One Swing Spring...

Well, this Spring sure has been tough and unfortunately doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon with more rain in the forecast for the beginning of the week. On the bright side, the latest warm rains will definitely bring loads of fresh fish into all the tributaries; no, they didn't disappear or decide not to come they've just been biding their time waiting for the right conditions. And those conditions are right now! Of course, who knows when we'll actually be able to get back on the water to fish for them. Whenever that is, the fishing should be very good. As long as the air and water temps stay seasonable (hopefully, without any extended periods of 70-80s temps) we should still have several weeks of fishing available, right into the first week of May. OK, enough of the prognosticating...

Last week I was lucky enough to get in a day on the Grand River; so was everyone else it seemed as the river was very crowded. And with good reason, a good slug of fish were in and FINALLY it was fishable. Well, at least for a day or so before the next round of rain hit. Anyway, I had the pleasure of fishing with a good client who had previously attended a MidWest Spey School spey casting class.

Nice set up Richard!

My client, Richard, came prepared with a 13' 7/8 two-hand rod and Skagit shooting head. Great set-up for easy casting, shooting line, and quick changes of the sink tip (which is attached to end of the shooting head). After a short casting tune-up, we put together a game plan for swinging flies and set to work covering the water. As cold as the water was in the morning, we were looking for holding water where fish could rest without expending too much energy to fight the current. The ideal type of water would be walking speed or slightly faster and have some type of structure against which fish can hide or orient themselves. (In cold water/weather fish are seldom found in the fast water, however, once the air/water temps climb this can be a good place to check as well).

Sweep to clear line forming a nice D-loop

After fishing through a nice tailout, we made out way down to a broad riffle and began to methodically fish from top to bottom. Slowly we worked our way through the throat and head of the riffle to the drop off where the current widened and deepened. Richard was in a good groove; casting, swinging, stepping downstream while stripping the shooting line in for the next cast. Anticipation was building as we moved in the "prime" holding water. Then, BAM! a nice tug on the line... but no fish. Anyone who's swung fly a fly knows the excitement that spreads like electricity up the line and through the body from a good grab on a tight line... and the difficulty in NOT setting the hook. Raise the rod tip = pulling the fly away from the fish. It takes an iron will not only to commit to swinging all day (when fishing an indicator might be more productive), but to allowing the fish hook itself and ONLY setting the hook (down and to the side) once the full weight of the fish is felt on the line. Nerve racking for sure!

Rod tip low, line tight on the swing

Encouraged we had the right length and sink rate tip for the current speed and depth of water we were fishing, and more importantly that there were a few "players" around we slowed down the pace of our searching/swinging and continued through the pool. Sure enough, not long after the first grab a second fish crushed the fly. No time to even set the hook on this fish as it cartwheeled out of the water and took off downstream. After a short fight, this steelhead took a different tack and ran straight at us! Putting the line on the spool as fast as possible to keep tension on the line (and avoid slack so the hook would not come out) I was able to get downstream of the fish and put it in the net. This was Richard's first steelhead on the swing and a great thrill for the both of us.

Richard with a nice hen on the swing!

Try as we might, that was the only fish of the day to come to the net. And though a variety of factors conspired against us - cold water, dirty water in the afternoon, and heavy crowds - I've got to hand it to Richard for sticking with the spey game for the rest of the day. Well, you know what they say "the Tug is the drug that makes the steelhead world go 'round".... so true ; )

Will Turek
Spey Specialist
MidWest Spey
Steelhead Alley Outfitters

Wacky Weather and Lake Erie Steelhead River Report

The air temperatures are cooling down as rain starts to move into the area. Truth in the matter is we need every ounce of water we can get! Most everything remains on the low side with the larger tributaries (Grand, Conny, and the V) holding better fish numbers and the best fishing conditions. If we get the forecasted rain we could see another small push of fish... Drop backs, darker bucks, and a few mixed in fresher fish are what you can expect for now.

Hot flies have been the same over the week so far, with Ice Man Minnows in natural tones to imitate Creek Chubs, Darters, and small bait fish. Chicken Littles, Chicken Hawks, Micro nukes in Yellow, Cream, Peach, and White. Natural toned nymphs such as Pheasant tails, Hare's Ears, and Golden stone flies have produced good results. Don't forget to carry a few green caddis as well.

