The Expansion Continues

For those of you who have fished with us as Steelhead Alley Outfitters, you know that we love to fish and take the opportunity to share it with you very seriously.

In the past few months myself and Greg Senyo have been talking about who would fill that last position on the SAO staff.  As you could imagine, we thought long and hard, fished with numerous people and kept looking for that person who we thought would bring a high level of experience and expertise that was second to none. 

Well, the short of it is, that we have found the person and are more than excited to present him to you!  So, I am happy to announce that the newest member of the Steelhead Alley staff and our Spey Specialist is Will Turek. (thunderous applause, shouting, clapping, etc)

Here is a little about Will to help introduce him and some of his experience to you.

Will Turek, born and raised in NE Ohio, has been professionally employed in the fly fishing industry since 1995.  He spent close to a decade working for Fish First fly shop (http://www.fishfirst.com) based in the Bay Area in Northern California.  While at Fish First he gained considerable experience in fly fishing retail sales, designing and instructing fly fishing classes and on-stream clinics, and guiding walk/wade and drift boat trips on such notable California rivers as the Yuba, Feather, Lower & Upper Sacramento, and Pit.  In 1999 he moved from the Bay Area to Chico, California to open and manage a second First Fish store and develop their guide operation for Northern California.  Will has chased trout, steelhead, salmon, large and smallmouth bass, and striped bass throughout California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Michigan and his home state of Ohio.

Will is currently involved as a fly fishing manufacturer sales representative.  Will has been instrumental in the development of Scott Fly Rods and instructs on-stream casting clinics for the Great Lakes region.  Will is particularly passionate about fishing for steelhead and teaching the benefits of fishing and casting using spey techniques with single and two-handed rods.  Will has been featured in Joe Thomas' Reel in the Outdoors show that airs on ESPN2 and is in demand as a guide, speaker, and spey specialist.  

With Will joining the SAO family, we now have a variety of on-stream casting clinics that we would like to present to you as opportunities to expand your knowledge and experience.  Will is the resident instructor for all of these clinics and at times he may have some over zealous up and coming spey geeks at his side, but I won't mention any names (Patrick and Greg) :)

Check your calendars and get in on one of these schools (see below) as soon as possible...space is limited and filling fast.

Spey 101 - July 26, August 30, October 4 - all morning classes

Introduction to Spey: Basic skill level of overhead and roll casting is required.  Introduction to basic principles of spey casting.  Learn basic casting exercises and two spey casts - Circle Spey and Double Spey.

Duration: 4 hours.

Minimum Size: 6 students   Max Size: 8 students

Cost: $100

Spey 105 - July 26, August 30, October 4 - all afternoon classes

Skagit Casting:  Basic skill level of overhead and roll casting is required.  Review basic spey casting principles.  Learn basic caasting exercises adn three Skagit spey casts including Circle Spey, Circle Poke, Perry Poke, Double Spey, and Skagit Double.  

Duration: 4 hours

Minimum Size: 6 Students  Max Size: 8 Students

Cost: $100

Spey 201 - August 2, September 6, 2008

Intermediate Spey: Spey 101 and 105 are prerequisites for 201.  Review basic spey casting principles.  Review Circle and Double Spey.  Learn Switch Cast, Single Spey, and Snake Roll. 

Duration: 6 hours

Minimum Size: 6 Students  Max Size: 8 Students

Cost: $125

50% deposit due upon sign up for all classes.

For more information on our Will Turek and our spey opportunities, go to http://www.steelheadalleyoutfitters.com/spey_fishing.htm

If you are interested in Steelhead on single or two-hand rods while executing spey techniques, we are taking bookings for the hot fall fish.  And trust me when I say you need to call fast!!!  Our calendar is nearing full for the fall as we speak.  Don't wait, Will, Greg and myself are all available for these spey only trips.

Will, from myself and the rest of the Steelhead Alley staff, welcome to the team!

Tight lines,

Patrick "Flybum" Robinson

Willing to Work for trout!!

So the steelhead have returned to our toy ocean we call Lake Erie. Ahead is a summer of gorging and growing and getting ready to return to us this fall even bigger and badder than last. As sorry as we are to say goodbye until next autumn , there is certainly no reason to put away the fly rods. Fortunately for us , our region has many great opportunities to chase beautiful fish while exercising the "art of the fly".

Thus it was that an early morning in late May found us happily on our way to check out a local cold water fishery. Granted , there was a border to cross, but at under an hour and a half from my door it isn't all that different from a day chasing steelies somewhere on the "alley". There was one big difference though. As a steelheader , it was downright therapeutic to fly in the face of that odd , enduring association we have between the fly rod and the pain of the elements. On this day in May we are actually concerned with being too hot!

