The Week in Review

Well, the first full week of our season is now complete.  I will say, that this was one crazy week. Our weather went from lake effect snow squalls with 40 mile an hour winds to 65 degrees and high blue skies today.  We went from optimum conditions on day one to less than ideal by weeks end.  Needless to say, it was a very interesting time....but isn't that what steelhead season is about?

The best story of the week came on Wednesday.  I'm sure you have heard it said that a photo is worth a thousand words?  Well, if that is the case, then the photo below is worth multiple thousands.  I like to call it the Steelhead Waltz photo.

The story goes like this....the gentlemen on the right (Warren) was with Greg, while the gentlemen on the left (Jason), was with me.  We happened to have them side by side in a hole toward the end of the day when all at once Jason hooked up.  I was thinking "awesome!"  Then Warren hooked up seconds later....."Super cool!"  Two fish, two clients, we have a double going.....It doesn't get better than that!

That was really cool, but when my fish headed down stream and Greg's headed up, my "awesome" and "super cool" turned to "Crap!!! This can't be real!"  You see, Greg's client was still trying to put his first fish in the net and only had moments before needing to leave.  We wanted him to land that fish.  Fish tangled up in another is not productive in that kind of moment!  So, Greg and I both looked at each other and moved with certainty to help orchestrate the dance :)  We moved quickly to position our guys and the waltz ensued.  The moves came off as though we had danced to this song many times.  After ducking lines and moving with and around each other, I ran for the nets.  I tossed Greg his to ensure he would be prepared for the moment and we parted ways going for the fish that had now decided to put some distance between themselves.  Inside of a few minutes, Greg and I were standing by the shoreline with ecstatic clients.....fish in hand mind you.  Way to dance guys....YOU DID AWESOME!!!

Jason and Warren Smile with Their Steelhead Waltz Fish

We had a number of guides on the water this week and all were successful.  We had some moments where the morale was waning, but we managed to pull through even the toughest days thanks to a top notch team who helped everyone be as successful as possible.

Greg Pauses for a Shot While I had Camera in Hand

This gentlemen was also with Greg on the day the Steelhead Waltz took place.  He also had not been successful with landing a fish despite many hot fish being hooked throughout the day.  Let me just say that when this fish was hooked and landed the sounds of joy filled the air and was super sweet to any river guides ears! 

Greg Poses with his Client with a Much Deserved Fish

As many know, I enjoy photography!  With that being the case, I made sure to keep the camera on hand and shoot the uncommon shots as often as possible.  I like to call the photo below, "Capturing the Captured."

Greg Grabs a shot of a Much Deserved Fish!

The First two days of my week were spent with these two gentlemen (below), Mark and Jason.  They were great to fish with and despite some crazy weather, they kept their chins up and lines in the water.  They made up for some slow moments and came out smelling like roses each day.

Mark Smiles with a Nice Pennsylvania Fish.

Jason did a fine job in the two days he fished.  He lost his fair share, but landed more than most as well.  Below is a nice fish he caught on day two.

Jason Smiles with His Fish After a Slow Day.

One of my favorite photos of the week came with Jason and Mark.  Here they fish some cuts as we go in search of fish.

Today, I had the joy of fishing with Pam and Tom.  I could tell in conversation over the phone in past weeks that Pam and Tom had infectious personalities.  When I met them, I knew I was in for a great day....and a great day it was!!!

Tom has a decent amount of experience with a fly rod, but Pam's was very limited.  The goal for the day was to help Pam land her first Steelhead.  Tom has caught Steelhead and Salmon and many other fish of varying species in his travels around the country, but watching his wife do so is what he wanted.  Knowing that, I made it my pursuit to get the job done as best I could.

I started out teaching basic casting and mending techniques.  Pam was a great student and very quickly started to make good drifts.  After being on the water for about an hour, I heard the excitement and the drag screaming.  I looked down river to see Pam's eyes as big as saucers as she now realized the power and fun that these fish are.  Within several minutes, we were walking back to shore with a fish....and not just any fish, but a first fish....and on a day that had very sketchy conditions and reports.  The goal was for Pam to catch a fish and we had achieved it early....the rest of the day was now icing on the cake.  The good news is that the cake on this day came with icing too. 

Tom Nails a Big PA Fish and takes time for a photo with his wife.

Pam with the magic fish of the day!

In closing, I would like to say thank you to all who fished with us this week.  You all did a fine job...and Pam, keep up the great work.  I look forward to seeing you and Tom again.

