After stocking the smolts, It was time to FISH..!!
4-29-05 A Vermillion Elementary Students winning Steelhead picture. I think somebody has been watching Sponge Bob...
4-29-05 Kevin Kale ODNR's resident Steelhead Expert tells the crowds about our awesome Steelhead fishery
4-29-05 Me pouring a bucket of Manistee Smelts into the Vermillion River Ohio. See you in a couple of years..!!
4-27-05 Wednesday We have been canceling all of our trips due to high water. With more rain in the forecast it isn't looking good for the weekend. Hopefully mother nature will turn off the spigot and we can get a little more steelhead action in. I'll keep you posted..!! Don
4-23-05 Kenny with a fresh hen taken on the fly rod
4-24-05 Sunday I just got back from Cleveland and they are getting pounded with snow. Some of the eastern Suburbs have 10" on the ground. The streams are all high and muddy and more rain is on the way. We cancelled all of our weekend trips and it will probably be Wednesday at the earliest before the skinny water in Ohio fishes. The Grand is above 5000cfm. Its hard to predict what this cold rain and snow will do to the fishing. I'll keep you posted as soon as I know more. Good Fishin..!! Don
More kind words from our guests
Don, I just wanted to again thank you for the great steelhead trip last Friday.My three friends from Wilmington Del really enjoyed themselves and relished the challenge of a steelhead on a fly rod. Even though they have fished in the Florida Keys & Costa Rica for tarpon, offshore for Tuna & Dorado etc and are truly very good bass fisherman, they rated it as one of the best fishing trips of their lives. You and Greg were super hosts and helped when we needed it. However, you also let us learn and fish for ourselves; which we really appreciated. We are looking forward to another trip with you in steelhead alley, Phil
Craig P. and the Eastern Outdoors TV group with long faces due to blown out stream conditions
4-23-05 Saturday Rain Rain Rain. We have got 1"+ of rain overnight and the streams are all blown out. I had Craig P. and the Eastern Outdoors TV crew up to shoot a Grand River float trip but Mother nature frowned on us. We ended up doing a little wade fishing but the river quickly blew out and became un-fishable. Seems like every time Craig heads up this way we get a major rain storm. I think I will try to reschedule him for early October when the streams are at their lowest. Grinning!
4-21-05 Jason on his first day of steelheading
The good folks at Orange Street Rentals were nice enough to let us use their house for some of the intro filming of the TV show. It was my first time staying there and I was very impressed with the accommodations. The house is situated in a quiet neighborhood. Food delivery is available. It is very roomy, clean and well equipped. It has a nice Bar in the Kitchen we used for tying flies. It also has a big refrigerator, full living room, nice deck in the back and color cable TV. The price is comparable to a hotel room and it is minutes from Conneaut Creek. It is a ideal headquarters for your steelhead alley trip. Give them a call.
4-22-05 Phil with a nice fly rod steelie
4-22-05 Friday We fished a Ohio Trib today and did very good. Water was very low and clear but we managed to find plenty of fish. We got on a nice pod of silver fish that were in a pool and they were hungry.!! We fly fished and we used a wide variety of flies. Hot patterns were my Crystal minnow and the Dave Schmiser Shiner pattern. We also did good on Gregs extended body stones. Fish were super active and we got lots of awesome jumps and more long line releases than any of us would like to admit. When we came off the stream this evening it was starting to rain but the river was still flowing low and clear.
4-21-05 Julie on her first day of fly fishing and her first day of steelheading
Here is another e-mail I received last week. Thanks for the kind words..!! Don Mathews and Greg Senyo,
Here are the pictures that Greg took with my camera. Please send these on to Greg since I do not have his email address. I also wanted to take this opportunity to let you, Greg and Jeff know that the Steelhead Fishing School surpassed all of my expectations of what I wanted to experience or expected to learn. You, Greg and Jeff Novak did an incredible job in the class room components of the school and the day spent traveling to river access points is information that would take a life time to compile. Finally the day I spent with Greg fishing was an experience beyond belief. To think that you three made the decision on where to fish the evening before based on what you saw during the day of traveling to the rivers demonstrates that you truly know your business. I also think it is amazing that Greg was able to take myself who had only fly fished for trout and teach me how to identify and spot where the steelhead were holding and running and catch steelhead in one day is incredible. Greg made me feel comfortable and at ease as he was teaching me about all the aspects of steelhead fishing, man is he good!!!! For the record I landed 10 steelhead and hooked and played but unfortunately lost 17 others. Like I said the weekend was beyond my wildest expectations I have truly been spoiled. I will never fish Steelhead alley with any other guide service of course I will ask for Greg but would feel confident with you since I saw your clients landing steelhead too. You can bet that I am telling all my friends how good DFISHINGFOOL’S Guide Service really is. Thank You for a great experience!
James Pagoaga
4-22-05 Sarge on his first day of steelheading and fly fishing
4-21-05 Thursday We fished a Ohio stream today. I had husband and wife Julie and Jason. They were quick learners and did very good. We caught lots of chrome silver fish. We ran into Greg AKA Uncle Goober www.steelheading101.com and he was on a hot pod of fish. When he found out Julie was a first time steelheader he hooked his rod up and gave her his prime spot. Thanks Greg your a class act and it sure made her day to land that nice fish there..!! We used the fly rods today and hot fly was my crystal minnow and fools gold articulated nymphs. Water temp was 58*and the stream was a nice color with about 24 inches if visibility. There were lots of fish on gravel but the fresher fish were holed up. Should be a great weekend if we don't get too much rain..!! GOOD FISHIN..!! Don
4-22-05 Dave with one of many on his first day of steelheading
4-22-05 Derek on his first day of steelheading and fly fishing
4-20-05 Wednesday Fishing has been good on the Ohio tribs but the quickly warming water has me worried. I found a 68* reading today in the current.This warm water puts a lot of stress on the fish. If you are fishing PLEASE take the time to revive the fish. Today’s fish are tomorrow’s trophies. We are receiving a light rain this evening. I don't think we will get enough rain to blow the streams out. More rain is in the forecast thru Friday. I'll keep you posted. ALL of the streams are receiving small spurts of fresh fish.Most of the fresh fish are Manistee hens and in the warm water they are wasting no time in heading to gravel. I have been fishing the Ohio tribs but Jason called yesterday and said a fresh push of fish had come up Elk Creek as well. Best bet is to get out and do some walking. Fish are spread out and with the warm temps they are seeking out cool water. Under bridges and near cold flowing feeders is a good bet to intercept a pod of fresh fish.
4-19-05
Mike with a nice Ohio hen on the fly
On a positive note it was in Tuesdays Cleveland Plain Dealer that Lake County Metro parks has acquired 20 acres of land along Big Creek. The park district paid $205,000 for the property. Big Creek is a Grand River Tributary. This was a very valuable acquisition because it will provide access to the 98-acre parcel of land that has been inaccessible to most fishermen. In today’s troubled economic times it is nice to see that Lake County Metro parks is still able to come up with the funds to preserve yet another piece of the outdoors for future generations.
4-17-05 Jim with a Ohio trophy steelhead
On a less positive note. SHAME on the Cleveland Plain Dealer for publishing a picture of a Rocky River Angler holding a Female Steelhead by the Gills while stripping her of her eggs. The caption read the fish was released. Why bother releasing a fish you have killed by lifting it by its gills?
4-19-05
Mike with a colorful buck
PLEASE remember that you should NEVER lift a steelhead or any trout by the Gills unless you plan to keep it. To do so is irresponsible as was publishing a picture of an angler mishandling a fish.
Guide
Greg Senyo with a huge 13 1/2 lb male
I have been busy fishing and am swamped with E-Mail. It was nice to open some of these e-mails and read the kind things people have been writing me. Below I have pasted some of the comments I have received in the last week.
4-17-05
Jim with a nice Ohio steely
Don, Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know how much we enjoyed our Ohio float trip last week. It was the best day of fishing I have ever had. My father can’t wait to come back. On the way up I had it in my mind that if I caught one fish the day would be a success. To catch 16 in one day was simply unbelievable. I have fished with guides all over the country and have never met anyone who puts forth an effort like you do. Smelling those strip steaks cooking while fighting huge fish is forever etched in my mind. We are looking forward to fishing the Cat with you next fall.
Thank You, Steve
4-17-05 Art with a silver hen on the fly
Hi Don,
4-17-05 Doug
is now hooked on steelhead
Don...
