Very few things can top explosive steelhead action, especially during the bitterly cold and notoriously unfishable Canadian Winter.  When I heard that a small outing was being organized to a few Pennsylvania Lake Erie tributaries in early April, I could hardly wait.  Never having fished Lake Erie before, or any of it's tributaries for that matter, I was very much looking forward to exploring some new water, meeting some new mates, and of course finally feeling a steelhead on the end of my 8wt.

Pennsylvania is famous for it's trout fishery.  Although only a sliver of the state extends Northward to Lake Erie, tightly sandwiched between New York and Ohio, the fishable water in Pennsylvania is nothing short of amazing.  Dozens of scenic creeks, ranging from narrow and deep to shallow and wide, leech into Lake Erie carving deep canyons into the limestone of nearby hills and deep woodlands.  Most of Lake Erie and it's tributaries are considered a "put & take" fishery.  The DNR, Pennsylvania's equivalent of the Canadian MNR, stocks very high quantities of smolts throughout the region.  In fact the numbers of stocked steelhead are exponentially higher in Lake Erie than in Lake Ontario, creating a haven for steelheaders while fueling the local economy.  Lake Erie steelhead are also known as Fall spawners, with only a limited quantity of fish remaining in the creeks through the Winter and early Spring; a complete contrast to the steelhead stemming from Lake Ontario which almost always spawn in the Spring.

Our trip spanned 3 days of solid fishing, with the party ranging in size from 4 to 8 fly fishers.  With the lodge located in the fairly central location of Erie, PA the plan was to fish the larger, more popular creeks such as the Elk and Walnut first, then as crowds appeared we would migrate to smaller, less crowded waters.  On day one we found ourselves on the very windy shores of lower Walnut Creek around 5:30am.  A few fishermen decorated the banks on either side of the creek however the infamous crowds everyone was expecting just weren't there.  A few local fishermen explained that the high winds brought on by the cold front that had just moved in kept the fair weather fishermen at

Lake Erie steelhead, at least the Spring run we observed, reacted unlike any other steelhead I've caught out of Lake Ontario tributaries in the past.  The fish would blatantly ignore our flies for 20 - 30 minutes at a time, regardless of what they were, only to strike with vengeance on the 75th drift, like they've never seen the fly before.  This persistence and determination was a must during these clear water conditions.  Many anglers came and went, only drifting to visible fish a hand full of times, then moving on empty handed.  There is a wise saying in Erie "You don't leave fish to find fish".  Practice patience and you will be rewarded.

Just as the action was heating up, a fresh cold front gifted us with silver dollar sized snowflakes followed by sleet, hail and of course - rain.  The unfortunate turn in the weather drove most of the fishermen off the water, and for good reason.  Within an hour the creeks rose a foot, and water visibility was reduced to a mere 2 to 3 inches.  Such a dramatic change in water conditions in such a short time was quite interesting to witness.  Even more interesting was the change in the fish's behavior.  The steelhead were no longer holding in pocket water, rather they were an unbelievable 2 feet off the bank, holding in just about the only section that wasn't surging with muddy runoff caused by the steady rain.  Many anglers were wading out to much deeper water, completely oblivious to the fish just inches from the bank.  By focusing on these shallow sections, and drifting slightly brighter flies our party was able to land fish in circumstances thought to be unfishable by others.

Most streambeds in Pennsylvania consist of long stretches of flat limestone, or shale.  This allows the creek to clear rather quickly, usually within 24 hours, as there is no repository of silt to muddy up the water during high flows.  There are, however, a fair share of lower gradient streams and creeks which do have loose gravel and silt bottoms, resulting in a longer cleansing period after blow out conditions.  If you arrive in Pennsylvania and the conditions are less than ideal due to high and muddy water, spend your time fishing close to the banks of shale creeks. Despite the rain, the first day was declared a huge

On the third and final day of our excursion, we woke up to sunny clear skies.  Excited and eager to see the condition of the creeks, we headed East of Erie and decided to fish some of the smaller water where we were less likely to run into the weekend crowds; also known as "the zoo".  Our hopes were answered when we caught our first glimpse of the creek, back to it's famous green color with a moderate flow.  Most of the creeks had cleared up overnight, with the exception of Elk Creek and a few other Western creeks with loose gravel bottoms.  A few short moments of drifting and we were back in action. The fish were back to their original holding patterns in pocket water, only paying attention

Written By: Nick Pujic, © April, 2004
Photographs By:  © 2004 Nick Pujic, Paul Langford & Will Mullis
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