What Keeps Us Coming Back to Steelhead Alley

This year is an especially exciting time to be in Steelhead Alley, as there are more Steelhead in our water right now than in the last five years. No seriously, the fishing this year is really better than it’s been in five years.

We always look forward to being in Erie for Steelhead Season. This week, I wanted to talk about what keeps us coming back to Steelhead Alley year after year.

The Setting.

Both the Erie Tributaries that we fish are very unique compared to the trout streams we are used to in Central Pennsylvania. It’s not a better or worse comparison, the two areas are just very different from one another.

The creeks are a bit larger in size offering a little extra room to fish, but a slate bottom makes navigating them very manageable. Both creeks also offer of large variety of water types including riffles, runs, depressions, and pools.

For the most part, they are away from the road, bordered by very high cliff walls, and give you the sense that you are out in the wild. There are even a few waterfalls. The Vineyard, Seclusion, and Shangri La are all very beautiful pieces of water to spend a day, or two fishing.

The Fish.

Steelhead are large, very strong and high energy fish. When you fight with a Steelhead, it is a battle, even on a 7wt fly rod.

It’s ordinary for Steelhead to take leaps through the air and rip line off of the reel with long runs. In some ways, nymphing for steelhead with indicators is similar to the trout fishing we all love. Fishing streamers can also be very productive, and explosive.

Every fish put in the net feels like a victory. It’s the sort of feeling that you only understand and want to duplicate after you catch your first Steelhead.

If you have fished with us in Erie before you know how much we love putting members onto Steelhead. This year is a great time to revisit Erie if you haven’t been steelhead fishing in awhile. It’s also a great time to make your first trip and cross Steelhead off your bucket list.

As Joe McMullen said, “This year we have the fish, all we need is the fishermen.” Give Joel a call to get a Erie Steelhead Trip set up.

One Response
  1. How did you make out the days from November 6 thru the 8th? I went to Western NY to fish and the waters were in terrible conditions from a November 5th storm.

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