Welcome to PA steelheader!

NEW WEBSITE UP

2009-08-06T18:19:00.001-07:00

www.laurelridgerods.com

Yellow Creek Trout Club

2009-03-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

I have been fishing the club recently due to convienience and proximity to school and have been yielding excellent results. The club is owned by Steve and Joe Renosky of Renosky lures, and during the winter months this place is nothing but dormant! Some huge rainbows, browns, brooks and even a few tigers populate these waters. During the summer the carp fishing here is phenomenal as well. With the water being so cold dead drifting nymphs and egg patterns have been producing well, but when the water gets a few degrees warmer a streamer or swinging wet will be the go-to. Both of these fish seen here were taken on a size 14 flashback pheasant tail.

Sili Shiner

2009-02-23T11:51:00.001-08:00

Sili skin is some sweet looking stuff once you can use it. This fly is pretty simple to tie.

Using a Saber Salmon Hook, Size 4

Wrap Lead to the start of the hook eye to keel and swim naturally once finished.

Tie in marabou and flashabou tail, in this case white and pearl are used.

Wrap back to the start of the tail after you tie in the Pearl EZ body.

Push the tubing back and secure at tail, whip finish and put some head cement on the back part.

Fold over the sheets of sili skin and cut at the fold to make a symmetrical shaped minnow body

Peel backing off of material and place it over tubing evenly

Fold sili skin together on itself and sqeeze down the entire length to secure it and shape a minnow body.

Add prismatic eyes for a finished look, and trim body to look even underneath if needed.

Tippets

2008-12-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

Tippets are by far the most important piece of tackle that you will have on the stream. When fishing for steelhead I find it very advantageous to use Flourocarbon due to it's refactive qualities (or lack thereof) when submerged. It's important to let your presentation hang vertically in the water column so that the fish see the flies first and not the tippet. But when you want to buy flourocarbon you are usually paying an arm and a leg with some spools running to 15 dollars. I just wanted to post about some flouro I found to be really productive, and inexpensive.

Cabelas Flouro

Cabelas manufactures this for Segauar, and at 7.49$ a spool it's hard to beat.

2008-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

November 11th Trip

Wow haven't done this forever, but figured id' take some time out to post. Made the third trip of the winter season on November 11th with a fellow board member. The conditions were less than favorable but still managed some hookups. Very low and crystal clear conditions didn't allow for much error in fishing. The fish were very skittish but plentiful, and seemed to turn on at certain times of the day. Hot flies were white/pink glo-bug size 16, and white opalescent estaz egg. Some older fish on the upper parts of the tributaries already, but wise to the game I didn't manage to break the over 10 mark that usually comes with fishing in Northeast. All in all a great day to be out on the streams though.
Here are some Pictures:

Nymphing Indicators

2008-06-05T03:56:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I have actually had the time and to be more honest, the motivation to blog. I plan on trying to update this site more. I figured I'd ease back into this with one of my favorite fishing techniques that accounts for about 90% of my tight lines. But, with so many options for nymphing what can really be constituted as the best method? It's hard to say. As usual with most fly fishing scenarios, in different situations some techniques work better than others.

Ill start talking about Indicator selection then get more in depth as time goes on:

Indicators come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles. As a general rule they are usually teardrop, round or pill shaped, and come with a variety of attachment options. I have used probably about 50 different kinds of indicators in my quest to find the ones that suit my needs for steelheading the best. I will say firsthand, Fish Pimp indicators are the crappiest accessory to fly fishing ever invented. Actually managing to keep the indicator on the line while hooked up is more of a challenge than landing the fish.

I keep at minimum these two styles of indicators on me.

http://www.floatmasterco.net/ to me has the best indicators on the market today. They use a dense foam that will float a ton of shot with tungsten nymphs. These are developed by our friends one state to the West at Steelhead Alley Outfitters. These floats come 5 to a pack and come with some durable surgical tubing for a pegging setup. These indicators are unique because they utilize the "right angle" setup that has come into so much use for me the past 2 years. It's helpful because it keeps the fly tracking straight under the float rather than having to mend and "check" your float every 3 seconds.