Until next time, Tight lines, 

Patrick "Flybum" Robinson

Head Guide

Steelhead Alley Outfitters

Natural Reproduction

What a magic time of year. Pretty much every species of game is in season, steelhead have started to migrate in and our native trout have started to get ready to reproduce. Fishing our native streams in the fall can be awesome. Most fisherman have left the streams for the woods leaving miles of water to be picked apart with skill.

Late October of every year is when Brook Trout and Brown Trout start to spawn. The fish become very aggressive and will often attack huge streamers with force sometimes completely knocking the fly out of the water. Resident rainbows and other fish will often follow the spawning fish and suck up every egg they possibly can. Egg patterns such as sucker spawn and glo bugs can be great patterns mixed in with the usual midges and other small nymphs.

It is our duty to make sure we do not disturb spawning fish. Often you will find fish pared up over very small loose gravel. These fish are spawning or getting ready to spawn. During the fall through mid spring we must pay very close attention to where we step and often times fishing isnt even an option. Missing a month or two of trout fishing is the norm for most die hard fly fisherman. They like many before them realize that if we bother the fish or ruin the beds we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Consider finding another place to fish or fish for a different species. Many smallmouth in the rivers and lakes are taking on a mass feeding frenzy to store up valuable reserves. Local rivers in the Centre of PA have recently experienced a major shift. High temps in the summer feel much warmer then what they actually are. A chemical spill makes 80 degree water feel way over 100 and the bass seek out cooler water. Anglers are often stumped why the large resident small mouths cannot be caught in the summertime and this is why. Dont count out fishing the rivers, smallies are AWESOME fighters, pound for pound they provide some of the most exciting fishing you can experience.

~Jeremy

SAO update...

Dave Thatcher with a gorgeous chrome buck

I had a brief moment to log on and get a quick report up, and by having the blog I will be able to report just from about anywhere on my lap top.. The Alley streams have gotten the water they desperately needed. All the rivers are reacting differently due to the amount of precipitation the ground swallowed up and also how much rain was falling in the upper sections of the streams. The Eastern Rivers on the Alley came up yesterday and last night, but we still did pretty well. As I write this rivers are dropping and coming into favorable conditions in both PA and Ohio. Fly patterns varied as we switched patterns alot to keep on the fish. Tons of leaves in the flow, and I mean tons!!! just fight through it and you will be rewarded.

Mark displaying a nice chrome hen.

Jason With Lake Erie Silver!!!

If you have not noticed we have a new fly tutorials page now available on our Main site at http://www.steelheadalleyoutfitters.com and is right here on the blog where it says fly tutorials here!! (http://www.steelheadalleyflytying.blogspot.com/ ) We hope you enjoy the new information. We will have another Exciting announcement here shortly, but time to get back at it!!!

Here a few more Guided trip photos from this week.. Don't hesitate to call anytime for all your steelhead needs and information, we are on the river daily from here on out..

419-466-9382

Dave Thatcher with another Chrome fall lake Erie buck.

Tight lines!!! Greg Senyo & SAO Staff

Another great day on the river.

Day two with the Carrolls on Steelhead Alley.

Day two chrome with Conner and Parker Carroll. Great Job guys!!!

The tributaries on steelhead alley are fishing well, and if the precipitations keeps coming we are going to be looking at some more great fishing in the weeks to come. Jim at Folly's End stated that Elk Creek was fishing great and that the water was near perfect today. Tim hess said that lower Elk was looking great and was also producing very well. The Ohio tribs have also been fishing well and most of the higher water has began to drop, but their are still plenty of leaves and debris in the flow.. Hot fly patterns were a mix today with Flo. pink eggs, Senyo's peacock and pink wiggle stones, and streamers being the hot ticket. John Miller, Pat, Will, and myself are out again tomorrow and through out the week so bare with us we will get reports, pictures, and river conditions to you as soon as possible.. Feel free to call me on the river anytime at 419-466-9382. Here are a few more pics from today's trips.

We would like to thank everyone we have fished with so this fall far for a great start to the season and for choosing us as your guides! we really appreciate it!!!!

Phil with a fat fall hen from an alley stream.

Fall buck steelhead that fell for an Emerald Shiner streamer.

Tight Lines!!! SAO Staff

Steelhead Alley's Singing Reels and River Carrolls

Conner and Parker Carroll on a Steelhead Alley Tributary.