When we arrived we found the stream a bit on the low side and running quite clear. Trout were visible holding and feeding sub surface, so ,much like a day with our favorite chrome fish ,we began by nymphing. It was just a short time before we began to bring some beautiful rainbows out of the water in tremendous leaps that slapped the surface and shattered the silence of the early morning. Baetis nymphs in sizes 14 and 16 as well as Prince nymphs , Copper Johns and Caddis nymphs in similar sizes did the trick through the morning as we brought numerous fish to the hand.

By later morning we began to notice the fish beginning to take advantage of the hatch and we were able to follow the surface feeding and successfully present some Wulffs for the added thrilling dimension of the trout on the dry fly. All in all it was a tremendous day replete with sunshine , the smell and the sparkle of a fresh cold stream and good friends. Steelhead or no, it is good to be a fly angler in Northeast Ohio.

Tight lines
John Clouser

SAO Fly Fishing guide

Mixed Bag Mania

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to hit a river in northwest Ohio that I hadn't fished in a number of years.  Noted for its amazing spring run of walleye and white bass out of Lake Erie, the Maumee River is a fisherman's Meca in the months of March-May.

As May comes to a close, though the fisherman are beginning to thin, the fishing opportunities continue in their intensity.  No, it's not the world renowned Lake Erie walleye or the spunky white bass, but it is often times what some call "garbage fish" that are a great opportunity on the fly.  On a typical late May or early June day, you can catch gar, drum, carp, buffalo,

 quillback carpsuckers, and the normal gamefish....smallmouth bass, an occasional left over walleye, and white bass.  The river does get the occasional stray salmon and also a decent number of northern pike during other times of year as well.

As for me, I only had a couple of hours to be on the water on this particular day, and it was not a very nice day.  It was windy, with some intermittent showers and really, not a comfortable day.  Temps were in the lower 50's with winds gusting down the river up to 30mph.  Yeah, it put my otherwise rooky level spey skills to the test.  I guess the good thing was that no large flies were planted in the back of my skull from picking the wrong cast at the wrong time :)

At any rate, I want to encourage you fly fishers out there looking for additional opportunities or out of the box stuff to give these forage fish a shot!  They are a lot of fun on a fly rod!

Give us a call this summer if you are interested in giving some of these warmwater species a try.

Tight Lines, 

Patrick "Flybum" Robinson

Head Guide

October Weather in May

I woke up this morning, grabbed the gear, and fired up the diesel (ouch that hurt the wallet).  The goal was McDonald's by 5:45am to meet up with a great guy and new found friend.

Bret and I have been talking for months about trying to make con

nections on the water.  What brings us together is none other than our love for the sport of fly fishing and the guiding that often takes our free time.  

With the main Steelhead season over and everyone shifting gears to summer haunts, we decided we would try to make it happen in the small window 

that was offered to us.  Brett was making preparations to head out west for the summer to guide in Wyoming and I am, well, um, I, uh, well, I'm staying here :(

Well, I guess that isn't entirely true, as I will be heading into the mountains of California again this year in pursuit of Browns, Bows, Brookies, and the infamous Golden's.  But you know how it is....the grass is always greener.......

At any rate, we finally made connections at McDonald's in the heart of Steelhead Alley.  We decided we would hit a lower section of Conneaut Creek and see what Steelhead were left over and what Smallmouth we might entertain.

With the unseasonably cold temperatures, people have been fishing for Steelhead throughout the month of May.  This morning temps were in the high 30's in some areas and I can remember my conversation with Brett early in the morning moving toward how cold our hands were.  It definitely felt like late October or even early November.

We did find some fish remaining, but they were few.  We got one Steelhead and missed several others, and even had some fun with some other species of Bass.

Everything we caught was on swung streamers employed with spey casting techniques.  As they say, "The Tug is the Drug," and we love our switch rods.

Here are a few photos I took of Brett while I was guiding him....(sorry Brett, I couldn't resist).  Really, Brett held his own very well, and I look forward to the next time our paths cross on the water.

Brett With A Nice Late Season Steelhead

A Surprise Rock Bass Brought to Hand

A Nice Smallmouth to Pass the Time

We decided while out today, that the only thing Brett needed to complete his Steelhead Alley slam was a sucker and a goose.  Unfortunately we couldn't bring either to hand :)

Be safe out west Brett, and keep us posted on those nice butter bellies your cathching.  Oh, by the way, the pleasure today was all mine!

Tight lines.....

Patrick "Flybum" Robinson

Check out other adventures at www.flyfishblogger.com/flybum