I usually get to plan a birthday trip so this year was no different. Except there was no planning involved. With my unemployment status, my schedule opens up some opportunity to take advantage of the post weekend crowdless conditions. My new boss, my wife, said I should go fishing. So I did. It was Saturday afternoon when we discussed the idea of me going away for a couple days. My birthday was on Tuesday so I had very little time getting anyone else to go with me. I made a few futile calls to fellow fisherman folk but got the same old expected answers. You know, I can’t, too busy, I don’t know…. But no worries. There wouldn’t be anyone to slow me down. I’m not a stranger to fishing alone. Even in college when I was single and in my 20’s I would disappear for a few days on my own to fish. It helps me think. The only thing that matters is where and how I should go fishing. I’m usually pretty good at that. It was late on Saturday night when I finally finished packing my car. I knew I was going steelhead fishing but the where wasn’t exactly fine tuned yet. I knew it was somewhere along the great lakes coast but was it going to be Erie, Pa which requires rains for excellent and ethical conditions? Or was it going to be the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY that has a reputation for insane crowds, unethical fishermen who mostly only snag fish and disturb otherwise cooperative fish? Erie did receive rain on Thursday and Friday resulting in perfect conditions for Saturday but how long were the perfect conditions going to hold? Throughout the day on Saturday while joining the family at a pumpkin patch, I kept checking my new smart phone for up to the minute conditions. I was able to view a live web cam of river conditions when I’d pretend to be making an important call. Unfortunately I could see that the water was receding in Erie, Pa much faster than I usually like. Once it gets too low, the fishing usually suffers as the fish either retreat back to the lake or simply just shut down in the clear water.
So, my alarm clock was set for 4:30am once I finally climbed into bed a little after midnight. I had both New York state and Pennsylvania maps in the car and just figured I’d figure out where to go later. It wasn’t until I past I 70 that I made up my mind to head to NY for some of the larger, although less numerous Lake Ontario Steelhead. There isn’t a fish that swims in fresh water who fights as belligerently as a fresh October steelhead. Specifically in the salmon river which usually flows at near white water rafting levels. When an angry steelhead gets hooked, all hell breaks loose. Throw in some potentially life threatening fast water into the equation and one could say it is about as exciting as fishing can get. I finally get on the road at 6am loaded down with three fly rods, 2 spinning, floats, noodle rods, a kayak, life jacket and about 100 granola bars. Even though it was a birthday trip, I had to do this on the cheap.
I made excellent time and arrived into Pulaski around noon. I just drove 400 miles with a kayak on the roof in less than 6 hours. That is only possible when the construction on I 81 isn’t bad and when you leave before sunrise. But it wasn’t until 2pm when I first saw the river. I had to set up accommodations for the night, get a fishing license, set up a float plan etc.
I started Sunday from Pineville around 2pm. Plan was to float in the kayak to 2A. I ran into a popular guide I know from the internet named Shane Thomas. He was on his way out and reported good steelhead action up river and gave me some pointers on what beads to use and what water to be cautious about. I have a 14' SOT kayak and figured I'd be fine although I was a little unfamiliar with the water below sportsmans pool. Thanks for the advice Shane.
Well, I didn't hit a fish in quite some time. IT's getting late and I set up all alone around Sportsman’s. I had just switched from a glow roe to a light blue bead on the fly rod and started hooking up very well. These fish were hammering the bead as it was swinging through the current under an indicator and one or two .05 gram shot about 12 inches from the bead. It was almost like spey fishing as they were hitting it on the swing and the strike was insanely intense. I missed a few absolute hogs too as they jumped and threw the hook.
I had a lot of problems keeping the bead in place with the fly rod. I went to three different places to get different tooth picks because I knew I would have this problem. Even on the drive up I was stuffing my pockets with tooth picks from a restaurant I stopped at for breakfast. But I did end up landing a few nice fish in a quick 4 hour float and took out at the steelhead lodge instead of floating down to 2a. Which I'm glad I did because it was a LONG float from the steelhead lodge to 2a which I found out the next day.
That evening I stayed at the steelhead lodge. They are running a special right now for anyone staying with them in October. I had no idea at the time when I booked the place either. THe special is a free nights lodging anytime from Nov. 1-the end of March and a free kayak rental in the summer for a day. Cool. I often come up in the summer to hunt skamanians and just to fish the river with no one around. I've hooked 1 skamanian in 10 years of trying. I guess I’m stubborn. A skamanian is a summer run steelhead.
That night I met some guys from Sweden. They came all this way to fish for salmon on the salmon river. I said what about Atlantic salmon in Norway and sweden? They said, it's all "Gentlemen" fishing and is expensive, plus you rarely catch anything. "Gentlemen" fishing is spey fishing, no weight. No snagging. No BS long leaders. I asked what's expensive, he said about $100 a day. I asked how much was the flight over here? He said about $800. Then there's car rental, fishing license, food. Uhhh??? I would have gone Atlantic salmon fishing in Norway. What about you?
So Monday morning I drop in at Altmar and float down past the unemployment pool in the dark as I am very familiar with this section of river. Funny that there were drift boats parked under the Altmar bridge and all over the unemployment pool. I eventually got out near the wires and fished beads near spawning salmon in the hopes of finding some steelhead. Old salmon were everywhere around the schoolhouse and wires. Fraziers run was full of salmon, fresh and old, so was the bovines. Not a ton of people either. Then made it past the trestle and that's where everyone was. Not in the trestle but well below it. Lots of fish around, mostly fresh good looking salmon and tons of steelhead along with 6 drift boats. But no one was hooking up and this was around 9. I saw one steelhead landed in 2 hours. ON my second cast accros the river from the crowds using a bead I hooked a good steelhead but it was short lived. The fishing was very slow for some reason. Yea I could have used a long leader and weight to line the fish but decided to move on.
