Can I get a rain check Please?

Winter black stones were present every where this weekend and stone fly imitations like Senyo's wiggle stone in peacock and blue were good producers.

I find it pretty funny how the weather works over here on the alley.. The guys spent most of the weekend scouting out just about every river in Ohio and PA, and caught and located alot of nice fish. Well the intent was to fish with clients all week, but again here come the rains!!! Thankfully everyone was able to reschedule and we will be hard at it by weeks end, that is if the weather cooperates.

Dan with a beautiful colored buck.

At any rate and despite the high and muddy rivers, the good news is PA has seen a good push of fish and the rivers will eventually come down. Hopefully a good push of steelhead will enter the Ohio tribs during this series of high water as well. Hot flies for the guys this weekend were #12 Pink eggs, peacock and blue wiggle stones, assorted sculpins and buggers, and Ice man minnows.

Steve with a good looking Elk Creek buck!

Our spring schedule is filling rapidly and if you are thinking of making a trip to our Lake Erie tributaries for steelhead this spring, please don't wait to reserve your prime date for the spring run. Please call Greg Senyo 419-466-9382 to RSVP.

Pink was the hot color for egg patterns this weekend.

Remember on March 14, 2009 we will be at Folly's End Fly Shop with D'arcy Egan and Jerry Darkes providing a steelhead work shop. Steelhead Alley history, fishing tactics, and fly tying will all be covered during the day. Lunch is also provided during the seminars and afterwards on the water help and demonstrations will be provided. Please contact Jim at Folly's at 814-474-5730 or Greg Senyo at 419-466-9382. This event is limited to 30 and is filling fast, so don't hesitate to RSVP if you plan on attending.

Joel holds a nice Elk Creek Steelhead.

Tim with a nice scout trip PA hen.

Tim's Release.

See you on the water and have a great spring!!!!
Greg Senyo

A Good Couple of days on Steelhead Alley.

This week started with just about every one on the staff scouting rivers in Ohio and PA. The ice breakage has caused alot of the rivers structure and features to change when she broke free earlier this month. We took this brief advantage to sneak in a couple of trips before the weather turns for the worst later this week.

Lee Robinson up from Chicago fights a beast buck steelhead.

We started our day off early in the morning concentrating on lower Elk Creek. There were a good number of fresh fish migrating through the pools making for some exciting hook ups and producing some very good sized fish. We hit several miles of river and steelhead were spread out through the stream nicely. Just about every pool or deep river indentation was holding fresh fish. We did not hook very many old hold over fish the past couple of days(That story will be told below). Most were bright and the Big hens were fat, feisty, and still full of eggs.

Lee's big buck of the trip!

We used several different fly patterns, but small yellow, peach, white, and brown eggs produced well in the morning. During the afternoon fish became very active and just could not resist a minnow imitation. Blue/pink and Tan/Orange Ice Man Minnow tubes, Crystal buggers, and emerald shiner imitations were the ticket and hooked alot of fish drifted under an indicator through the runs and pools.

TJ with a nice buck of his own.

Our 2009 spring season has started Early this year and hopefully the weather comes in like a lamb instead of a lion. All of our schedules are filling nicely and if you are interested in fishing for steelhead this spring please don't hesitate to give us shout at 419-466-9382. Stay tuned for new listings of classes for fly tying, spey casting, and steelhead fly fishing here from the staff. Pat and I head to Colton Bay Outfitters tomorrow to tie steelhead flies and to talk steelhead and steelhead tactics.

Shop contact Information for this event can be found on the side bar of this blog.

TJ with another good looking fish!

Lee with one of many fat hens caught the past two day.

Here are a few more photos from this week on the alley. We were able to scout and put eyes on just about every major steelhead stream in the region. The weather looks like its getting pretty nasty cold and down right windy and chilling, but things are looking up and we expect to have a great season.

JP with a nice hen caught while fishing an Ohio tributary with steelhead guide John Clouser.

Another view..

SAO Guide Tim Hess With a nice PA buck while scouting the rivers this week.

SAO Guide John Clouser with an Ohio Scout Trip Chromer.

Below you will see a picture that I found quite disturbing! Elk Creek had formed nearly 11 inched of Ice on the stream during the cold spell, and when the ice broke and jammed the rivers, many of our hold over fish didn't survive. On one 25 yard section of river I seen over 100 fish killed by the moving ice fields. During the course of the day and 5 miles of stream I saw no less than 1000 fish dead. It really set it home how hard these fish work to survive during these brutal conditions.

Steelhead all over the river killed by Ice jams

Tight Lines!!

Greg Senyo

SAO

Steelhead Dreaming....

I have often asked the question, "Do Steelhead mean Spring, or does Spring mean Steelhead?"  Well, I guess only a steelheader would ask such a question.  However, either way you look at it, Steelhead are on their way up the rivers.

I love the spring season.  I thoroughly enjoy watching nature awake from the slumbers of a long, cold, snowy winter...all the while throwing a line.

Many anglers are getting out and today will be as good as any on the Alley for a preseason sneak peak.  We have guides out checking things out and looking for some early chrome Little Man's.  I'm quite confident that fish will be found.

Here are some shots from the memoirs of last springs season.  Many great clients were shown the awesome waters of Steelhead Alley and all found success!

An angler from the East Coast grins with Steelhead in hand.  He and his comrades will be back in a few weeks to give the Alley a second shot.  During there first two day trip, they had stellar conditions and a high catch rate which provided for many photo opps like this.

Here an average size Little Manistee Steelhead is caught and properly released as shown by the vigor in which this fishing is making his way back out into the stream.

Beautiful fish, beautiful scenery and the making of great memories is what my forecast for this spring is.  As I see it currently....the change of chrome is 100%.  I can't wait!

If you are interested in fishing and find yourself in need of a guide, please contact us as your convenience.  We still have some dates available, but now that the ice is out, things are filling fast.

We look forward to seeing you on the water!

Patrick "Flybum" Robinson

Head Guide

Steelhead Alley Outfitters

Right Around The Corner...

02-10-09 Elk Creek Covered in Ice from Rt. 5 to the lake.

Here in the next week depending on the weather we will surely all be able to scratch the itch and hit our favorite steelhead streams. Most are aware right now everything is high and unfishable in Ohio and PA. With a steady dose of rain in the forecast this will definitely help push ice out of the rivers. It was pretty amazing seeing the River "Glaciers" on Elk Creek! Here is a photo from yesterday by Tim Hess looking at Elk Creek below is house. The Ice jam was as far as the eyes can see!!! Tim said as of today the streams have opened up nicely but are flowing muddy for now, spring steelhead fishing is just around the corner.

Easy Guide fly pattern for spring steelhead- The "Ice Man Minnow" tied on Eumer plastic tube.

See our fly tying blog for step by step instructions for this pattern..

We spent the off season tying and talking at some wonderful events, and concentrated on filling our fly boxes for the up coming spring runs. Coming up we will be at Colton Bay Outfitters in Ann Arbor MI and at Orvis Yorktown in Ill. Pat and I will be doing a fly tying Demonstration and Lake Erie steelhead seminar. Contact info for these events can be found on the side bar of this blog.

Angler Battles a Spring steelhead, while his guide waits with the net!

If you are interested in fly fishing or spey fishing for steelhead on Lake Erie tributaries, don't hesitate to give us a call 419-466-9382 to set up a custom steelhead trip.

Have a great Season!

Greg Senyo
SAO