The tools we chose to chase the chrome

It is October 1st, and Steelhead Alley rivers are ready for mother nature to provide us with some rain to once again bump the flows and trigger another push of chrome to enter the streams for our fishing pleasures.  As of now most all major tributaries are low and clear in the Ohio and Pennsylvania valley.  The few fish that are in the system at this point are finding refuge in the shale cuts and under the timber.  This leaves us anglers limited opportunity to tangle with the chrome we seek.  Alas we are cleaning the rods and reels and re-checking our gear to ensure we are ready when the time comes that mother nature graces us with her rainy presence.

In this day and age of the world wide web, to pass time anglers turn to the computer and crawl the web.  The west coast anglers look to be having a spectacular fall run!  I am sure I am not alone in wishing I could make it over to the west side to take part in the fun.  Unfortunately I sit here in Steelhead Alley waiting for the rain to get us going again.  

I recently came across a site that I frequent that had a post that got me thinking.  It is the elephant in the room that I am sure many anglers have seen or experienced first hand within their angling regions.

I fish for steelhead with a spinning rod, therefor I am perceived beneath a bait caster, center pinner, fly and spey angler.

I fish for steelhead with a bait caster, therefor I am perceived beneath a center pinner, spin, fly and spey angler.

I fish for steelhead with a pin, therefor I am perceived above a spin and bait cast angler, but below a fly and spey angler.

I fish for steelhead with a fly rod, therefor I am perceived above a spin, bait caster and  pinner, but below the spey angler.

I fish for steelhead with a spey rod, therefor I am perceived above bait casters, center pinners and spin fishing anglers, but get along with traditional fly rod anglers.

The chosen tool should not be the single factor in determining ethics, knowledge or passion of any individual angler.  Some may prefer one over the other or some may be restricted by budget on a chosen tool to target the chrome in our great fishery.  Some may feel more comfortable with a chosen style of fishing but aspire to advance their knowledge and learn more about another style and technique in their angling progression.  Some may chose one style of fishing over another based upon personal preference and what they want to get out of their day of fishing.

If you have fished long enough you will eventually, if not already see the good, bad, and ugly of each and every angling group.  It is those anglers that are willing to take the time and help educate those misinformed and or those that don’t have the knowledge to a specific style of fishing that are the true sportsman of the passion we all love.  We may never be able to change those that could care less about ethics, but surly we can have a significant impact on those younger in the sport and those that are always looking to learn something new.

I think we all need to look within ourselves including me, to realize we may never be able to change or guide those with bad ethics who don’t care, but rather we as anglers can have a significant impact on the those younger and those willing to learn from each other without first labeling them as “Oh that is a “X” style of fisherman, he is not as good or not as ethical as me mentality.”  

 Let us never forget, we all share a common bond and that is the pursuit of chrome with our chosen style of fishing.  It is the outdoors, the love of nature, the fresh crisp air, the tug of a hot chromer, the sense of accomplishment we feel when we land one of the great beauties of our streams and the memories created streamside with our fellow anglers.

Steelhead Alley Angler has always and will always support all forms of fishing regardless of region or chosen rod.  We are bonded by the common passion of fishing and that is what makes me feel so great about Team SAA. 

Until Next Time...
Fish Hard...Fish Often...

Switching it up

Switching it up with Ben See

As we approach the spring steelhead run in the Alley, it comes as no surprise that with each rain we receive, the more fish that are coming into the stream system. While I would normally be searching for chrome with the centerpin and spawn sacs, I am happy to say I am keeping up with the switch rod and fly venture. While I knew in the beginning that trying my hand at spey casting and fly fishing would be a challenge, little did I know how much of a challenge it really would be. I have to admit, I have snuck out the pin and put the smack down just to get some of my mojo back. I am sure I am not the first and certainly won't be the last person to enter into the spey world and be completely confused on this technique, gear, and method of targeting fish. But, as I have said in the past I don't quit, I won't quit.

When swinging a streamer you get plenty of time to observe your surroundings and also do plenty of thinking. For me the next thing I think of with the pin is the next fish. The next thing I think of with the switch rod has nothing really to do with fish. While I am trying to figure out how a fish with a pea sized brain can out think an angler and at the end of the day put them in checkmate, I find myself daydreaming. This in itself is probably one of my issues with the my spey success.

How is it that an angler that knows how to read water, knows fish migration patterns, watches USGS flow gauges like a hawk, can pickup a pin and smash fish daily, knows basically every stocked stream in Steelhead Alley, can zig when he needs to zig and zag when he needs to zag? But, pickup the switch and meet the skunk more often then not? This got me thinking stream side, and to my surprise I found myself off on a tangent again in my own mind.