I stumbled upon my second choice after a fly shop that I frequent displayed them on the front counter. What I thought looked like transparent gum balls actually turned out to be a viable choice for an indicator. Westwater's thingamabobber comes in second for a spot in my box. The best thing about these is the lightness being that it uses trapped air instead of foam. It makes a nice entry into the water with minimal disturbance. Secondly the fact that it's transparent allows light to pass through it and not cast as much of a shadow, probably looking more like a bubble rather than a solid floating down the stream. In clear water, this indicator would be an excellent choice. They can be purchased at http://www.westwaterproducts.com/.

Easter Sunday

2008-03-23T19:18:00.001-07:00

Well since my family had Easter last week figured I'd hit the streams up. Definetly had a good day of solitude. Didn't see another angler anywhere until about 2:30. With the season winding down the fresh fish are a little harder to come by, but with some looking you can get into some. I started out at 20 mile in the morning, there were fish there, but the water was very slushy. Once the afternoon warmed up and burned off some of the slush the bite turned on for about an hour. I was in the middle sections of 20 mile and walked almost the entire length, did more sweating than I did catching. Found the most number of fish in the middle section of the stream lots of dark fish with some freshies mixed in. Had most fish respond to a pink san juan worm but caught a few on eggs too, sluggish bite due to the cold water and snowmelt. For the first time I can honestly say not one smolt caught either! Ended the day at the Walnut Project waters. The flow was a little higher and off color, but there were definetly fish there too. Fished the vacant manchester hole for about 2 hours and managed 4. All in all exactly 10 fish landed, ill take it on any day.

Some Notable Pix

This is the biggest one I caught so far this year, long and hefty Boga'd at 13.9 (I think it was smaller) despite the fact the water was so cold this male put up a great fight. Sorry for the bad Pic, self timer shot.

Still some fresh fish! Good Luck. This one was taken on a white sucker spawn with a krystal flash tail.

Feb. 9 2008- Erie Trip

2008-02-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

Met up with some friends on the eastside today, found great water and cooperative fish, unfortunatley didn't carry the camera for most of the day (to worried to dunk it). We fished at 20, then I headed to 12 and ended the day on the upper Nut. I took some pics of the water quality for those who said it was gonna be blown I feel sorry you stayed home. Got a slow start, but in the afternoon banked silly amounts of fish, all on egg patterns some on nymphs. Hot patterns today were size 16 cheese sucker spawn/eggs, size 14 phesant tail, and Skips purple hammer accounted for 3 as well. The rod performed great, casted well, drifted great and the best part of the day, NO break offs. The noodle/fly rod came through for me today, definetly worth the time to build.

Heres some pics of the streams from today.

12 Mile around 4:30 Saturday

Lots of fish at the wall

Upstream on 12, caught fish in every seam.

Stopped at 7, didn't fish this is a pic from the route 5 bridge looking North

Upper Walnut, at the Millcreek Mall. Landed one dark one about 18 in.

Past Times

2008-01-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

Iv'e had so much fun these past years fishing with friends and good people along the way, I was looking through some photos saved on my computer and decided to post some of the ones that are the most memorable hopefully you think back on some fun times spent on the water as well. Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

St Croix Wild River Custom

2008-01-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I was presented with the opprotunity to create my own rod. I have tied my own flies, made my own leaders and such, so im pretty much self sufficient in that area, but I have never built a rod. My good friend Woody Banks from Indiana Angler had asked me if I wanted to try my hand at building a rod. Well needless to say I was hooked. Being a huge fan of John Nagy and reading the Steelhead Guide cover to cover numerous times, I decided I wanted to try a rod with a little more cushion. The rod that I currently have (pictured on my blogs headline) is the Cabelas 9'6" LST 7 WT. I have no complaints with it, it fishes tons of shot well, looks nice, casts great and has stood up to some abuse. But, I have one gripe about it, break offs with light tippets. I did get used to this, and a fast action has its advantage, but I decided to purchase the Wild River Noodle Blank in a 10'6" slow action and convert it into a fly rod. I used Pac-Bay components, a carbon fiber reel seat, full wells grip, and a medium sized fighting butt. I had the option to include a removeable 5 inch butt, but once I got to thinking most of the streams in Erie County take about 10 steps to walk across I decided to scrap that idea. I selected silver thread to wrap the guides with, a feature I think will look pretty sharp when im done, and it will be easily I.D.'d as my rod. I will be posting my progress further along as this goes, but heres some pictures so far of the rod.