Just wanted to say, I thought the school was
great. The time you and Greg, and Jeff spent
with us was invaluable in my mind. I learned so
much and caught fish too. Keep me in mind for
the Fall school, I'd like to see and learn about
the winter side of Steelhead fishing.
Art
4-18-05 Me
and 12 lbs of steelhead
Don,
Don, I know I
speak for all of us Toledo boys when I say that
our trip with you last week was definitely the
best guided trip we have every had. We are now
officially hooked on steelhead and started
talking about our next trip the minute we
started traveling back home. Please pass on our
appreciation to Jason for his fine work in
providing you assistance. Thanks for a Wonderful
Time, Daryl
Don,
I wanted to tell you how great a day I had with
Jason yesterday. We fished the XXXXXXX and
landed four out of ten hooked. I learned a lot
- he is a solid teacher with an easy
personality. He is also a great fishing
companion. The day was definitely worth the
fee and the tip – Jason earned it!!
Thanks again. I’ll be
back. Brent
Don, Just a quick note to say thanks to you and to Jeff for a
memorable trip. It was Dick's and my first
steelhead adventure but I'm certain it won't be
our last. A ten pound fish of any kind is fun
to catch but a 20+ minute fight with this rascal
on a fly rod was really special. A picture is
attached. Regards,
4-18-05 Monday Sorry for the lag in reports. We have been very busy..!! Catching Fish..!! Big Fish..!! The streams are super low and clear but we are still catching them. It has been two weeks without rain the skies have been blue for a week and a half. All of the guys are sporting a sunburned face. Water temps on the Ohio streams are 51-59*. There are fresh run Manistee's to be had but you have to be on top of things. Networking with my guides Jeff, Greg and Jason has been paying off this spring. It seems like most anglers are struggling with the current low water conditions.
4-17-05
Jim with a Ohio trophy steelhead
There are fish in all of the streams but the low flow in the smaller streams is making it very tough. We have been concentrating our efforts on the bigger streams. This means lots of hiking and floating. The west side seems to be hotter this spring so far. I sure hope we get the forecasted cool down and rain.
4-18-05 Dick with a Ohio Chromer
The fish have been shooting upriver in spurts and we have been chasing them. It’s a here today gone tomorrow thing. The fish aren’t holding long in the warm water and are moving to gravel quickly. We have got some tight hens the last few days though.
4-17-05 Doug is now hooked on steelhead
I sent out a big stack of picture CD’s today. What a spring it has been so far. I will be burning the rest of the CD’s this week so if you haven’t received your pictures yet look for them shortly. If you have pictures from a trip with Jeff, Jason or Greg that you have not received yet give them a call.
4-17-05 Doubles
Last weekend was our 7th Steelhead School. We had it at the Best Western Sterretania in their conference room. It went very good and we had a great group of guys up. They all hung tough through the grueling weekend and everybody landed a Steelhead. A few of the guys made the double digits club. The road tour of Steelhead Alley was 237 miles and lasted 9 ½ hours. I think I gave everybody a few spots to check out. Remember guys-SHHH..!! LOL!!
4-17-05 Beau with a nice Ohio steelie
I have been swinging flies on my homemade sink tips. Changing flies often is the key. One cast it takes a huge purple Marabou Metallica Spey . Next cast they want a #16 glo bug. We have been getting out the 12’6” two handed spey rods when were on the bigger stretches of water and carrying a 10’ rod set up for high stick nymphing the pockets.
4-17-05 Sheldon with a chromer
I had Mike and Dick out for a Grand River float last Wednesday in the Driftboat and it was a memory maker. We could do no wrong and our number of hookups was in Triple digits. Yesterday a group of friends of mine floated the same section and said it was dead and they had trouble just finding a few. These fish are on the move.
4-18-05 Me and 12 lbs of steelhead
4-17-05 John with a nice Conneaut hen
4-13-05 Swinging on the Grand
4-13-05 Sorry for the lack of reports. I'll let the pictures tell the story..!! C YA!! Don
4-13-05 Spey and Steel
4-13-05 Greg on the -V-
4-13-05 Ohio float trip hog
4-13-05 Lunch and steel
4-13-05 Mike loving his Spey rod
Uncle Goober with a nice Chromer
Sorry for the lack of reports. I'll let the pictures tell the story..!! Good Fishin..!! Don
4-12-05 Floating the Grand
4-12-05 The above fishes twin
4-12-05 Dad gets in on the action
4-12-05 A picture to remember
4-10-05 Justin with a Chromer
4-8-05 Conneaut
4-08-05 Conneaut steel
4-10-05 Sunday Jason and Jeff called in tonight and they both hit fish this weekend. They moved around a lot and report crowds were very heavy most places. They got some very nice sized fish. Both sounded tired after four consecutive days of Guiding. I'll get the pictures up once I get them. Here is a rundown on the streams. Walnut in Pa is low and clear not many fish.Trout Run has about 150 in the creek now, almost all are dark males, No fresh fish only could see 6 hens. Presque Isle is still Iced on the Lake side. The bay is completely open now. Elk is going clear and most fish are drop backs with a few fresh ones mixed in. Some people are doing good. Conneaut will fish good Monday, vis is 2' and it is turning green.Skinny Ohio water feeders are now low and clear with a few old ones on gravel.Grand is at 1200cfm but should fish good by Wed or Thursday.Chagrin is nice color and flow. Vermillion is at a nice flow with good numbers of fish on gravel. Haven't seen the Rocky but it should be going clear, lots of big fish to be had on the Rocky. Going to be a GREAT week in the Buckeye. Gone Fishin..!! Don
4-07-05 NKFF club president Ron with a 35" Ohio Manistee hen caught on the fly and released.
4-09-05 Saturday Have the weekend off. Had the TV crew from Eastern Outdoors coming up to shoot a float the Grand with me in the Driftboat. We rescheduled because the river was still to high to float. Action was good yesterday on some of the Ohio streams. High water from last weeks storm and the ensuing snow melt is still a problem on many of the streams. It was a tough week but things are looking good. The Grand is still blown out. Chagrin is still a little high but may fish good tomorrow.Connie is dropping fast and a few will surely fish it today.Rocky is prime green and there are lots of fish. Suckers are heavy everywhere on the Rock. Pa tribs are going good today with mostly drop backs. I heard there are a few fresh stray Manistee's in Elk also. Greg and Jason are out today. Jason called this morning on the cell and said they are doing very good. I'll post a complete report when they call in tonight.
4-08-05 Daryl with a huge Ohio fish caught on the fly
The trick to catching these fish has been chasing prime water and getting on the fish first. The mobile angler who knows the Ohio streams should fair very well the next couple of days. Water temp was 44* yesterday. The banks are greening up and the suckers are starting to show up. The pa fishing will fizzle out quick now but we have a few more weeks left in Ohio.
4-08-05 Gary with a 12.1 lb hard earned Ohio steelhead.
We have been having our best success fly fishing. Either sink tipping with streamers or High stick nymphing with indicators. Best flies the last couple of days are Bobs minnows and pastel color egg patterns on a #14 hook.
4-07-05 Mark with a skinny water Manistee in full color
I eat fish all of the time. I don't personally like the taste of steelhead but I eat my share of Walleye and perch. If you want to keep fish for the table this is fine. I would suggest only keeping one the first time to decide for yourself if you like the taste. Please be careful with those fish you intend to release. The water is warming up and we need to revive those fish until they swim off under their own power. If you want a quick picture to remember the moment. MAKE A PLAN. These large Manistee fish that are running now have wide tails and a bad attitude. They are hard to hold for pictures. Have the camera ready, wear a glove or a mesh landing hand and grip the tail very tightly. The tight grip shows the fish you are in charge. Slide the other hand under the belly to support the weight of the fish. Never let your fingers go into the gills or in front of the fins. Any steelhead that bleeds from the gills is dead please keep it if you injure it. The fish should be out of the water for 10 seconds MAX. Never lift a steelhead by the gill plate. Do not use boga grips. A large adult steelheads neck is to fragile to support its weight hanging from a boga. They are a big no-no on my trips..!!!! Do not use nylon nets. Use only cotton or coated knotless bags on your net. Keep the fish in the net and in deep water until you are ready to take the picture. Take your pictures over deep water so if you accidentally drop the fish it doesn't bonk its nose on a rock. Caring for this fish today will ensure a future angler of the same thrill you experienced..!! This resource is way to precious to waste..!!Thanks Don
4-07-05 Dave with a fresh Rocky River Ohio hen
A friend of mine is now renting out a house he owns in Conneaut Ohio. This is the perfect location for a steelhead base camp on your trip. His prices are reasonable and he rents by the day and the week. The house is well equipped, it is a nice alternative to the hotels. Check out the website at www.orangestreetrentals.com
4-08-05 Daryl with another nice Ohio fish
Mark your Calendars for May 21st. Friends of Conneaut Creek is having a stream cleanup and we need your help..! E-Mail me if you want to come help us clean up this beautiful stream.
