I have been sitting in classes all winter long, just daydreaming about my next steelhead outting. I was Forced to move from the steelhead infested waters of Michigan to pursue my education in Virginia. Because of my new location in Virginia, I can’t make the weekend steelhead fly fishing trips like I use to. So, I was really looking forward to this years spring break. I had been watching weather and fishing reports for weeks, just praying that the conditions would be perfect and coincide with my springbreak. The Lord was good to us as heavy rains broke up the icy creeks and left plenty of open water available for us to fish! The 9.5 hour drive was well worth the trip as we went 7 for 13 on Saturday, including a few steelhead that went 10lbs +. I may wish I had more time to get out on the water like I use to, but when your outtings are as limited as mine have become, you learn to appreciate them all the more. With my quick steelie fix, I’ll be able to concentrate just long enough to get me through final exams and back on the water in time for the Spring steelhead run.
shanechild — great to see some steel on the board … it’s been way too long .. the outrageosly cold temps seemed to really have shut things down for a bit .. glad to see things are coming back around … looking forward to the spring steelhead run myself … and would love to get a chance to fish michigan for steelhead sometime … what flies were you using?
Hey shane glad your trip was a success! How’d you like the Pennsylvania waters? It sounds like you guys did better than average for right now. I was out sunday and caught around three fish out of five hooked. Litterally the day you came up the ice melted! God was lookin’ out for ya! We got some warm temps the night before, melting the snow, and sending the ice into the lake! Im glad everything worked out for you.
Mike
hey — i read steelies comment — so, it seems i may have made a mistake for the title of your fish tale … you say your from michigan .. so i thought you went home to fish michigan for spring break … but it sounds as though steelie was asking how you liked the waters of pennsylvania … let me know so i can have the correct info in the title of your fish tale .. sorry if i got it wrong now … i am assuming that you were fly fishing in pennsylvania .. if wrong .. let me know and i will change it back to michigan asap. thanks.
Nice fish!! I can’t wait for our cold weather to break (this weekend I hope!!) so that I can get out!! I guess I’ll have to resign myself at attempting to ty some flies!!
Sorry Jeremy, I should have made that a little more clear. I am from MI, and will be returning there this spring until classes call me back to VA this fall. But I was fishing the Erie Tribs in PA this past weekend. The 9.5 hour drive was a little more appealing than the 16 hour drive to get to the part of MI where I typically catch steelies. If you get a chance to head to MI, let me know. I’d love to fish with some fellow flies and fins members!
As for flies, most of my hook-ups came on a two fly rig- globug egg pattern up top and an electric green caddis as a dropper. I also landed one on a size 16 black stone fly that was dropped behind a green crystal meth pattern. My buddy Mike was fishing white and green sucker spawn patterns when he landed his fish.
We kept watch the weather, and watching, and watching. We literally made the decision to head to PA at the last possible minute as we saw the rain heading in with cooler weather behind it. We took a gamble and it paid off! I loved the Erie Tribs and plan to come back in the Fall for my Fall break. Glad to hear that you were able to get out and land some steel as well. The guys at poor richards said we were wasting our time. I’m glad we decided to trust our guts instead! Where did you fish Sunday?
Great report…you probably made a good call on PA. You are not missing too much in MI right now. While PA was getting rain we have been continually dumped on with snow and it was -4 the other morning. Alas, a warming trend is on the horizon and daylight savings time means fishing after the 9-5 starting next week!!! Sure, its great having steelhead 20 minutes from my front door but its still 14 hours to bass, blues, and albies. Despite the cold temps, the rivers have shown some signs of life out here and I have been able to avert the skunk on all occasions during the past month, but nothing like it will be when all the snowmelt ends up in the rivers. I can’t imagine what the Salmon River is going to be like when all that snow melts?
What part of MI are you from? I plan to hit the east side of the state for some late season steel action after finals. I’ll be back the first week of May and plan to spend a lot of time of the AuSable. My experience has been that the east side’s run is always a few weeks behind the west side’s. I’ll be back just in time to catch a few drop backs!
I am on the west side, near Grand Rapids. End of March usually sees my season come to an end, as I don’t fish to spawners, but I think this year will be a bit different because the larger rivers are just satring to wake up from winter and the smow hasn’t melted yet. Definitely the east-side is a later push of fish. And yes, dropbacks in the holes and deep runs can be a blast. Its like the females go crazy once they drop their eggs, gorging on anything, and silvering up before they descend the river.
Dude, I know how you feel. I’m a full time college student, with a part time job, and have little time to fish, specially for steelhead. Lucky though I only live two and a half hours away from Erie and can get up their to fish every once and awail. The only steady contection I get to steelheading besides reading about it,is my job. I work in my local fly shop, so at least I get to BS with other steelheaders.