January 6th Trip To Erie

2008-01-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

Hey people who actually read this blog, I had a password issue that I just now got resolved with my blogger profile, thats why there hasn't been a post for awhile! But what use with all this rain we have been getting It's been hard to wet a line. I did manage to make it to Erie on the Sixth of January to find some pretty tough conditions. Not alot of open water and certainly not ideal conditions. When driving by 79 in the morning, I saw Elk Creek at the McKean exit completely locked up, it was about 40 degrees and raining so I knew in the back of my head what I was in for, but persisted with a positive outlook anyways. After jumping through a few hoops at PR west and getting my lisence, I headed East of the city to the Lawrence Park Golf Club. Found water with no visibility and ice chunks. Headed Further East to Harborcreek Township and fished the waterfall at 12. To my suprise a father and son leaving when I arrived left the whole fall on the west bank open. Given the water was a torrent I was able to hook up with and land one single fish on a size 10 Chartreuse Sucker Spawn, try as I might and diligent as always this was the only fish I would bank all day, not that I cared. I decided to move north of rt. 5 and fish some of runs that were now opened up for steelhead travel. Despite the amount of water that was in 12 at the time, it wasn't carrying as much H20 as the other creeks so the fish were a little easier to see. I had some well outfitted fellows who were centerpinning come down across from me and join in the fishing, no big deal I love fishing/conversating with other people. But these fellows seemed to be on the warpath on getting thier rod some bending action, and it became a sort of competition. I however don't blame them or fault them, the conditions were that tough that to even see an outline of a fish was a blessing this day, being that I already caught one I figured these guys wasted just as much money as I did on $3.19 a gallon gas and didn't want to get skunked. I took a walk downstream for just a glance. People lined up at the wall and below the old snag. Since 12 is so hit or miss I decided to take a drive out to 20 Mile.
What scenery. If you have ever explored this wonderful Gem then you know what I'm talking about. So I arrive at the hole that I want to fish to find pristine mint green water with some visibility, snow covered pines with glistening sun, picture perfect, only one problem, it's locked up. By this point im determined. I find a forked stick and get to stompin'. Well, the craziest thing that has ever happened to me in Erie County happened. I sent a Pangea sized chunk of ice down the stream, which careened into and broke more ice, and I swear triggered a chain reaction. Unless it was just a coincidence, the stream began to roar, got brown, and began to kick up debris like crazy. I even saw a tree come down. There were ice chunks floating down the stream by the millions, and I swear 20 mile went up 10 inches in 5 minutes no exaggeration. It looked like a tidal wave roaring down around the bend I was fishing. Packed it up and headed to 16 mile. By this time It was around Lunch. I was hoping for a better outlook and parked at the second fall area only to be dissapointed again. The water was a brown churn, tried a couple desperation casts in some slack water areas around the banks, but it was no use. I knew that I was just about defeated. Without giving up totally, I decided to head West to a small feeder trib that dumps into a larger one. Well, even that was blown out and by that time around 2:00 the main trib was a raging torrent. I packed it up and went the long way home. Defeated, but not skunked! Oh well, you have to take the good with the bad. To even be out enjoying the day was good enough for me, even If I didn't catch anything. Next time.