I am a perfect example of why telling anglers where to fish has little to no advantage. If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times. Teach an angler how to use a specific technique and they will figure out the where to fish. Telling an angler where to fish when they don't have a good grasp on the their chosen technique doesn't do anything good for the angler or the angling community. As social media has become quite popular over the past few years, these sort of tools are a blessing and a curse to our fishing community. A blessing on one hand as to allow anglers to meet those likeminded to learn from each other. A curse on the other hand as it provides a stage for those ignorant of the true challenges of our fishery. While they spew nonsense, only to be confronted by those anglers who can be seen fishing in sub zero temps in the winter and scorching days in the summer for species other than steelhead. The ignorant then become defensive when those that actually know what is going on with our fishery confront them. They should actually speak less and listen more to the true challenges that are faced in Steelhead Alley. Maybe then, which I doubt, but just maybe they would realize they are contributing to the problem and not the solution.

Team SAA will be back out there on the streams this weekend looking to find the chrome. Hopefully water temps will rise a bit more and that will trigger some good action in the coming week.

Until Next Time...

Fish Hard...Fish Often...

Meet and Greet SAA/OFF

Weekend Wrapup Team SAA

 Anglers both young and old got out and enjoyed the spring like weather conditions this weekend.  With temperatures pushing 60 degrees, spring fever has set in and from the word on the alley, a lot of anglers took advantage.  The Grand River drew anglers with high hopes of finding some pods of fish willing to take their presentation.  The Chagrin river flows made it easy to trek up and down the river hunting for the chromers as well. Rocky river was hot and many fish were observed to be in spawning mode.  We are close to some on fire action the next few weeks!The Chagrin River got some recognition this weekend as well, Team SAA Founder and Pautzke Pro Staffer Ben See submitted an article about the Chagrin and what to expect this spring season.  You can check it out at http://www.pautzke.com/fireblog.php .  As always, when things get hot on the alley, you can be sure that Team SAA will be out there to report it. 

The highlight of the weekend on the alley was the birth of a new future angler.  Our friend Bob Sparent  took his 2 youngest children out to the river and was able to put them on fish pretty quick.  While the first fish popped off at the shore, the second fish a nice buck fell prey to the Pautzke spawn sac.  I am sure Abby will never forget the day, and certainly Bob will cherish the memory forever.  It is good to see anglers taking the kids out to enjoy the great fishery we are blessed to have here in Steelhead Alley.  I think the picture speaks loud and clear on the pride of a father and daughter.

Team SAA member Sean Armer representing  on the west coast with his new drift boat. 

Until Next Time…

Fish Hard…Fish Often…

Switching it up with Ben See – Part 4

Switching it up with Ben See – Part 4

It has been a while since a new episode of “Switching it up” has been published.  I would have loved to come to the computer and write a great success story of how I have been able to pick up a switch rod, throw on some sink tips, swing hobo spey patterns and land some fish.  Unfortunately I still have a lot to learn and every trip out to the streams produced another skunk.  Like the movie Goundhog Day, it was the same ole thing.  Head out to the river, conditions a bit different then the last, but hopes of hooking up with some steelhead still the same as the first day I started spey casting.

This skunk scenario repeated itself 9 times. Yes 9 trips out to the rivers!!!  As frustration levels increased and confidence levels in my fly fishing skills in general decreased I had to reassess a few things.  Is it my casting?  Is it my presentation of a fly?  Could it be the fly itself?  Am I using the right sink tip?  Are the fish just not biting?  Am I fishing the wrong areas?  Where are the fish?  What am I doing wrong?  It is cold, windy and miserable out here.  What in the hell am I doing!!!

Giving up isn’t an option, but I am truly humbled by the spey and the swing.  I never thought I would crush the fish and put up numbers, but rather would find a new way to target the species that I love so much.  As I have said in the past and still believe today, the method an angler chooses to fish for steelhead is of personal choice.  While it is no secret that using bait presentations can and does put up the numbers per say, the fly presentation is a different mentality.  It isn’t about the numbers but rather the experience.

On the bright side, my fly tying skills have grown leaps and bounds from when I first started with fly fishing.  I have grown fond of the Snap T, and feel confident I can put a fly where I want it.  Unfortunately, the fish gods just haven’t blessed me very often yet with actually catching a few fish.  I attribute a lot of this to the conditions I am fishing this winter, and also the learning curve of spey casting with the switch rod.  I won’t quit, I never quit.  

2 months of fishing and no fish, so I figured I would dust off the centerpin and see if I could get my mojo back.  I am a firm believer that if you believe you will catch fish you will, and if you don’t believe you won’t.  I believe every time I go out with the centerpin that I will catch fish, and on Sunday I did just that.  It was nice to have a double digit day on the Chagrin River.  A mix of chrome and colored up bucks, and the action was fast and furious.  