Those of us who keep our eyes glued to the regional weather forecasts in order to make good fishing decisions sure know how frustrating it can be to get our hopes up for either the rain or the shine that the river needs , only to have them dashed to pieces. An otherwise well-planned and much anticipated trip can end up completely useless.

Father & son with a fine Lake Erie Steelhead

So I was feeling this week when our forecast for generous rain amounted to not much more than a trickle. Someone forgot to turn on the faucett ! ..... After a day scouting on Sunday I was worried that we were in for a real tough day of fishing on Monday. This was one of those times that the surprise was a good one.

Parker with a slab of fall silver.

We arrived on Monday morning to find a river that had a little more water than the previous day. The fish that yesterday had been skittish and spooky were behaving naturally and had definitely brought their appetites. Minnows and streamer patterns were the hot card and we had little trouble convincing fish to eat.

Conner was not going to be out done! Landing this beautiful Chrome Buck.

The real challenge was in getting them to the net. After spending the last couple weeks hiding and avoiding "predators" , fish were full of fight as they leaped and cartwheeled, throwing their immense bodies around the river , fully reminding us of why we love them so much and regard the steelhead among the greatest of freshwater gamefish.

Conner with another fine Lake Erie specimen!!

My special delight this day was in fishing with two new clients and friends Parker Carroll and his son Conner. Though Parker is an experienced and accomplished fly angler , and fishes around the world , his 12 year old son Conner is new to the sport and had never before caught a steelhead. Conner was a fast learner and a talented young angler as he quickly picked up on how to roll cast and mend line in order to drift a fly that would fool a steelhead. After a few stabs at very hot and fiesty fish, he hung in there on a tough one and brought it to the net. His pride was surpassed only by that of his Dad's . Great job Conner!! ... welcome to the club. It was great fun to fish with both of you. Have fun in Patagonia.

John Clouser

SAO steelhead guide

Steelhead Alley Update- Slow is the flow...

Fall steelhead boxes and gear..

Fall Run Lake Erie Steelhead

Ohio and PA tributaries are very low and gin clear as I write this report. It is starting to spit some snow already on the tributaries, and Hopefully turn to rain in the afternoon. Despite the terrible water conditions fish are being caught in all the Lake Erie Tributaries. Hot flies consist of various shades and colors in Minnow patterns like woolly buggers, Ice dub shiners, Clouser style bucktails, and custom tube flies.

The Cossette boys pay off in silver!! These two boys were some of the best fly casters we have ever seen for their age class!!!!

Joel with another fall steelhead.

Our Guide season is starting to hit full swing, and both John Clouser and John Miller on on the water today. Just about the entire staff will be on the water this week so stay tuned for several reports and pictures from this week on Steelhead Alley.

Tight Lines!!!

Greg Senyo

SAO

SAO in Austria; Fly Fishing the old country....

The fall steelhead season is fast upon us now and it won't be long until the action is frenetic and non-stop. The rivers will soon be lighting-up with breathtaking numbers of perhaps the greatest freshwater gamefish a fly rod has to look forward to, bringing with it the comraderie and excitement of another guiding season . This is perhaps my last moment of peace to reflect back on , what was for me , a "dream-season" of summer angling opportunities. Between June and September I had the chance to fish a number of special locations and with it some wonderful rivers. Most of my traveling and angling was done in North America but one very memorable trip took me far and wide and landed me in an astoundingly beautiful part of the world among some gorgeous old- world alpine rivers.

As some of our clients know, my "other" job is as a member of The Cleveland Orchestra. Part of fulfilling those responsibilities includes regular international touring that takes me to many different countries on diverse continents. Along with the rigorous concert schedule in the great halls of the world , comes some precious free time that a guy like me can use to chase the great fish of the world in their fabulous rivers.

This past August the show went on the road to Austria , Italy and Switzerland. In Austria we stayed for 2 weeks in Salzburg, a small town on the banks of the Salzach River nestled in the valleys of the Austrian Alps. Here I had the chance to meet and fish with Christoph Menz , guide and expert angler from Pro-Guides Flyfishing. ( Check them out at http://www.pro-guides.com/ . ) Christoph is a true star of the sport and as good a caster as you will find anywhere in the world. His innovative and highly practical style of throwing line is extremely relevant and adaptive to todays modern equipment , making best use of the highly efficient and tremendously improved rods of our time. He and his partner Uwe Reider are both full time guides on the rivers of Austria , with a guiding season that runs daily from spring until mid-November. If any of you are ever in that beautiful area of the world, I can't say enough good things about these two.