Glass Bead Caddis Patterns

2007-12-26T13:53:00.000-08:00

The Glass Bead Caddis is an awesome looking fly that can certainly be a producer, and the best part is they are cheap and easy to make. The instructions I have demonstrated are just basic ones, the fly can have additives such as flash, marabou, or rubber legs. Also, the glass beads that I have used are a prismatic pearl color. Its good for when the suns out to reflect some light. Glass Beads can also be used for stonefly bodies or mayfly nymphs as well. Since they are so cheap it would be a good idea to purchase a few different colors of beads.

The Glass Beads need not be purchased from your local fly supply for 1000% markup. Go to the craft section in Wal-Mart and look for Mainstays glass seed beads, I think they are somwhere around one dollar for about 50 thousand. Just take care not to spill the beads when tying.

The hook I have selected is a Size 14 Saber Caddis Curved. Any curved caddis hook will work but you are more than likey going to have to go barbless for this one.

Start out by sliding four glass beads onto the hook shank. The beads are super tiny so this part can be a little tricky.

Attach the thread near the back right at about 1/4 down the hook shank. Caddis patterns tied with more curvurture to the body look more realistic. Build up a small amount of thread.

Next step is to secure the beads at the rear of the hook. You do this with dubbing. I chose to use black for both sections, but somtimes a small portion of a bright or flashy dubbing fishes nice as well. Apply a small amount of dubbing to your thread and build a little ball to keep the beads from sliding off.

Use a half hitch to tie off in front of the dubbing in order to begin building the head of the fly.

Reattach in front of the bead closest to the eye of the hook and scrunch the beads toward the dubbing at the back of the fly.

Add some dubbing to your thread and begin to wrap the thorax of the fly. I wrap one bead in with the thorax in order to prevent the fly from looking like it has too long of a body.

Happy Holidays

2007-12-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hope everyones Christmas went well and they got all the new fly fishing stuff they asked for. Santa was good to me and brought me some new North Face Gear, William and Joseph V2 Waders and Korker Guide Boots! Looking forward to New Years now!

Happy Holidays from Loomis.

Cabelas LSR Fly Reel

2007-12-24T13:22:00.000-08:00

This post is from my personal experience with this reel,the Cabelas LSR Fly Reel. Ill continue saying that this reel is a piece of junk. I like Cabelas, I own rods, hunting gear and numerous other Cabelas items, but this reel is a total failure. My first complaint is the most obvious, the drag system. When I used this reel the first time I realized that my drag is really powerful, well almost too powerful. When I turn the drag up one click it is basically locked in, making it difficult to tune the drag to a medium setting for the latter part of the fight. A friend of mine owns the same reel and has said the same thing.

Secondly, the reel seat. Most quality reels are constructed so that the reel seat is apart of the main frame of the reel. This particular reel has small eye-glass screws that connect it with about two threads to the frame of the reel. Needless to say when walking the frozen banks of 16 mile I took a spill and the reel came apart. Luckily I was able to attach one screw to the frame while the other was broken off. Nice.

This reel just does not stand up to the test, given on my college budget its still in use however if I had it my way I'd have somthing a little nicer, just wanted to complain a little bit. This reel was obsolete in pre-production. My suggestion is to never buy this reel.

Egg Patterns

2007-12-23T13:10:00.001-08:00

Lets face it the sucker spawn and glo bugs are the best fly patterns for steelhead and stocked trout, Period. Some tutorials that I have found on the internet demonstrate different instructions than the ones that I have provided but this is the method that I use and it saves much time and material.

Egg patterns can be tied and variated over and over again. I will be posting variations later, this tutorial is just the basic version of the suckerspawn and glo bug both of which account for more fish in the tribs than most flies. Your best bet for low, clear water is a small, subdued color. Creme, Light Pink, Light Green, and Cheese clors are usually your best bed, tied sparse and small on Size #16-18 Hooks. For the Mint Green water conditions encountered after run-off it is usually good to go bright, but subdued colors work as well. Tie flies for these conditions with a little more material, but not much more. Chartrueuse, Hot Pink, and White work well in these conditions. Purchasing the McFly Foam Clown Pack will give you a good selection of color and material to tie with.