4-08-05 A big Manistee strain steelhead warrior on the fly
I am happy to announce that three of our guides have met all of the requirements of the Lorain County Metro-Parks and have been issued a use permit to guide on their property. Myself, Jeff Novak, and Greg Senyo can now offer wade trips on some of the most productive sections of the Vermillion and Black Rivers in Ohio. This will surely become a top Steelhead destination in the coming years. This year Ohio stocked Manistee strain fish are returning in excellent numbers. The Vermillion river's beautiful setting along with its fine gravel and beautiful pocket water is sure to become a favorite of many on "Steelhead Alley"
4-07-05 Mark with another nice Ohio fish caught on the fly
If your interested in fishing the Niagara River below the falls by boat. Give Capt Eric Elenfelt a call at 716-694-6995. Capt Eric is a Buffalo NY native who spends over 200 days a year on the water and is US coast guard licensed. He will put you on the fish. Fishing this time of year is for Steelhead, Brown Trout, and Lake Trout. Bait casting equipment is used and you drift. A very relaxing way to fish and the fish run big. I fished with Capt Eric a couple of weeks ago and would recommend him to anyone interested.
4-08-05 Terry with a nice Manistee Hen
4-02-05 Garrettsville Boy Scouts learning fly tying at Uncle johns campground
4-3-05 Sunday WHAT A WEIRD SPRING..!! I awoke to 6 inches of snow and 25 mph winds this morning and snowfall was heavier near the lake. The upper Grand is now out of its banks (6500cfm). Some areas have received 10 inches of snow.The temperature rose above freezing this afternoon and the snow is rapidly melting. Monday continued snowmelt will cause conditions to be flooded on all of the streams. My guess is Tuesday will still be too high to fish. Wednesday some of the streams should shape up. I'll keep you posted. Good Fishin..!! Don
4-1-05 Mike with a nice Ohio fish.
4-2-05 Saturday Streams have all blown out. I was on lower Elk this morning and it was fishable at daylight but had risen over 2' by 1:00 and was flowing muddy brown. Same goes for the Eastern Ohio streams. We got some very heavy rain early this morning. With more rain and snow in the forecast it isn't looking good until next week. C YA!! Don
4-1-05 swinging flies paid off for Dave
4-2-05 Saturday Had a group of boy scouts from Garrettsville Ohio up to get their merit badge in fly fishing. They tent camped last night in the big storm. Winds were at 35 mph and we got 1 1/2 inches of slushy rain. John Pauline at Uncle Johns campground came to the rescue this morning. He let us use one of his new cabins for our classroom section of the merit badge requirements. Sure was nice drying out in front of the wood burner. THANKS JOHN..!!
3-29-05 Dick on a Grand River float trip
4-1-05 Friday We floated the Grand River in Ohio this morning. Flow was at 500cfm and the river was a brownish green color. We fly fished and did good. We were swinging flies on my handmade 5' tungsten tips with Kat A Killers and white buggers. Got a few real nice fish and some semi fresh ones too.
Greg with a nice Ohio hen that fell for his wiggle stone
3-30-05 Wednesday Went with a group of 24 friends on a Niagara River guided fishing trip. We launched from Lewiston NY. We had 8 boats and captains lined up. A great time was had by all although the fishing was a little slow. Steelhead were scarce but we did get some Lakers and Browns. A 32 1/2 inch Laker took the honors and the fish pool money. My best fish was a 30" lake trout taken on a emerald shiner in 25 foot of water. I fished with Capt Eric and would recommend him if your interested in a Niagara River trip.
3-29-05 Mike with a nice hen
3-29-05 Tuesday We floated the Grand River in Ohio again today. We did very good and got some real nice fish. We used both the fly rods and spinning gear. Fish were aggressive and we had some good jumpers today. Flow was about 700 cfs and visibility was about 18". Good fishin..!! Don
4-1-05 Dave with a nice Ohio fish on the fly
A friend of mine is now renting out a house he owns in Conneaut Ohio. This is the perfect location for a steelhead base camp on your trip. His prices are reasonable and he rents by the day and the week. The house is well equipped, it is a nice alternative to the hotels. Check out the website at http://www.orangestreetrentals.com
3-28-05 Joel with a nice hen on a Grand River float trip
3-28-05 Monday Floated the grand and did good. Flow was 900 and visibility was 10-12 inches. Some fresh fish in the stream. Greg fished Elk and said they did good there also, he reports it was a little up and dirty today. Gotta keep it short. Good Fishin..!! Don
3-28-05 Joel with a big Ohio buck
3-28-05 Merlin with a Ohio steely
3-28-05 Joe the fish slayer
3-28-05 NY strips on the grill and Steelies in solitude. It just doesn't get any better..!!
3-27-05 Greg Senyo with a Easter Steelhead
3-27-05 Happy Easter..!! We got out for a few hours this morning and did OK. Started at Conneaut and hit a few. Water was still a bit high and the color was a nice dark green. Fish were fresh run. We headed to Ohio skinny water mid morning and got out the fly rods. We did fair here on holdovers but couldn't find any fresh fish. Greg headed over to Pa this afternoon and did very good with the fly rod on Elk creek. Said crowds were moderate and the fish are on gravel. Lots of smelts in all of the Pa streams now. Things are looking good for this week. Good Fishin..!! Don
3-26-05 Ariel on her first day of Steelheading. Jeff is helping her with the nice Ohio fish she caught on the spinning rod.
3-26-05 late update Greg reports Vermillion is blown out till Monday at the soonest. Jeff hit Conneaut today and did fair they got about a half dozen on the spinning rods.Jeff said Conneaut flow was strong and it was still a day or so away from prime.This was Jeff's 5th trip this month with children under 13. I am happy to report that all the kids Jeff guided have landed fish. This was a tough feat to pull off given the weather we were faced with in March. Thanks Jeff for a job well done..!! I have the Garrettsville Ohio Boy Scout troop coming up next weekend to work on their fly fishing merit badge. Nothing makes me happier than helping these kids catch their first "Steelhead".Take a kid fishing..!!
3-19-05 Chelsey on her first steelhead trip.
3-26-05 Saturday Sorry no report yesterday. I was beat by the time I got home last night. Started on Ohio skinny water early yesterday morning with the fly rod. Managed to land a half dozen before the crowds got too bad. Used a variety of flies and did best on #10 White buggers. Crowds were heavy as usual for a Friday. After lunch we did some hiking on another Skinny Ohio Trib. It was already low and clear and there were no fish to be had. Next stop was the Rocky River in Cleveland. It had shaped up and although the flow was a bit strong water color was nice. Didn't get any fish here but didn't fish long. Most of the good stretches of river were crowded. I did see a few fish spawning on gravel and there were lots of fresh redds. Conneaut (just under the 2' mark) and the Vermillion (475 cfs) will be nice conditions by Sat afternoon and Sunday morning. The Grand is (1400 cfs) and should fish early next week. My guide Jason was out on Elk yesterday and they did OK. Said they had to walk a lot but they found some holdover fish. He reports no fresh fish in Elk or Trout run. Said that Senyo's skein fly was the ticket. Greg is on the -V- today. Jeff is on Conneaut and Jason is on Elk. Given all the recent internet controversy, I'm going to go out and renew some landowner contacts today. Then I'm going to try to hook up with the guys on the stream. I'll post a report tonight. Good Fishin..!! Don
3-24-04 Thursday Yesterdays rain has blown out most of the steelhead streams. Hopefully there are fresh fish charging upriver right now. Vermillion is at 600CFM and Grand is at 1700 cfs. Some of the Ohio streams should clean up and fish this weekend. The pa tribs will fish tomorrow. I cancelled my trip for today due to weather. Jeff hasn't called in yet. Good Fishin..!! Don
3-23-05 Gary with that steelhead smile and a nice fish..!!