Here are a few more pics from yesterday's trips! We hope you enjoy them... Thank You again to everyone we have had the pleasure of fishing with to date...

It's all about the "Do Daddies"

Ken with a beautiful fish of his own.

Ken with a nice Ohio Buck Steelhead.

Mac with a feisty drop back hen.

Ralph with another nice Lake Erie Steelhead.

SAO Guide Ben Barger poses with Bill and a very nice Ohio Buck Steelhead.

Bill yet again with another hard charging Lake Erie Steelhead.

Jim with one of the steelhead he caught yesterday.

Bill with a nice hen to end the day..

We will have more for you later as more come in. Until then, we hope you enjoy the rest of the week! We'll see you on the water.

Tight Lines,

Greg Senyo

Owner/Operator

Steelhead Alley Outfitters

Things are heating up! Steelhead Alley River Report

The weather has been beautiful the past few days, but just too darn hot! Water temperatures are on the rise with 60-62 degree readings already in some sections. We have had a few short rain showers to cool it down a tad, but it basically was short lived and just gave the local streams some much needed color.

Cooler and more seasonable temps are in the forecast and we need it badly to carry our steelhead through the rest of April. Most of the small streams are very low and clear and are not worth fishing right now, these steelhead are way too spooky and stressed. The Larger Lake Erie Tributaries have better conditions and opportunities to catch decent fish.

We have been out every day on all the local streams and we are seeing very few fish moving in, and no major runs of any kind. Most steelhead being caught right now are still older dark bucks or drop back hens. We have been lucky enough to still find what few fresher fish there are around each day and have alot of fun.

Flies of choice have been Small Micro Nukes in Cream, chartreuse, and yellow to match the sucker egg hatch. Senyo's Ice Man Minnows in Creek Chub and Darter color versions. Robinson's Chicken Littles, Small black stone flies, BH Prince nymphs, Golden Stones, Micro Emerald Shiner colored Clouser Minnows, and Green Caddis.

Here are a few more of our trip pics from the past couple of days. We hope you enjoy them...

Nice Fish Dave!

Another decent Ohio steelhead.

John with an early bird steelhead...

Jack with an Ohio buck steelhead.

Fresh vs Old; Ohio steelhead are real troopers.

Great Day to be on the river...

Our retreat season kicks off this week with our first guests of the season... I am looking forward to spending some time catching trout while the rest of the SAO gang will be working hard guiding the for steelhead on the tributaries.

All Retreats are full for 2010 and we are already taking RSVP's for the 2011 Brook Trout retreats season. This is a fun and affordable way to introduce fly fishing to friends and family, or to use simply as a much needed get away. Please see the side bar of this blog in the popular trips we offer for more information.

Our stream side cabin over looking the trout stream.

A 20+ Brown Trout from cabin pool.

Another nice brown trout from the home pool.

Mike Schmidt trying on one of his creative bugs, during an afternoon of fishing.

Hooked up with a decent trout in boulder pool.

Brook Trout on a Ice man Minnow tube.

I will be unavailable until Tuesday April 13Th if you need to book a trip or have any questions please contact Head guide Patrick Robinson at flybum@windstream.net or call and leave a message at 419-348-7199 and he will return your calls promptly in the evening after he returns from the river.

Until Next Time!

Sincerely,

Greg Senyo

Owner/Operator SAO

Merry Christmas from SAO!

I still can't believe how quickly the fall steelhead season has come and gone! Even with the funky weather and river conditions experienced by anglers across the Alley, it was still a very memorable and rewarding season! The entire team here at SAO would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas! We all truly appreciate each one of you and wanted to thank you for choosing to fish with us, your willingness to place fly orders, and your encouraging feedback on our fly fishing services and websites. Because of your continued support each and every year we are able to pursue what we love, and we are extremely grateful for the opportunities to do what we do with all of you...

Nothing looks better than a jazzy new fly box on a winter back ground!

Shawn and Tim pose with a decent December Ohio Steelhead!

Tim with another Ohio Lake Erie Steelhead.

The Release...

As the winter freeze over approaches, our focus will turn to our fly tying blog, fly fishing shows, and fly tying presentations around the Mid West and North Eastern US. First stop is January 9th in Indianapolis for the Indiana On The Fly Show!!! If you are in the area this is a great show and one you don't want to miss...!!