Our first day out, Christoph picked me and a friend and orchestra colleague, Paul , up at our hotel in Salzburg early. We were quickly out of town and into some lovely bucolic scenery. As we rolled, the terrain become more and more hilly and we were soon surrounded by some impressive Alpen views. Peaks rose around us on all sides , and although this was the northern border of the Alps and not in the heart of the high peaks , it was nonetheless astonishing beauty, that was to me reminiscent of British Columbia or elsewhere in the northern Rockies.

We were soon tracking alongside a crystal clear spring creek called the Torrener Ache which was to be our sight for the day. As we surveyed the stream and readied ourselves for action it was quickly evident what a challenge we were facing. The river was as clear as a river could be, allowing for tremendous visibility. Despite this , the fish were still quite hard to spot having adapted their coloration amazingly well to fit the stream bed and the other hues of their environment. It was obvious that I would be having a much harder time spotting fish than they would, spotting me. Stealth and presentation would be at a premium today. As we watched, it was evident that fish were feeding in earnest and rises were not rare , in fact this water was clear enough to observe fish feeding subsurface. Our approach would be from downstream, casting our dry flies up and quartering across. Reach casts and careful attention to drag free drifts would be what it takes to present a fly that will fool these wary fish. As we began to get used to the stream , the fish began to come to hand ... browns , rainbows and even brookies. By the time we were done we each had a " Torrener Slam" , and although the fish weren't big, they were certainly beautiful, and absolutely wild.

As we broke for lunch, Christoph laid on us his passionate belief that no one should fish a whole day without proper sustenance .... that being defined as hearty food in copious amounts, accompanied by generous portions of what else .... beer , Austrian beer. He insisted. We agreed.We closed the day on a different stretch of river surrounded on all sides by huge rocky cliffs and distracted only by the occasional free-ranging cow sloshing across the water.

The Goiserer Traun is a much larger and faster flowing river. Far from the spring creek with its' crystal clarity , it runs greenish and a little silty ,especially with a bit of recent rainfall , as it was on the day we were there. It is a completely different sort of river with a different sort of quarry. Day two with Christoph and his friend Christian , was spent nymphing for grayling.

Christoph likes to use as little hardware as possible when he nymphs, and ties his beadheads with tungsten beads to give them some extra weight. Preferring not to add shot or weight to the line, he instead will use combination of a parachute or tuck cast to get nymphs down quicker and will then mend his line with a short downstream "J"-loop before his upstream mend , to keep the fly from riding too far ahead of the indicator. His mend is a simple and gentle raising of the rod, lifting the line off the water and allowing the current to make the mend , or just moving the rod upstream at a right angle to the drift. In this manner he avoids the sweeping and aggressive gesture that most people use when making a mend , something he feels is essential in these Austrian rivers for not spooking and disturbing very cagy fish . For the indicator he chooses a small yarn-style one , feeling that it is easier to cast with minimal impediment.We worked the river, paying particular attention to the heads of what were very subtle pools or areas where faster water began to slow and spread out. These spots on the seams turned out to be productive and soon I was into some very lovely and relentlessly hard-fighting grayling. I had never caught grayling before, and had associated them in north america with the very northern reaches of the continent. It was such a blast to fight and hold them , especially as substantial as these were. Ours were in the 18 inch range , and Christoph tells me that they can reach lengths well over 20 inches in the Goiserer.

As the morning wore on , it was soon time for another rib-sticking lunch complete with the local brew, this time from an Austrian countryside version of fast-food , a "wurst stand". Fresh brats , frankfurters , and other wursts served with sauerkraut and great beer, .... and none of it from a can! Eventually we made it back to the river .... and no one needed a wading staff to finish the day.It was a great and memorable time! Next year when I go back to Austria we will cross a border and fish Slovenia. But until then we at SAO will be looking forward to hosting Christoph and his partner Uwe here on Steelhead Alley this fall, as we return the favor and show off our own tremendous fishery.


And for all of us that don't need to travel internationally to fish here ... Get out the gear , tie up the flies .... time to get it on!

John Clouser

SAO steelhead guide

Cast and Blast?

Well, not exactly, but given a couple of more hours today, it could have been.  As it were, it was definitely a blast!

