Cold Attitude

This has been the best winter of steelhead fishing across the Alley in years.  The temperatures have been moderate.  There has been rain nearly every week. And, there has been very little ice.

With all of the rain we have had since September, the fish have pushed far up into all of the river and creek systems.  The distribution of the fish has been great.  And that is nice, because the fisherman can distribute out as well and not be fishing elbow to elbow.

Over the past week we have had snow and then some significant rain.  Most of the tribs across Steelhead Alley have swollen out of their banks.  That forced me to head to the small creeks East of Erie.  The Mile Creeks were running fast and green.  PERFECTION!

Chasing steelhead on the fly in the Winter is much more frustrating than in warmer temperatures.  Steelhead are less active in cool water.  There are times after a high water event that you can find them actively feeding and moving in faster flows, but in general they like to lounge around in deeper slower pools.

Steelhead are much less likely to chase down food in cold water.  They like to sit and wait for an insect, egg, or minnow to practically drift right into their mouths.  And really, can you blame them?  I can't say I like to do much milling around in cold dreary weather either.  Of course their cold-blooded physiology leads them to this pattern and laziness leads to mine :)

So, what does all this mean for the fly fisherman chasing steelhead in cold water?  It means you have to perfect presenting your offering.  You have to present a drag free drift that looks natural.  You have to know where Winter fish hold in the systems you fish.  And, you have to drift your offering right too them.

Most of the time, this results in fewer catches of steelhead in the winter.  Steelhead like to chill in those jade green runs around some cover.  You generally can't see them, you just have to know they are there.  You have to cover the runs inch by inch in a consistent manner that allows you to know you have thoroughly covered the run.  It takes time and if the offering does not nearly bounce off the Steelheads nose, he is not likely to move to grab the fly.  I say "not likely," because there are exceptions to all rules and there are times when Winter steelhead do move significant distances for an offering.

I think the other key to winter steelhead on the fly is the individual fisherman being very comfortable and confident in their preferred method.  The more dialed-in you are to your technique, the more likely you are to be successful in cold water.  The cold water forces you to approach perfection.


Personally, I catch the majority of my steelhead on egg and nymph patterns.  Why?  Because in my hands (and mind) it works.  All salmonids are wired to eat eggs.  And, all salmonids are wired to grab bugs in the drift.  I want to take advantage of the "opportunist" part of their psyche.  And in the Winter cold water, this (in my opinion) is their dominant mindset.  They don't want to hunt in the cold, they just want to slurp up anything in the drift that looks like something they are supposed to eat.

I have learned over the years to drift these things naturally.  I know my creeks well.  And I am patient in the cold water to cover every run well.  Sometimes these things all come together and lead to a great day in cold water.

There is something special about fishing when big gloppy white snow is falling.   The sound of the light breeze rustling though the branches of the trees is calming.  The crisp air is refreshing to the lungs.  Yesterday was just one of those days.

I hit a small creek at daylight.  I don't normally hit the water early in the winter, because there is generally too much slush in the water to make an effective drift.  The overnight temps were above freezing, so I was out early.  And the rewards started early.  On the 3rd drift of the morning, BANG!  A nice fresh chrome hen came to hand and kicked off one of the best winter days of steelhead I have ever had.

The fish in the morning made me work for them, but the reward was consistent catches.  Green eggs (no ham) were on the menu.  I have no good explanation, but I find green to be the color of choice in the shale Mile Creeks East of Erie when there is good flow and stain to the water.  This was one of those days.

By then end of my morning hike along the creek I had brought 7 steelhead to hand.  4 of them were dime bright and fresh.  This not common in the Winter, because the mouths of the tribs on the South Lake Erie shoreline are usually dammed up with ice by late January.

After my typical fisherman's lunch of PB&J and a PowerAid, I moved on East to 20 Mile.  I was concerned that she would be flowing a little too fast, but apparently the East side of Erie received less rain than further West.  All of the Western tribs were still blown, but the Eastern tribs were in great shape.

I was surprised to find few fresh chrome in the lower 20.  Although the flows were good, the water level had already dropped significantly.  Luckily, I found out later, the fresh fish had already moved on up.

As I moved further up the system, the fish started coming to hand.  And then, I hit the run.

I was actually starting to get cold and tired.  I was kicking around the idea of calling it a day.  I was at a good exit point from the creek, but there is a nice run just above it.  I figured I would make a drift or 2 and then call it a day.

There is a large rock in the run with some smaller rocks below it that tends to hold some Winter fish.  On the 1st drift, SMACK, and a nice fresh buck was landed.  A second drift, BOOM from chrome hen.  The 3rd drift, WHACK, a colored up buck.  The 4th drift, CRUNCH from yet another fresh buck.  And the 5th drift, CRASH from a beautifully spotted hen.  All of these fish were surprisingly strong and active in their fights.  And that my friends is why you cover a Winter run thoroughly!

Most of the time when I fish on a blustery snowy day, I hope to catch a fish or 2.  On this day, 14 steelhead came to hand.  I tell you that not because I care so much about the number, but to show that you can have great days in the cold.  But, you have to get out there and get on it.  So, get out there.  You can't catch them from the couch.