3-23-04 Wednesday We fished Ohio skinny water today. We fly fished. Flow was strong but water color wasn't real bad. Rod and line icing was a problem. We had a tough day. If it wasn't raining it was snowing and spitting painful ice chunks that stung your face. Far from ideal conditions but we hit it hard never the less. We managed to land a couple of nice fish for our efforts. We ended up finding a small run of fresh fish pushing upstream just before dark. Hopefully their buddies are behind them. Water temp was 36*.
3-21-05 Adam shows off a nice Elk Creek Pennsylvania fish
3-23-05 Jeff was on the stream today also. They fished Ohio skinny water too. They used bait. He reports that they landed a few before the noon downpour chased them off the river. Said all were holdover fish and they didn't hit any Chromers.
3-23-05 Bob reflects on the moment
3-22-05 Tuesday We fished Elk Creek in Pennsylvania today. We brought both the spin and the fly gear. We started on a Ohio Trib but it was just too high. Crowds were very heavy today in Pennsylvania. We caught fish everywhere we went but the fish numbers have declined drastically this past week. Crowds have been heavy and lots of fish have left on stringers. Many of the hens are spawned out and are dropping back. Fish are on gravel. Pastel egg patterns #14 were the ticket today.
3-20-05 Jim with a fat hen on the fly
3-21-05 Monday Jeff fished Elk Creek today. He reports that the water was still a little high but they caught fish. They fly fished and had their best success in the pocket water. He reports crowds were moderate even with the high water. They fly fished and he said they switched flies often but egg patterns seemed to produce best. He looked at the Ohio streams and said they were still too high.
I am happy to announce that three of our guides have met all of the requirements of the Lorain County Metro-Parks and have been issued a use permit to guide on their property. Myself, Jeff Novak, and Greg Senyo can now offer wade trips on some of the most productive sections of the Vermillion and Black Rivers in Ohio. This will surely become a top Steelhead destination in the coming years. This year Ohio stocked Manistee strain fish are returning in excellent numbers. The Vermillion river's beautiful setting along with its fine gravel and beautiful pocket water is sure to become a favorite of many on "Steelhead Alley"
Our Steelhead School for this Spring is now full. We will be having another one next Fall and Spring. Dates coming soon. We still have a few spring guide dates open click here to view our online calendar
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I will be trying to put The leading fish results from the Elk Creek Sports-Uncle Johns Campground Shriners beneficial Tournament on this report page whenever I can. I will also post the updates on my web site at http://www.steelheadschool.com/report.html I will try my best to get accurate info BUT I am in no way responsible for the accuracy of this info..!! I hope this will help tournament participants make the decision weather or not to creel a fish. I would hope all tournament participants carry a portable scale. Those with Cell phones can call Elk Creek Sports at 814-774-8755 for the current daily leader. A reminder to all tournament participants please stay off posted areas of the streams, obey all laws and be safe out there.
Good Luck
For more info on the Tournament Click Here.
Week one winner 10 lbs 12 oz.
week two winner 12 lbs 4 oz
3/19 leader: 12 lbs 4 oz (3/19 daily winner 9 lbs 13 oz)
3/21 leader: 12 lbs 4 oz (3/21 daily winner 9 lbs 15 oz)
3/22 leader: 12 lbs 4 oz (3/22 daily winner 10 lbs 4 oz)
3/24 leader: 12 lbs 4 oz (3/24 daily winner 11 lbs 3 oz)
3/25 leader: 12 lbs 4 oz (3/25 daily winner 10 lbs 8 oz)
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3-19-05 Dad (Dan) helps out Chelsey with a feisty hen
3-20-05 Sunday Overnight rains combined with snowmelt have most of the streams running high and muddy. Jeff fished the mile tribs in Pa today. He said water conditions were fair and angling pressure was light but that there are not many fish around. They did catch a few on the fly rod but overall it was a slow day. He reports no fresh fish in trout run.
3-19-05 Another fisherman on the stream. This Bald Eagle kept a close eye on us as we passed by its nest.
3-19-05 Saturday I had a float trip scheduled for this morning but they had to cancel on me. So I hooked up with a bunch of friends and we floated Conneaut Creek. I didn't have high expectations when I saw the creek in the morning. Flow was strong and the high water had came up even more overnight. Being mostly snow melt the water color was nice.
Jeff was out on a father daughter trip today. They fished Conneaut Creek today and did a lot of moving around. They did fair and she landed a few fish. He reports a tough day with heavy crowds at the popular access points. They used the spinning rods and bait today.
My group used Center-Pins with bait, spin-rods with hardware, and fly- rods. So we had all the options covered. It was a VERY slow day for us and I got skunked. The group did land a couple and we got a few Ohio bonefish (suckers). In our defense we did spend more time sitting around on the banks B.S'ing than we did fishing. At least the slightly elevated water levels made for a exciting ride. Hopefully this high WARM (37*) water will bring a good run of fish up. I'll keep you posted.
3-18-05 John with a nice steely on his first day of fly-fishing..!!
3-18-05 Friday I fished Elk Creek this morning. Today it was very crowded and the cold temps returned. It spit snow on and off all morning. We had to hike to get away from the crowds. It paid off and we found some un-pressured fish. Hit a couple on the spin rod with bait but did better with the fly rod today. Most of the fish were in the deeper holes today.
After lunch we headed over to Ohio to have a try at the Manistee's. Started up high on Conneaut and didn't hit any. Water had come up about 8" from the day before. So we headed down to the lower river. Runoff hadn't reached here yet and conditions were good. Only had a short time to fish but we had a nice one on that took us into the trees. We saw a real nice Chromer caught by another angler. Lots of fish rolling in the pools. Jeff was also out guiding Conneaut today with the fly-rods and they found a few fish low but it was a slow day. Might be a little high on Conneaut Saturday morning and but I think it will still fish.
3-19-05 Guide Jason Gregory shows off a nice Conneaut Steely taken on the fly.
3-17-05 Thursday Hit Elk Creek Pa. today. Started low hoping for some fresh ones. We got a few but the wind was bad so we moved upstream. Stocking trucks were dumping in smelts today. PLEASE be careful with these little guys. If you start catching them LEAVE..!! We managed to get in above the trucks and did good. No fresh fish up high either but good numbers of holdovers.
3-17-05 Mike and Pam with a nice Pa fish on the fly.!!
We used both the fly and spin outfits today. We probably did a little better on bait than flies today. We landed one fish that had at least a half dozen green cadis crawling around in its mouth. A decent stonefly hatch was coming off too. More and more bugs is a good thing.
3-17-05 Pam on her first day Steelheading..!!
We caught fish today on a variety of #14 nymphs and Senyo's Chartreuse Green Kat-A-Killers. Fish in the Pa streams are holdovers and have SEEN IT ALL. They are not push-over's. Light tippets and stealth presentations are a must. Water temp was 35* today and the stream was a milky green color with very low flow. It should be a great weekend but don't expect a lot of fresh fish until we get a good warm soaker. Good Fishin..!! Don
3-17-05 Mike with a nice buck..!!
3-16-05 Wednesday We started early this morning on a western Ohio Trib. I figured we would have to wait for the slush to burn off. I was surprised that the river was slush free. The Ohio streams arte wide open with no side ice. We got enough snow melt to turn them a nice green color. Flows are a little low but the color is perfect. Water temp was a balmy 34* today. Crowds were very slim. The feeders were starting to run dirty as we quit but not much snow left in Western Ohio. If it freezes up tonight as forecasted it will be another nice day tomorrow. We didn't make double digits today but all of the fish were all 27-30 inch Manistee's that were full of fight. We did best swinging Senyo's Kat-A-Killers and white woolly buggers through the heads of the holes on 7 foot 7 IPS tungsten heads. Others on the stream were having good luck on blue tadpoles on the spinning rods. Picked up a lot of litter today. Please carry out what you carry in and be respectful of your neighbor and the landowners. Good Luck..!! Don
3-17-05 Steelhead heaven ????
3-15-05 Tuesday I didn't fish today. Greg called with a report and said the Pa streams were very slushy this morning. He reports the Ohio tribs were a beautiful color this afternoon and slush free. The water level is low in all streams now.
3-16-05 Vermillion River buck..!!