For this particular fly, I used a MUSTAD C67S size 12 Egg Hook. Any 2x strong caddis curved or egg hook will work. Saber fly hooks are 6.99 for 100 and the size 10 egg hooks work very well for tying a bulk supply of egg patterns. They can be found at Indiana Angler 218 Grandview Ave. Indiana PA

Sucker Spawn

The Sucker Spawn is probably the most widely used egg pattern on the Great Lakes and especially in Pennsylvania. It works in any condition, any time of the year and for any trout anywhere. For this fly I use the same MUSTAD C67S but Curved Caddis hooks work just as well.

I use Rumph and Sons Waxed thread. The thread lays flatter than a moncord and prevents bulk. Flourescent red or Orange works the best.

Attach the thread and wrap backward just past the midway point of the hook shank. Any further will leave you with excess space after making the loops and make for a strange looking fly.

Use a piece of McFly foam about 2 or 3 inches. You don't need to use a large amount of this stuff. About 3 inches cut from the main strips will give you about 5-6 flies.

Attach the material with about 4 tight wraps of thread with the excess facing toward the eye. Cut the tail material as close to your thread wraps as you can.

Pinch the material between your thumb and forefinger making a first small loop then increasing the size as you go forward. A bodkin can be used if the material is laid flat against the hookshank over the bodkin place perpendicular to the shank and raised into a loop. Tie with 4 secure wraps and continue forward making 4 loops.

Leave a small piece of material to give the head of the fly some bulk.

Tying the head.

Whip finish with about 6 turns and apply a dab of head cement.

Finished Fly.

Glo Bug

This fly is tied with the same hook above, except the thread is different. For this fly I use Power Silk with a Ceramic Bobbin.

Start with about 15-20 wraps of thread. The Power Silk is very slippery on the hook and will spin off if not secured. Wrap forward than back over what you have down then back to the middle to secure the thread on the shank. Pull to make sure it will not spin off.

I use McFly foam for my egg patterns. The McFly Foams spongy texture allows for fuller flies and a more membrane-like appearance when wet. Take a 2 inch piece and double it over with a smaller piece on top for the dot.

Attach with three wraps of thread and pull down firmly on the thread to secure it. The silk is strong but not invincible, pull enough to secure it in place but theres no need to break the vice in the process. Theres no need to waste time with material under the hook shank, this step can be a damper on the entire fly to some.

Make one wrap 360 degrees around the material to get it to stand up into place.

Return the thread to the front of the material and whip finish with 8 turns. The silk is strong enough that you don't need head cement.

It's crucial that you pull the material up with your thumb and forefinger and make the cut about 1/8 of an inch above the hook shank for a size 14 fly. Experiment with higher or lower cuts to get the desired size. The material will fan out into a semi-ball which needs to be formed

Push down twice firmly with your thumb and forefinger then push in with both fingers toward the center of the hook shank to form a perfect ball.

Finished Fly.

Meadow Run, Ohiopyle PA

2007-10-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

Took a trip to Meadow Run today to fish the fall stock. My friend Mike and I arrived early and despite the hot conditions were able to get into a decent amount of fish. Quality rainbows were stocked all along the bottom access in the deep holes. Broke off a very nice rainbow but did manage to land an average of fish in the 16-18 inch range. Very beautiful day. Hot flies were sucker spawn in all colors, glo bugs, small black stoneflies, olive b/h hares ears and even resorted to a white mini foo jig.

Some pictures from the day

2007-10-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is a 22 inch brown caught at two lick this AM on a small glass caddis below the Gas Wells in Homer City

About Me

2007-10-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

First and foremost I am a 22 year old college student at Indiana University of Pennslyvania, my major is communications media, and I am in my junior year of schooling. I have done sports all of my life, but I love to go fly fishing more than anything, I have been doing it since I have been about 6 years old, and I am here to post reports about the local places I fish since I go a decent amount. I will also have an Erie report on here for when I go up. I hope you enjoy this Blog.