Up the Creeks without a Paddle.

While fishing larger tribs is great...fishing small creeks for steelhead is a rush.  There are many small creeks along Steelhead Alley that get stray runs of steelhead.  These creeks cannot handle the fishing pressure of the large tributaries, but for the few that know about these secret places, there is always an adventure to be had.

I'll refrain from mention the names of the specific creeks to better protect the fishery.  That being said, with a little steelhead research, you should be able to identify some small waters to enjoy off of the Great Lakes.  And don't take for granted just how far steelhead may move up a small stream.  My buddy Greg and I identified 3 steelhead on a small branch of a Lake Erie tributary that was 37 miles from the lake as a crow flies.

So, why small creeks for steelhead? 

First, these creeks generally run-off in about a day after a major rainfall.  Knowing these waters can increase the number of potential fishing days you have, especially when your time is limited.  Except for the days that the torrential rains fall and the tribs are raging with coffee and cream, there are very few days that you cannot find fishable water on Steelhead Alley from November through April each year.

Second, the challenge of fishing small creeks for steelhead is incredible.  There are few greater experiences than catching a 32" 12lb steelhead on a stream that is all of 8 feet wide.  These little creeks offer nice fish in an area where you really have to be on your game to elicit strikes and be able to land fish in some pretty confined quarters.  The holes are small and easy to overlook.  There is generally a pretty low canopy of tree branches overhead.  Often, some of the best holes are hidden under low hanging tree branches or even fallen trees.  These condition not only create challenges in casting and presenting your pattern to the fish, but the challenge of even landing the fish without being wrapped around a log and broken off. 

Another issue is stealth.  Fish on these small waters are pretty spooky.  They don't have the luxury of being able to retreat to a large deep hole when threatened.  They are always on their guard and very sensitive to disruption of the water and shadows.  On these types of waters, I have ruined several pairs of waders sneaking up to holes and casting on my knees.

Fishing these small creeks successfully generally requires a shorter (8wt/9') rod and heavier leader and tippet.  To land these fish, you often have to horse them right to you.  That can be tough with a large energized fish.  I found myself using 0 leader and 1X tippet to keep these beasts from breaking me off while I was literally yanking them away from logs and tree stumps. I had one fish scream up stream along side a log, jump out of the water and flop around on a stump for a moment, and then proceeded to break me off around another log.  It all happened so fast, it was all I could do to get the fish on the reel, let alone muscle him out of the brush.

Fly pattern selection is no different on small creeks than it is on the larger tribs.  Water flow and clarity should guide you to appropriate patterns.  Unfortunately, the need for larger leader and tippet can spook fish you might otherwise catch on a larger trib with smaller materials.  Due to all of these conditions you can expect a lower landing to hook-up ratio on creeks, but you will prize every fish you do land all the more!

If you are looking for a new type of steelhead adventure, do your homework this summer.  Identify a few small streams off of the lake and do a little exploring.  On days when the major tribs are not fishable due to high dirty water, you'll have another option.  And you just might find a new kind of thrill in steelhead fishing.