3-14-05 Monday Fished with Greg today on the Pa tribs. We started on Skinny water. My first cast I landed a 11 lb 5 oz hen. Just a little short of the Tournament leader. I was too lazy to carry it out for the daily prize, so she's still swimming. With a ear to ear smile on my face I made my second cast. Bingo a 9 lb 13 oz fish. The luck didn't continue unfortunately but we did catch enough to keep it interesting. With a low of 7* last night slush was real bad until about 10:00. A nice sunny day burned it off and opened up more water even though it didn't go above freezing today. Elk and Walnut are very low and clear and there is side ice but there are many fishable sections. Doesn't seem to be a whole lot of fish in the stream. We didn't get any fresh ones. The Ohio streams are in decent shape and there are small spurts of fresh fish in the streams. Conneaut is even getting a little clear and the Grand is at 720 CFM. Look for the slushy morning trend to continue through the weekend. LOTS of black stones hatching the last few days. Good Luck..!! Don
3-14-05 First Cast of the day..!! 11 lbs 5 oz Released
3-13-05 Sunday Jeff, Greg and Jason were out on the Eastern Ohio tribs today. Said it was a little slushy till bout 10:00. Nice water after that. More anglers out than the last few days. The bait guys did good the fly guys had a tough time but got a few. The big fish trend continues one 10 1/2 and one 9 1/2 today. A few spots on Elk opened up. Will be slush again in the morning. I'm going to look around Pa in the morning early. Then hit Ohio in the afternoon. I'll post a report tomorrow.
Good Luck..!! Don
3-12-05 11 Yr old Bethany and Jeff with her first steelhead 9lbs 6 oz! Good job Bethany!!
3-12-05 Saturday Most people stayed indoors today. Temp only made it to 33*.Even most veteran Steelheaders didn't venture out. Jeff reports the slush burned off about 11:30. Shortly after 11 Yr old Bethany got her first steely. He said it was a tough day and the bite was a little slow but they still managed to put a half dozen in the net with a few more long line released. Jeff said Bethany was a good student and needed very little help casting and landing the fish. He said one that got off was much much bigger. Isn't it amazing how the big ones always get away. Guess that's why they are big ones!
3-12-05 Dad (Dan) with a Ohio winter steelhead.
They used the spinning rods and bait. Jeff said the water has come down to a nice fishable level on Conneaut. He said water temp was still 33* and there seem to be small pushes of fresh fish entering the river. Said crowds were light. He saw Elk and reports it is locked up bad with only moving water open. Its gonna be real slushy in the morning. Might as well sleep in. Looks like a warm-up later this week. Get ready here they come! Good Fishin..!! Don
3-11-05 Had to put the chase on this 1o lb 4 oz Ohio fish.
3-11-05 Friday Almost didn't go out today. Jeff and me both cancelled our trips today.Figured it would be too slushy. Had guys who were traveling too far. Dam winter weather will not let go. It was slushy until about 10:00 then it burned off. River was Perfect after that. Perfect green color and nice flow. No side ice and a good number of fish. we did very good and landed three over 10 lbs. Easy double digits.
3-11-05 Lots of Fat Manistee's today. Like this 10 lb 11 oz hen. Saw no other anglers. Perfect Conditions after the slush burned off about 10:00.
Black stone flies were hatching. Lots more were getting ready. They are now migrating from the deep stream gravel to the rocks near the edges of the stream. They will wait along the edge of the stream for the first sunny day to crawl out of their shuck and spread their wings to dry. The winter holdover fish are gorging on them now. The stones seem to be running very big this winter. I have saw some as big as #12. With most about #16. I cleaned a hen from last Sunday that had no less than twenty stones in her belly. She got wrapped in the line and was bleeding from the gills so we kept her for the smoker.
3-11-05 #12 Black Stonefly in Ohio
We had our best luck today on flies. Greg's Kat-A- Killer in #8 Green Chartreuse was hot. We had to go to light tippets. Water clarity was 2'+ and water temp was 33*. We also hit a few on a egg nymph tandem rig.
3-11-05 Jeff with a 28" Ohio buck..!!
3-10-05 Thursday Jeff made it out today to scout around. I slept all day !! LOL!! We both cancelled our trips due to poor weather. Hard to take someone on a fishing trip when the stream is slush covered most of the day. This weather pattern has been with us a while now. It has been fun for me. Fishing almost every afternoon, But it isn't paying the bills. I am hoping for a warm-up soon. Jeff actually reports doing very good today. The fish are there and we know where. Its just a matter of getting to them. Slush was bad all morning and it burned off at 11:30. Jeff saw one other angler today. He landed a big hen that went 11 lbs 5 oz on the digital scale but had no one to snap a pic! Likely story! Grinning! He thinks it will fish good tomorrow but expects slush early. Good Luck..!! Don
3-05-05 8 Yr old Nathan shows off his first steelhead. A Ohio buck just shy of 10lbs. He carefully released it to fight another day..!! GOOD JOB NATHAN..!!
3-09-05 Wednesday Cancelled out for today and tomorrow. Streams are very slushy. the Pa streams have considerable side ice already. Snow in the forecast means even more slush. The short term isn't looking good. Maybe the weekend. C 'YA!! Don
3-06-05 This Centerpinner was tying up the hole in true fish hog fashion. This is the fish I was supposed to catch! Grinning! 10 lbs even
3-08-05 Tuesday It's 9:30 am and 12* outside..!! The creeks are all blown out from yesterdays rain. It was 49* yesterday at 9:30. What a change.Some streams may fish tomorrow but it looks like slush is going to be a big problem. Probably not worth the trip tomorrow either. They are calling for a slight warm up Thursday afternoon and this may be the first real fishing opportunity. Old man winter just will not let go. I'll keep you posted. Don
3-06-05 Fishin fanatics score a Ohio hog.
3-05-05 Saturday I had the day off but Jeff called me tonight with a report. They fished the Eastern Ohio tribs today with spinning gear and bait and they did good. He said that it was real slushy early. Reported that it burned off about 11:00. He had a eight yr old boy and his father out on his first steelhead adventure. First fish of the day was just shy of 10lbs !! I'll get the pics up as soon as I get them. Jeff reports side ice is thick on the Ohio tribs but the streams are still fishable. None of the other guys called in tonight but I would think everything will fish tomorrow (Sun) Most of the streams are running low and clear. With a low of 26* there will probably be slush early but a if it gets into the predicted 40's. It should be a great day. Good Fishin..!! Don
3-06-05 Jeff knew right where this big Ohio hen was hiding! Bet she is still there!
3-04-05 Friday Hit a western Ohio Trib with Greg and Chris. Started about 8:30 and slush was terrible. Un-fishable but we fished anyhow. We used the spinning rods. Chris showed me his slush buster rig and it put mine to shame. We actually caught a few thru the slush. About noon it burned off and they got out the fly rods. We had steady action the rest of the day, we actually did quite well. Chris knew exactly where to go to put us on the fish. No real Chromers but most fish were semi fresh Manistee's that were full of fight. Oh, how nice it is to be getting the Manistee's again..!! With a low of 20 tonight, daytime temps above freezing tomorrow, and no snow in the forecast. I think most of the streams will fish tomorrow. It will be slushy early, so you might as well sleep in. Another reason I like winter Steelheading.. Good Fishin..!! Don
03-04-05 Friday Greg shows off one of many nice Ohio steelhead caught on Steak N eggs!
3-03-05 Thursday Jeff and I both cancelled our guide trips today due to poor weather. We went out early and did some scouting-around. We took the spinning rods and bait. Still way to slushy to fly fish. Looked at the Ohio streams early and they were slushed real bad. Even our 8-G slush rigs on the spin rods wouldn't pull our bait thru the slush. Several of the smaller tribs were iced across. Punted and kept heading East, made it over to Elk Creek about 9:00 and did some walking in the middle river. We found very few fish. Or should I say I found none and Jeff got one. Slush is building into side ice but the middle was open. Actually it wasn't too bad. I think it will defiantly be slushy and tough to fish in the morning but the diehards will be out. With skunk on my hands we headed back to Ohio looking for big Manistee's on the Grand. We found the sun had burned off the slush and there was no side ice. Flow was 550 CFS and visibility was perfect. Jeff got four here, none of Jeff's fish were fresh though. The fish continued to eluded me and I ended up with the big zero. Oh well I'll just blame this one on the weather. Grinning..!! I'm predicting tomorrow and Saturday will fish but its going to be slushy in the mornings. I'll keep you posted. Good fishin..!! Don
03-04-05 Friday Chris with a Ohio Manistee.. Notice the ice and slush behind him! This is where we were fishing and catching them! No sally's today..!!