We have been taking bookings for our spring 2010 steelhead season. Our guides always fill quickly so don't hesitate to RSVP your dates as we look forward to a great spring season!!!

Be Safe and Happy Holidays!

From our family to yours Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Greg, Patrick, Will, John M., John C., Joel, Brett, Tim, Jay, Ben, John B., Jerry, Schultzy, Graham, Joe, and Brian...

Steelhead Alley Report

We finally got a small dose of much needed precipitation on the Alley yesterday! Jim At folly's End fly shop said Elk creek had rose nearly two feet on the wall below the shop and the river was muddy as of noon today, but should fish well tomorrow. SAO steelhead guide Tim Hess reported that lower Elk had similar conditions and would fish good through the weekend. The usual fly patterns such as sucker spawns, nymphs, and Emerald Shiner style streamers will produce.

Greg Senyo with a rare Chinook Salmon from an Ohio tributary.

The Eastern Ohio tributaries were less fortunate with the amount of rain received. The rivers did not rise as much as the PA tribs, but did get a little bit of color and stain that will most likely not last long. Ohio will need a serious rain to bring the rivers up to decent and good fish able levels. Despite the poor conditions small concentrations of fish are in the rivers, and stripping streamers( Olive woolly buggers, sculpins, emerald shiner imitations) on a long leader have been best producers. Hiking to find pods of unmolested fish is your best bet. Some of the Western Ohio tribs are up and muddy but should be fish able shortly and see a fair number of fresh fish in the system now. Its nice to actually have some flow to some of the streams for once.

A small Fall Ohio steelhead caught during low water conditions..

Pray for more rain out east and high water conditions to bring in the mother load and to spread fish through out our river systems, Will Turek is on the river today and tomorrow so we will keep you updated ..

Greg Senyo

SAO

Low and Slow... is the Tempo

Indian summer anyone...? Break out the barbeque, ice cold beer and sunscreen. Yep, it's hard to believe that Holloween is a short three weeks away or that we were actually out catching steelhead earlier in the week. What we need right now is RAIN!!

Friday, I headed out east to check on the Ohio tribs and confirm what I already knew, that all the rivers were low and clear. Due dilegence required it, however, as I had a couple younger guys to take out Saturday. They were in town from college for the weekend visiting family and wanted to learn steelheading techniques from a pro so when they return home on break in the fall they would have the the knowledge and confidence to catch fish on their own.

Even in the low and clear water conditions Friday, I managed to catch a couple fish in the morning before the sun got on the water. This fish took a sparsely tied olive streamer.

Saturday, water levels were even lower. However, an early start gave us a three hour window of opportunity before the sun would be on the water. Water temp in the morning was a very agreeable 52 degrees as a result of the cool evenings we've been having. Our strategy for very low, clear water was to locate a pod of fish - not very difficult considering how little room was left for them to spread out in the river - and strip streamers. Yeah, you're probably thinking, strip streamers!?... What the @$%$?

Well, there's no use throwing an indicator, not enough current. Sure, you could try high sticking or short line nymphing without an indicator... that is IF you could get close enough to the fish without spooking them. And what stressed out, spooky steel sitting in a couple feet of water AT BEST is going to be interested in an egg or nymph pattern that isn't force fed to them. Throwing streamers allowed us to stay away from the fish so as NOT to spook them and to let the "players" come to the forefront without disturbing the rest of the pod which are seeking a little relief of their own.

Below is a pic of Mike showing one of the results of our morning's effort.

Throughout the morning and surprisingly well into the afternoon with careful spotting, stalking and casting we were able to hook 5 fish with the last fish hooked at almost 4 pm. A truly fine accomplishment, in my opinon, considering the weather and water conditions we were up against. Unfortunately, only one was brought to the net. I could tell my guys were a little bummed out, so I told them what I tell all my clients in their situation, "Hooking and landing fish are two entirely different skills. Remember, you can't lose a fish you've never hooked. If you're going to be bummed out, be bummed out when you don't catch anything". I think it's pretty sound advice for everyone out there.

So, even with rediculously low and clear water conditions we were able to adapt our tactics to the existing weather and water conditions, succeed in catching a few fish and enjoy each others company on a beautiful indian summer day.

