Trout
Week 2012
Day 5 of Trout Week takes us up to the great north west of Pennsylvania. A destination for trout anglers of all ages, Erie PA offers something that you cannot find anywhere else in the state. Of course you should know by now that I am referencing the all powerful Steelhead Trout. A relative of the Rainbow Trout, Steelhead grow much larger due to living the majority of their life within Lake Erie. The combination of more forage available and a huge lake to grow, it is easy to see why the average steelhead caught in the Erie tributaries hovers around 8 lbs. Although 8 is the general average, it is nothing for an angler to hook into a 12 lbs lunker or bigger!
Stream
Name:Walnut Creek. (Featured in "Gone Fishin... The 50 Best Waters in Pennsylvania" by Manny Luftglass)
Stream
Location:Erie, Pennsylvania
Features:Many deep "natural" holes that were created within Walnut Creek through an effort of the PA Fish and Boat Commission, along with the PA Steelhead Association and several other groups. These holes that were established allow for perfect steelhead structure during the spawning runs.
Target
Trout:Steelhead
Weapon
of choice:Either a heavy fly rod or spinning rod will do great. 6 pound test and higher is also important to have with you.
Bait/Lure/Fly: Sucker Spawn flies have seem to be the hot ticket lately for fly fishermen, especially when tied in tandem as an emerger and dropper. Larger Rapala's (Either X-Raps or the Original Floating Minnow) will do great. You can also not go wrong with fresh tied egg sacks!
Section
of Choice:*There is not a section that is better than others.
X-tra
Info: *The benifit of fishing for steelhead is that they have two spawn runs throughout the year. One is in the fall and the other is in the spring. The downfall of fishing steelhead in Erie is that you will find yourself fighting with people for a fishing spot if you go at the wrong time. Erie gets absolutely hammered with anglers during the steelhead runs. And from my experience, not everyone of those anglers is a "nice person". You can experience any number of ignorant actions by people when in Erie when the run is in full swing. So below I have listed a few tips and tricks to try and avoid people as much as possible.
-Expect to do a large amount of driving. It will usually take you multiple trips down many back roads to find a stream access that does not already have a couple bodies in it.
-The spring run usually generates less traffic from anglers. Mostly because the fall run is the heavier of the two runs with a higher concentration of steelhead spawning in the fall.
-Plan your trip during the work week. There will be less people out on a Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Once the later part of the week and the weekend arrives, the banks will be packed.
-Keep an eye on the weather. Strong or persistent rainstorms will slow the fishing down. Although this time is not the best in attempting to land a big steelhead, it will keep fishermen away from the muddy, higher, and faster flowing water.
-Lastly, go into things with an open mind. Try not to have an itinerary or plan that needs to be followed. You will have to make many adjustments throughout your time in Erie.
With all the stress that can come from a steelhead trip to Erie, once you hook into one it will be worth the effort. Having to fight a fish for 10, 15, or 20 minutes is not uncommon. Although I personally have yet to slam a nice steelhead, I have been with buddies who have been fortunate enough too. (I'd like to blame my lack of catches due to the poor planning and weather we faced, but I hate making excuses.) Here is my buddy Corbin with a nice steelhead he caught right next to me on our first trip to Erie. I got to watch the 15 minute fight take place and even snapped this picture! Below is another awesome steelhead caught a year later.
One "must do" while in Erie is to check out Poor Richard's Bait and Tackle shop. Poor Richard's offers a plethora of bait and tackle options that will be sure to leave your wallet a little lighter. The staff at Poor Richard's is also very knowledgeable on all the tributaries in Eire, as well as the stream conditions and what is working best for anglers. Poor Richard's also offers an excellent fish cleaning and smoking service that it second to none. There is nothing better than enjoying some smoked steelhead as you drive home from an exciting trip to Erie PA!
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