3-02-05 Stream Report. Don't forget you Ohio fishing license needs renewed on March
1st..!! Fishing has been very good for us the past few days.The winter storm
is starting to have a bad effect on the streams and there is snow slush to deal
with now. Most areas now have 7 or 8 inches of snow on the ground and its still
coming down. So its a daily toss of the hat as to weather you can fish.
Possibly Friday or Saturday some places may fish if the snow tapers off. Most
streams are low and clear with the exception of the Grand which is now finally
approaching a fishable level.
I haven't been on the Pa streams since Sunday but Jason reports a few fresh fish
in Elk and very light crowds. There is a nice push of fresh fish in some of the
Ohio streams. These fish are very silver and strong. We have been spin fishing
with bait and have racked up some impressive numbers the last couple of days.
Good Fishin..!! Don
03-04-05 Friday. Chris again.Notice how the slush burned off by noon.
2-27-05 Sunday Looked at a bunch of Ohio streams at daylight 15* on the truck thermometer. All the Eastern Ohio streams were very heavily slushed. So we kept driving East and ended up at lower Elk and it was slush free until about 10:00 then it started to slush up. We used the spin gear and hit about a half dozen on bait. All darker fish. Stream was very low and clear and there didn't seem to be very many fish. Figuring our day was done we headed back to Ohio and were surprised to find the bright sun had burned off some of the slush off of Conneaut creek despite the below freezing air temp. We bounced around to quite a few spots and hit quite a few fresh run bright fish. :) Some quite far upstream. Finally with a few fresh fish around mother nature is going to dump some snow on us tomorrow. If it starts off as rain and floods the creeks it will be a good thing. If its all snow and we get a bunch. Its going to slush and freeze things up quick. I'll keep you posted. Don
2-26-05 Saturday Jeff and John were out today. They started late and much to my surprise they found some open water. He said by the time they got to the river at 9:30 the slush had burned off. They fished Conneaut and Elk and caught fish in both. No fresh ones either place. but they were glad to be catching steel in Feb. They reported the water was very low and clear and the fish were in the deeper holes. They spin fished and Jeff reports it was tough keeping the rods ice free. Its going down to 10* tonight but I'm heading up in the morning.
3-3-05 Thursday Jeff with a hard earned Ohio fish.
2-25-05 Friday Since there no new fish pictures to show you I have put up some pics of some of the flies Greg has been tying for me to use this spring.
Not many fishing opportunities remain. It was 10* this morning and just about everything was slushy. Open water can still be found on Glycol Alley on the Rocky River. This section seldom freezes due to runoff from Jet airplane deicer at Cleveland Hopkins airport. Not my cup of tea. There is open water below a few dams but no fresh fish are around yet. Water temps are still to low to trigger any big runs. Don't kill the messenger! Grinning.. We are keeping our fingers crossed for warm weather. I'll keep you posted. Good Fishin..!! Don
Greg's spawning stone
Greg and Jason and the rest of the crew at Jag Fly have been hard at work. I got these original patterns from Greg this week to try out this spring on "Steelhead Alley. Some of the Michigan Guides he ties for have reported great success last winter on these patterns.
I can't wait to "Get em Wet" C YA..!! Don
Greg's Extended body nymph.
2-20-05 Sunday Started early today on Elk. Found it very slushy and had it to
ourselves. Some places iced clear across. Spent about 45 min trying to bust out
some ice. Decided we would need dynamite and gave up on that hole. Went to
another section. Managed to open up a hole with manual labor:) Caught quite a
few. Some semi fresh. Hens were dropping eggs and there were a few fish on
gravel. Constant slush and the rods kept icing up all day. Then there was this
dam Centerpinner who kept tying the hole up! grinning! Congrats to Racinray on
his first
pin fish! Moved over to a
Ohio Trib. No slush when we got there. Not as much side ice as Elk. Water very
clear. Also very Crowded. Not many fish but we did get a couple. Started to snow
hard. Creek slushed up quick. Roads were terrible on the way home. I'll bet it
will be very slushy in the morning.
Good fishin..!! Don
2-20-05 Ray on his first day Pining
2-18-05 Friday Not much to report on High open water followed by cold weather and slushy streams this week. It was 12* and snowing this morning. I stayed home. Its going to be tough till we get a warm-up that lasts. I don't believe any large amount of fresh fish have run in the last two thaws. The water temp has just been too cold yet. My prediction is there are a bunch of impatient fish at the stream mouths just waiting for the warm-up. It will not be long now. I would stay home this weekend
Our Steelhead School for this Spring is now full. We will be having another one next Fall and Spring. Dates coming soon. We still have a few spring dates open click here to view our online calendar
Well with March right around the corner, I thought I would mention the big buzz in Erie Pa. Elk Creek Sports and Uncle Johns Campground located on Rt.5 near the mouth of Elk Creek, are hosting a charity Steelhead fishing tournament. It will run the whole month of March. The Shriners will be the benefactor. This is no big news, as lots of Tournaments are held up here each year. The big difference is this one pays $5,000. The winner must pass a polygraph test that the fish was legally caught in Pennsylvania. You can check out the details by clicking here. It has received very mixed local press lately. Some local fishermen are concerned about a increase in angling pressure. They are concerned the increase in angling pressure will cause some landowners to post their land. There have also been concerns raised about killing of fish, and fishing when smolt are present. Even the local TU chapter have stated they are against it. Most of the other Erie area shops have stayed tight lipped and none are openly supporting it.
My opinion is that this tournament, no matter what the payout, will not bring near the crowds that the streams receive during the October runs. I have talked to quite a few landowners and none seemed overly concerned. Everyone knows it is a put and take man made fishery and the few fish that will be killed are minuscule in the big picture of things. Same goes for the smolt. Most of these same people that are complaining themselves fish in March when the smolt are present. I think it could have, and should have been a boost to fishermen in the local communities eyes. After all it is going to raise thousands of dollars for the Shriners. Only time will tell.
I personally don't like tournaments that require the killing of fish. I think our beautiful steelhead are to magnificent of a creature to be killed for a prize. Many of you know I am a open advocate of Catch and Release. Over the years I have seen the benefit first hand. Several times we have landed the same fish, with a different angler on a different day. Thus that fish was enjoyed and left fond memories, for two anglers, instead of one. BUT I also know that the killing of fish in a put and take fishery will not harm the resource. I put my faith in the states fish commission to decide the creel limits that are acceptable. I hold no I'll will towards those who wish to enjoy a fine meal they harvested on their own, as their forefathers did. I myself eat fish. Many of my license holding guests keep fish for the table.
So you may ask me. Do you support the tournament? I would have to say with caution, that yes I do support the tournament and I will enter it myself. If I should somehow manage to win the $5,000, I pledge to donate it to PASA, 3CU'S and Friends of Conneaut Creek. All three are very worth while local clubs. If you have seen my March calendar you know that I'm a very long shot. Some of my guests may choose to fish it and I will give it my best if they do.
I say I support it with caution because some people have protested it so loudly it may have been doomed from the beginning. They have surely put anyone who fishes Erie this spring under the magnifying glass. It is up to all of us to prove to the local community that anglers are not the bad guys. We must be on our best behavior and show the landowners the respect they deserve. Please stay off of private lands. We don't need somebody stirring up a hornets nest with dollar signs in their eyes. There are plenty of places to fish without trespassing. If you see posted signs turnaround they are there for you! Just because you may see other people fishing there doesn't mean you can fish there. They might be guests of the landowner or they may be trespassing them selves. Do not fish private land without permission Also you should realize that a 6 lb fish is not a winner. Even a 10 lb fish doesn't have a chance. My guess it will take 14 lbs or better to win it. Yes, there are daily prizes, but ask yourself, do you really want to bonk that beautiful fish on the head, for a cheap rod or another small consolation prize.
Above all else PLEASE be gentle with the smolt! They are the future. If you are catching them in numbers leave that spot. The winning fish will likely be A stray Ohio Manistee. I am going with Jimmy Dallas theory that most of the big fish come from low in the river. I'm betting it will come from lower Walnut. My guide Jeff thinks it will be a big Ohio stocked Manistee buck in upper Conneaut Creek.
