Not so local...cold steel

Started by itieuglyflies, March 11, 2021, 22:43:18 PM

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itieuglyflies

A little over a week ago my WV friend and I decided to hit the Erie Tribs. once again. The ice had gone out
and stream levels had dropped and cleared up. Unfortunately, after a couple days of relative warmth and pretty good fishing it turned cold. The last day at 19 degrees my reel froze up and I headed home.

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One of the areas we fish requires wading around this rocky area where you don't want to make a misstep
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The ice formations were impressive
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The cold water does not seem to bother the steelheads as they will still hit a well presented fly. Small nymphs, egg patterns and a dead drifted white emerald shiner streamer pattern was the ticket for us.
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As stream levels drop and clear, the steelheads hold in very tight areas at the bases of the rock shelfs, My buddy hooked six from one small area that looked like no fish could be there. We caught a good number from this spot over two days
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This late in the season I was expecting lots of dark fish that had been in the stream all winter but we caught mostly fresh bright ones. An added dimension to the fishing was the huge numbers of steelhead smolts recently stocked in the stream. These are hatchery raised 6-9 inches long and hard to keep off your flies. Two at the time on the two fly rig was common. They stock them in they streams where they imprint on the stream before working their way back to the lake to grow up and return when they
mature.

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Foot Note: Both my buddy and I had our Covid shots before the trip but still wore the masks in doors, wiped down everything at the motel and were aware of social distancing and tried to be as safe as possible.

Big J

That hit the spot this morning!  d:b

Phil

Most Excellent. You go, Fred!  /'/    :bow  :bow


Stone-Man

Pretty damn good ,Fred.  Thanks for sharing.  Greatly improved my day    !!


     JT

Woolly Bugger

Yup when the reels freeze up it time to pack it in !!!
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

driver

I need to do this one day.

Good stuff Fred.