Erie Steelhead Outing
December 2-6, 2022
Location - Elk Creek, Erie PA
Attendees - Joe Brooks, Alan Burrows, Motti Tadmor, Randy Dwyer, Ron Briggs, Tom Brosnan, Ken Bowyer, Jim Irons, Alan Williams, Ron Kerrick, Lou Reichel, Bob ODonnell, Craig VanderKolk.
13 PPTU members gathered near Erie Pennsylvania to fish for fall run steelhead on Elk Creek, 20 mile creek and Crooked Creek. The water was cold and the fish were hot coming out of Lake Erie to run up the creek and spawn. Fish were mostly hens but a few type jawed males were landed and one large lake run brown. Fish were 22 to 30 inches and 3 to 10lbs. They required a perfect drift, a good downstream set and careful playing the fish on the reel. Landing success probably ranged from 25 to 75% and about 50% on average.
Joe arrived first on Thusday and fished a few holes below the Pet Cematary and had great success on a White Death fly dead drifted under an indicator landing upwards of 8 to 10 fish.
Friday, Joe, Randy and Tom fished near the I-90 and managed a few fish, but overall it was slow than the day before. It was also slow at Struchen Flats where Alan B, Ron B, and Motti each caught a fish. Lou and Bob went back to some familiar water on 20 mile creek and picked up a fish.
Saturday was a rain event and blow out of the Elk. It was the first day of guide fishing and it was a challenge but Paul Krott out guide, led the 3 anglers to several spots on the Elk and Crooked Creek and each caught a fish and Joe caught a few. Others tried a few spots on Elk but it was dirty and flows above the recommended 9 - 14cfs and no one had any success.
Sunday was day 2 of the guide and conditions were almost perfect. Ron and Craig caught 5 fish each and Lou caught 6. The private water that the guide fished with us was great, there were no other anglers, easy walking on gravel bars, calf deep water and short casts made the day truly enjoyable.
Monday, 6 anglers again fished the private water with Paul and a second guide. Everyone hooked up and had success again enjoying suffecient water and increased clarity to actually see some of the fish they were casting to.
Also Monday, Lou, Randy, Ron B and Craig fished under Whitman Bridge and Craig managed one fish.
Finally on Tuesday Craig and Ron fished the Joe Taylor hole above Folly’s. It was a bit low at 7.5cfs and very clear. We could see suspended fish the required a lighter tippet (3X fluorocarbon) and a perfect. Each managed a final fish to end the trip.
The first 2 days, White Death was the fly of choice and the subsequent days were egg patterns, usually lighter and smaller (14) sizes. The standard rig was 7-8 wt rod, good reel and drag for the long runs, indicators over a barrel swivel, 1-4 #6 split shot and 2 flies below, usually 5- 8 feet below the indicator.
In between fishing, our VRBO was home base for brats, beans, and pasta dinners. All enjoyed over drinks, good stories of fish landed and lost, and techniques and flies compared.
Everyone had a great time and we hope to do again sometime in the future and get more PPTU members into steelhead fishing.
We hope you’ll join us
Craig