Yeah, I know that this is the blog for Steelhead Alley Outfitters, but we do more than just Steelhead in our spare time.  Today I had some of that and with the Steelhead season about ready to hit full speed, it was now or never.  With the last few days of hard frosts and cooler temps to the north, I thought that I might be able to get into some flight birds.  With the desire burning deep within and a dog that was going ballistic at the sign of hunter orange, I looked at my son and said, "What do you think about going after some Woodcock?"  He had no clue what they were, but it seemed the better option when looking at staying home on his day off school.

After loading up the truck, dog included, we were off to a patch down the road from my house that I had never hunted.  We were excited to see some new ground.

DILLON, MY SOLID LIVER GERMAN SHORTHAIR

Upon arrival, we got the guns out (yes, my son was donning the mighty Crossman BB gun), made sure we had all the necessities such as collars, leashes, cameras, and ammunition, and off we went.

In all honesty, I didn't expect to see a whole lot as my past trips (more than I would like to count) were less than productive.  In fact, in the last two years, for whatever reason, I went without a single flush on Woodcock.  Needless to say, it was getting under my skin.

After a a short time afield, we came into what I would consider prime lies for Woodcock.  My dog was working feverishly as this was her first time out this fall.  Within moments, she was getting birdy and all at once that magical moment that every upland bird hunter waits for happened.  I heard the pop of the get-up and the subsequent whistle of wings.  All at once, I was staring a fast little fatty right in the eyes as he flushed right to me.  Wanting to have a bird to put in the bag, I let him come and go....I swung on him and squeezed off as he raced away and that sweet little gun made connection.  At that point, I could have gone home content, but.....naaa....are you crazy?

A BEAUTIFUL AMERICAN WOODCOCK LAID ACROSS MY 28 GUAGE 

I made my way over to where the bird went down and there he lay with my dog standing proudly alongside.  If you were to ask me, there isn't a better way to start the day.  I took the time to go over to my son and show him the bird as he had never seen one.  Of course, he was curious about the long beak, and so I gave him the biology lesson on Woodcock.  After the lesson, it was time to see if we could find more.

Just moments later....not more than 30 yards away, it happened again.  This time I wasn't so lucky on the flush as the bird went out and away while I was battling the thick brush around me.  No big deal though.  As with most other Woodcock, they don't go far and most often you can get a second flush if you watch closely to there flight.  Sure enough, after covering a bit more ground, we flushed that bird again.....I guess it wasn't meant to be though.  That bird was ready for us and didn't let us get nearly as close this time before taking to wing and making a hasty get away.

We carried on, overjoyed with the three flushes, and there was still plenty of prime ground to cover, so that we did.  We continued on and ended up with two more flushes, one of which I was able to connect with.  The last flush was one that caught me off guard, or I could have gone home with a limit.

THE DAYS BAG FOREVER CAPTURED (For those days you wish you were hunting)

This was the first time I had taken my son hunting for Woodcock in what I would call prime terrain.  For those of you who know what I mean, you understand the tenacity this young man had to have to keep up.  The photo below was the location outside that prime terrain where we shot some photos and took a short break.  As you can tell, I think my boy had fun.

A CONTENT YOUNG MAN WITH SOMETHING TO TAKE HOME TO SHOW MOM

So, it wasn't a cast and blast, but it was definitely a whole lot of fun.  Get out when you can in the next week or so.  The leaves are turning quick and soon we will be looking at the drab grays of winter.  Oh, and don't forget, take a youngster hunting or fishing with you anytime you can.  Afterall, they are the future of our sports.

Patrick Robinson

Head Guide

Steelhead Alley Outfitters

Get Your Licks In...

Friday I was out scouting, fishing and generally enjoying the beautiful weather and and spectacular fall scenery.

I was hoping that the .78 ths of an inch of water that fell in Ashtabula County on Thursday night would pump a little life in the eastern Ohio tribs. Oddly enough, everything was still fairly low and clear. Seemed like yet again the headwaters of our tribs had been passed over as the rain hugged the lake shore.

Even though, the combination of what little rain did fall with cooler air temperatures was all the encouragement the fish needed after having been stressed out all week in hot, shallow water. As I fished through the morning and into the better part of the afternoon, small pods of fish were shooting up every run and riffle. What seemed like easy pickings quickly turned into hard work to convince a couple of fresh fish to take a short detour from their biologically driven pursuit of the perfect love shack somewhere upstream.