Made it to Pineville area. LOTS of salmon moving through the fast water and mostly hiding there away from the people in the pools. I saw very few fish in the pools but all seemed to be in the fast water or runs. A nice steelhead was hooked by a pinner in the crowds at Pineville. Didn't see him land it but this thing was BIG.
I continued to near sportsmans which was so good to me the night before. But not a thing for me except a salmon on a bead that threw the hook near the bank. I was hunting steelhead and coming up empty big time. There were a few drift boats that kept swapping positions with me throughout the day and they were having a tough time too. Most every drift boat I saw was fishing beads too, either on fly rods or noodle rods under floats.
I decided to float on past 2A. Never seen that water between there and 81. But wow, that's some rough water, even at 350cfs plus a little runoff. Not easy to negotiate in a 14' kayak. I ended up running into a famous writer/fly fishermen named Larry Coburn from Maryland near Clarks Falls as he had private access. Which by the way I didn't see one fisherman between 2a and 81 except this guy from MD and a few spey rodders under the bridge.
I set in on some gravel areas chocked with spawning salmon well below 2a. Here I finally was able to see steelhead as often they are practically invisible. To me anyway. I wear costas and have better than 20/20 vision but steelhead in that river always manage to vanish. But I'm not really into sight fishing but watching this one small steelhead harass this spawning salmon was cool. It would dart into the bed and dart out. I ended up spooking the female salmon but the steelhead stuck with her. As soon as I changed bead colors she nailed it. Fish on! Finally. Instantly air born, maybe 20 inches or so. She threw the hook on the second 5 foot high jump. I also fished a noodle rod with floats and fresh spawn bags from stocked trout I caught back home. Nothing touched egg sacks, from store bought to fresh for some reason.
It was near dark and I had to really get a move on if I was going to make it to the ballpark before dark. Again, some serious water in that area to negotiate in a kayak and once again, void of people.
Finally made it with 20 minutes of light left and a little wet. I took on a lot of water but with a SOT kayak it just drains through. I Didn't lose any gear so I guess it was a success but the fishing was just tough. Plus I was doing almost as much kayaking as fishing but did get to see some new water. Most people were near the trestle, near Pineville and near Sportsman’s. Everywhere else was wide open. But it also so happens that's where the fish were too.
Once I took out at the ballpark I talked to a guy who said he had an incredible day on steel fishing the pocket water. He was throwing lots of weight and long leaders. Not my thing. But he did say the place was jam packed with steelhead. Woulda shoulda coulda. Called the steelhead lodge and got a ride with my kayak back to Altmar for $10. Can't beat that.
Tuesday was my birthday and I had the morning to fish before having to drive back home in time for dinner with the family. I ended up putting in 7 hours on the water from 6am to 1:30pm. I started in the lower DSR using the kayak under the cover of darkness to access some hard to reach water. I almost didn't bother with a stiff 20mph west wind too. Of course the guides had beaten me to the best spots. Some of the guides in those pools had their clients constantly into steelhead all morning long. It was nonstop hook ups and their clients were completely clueless. I would see them somehow chuck all this weight on a fly rod and watch the drift. The rod would be violently shaking, no question there was a fish on but they would wait for the fish to "eat" the fly longer and then set the hook like they were bass fishing. Anywhere else in the world while drift fishing a fly for trout, you have about .05 seconds to set the hook on a strike while nymphing before they realize it’s not food.. But with long leaders I guess you can wait 30 seconds to set the hook. The fish has the line in its mouth and can't shake it lose. But guess what, the clients would still hook the steelhead and often land it too even when it was obvious they hadn't a clue in the world. Go figure. This was the only pool that had anything going on from what I could see. The meadow was dead when I checked it and anyone else not in this pool was coming up empty. Of course no one else was getting anywhere near these guides either. But all they were doing was having their clients line steelhead with LONG leaders and tons of weight. Such BS! Fish a float or swing through there with a weightless fly please. No need to bottom bounce a long leader through there now that the salmon are gone. Well, actually there was a decent push of salmon that morning. Fresh fish too with tight eggs. I hooked a few on skein and fresh bags but couldn't land them. Oh, More than a few of the guide’s caught and released steelhead floated down belly up too. But many made it for another day.
I hooked up a few times on fresh bags in the morning but couldn't seal the deal. Beads were getting ignored. I finally got a little solitude and landed a beautiful fresh male steelhead of about 10 pounds. He jumped several times too. Awesome fish. So I finally found my birthday fish. When I die, please bring me back as a steelhead. There's just nothing like them. They will forever haunt me in my sleep. This year looks just like the last few years. Maybe even better. The numbers of steelhead around already is insane. I just can't seem to put it together but can’t complain either. I Found solitude and a few fish to play with. The energy of these fresh fish is incredible. Leaves were a major issue on Tuesday in the wind but on Sunday and Monday it was dead calm most of the day and very fishable. The colors and scenery were about as ripe as can be. That’s what I call a successful trip.
Tight Lines,
Jon Grifiths