I wish Uncle Johns Campground and Elk Creek Sports the best of luck. They have taken a lot of heat and have remained steadfast in their determination to pull this off. I know the owners Dan and John both personally. They have always been very good to myself and my guests. I know in my gut that they are good individuals who do care about the fishery and are trying to help a local charity. None of us really know what the future will bring but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Good luck..!! Don
2-14-05 Fished the chagrin today. We used the spinning rods. Did a lot of walking. Saw no other anglers (0). Fish were scarce but there were a few to be had. No fresh run at least not in the upper stretches. Ice is completely gone now. Flow started at a nice 500CFM with 18 inch visibility and a greenish tint. It was still good when we left at 1:00 but the feeders were running fast and it is raining pretty good now. Good Luck..!! Don
2-11-05 Went ice fishing today. NOT! Fat guys and ice don't mix. So I hit the Elk today with Dick AKA: Hawkland. Finally open water. NOT! Seems like the fish genies missed their predictions for today's stream conditions on yesterdays internet reports. Heard some grumbling anglers along the stream today. We weren't grumbling at all. Remember guys its hard to predict mother nature. If you wake up and its 14* outside in Erie. Plan on fishing in the slush.
2-11-05 Dick with a nice holdover Elk Creek Pa steelhead
We found it very slushy so we were glad we were spin fishing with brown eggs. Saw some guys fly fishing but they were struggling with the ice on their line. We went to work right away and busted out a hole. River is quickly icing over. Side ice about a inch of hard ice already. It is close to icing across in spots. We caught them real good. If I posted how many you would probably think I'm lying..!! That's the way winter fishing often goes, Feast or famine. Saw no fresh fish today but lots of hungry holdovers. Conditions remained about the same all day. Slush never burned off. Nice green 32* water.
2-11-05
Open water in February, Will it last?
My prediction is that its going to be a real tough weekend but the ice busting
warriors will catch fish. Have at it guys I'm spending the weekend with my
Valentine in the warm water of a hot tub. Its going to be real slushy Saturday
morning and if it doesn't get above freezing tomorrow we will loose it. Conneaut
was still high in Ohio and Slush was bad there too. I don't think it will fish
good tomorrow. Heading west might be a better bet. Keep your fingers crossed for
warm weather. Good Fishin..!! Don
2-7-05 Open water is awfully hard to come by the last two days. Lake Erie is open water so the mouths of most streams is a option. We found some productive open water but sorry I gotta stay tight lipped on this one. We have been hitting the fish good on the spinning gear. Overall conditions are terrible. You can walk across Elk Creek. Some of the upper Grand and Upper Chagrin are open but its slim pickings. I have reports that Glycol Alley is open on the Rocky and a few fish have been taken. My advise is keep on tying those flies. We got some rain coming this might open things up. Good Fishin Don!
2-5-05 Greg Senyo called from Chicago tonight. He is demonstrating his fly tying skills at the big fly fishing show in Chicago this weekend. I am grounded this weekend, looks like I missed a great show. He sounded as excited as a kid in a candy store on the phone. Sounds like a real who's who of the fly fishing world. He said he tied his wiggle stone and extended body nymphs and the show had a great turnout.
"A BIG THANK YOU to Neshannock TU, Toledo, Oh Gander Mt and everybody that helped make our steelhead presentations a success!! It did me good to see that both events were standing room only.. We forgive the guy who was snoring during Jeff's section of the presentation. After that great meal then turning the lights out in that warm room just wasn't fair. Grinning!"
Upcoming presentations of our slide show "Tips and Tricks for steelhead alley" can be seen on:
1-29-05 at The Neshannock Creek TU's cabin fever symposium
Location – At the Hermitage Pa VFW on Route 62 (approximately two miles East of Route 18 )· Time– From 11:00 Am until 3:00 PM on Saturday, January 29th I will be speaking at 1:00. Free lunch at 12:00 and a cash bar
1-30-05 We will be at the Gander Mountain in Toledo, Ohio from 12:00-2:30
Directions to Gander Mt.: Exit From Ohio Turn pike at Maumee, Toledo exit number 59 after paying the toll go straight which will be (Rt.20 north or to locals) Reynolds road. You will proceed north on Reynolds road to Airport highway (about 3miles)turn left onto Airport and merge into the right lane. You will go approx 2 miles to holland/slyvannia road. you turn right and you will see Gander Mountain right next to Old Navy in the spring meadows shopping center.
Read Don's new article "Advanced Spin tactics for Steelhead" Featured in the January - February issue of Country Anglin Outdoor Guide Click Here
1-22-05 Saturday Time to tie flies, build leaders, clean the reels and get your gear in ready for the spring thaw. Most of the streams are frozen or have severe side ice. A few diehards are still fishing in places in Ohio. Most fishermen have taken to the ice. I'll keep you posted! Don
1-13-05 Thursday Flood watches are in effect for the area today and again temperatures are near 50. Winter weather is predicted to return to the area starting tomorrow. One has to wonder how many fish have run these past few days with the warm rain. With daytime highs in the 20's it will not take long at all before slush and ice become a problem. Our schedule is open Jan and Feb so we are free to fish if the weather cooperates.
1-11-05 Greg with a nice Elk Creek steely..
1-12-05 Wednesday We put on a steelhead presentation-slide show last night for the "Friends of Conneaut Creek" club in Conneaut. It was free to the public and the turnout was good. The Moose club provided a nice setting to have it. I enjoyed meeting some of the faces I see on the stream around Conneaut. The local cable access channel filmed the presentation and will be airing it in the near future. I can't say enough about the Friends of Conneaut Creek Club. They are very actively trying to preserve the watershed. They are going to have a big spring cleanup of the creek on May 21st Please try to attend...!!!
1-06-05 Lance with a couple of Chromers for the smoker
1-11-05 Tuesday Got out and fished a little today. Fished with Dick, Rick and Greg. We did excellent..!! Started out on Ohio skinny water caught a couple there, but it was still a bit to high. So we packed up and headed for Greg's cousins property on Elk Creek. It didn't take long. I hooked up on my first cast. I landed that fish and got eight more out of that drift without moving. It was just one of those days. Probably the warm weather is what had them so fired up.
Stonefly's were everywhere in Ohio today. I took a picture of one. They ranged in size from #14-#18.
1-06-05 Jeff with a nice Pa brownie from Elk Creek..
1-09-05 Sunday Jeff hit the Pa streams with John and Mike today. They got a early start and found some fish. Jeff reports the water was a nice color and the found fish in a holdover mode. They mixed it up a little and used both the fly and spinning gear. He reported that most of the fish came from the deeper holes.
1-09-05 Mike with a Pennsylvania winter steely
1-08-05 Saturday Fished Elk Creek for a few hours this afternoon and found a bunch of fish. Temperature was near 40 and the crowds were nil. Fish are defiantly picky right now.
Winter steelhead stonefly patterns
12-28-04 Tuesday I hope everybody had a nice Christmas and I hope Santa was good to you..!! Conditions are tough right now on "Steelhead Alley". There is still open water in places. The Grand and Catt are still blown out from the floods but are mostly ice free from the high water. The slower sections of the smaller streams are starting too ice over. The cold temps are making fishing conditions tough. Looks like it might warm up a bit the next couple of days so there should be a window of opportunity to get out. Be prepared to break some side ice but at least you will be fishing. Ohio muzzleloader deer season is in. Please wear some Orange and BE SURE the property you are fishing is open during the hunting season.!!! GOOD FISHIN...!!! Don
12-22-04 Wednesday The big question is?? HOW LONG BEFORE FREEZE UP!! Basically its anybodies guess.?? Surely the open water will last for a while at select locations but slush will be a ongoing problem. Here's what I know. Conneaut is still high and side ice is forming fast. Elk is open in a few areas but most of the holes are froze over. Ice busters are out in force. Grand is open today and though a bit high still fishin OK. Haven't seen it but have a report than most of the Rocky is still open. We are forecasted to get more snow today and tonight. Lows are only going to go slightly below freezing. Thru Thursday evening. I'll keep you posted!! Happy Holidays..!! Don
1-09-05 John with a winter hen he took on the fly rod
12-21-04 Tuesday Fished the Grand river with Al and Greg today. Started out a bit slushy but we managed to fish. Conditions were less than ideal with a 840CFM flow and 8 inch visibility but at least it was open. Water temp was 32* and the fish were lethargic. Al did OK on the fly rod and landed four on big pink blood dots. One was a nice nine lb male that gave us the slip before we could get a picture. Greg and I lost a few too many on the spinning rod and only managed to land one. All of the fish were dark and we didn't see any fresh ones caught.