Many have asked me if I have gone back to the centerpin.  The rod and reel you use is a tool.  While I enjoy my time on the water, it is also nice to be rewarded with a few fish as well.  I will be back using the switch rod soon.  I don’t quit and I won’t quit.

Until Next Time…

Fish Hard…Fish Often…

Cabin Fever in Full Effect

Cabin Fever in Full Effect

As anglers sit here on this last day of January, the cabin fever is beginning to set in.  Steelhead Alley regional weather patterns have varied from one extreme to another this month.  Last week we set some records for cold, while yesterday we set a record for heat.  Frigid evening temperatures locked up the streams across the alley last week, but the upper 60 degree weather on Wednesday has thawed out the ice in the rivers and melted the snow on the ground.  This has caused the river flows to shoot up.

Either way you slice it, the cold weather last week made it difficult for anglers to chase the fish, flicking ice from their guides and fighting the windburn on the face.  With the rising river flows due to the recent snow melt, we wait for the weather to stabilize so that we can get out there and get onto some fishable conditions.   

Tis the season to look for other ways to occupy the time that is typically spent streamside.  There are seminars and expo’s to attend, fly boxes to fill, YouTube videos to watch and learn a new trick, and Facebook to pass the time with fellow anglers.  If you haven’t already, the party is started over at the Team SAA Facebook Group.  If you aren’t there, you are missing the party.  

With my adventure down this switch rod path, most of my time has been spent with learning to tie my own flies.  Chagrin River Outfitters in Chagrin Falls has all the goodies for tying the streamer patterns I have been stocking up on.  When it comes to learning a thing or two, here in Steelhead Alley a lot of area anglers have been participating in not only Steelhead Alley Angler, but also on the Ohio Fly Fishing group page on Facebook.  With Social Media becoming so popular, this is a great way to connect with anglers of all experience levels.  As a relatively new angler to the world of fly fishing, social media such as Facebook and the groups within have been helping me with my learning curve.  

Team SAA has their Meet and Greet on February 19^th at Chagrin River Outfitters and we are looking forward to putting faces to names.  Bob and I have been video conferencing weekly and brainstorming some new ideas to bring to our loyal followers new content in ways never done here in Steelhead Alley.  Stay tuned for details!  Keep your eyes peeled as we are going to make some great things happen!

Mario found some Chrome!

 

Justin found Chrome!

Fabian found Chrome!

Until Next Time…

Fish Hard…Fish Often…

Switching it up with Ben See - Part 3

Switching it up with Ben See - Part 3

As I continue to learn something new on a daily basis from either watching casting videos to skimming the web for bits and pieces of information I have started to play around with the art of fly tying.  I have tied some simple patterns in the past. Sucker spawn and wooly buggers were often on the menu.  As I get more interested in the switch rod and swinging flies, I decided to break out the vise again.

Being that I want to swing aggressive looking patterns, the intruder style has been the pattern I have been drawn towards.  Like a moth to a flame, these patterns look quite fantastic!  Some have a lot of flash, while others just a few strands of tinsel to reflect the rays of sun in hopes of a steelhead hammering it.

Greg Senyo at Steelhead Alley Outfitters has a fantastic fly tying blog.  I have referenced it quite a bit the past week or so.  Greg cranks out some pretty impressive patterns.  I am happy to say that my fly box now includes some of his art.  The articulated patterns is what I have focused on.  In essence you are tying 2 flies and joining them together.  The back half of this style really wiggles and can only truly be appreciated when one has this style in their hand.

Being that the only materials I had were related to sucker spawn and wooly buggers, it was time to head back to Chagrin River Outfitters and see the staff.  I told Dan what I wanted to do and he picked out a few materials for me to give a try.  I also took a few pictures of his existing flies for sale for reference.



On the bench, less is more from what I have learned.  Too much of any one material makes the fly look like a bulky mess.  Figuring out how much of this and that takes time and practice.  I have messed up my fair share already.  With practice I hope to become proficient with tying some intruder patterns in various colors. 

We will be out on the water this weekend hunting chrome.  That will be the true test to see if the creations from my fly tying vice will actually catch fish.  Lets hope lady luck is on my side this weekend and I can entice a few strikes and land some hot chrome!

Until Next Time...

Fish Hard...Fish Often...

Steelhead Alley after Sandy Storm

River Updates are "Flooding" in. The rain is now subsiding, and flows on the area Steelhead Alley streams are beginning to drop. Flood conditions in many areas with streets closed due to high water, downed trees and power lines. There certainly won't be any problem with leaves clogging up the river system, and surely mother nature has filled in old honey holes and cut open new ones. As soon as the rivers are safe to inspect, we will be out there on the water.