One of the more elusive fish species I have pursued, steelhead offer a unique experience in the Lake Erie tributaries in Northeast Ohio. The tactics, behavior, and results were completely foreign to me. Plus my gear wasn't quite up to par for casting the long, heavy rigs that are typically used for dead drifting. Plus it can get miserably cold in Cleveland, but it's all worth it when you land one. That, unfortunately, was not the case this year.
I went with my older brother since he is still and Ohio resident. We have a buddy that seems to be a fish whisperer in Ohio. He can practically tell you each individual fish's favorite food on any day, in any weather condition, and any water condition. It's amazing! So we got info from him about where to go and what to use. It was a long couple of cold, fishless days. Not all bad though. It was the first time I used my 6wt in about a year and we weren't the only ones disappointed. Over two days, we saw one fish. And, of course, it was a big bull that had been sacrificed for table fare. I'm still not quite sure why people do that, but that's a rant for another day.
The biggest challenge was the cold (been in Georgia too long!) and the rigs. Casting a 9 foot leader with two flies, heavy shot, and an indicator was a task. It took a while and many, many tangles to get things down. All for nothing, though. It still won't stop me from trying again, but I'll wait for a spring or fall run to try my luck again. Or just go to BC and catch the real deal, yeah?
The biggest challenge was the cold (been in Georgia too long!) and the rigs. Casting a 9 foot leader with two flies, heavy shot, and an indicator was a task. It took a while and many, many tangles to get things down. All for nothing, though. It still won't stop me from trying again, but I'll wait for a spring or fall run to try my luck again. Or just go to BC and catch the real deal, yeah?
Yep, it was pretty cold!