1-08-05 Jeff with a nice buck
12-20-01 Monday It's noon and still single digits. This is bad news for the creeks. Most are shushed up real bad. There is a slight warm-up forecasted for Wednesday. I think a few places might fish but its really anybodies guess? This might be the last chance to get out for awhile.
12-19-04 A hard earned 9 lb. winter trophy!
12-19-01 Sunday Jeff started off in Ohio yesterday and struggled with slush. Everywhere he found open water it was too high to fish. So he headed over to Pa and found some open water. They managed a very productive day despite the wintery conditions.
12-19-04 Marty with a snow covered steely..!!
12-18-04 Saturday Got the day off and am trying to catch up on my e-mail and get the web site updated. Jeff is on the stream guiding today and I'll get up a report when he gets in tonight.
12-17-04 Eric with a nice winter Ohio Steely Buck..!!
We have several seminars on "Steelhead Alley Tips and Tactics" coming up the next couple of months. I hope you can attend one of them. The first one is a presentation on steelhead fishing in conjunction with "Friends of Conneaut Creek club". I am a club member and this club is very actively involved with preserving the beauty of the Creek for future generations. The seminar is on Jan. 11, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. at the Moose Lodge in Conneaut Harbor. 280 Park Ave. Conneaut, Ohio. Admission is free. We also have presentation this month at Gander Mt. in Toledo Ohio and another planned for the Sharon pa area. I'll post the dates and times as soon as I get them finalized..!! C YA!! Don
12-17-04 A hard earned winter Chromer..!!
12-19-04 Friday Winter has settled in on "Steelhead Alley". Most anglers can now be found in their lazy boys with a remote control in their hand. We have continued to fish despite the adverse conditions. This is when we separate the men from the boy's on the steelhead stream..!! We spent today fishing the same Ohio Trib we started on yesterday. Things started out slow, as they usually do when winter Steelheading. Jeff and I had a die hard group of five anglers from Columbus Oh out. Tom made the mistake of stepping on a section of ice that gave way. It's 27* at 8:15 Am, he is soaked from head to toe, standing in a foot of snow, on the bank, shirtless, and ringing out his wet clothing. That's Hardcore..!!! I mentioned heading back to the trucks for a dry change of clothes. He wouldn't hear it. No sally's today..!! LOL!!
12-17-04 Tom braved the cold for fish like this one..!!
They were rewarded for their efforts with Steelhead in solitude. My two guys were doubled up at times and Jeff guys had three on at once. One fish was a 31" male and a fat 11 1/2 pound Manistee was also brought to the net. Everybody caught plenty of fish and no one complained about the weather. A good time was had by all..!! Only had one digital so I'll try to get up the rest of the photos when developed. Good Fishin..!! Don
12-16-04 The rewards of winter Steelheading..!!
12-16-04 Thursday Hit the stream today with a group of Canton Ohio area anglers. I suggested a late start to them because of the cold temps. We were going to fish a Ohio Trib. I was very disappointed when I got to the stream and it was slush covered with a water temp of 32*. Boy did I call that one wrong. The guys gave it 110% but the slush just made it all but impossible to fish. Every five minutes the ice had to be chipped from the rods, flies and line. We bounced around to a couple of different spots but it was futile. We had lunch and I called a friend in Pa. He tells me that Elk Creek has just melted off and was slush free. So we packed up and headed East. Water temp at Elk was 33.8*. We found a good pocket of fish and it saved the day. We even managed to get a couple of doubles and a couple of fairly fresh fish. Crowds were surprisingly thin. Good Luck..!! Don
Winter Holdover steelhead medicine it's more deadly than Viox or Celebrex!
Winter steelhead require small well tied flies. These holdover fish feed on what aquatic life is available to them. They don't expend much energy chasing the few baitfish available instead they lay up in the gut of a run and hibernate awaiting the warm spring waters and the spawn ahead. Nymphs are like candy and when one is bounced in front of their nose they often can't resist. In our streams this is going to be mostly miniature black stone nymphs size #20 or the slightly larger Golden Stone's. In some of the streams there is also a abundance of #18 green and cream colored caddis worms. Of course we can't use a #20 and expect to land a 14 lb Manistee but we do have to downsize our offerings to a sparsely tied #14. Think small for winter steelhead...!!! Good fishin..!! Don
12-16-04 winter doubles on Elk creek Pa.
I felt compelled to comment on something that was brought to my attention from a friend. On a Local Ohio Club website another Ohio steelhead guide has put the following text in his advertisement. This ad is directly above my listing and the last line of his ad reads. Never be fooled, fish with the BEST! I would hope that most of you are smart enough to see who's fooling who here..!! I would suggest before you book a guided trip you ask the prospective guide how many trips he has done this year? How many fish have his clients caught this year? How many days has he spent on the stream this year? What States and streams does he fish? Where did he fish yesterday? Does he have insurance and the proper licenses? Does he have private access? What is included in the trip price? Does he guarantee that you will catch fish?
12-16-04 Jerry with a winter fly caught Pennsylvania steelhead
Unfortunately there are many out there who look at the client as easy money. Do not be surprised to find Guides who take their clients to snag infested water then charge some high fee for each fly you loose. Our philosophy is simple. We treat each guest as we would expect to be treated on a guided trip. There are no hidden costs on our trips. "You catch fish or you fish free" Everything except your license is included in the price. I will provide a exhaustive list of past guest references to anyone interested. Again I ask..?? Who's fooling who here..!! Pictures don't lie..!! GOOD FISHIN..!! Don
12-02-04 Dick with a trophy Ohio Steelhead
12-13-04 Our first real winter blast is upon us here on Steelhead Alley. The streams are still fairly warm so I don't see them icing out real quick. We have received six inches plus of snow today with more on the way tonight. The temperature is going to stay below freezing tomorrow. Conditions will be tough the next couple of days with slush being a problem. The forecast calls for the temperature to warm a bit Thursday and Friday. GOOD FISHIN...!!! Don.
12-09-04 Mike shows off a nice Ohio Chromer
12-11-04 We got out this morning and hit some of the Mile tribs in Pa. We caught a few in the high muddy water but there appeared to be no big fresh run of fish. The opposite is true in Ohio but nothing was fishable in the buckeye today. We got out last Thursday before the rain hit and found a big run of fresh Chromers. The Manistee strain fish are surely charging upstream in the high water. So when it becomes fishable there should be plenty of fish for those brave enough to face the cold conditions. Good Luck! Don
12-11-04 Jeff with a Lake front steely
We are starting to fill up fast on our spring dates. Please check our online calendar for our available dates. In addition to our wade trips. We will be offering drift boat float trips on the Grand River all winter and spring weather permitting. Our new 17' Hyde Pro Guide Aluminum boat is the Cadillac of drift boats. We have forged a agreement with the Ashtabula County Metro parks granting us access to the boat ramp. This means we can float the entire length of the Grand River now. The Grand is designated a Wild and Scenic River and offers a nice break from the crowds "Steelhead Alley" is famous for. The fish are big mean Manistee strain and the fights in the big water are unmatched.
12-05-04 Don on a Conneaut Creek float trip
We are now accepting reservations for our Spring Steelhead School. The spring session will focus on the West side of "Steelhead Alley". We will cover the streams from Erie Pa to Cleveland Ohio.
Joel with a nice Elk Creek Buck
I know the web site reports page wasn't updated often this past fall. I'm sorry for this but my continued focus is on fishing and providing the best possible trip possible to my guests. Our business has had a very successful fall season and we have logged just short of 70 trips thus far since Oct 1st. This past fall that involved fishin Cattaraugus Creek in Western New York much of the time, due to the low water we were plagued with on "steelhead Alley". The 2 hr each way drive didn't leave much time to keep the web site updated. Now that the Manistee has showed up in our Ohio streams and my drive time is shorter. I should have more time to keep this page current. C YA on the stream..!! Don
Bill with a fresh Pa steely..!!
12-08-04 Joe with a Ohio fly Rod steelhead
12-09-04 Bill with his first Steelhead..!! Now he's hooked..!!
12-11-04 Greg Senyo with a fat mile Trib hen..!!
Sheldon with a couple for the smoker..!!