Imagine my surprise when I showed up at the river on Saturday and it was at normal volume and off color! Apparently not all of the headwaters to the tribs had been overlooked by Thursday's storms. But where were the fish? So easy to spot the day before they could be scattered anywhere through the river. We would have to "run and gun" until we located a pod of fish. Heading upstream we quickly fished through several stretches of river with no reward and slim indication we were even casting over holding fish. Finally, having given up trying to guess how far a steelhead can travel over the course of a night and part of a day we headed down river to the mouth to intercept fresh fish headed upstream.

A change of scenery was just what the fish doctor ordered and within a relatively short period of time we located and convinced several steelhead to come to our flies.

Bill Poock with his first Ohio steelhead.

So, what did we learn? First, make sure to check the weather, guage, and rainfall of the headwaters. Second, it's better to intercept than chase. Third, if it ain't working then change - change flies, change technique, change location. Just CHANGE. Fourth, persistence pay off.

Remember, it's still early. The leaf hatch is just getting started and it will take one or two stiff storms to blow the rest of them down and then clear 'em out. So until then, don't expect too much and get your licks in when you can...

Will Turek

California's Sierra Nevada's - Part 6

Well, Steelhead season is upon us and I didn't want to leave my California trip blogs open, so let me just hit a couple of more highlights here and close the chapter.  Here in a week, we are going to be up to our necks in steelhead and our guide trip blogs will take front seat.  So, while we are waiting to hit full steam on our streams, let's look to California one more time.

Here is a photo of a couple of close friends who you may find on the steelhead streams with me throughout the season.  They have been to California with me the past two years and this year, Ben stole my big fish award with this very nice, thick Brown Trout caught on the Kings River.  This fish was more than willing to hit a large stonefly imitation thrown right at sundown.  Almost simultaneously, John nailed a smaller, but very healthy Rainbow in much the same manner.  Without question, this was the nicest double we saw on our trip.

BEN WITH A TROPHY BROWN TROUT

Back into the backcountry of Kings Canyon National Park, we pressed into the higher elevations.  The next stop was Evolution Creek.  The creek starts at roughly 11,000 ft above sea level and ends at it's confluence at about 7,500-8,000 ft above sea level.  This change in elevation takes place in about 5 miles.  This is an amazing stretch of water that goes from flat water stretches that flow through high elevation meadows to moderate gradient and then to flat out rough and tumble turbulence!  Every part of it is beautiful in it's own right.  

The stretch photographed below was lined with various wildflowers that framed the river in a radiance not often matched.

EVOLUTION CREEK AS IT DESCENDS TO THE CONFLUENCE BELOW

As I said earlier, the stream, as it falls to the confluence can be a "flat out, rough and tumble turbulence."  The photo below is just one part of a massive series of falls that make up Evolution Falls.  It is a spectacular view that you have to see with your own eyes to truly appreciate!

PART OF EVOLUTION FALLS IN ALL ITS SPLENDOR

Now for the conclusion to my California blogs......we'll finish it with a couple of shots of the world renowned California Golden Trout.  Not only is it the state fish, but a highly sought after jewel that many only dream of catching on some day distant.

I have had the opportunity to catch hundreds of these little jewels in my past three trips and I can tell you with confidence that every one brings feelings of amazement every time I lay eyes on one.  The below photo, although not in good focus, was placed here, to help all understand the beauty of coloration.  It doesn't take a photo that is in crisp focus to appreciate brazen colors such as this.

A CALIFORNIA GOLDEN IN THE FLAT WATER OF EVOLUTION CREEK

And finally, a small beauty that rose in the late afternoon sun in McClure Meadow allowed me to capture his beauty on film.  I have been blessed to travel and catch fish of immense beauty and trust me when I say that these little jewels are among the best in the world.

I hope that sometime in your future (if you haven't already) you are afforded the opportunity to fish for this little treasures in crystal clear water.

 

RAW BEAUTY AT ITS BEST

Well, that ends my chapter on the  California Sierra Nevada's.  I hope that it has caused you to dream the dream, or as one old timer told me at one of my presentations...it took me back to a place I will never be able to go again.  Whichever category you might fit in, I hope that blogs like this take you to a place where your line is tight, the fish is just the one you were casting to, and at the end of the fight, you get to see up close and personal, the beauty that is insurmountable.

Until next time, keep the lines tight.....

Patrick Robinson

Head Guide

Steelhead Alley Outfitters