Will Turek
SAO Stripper For Hire

Fall 2008 update from Steelhead Alley Outfitters

Here is a video to help get you thinking about the fall season.

We are really excited about the approaching Fall steelhead runs here on the Alley! As you can see we have been fishing abroad to keep in touch with the latest fly fishing equipment, honing our skills and learning new and improved ways to make your fly fishing trip experience even better. Our Summer guide season is nearly over, and we are preparing to hit the surf to cast for early run fish on Lake Erie. Can't wait till they start to trickle in during the cool late August nights.

An example of a perfect fall Ohio steelhead that took an olive sculpin swinging through the tail out of the pool.

We are booking steady for our fall/winter steelhead season, and with the experience and depth of our staff we can arrange and accommodate you on all the prime days during the season. We handle Business, club, personal, and special needs clients every season! No group is to large and each trip is customly put together with no details left out for every client, guaranteeing that your trip with exceed your expectations. Don't hesitate to call me at 419-466-9382 or email at gregsenyo@yahoo.com to build the fly fishing package that is right for you.

A trophy 2007 fall run steelhead caught on one of our Ohio tributaries!

We have also started taking bookings for our spring 2009 steelhead season, and it is never to early to book your prime Ohio steelhead dates. We will once again be offering our on the water clinic, several fly tying classes, spey casting and steelhead schools, and providing speaking and slide show presentations around the Mid west. (see list below)

We have openings with Will Turek SAO's spey specialist for Late August and September Spey casting classes at Hidden Valley Park on the grand River. Check out our spey trips page at http://www.steelheadalleyoutfitters.com/ for more details.

Pink Salmon on the fly

In a few short weeks we will be hosting twenty anglers up North to fly/spey fish for Great Lakes King Salmon and Pink Salmon. This is a world class experience and must see fishery!!! If interested in joining the group vacation this September give us a shout their is plenty of room and plenty of river. With our accommodations and being inexpensive missing this trip wouldn't be right.

Senyo's tube fly Sculpins and more!!!

We are now offering individual and assortments of Senyo's custom sculpin tube flies, Emerald Shiner tubes, and Scandinavian style tubes. All tubes are constructed on Eumer products/materials and Hare Line Dubbin inc. materials. Diiachi tube hooks included with each tube fly. These are custom order only call 419-466-9382 to place orders.

You may have noticed we no longer offer individual fly sales online, instead we have decided to offer assortments only online and continue to distribute to the major fly shops across the region. This has been well received by our customers as our orders have doubled over the past year due mainly to an exclusive new line of steelhead flies. Our patterns are also available through http://www.orvis.com/ with over 15 patterns coming in the 2009 catalog and online. If you are interested in individual fly sales for Great Lakes Steelhead flies we use and recommend http://www.greatlakessteelheadflies.com/ these patterns are tied strictly in the USA and on diiachi hooks to order and is a top supplier of steelhead flies to noted fly fishing guides across the Great Lakes.

2008 list of Events with SAO:


September 27th and 28th Muskegon River Michigan Spey Clave:
Greg Senyo: Tying custom Great Lakes Tube Sculpins
Will Turek: Spey casting demonstrations

October 11th Orvis Dayton:
Greg Senyo: Tying Custom Great lakes Steelhead Flies
Patrick Robinson: Steelhead and trout presentation

October 12th Orvis Royal Oak Detroit Michigan:
Greg Senyo: Tying Custom Steelhead Flies
Patrick Robinson: Steelhead Presentation

November 8th Orvis Carmel Indiana
Greg Senyo: Fly tying demos
Patrick Robinson: Trout and steelhead presentation

December 6th Colton Bay Outfitters Michigan
Greg Senyo: Steelhead fly Patterns, tubes, custom patterns
Patrick Robinson: Steelhead and trout presentation

Note:
We have several tying commitments and club speaking engagements that will go out in your club news letters, and several more shop listings still not finalized and will be updated shortly. We hope to see each and everyone of you. January shows will be listed at later date with 2009 updates.

We would like to thank everyone for supporting our staff, this company, and the life long relationships we have begun to form with you. Your Fly orders, bookings, and commitment to our company is the sole reason we are able to offer the service we provide today. Thank you to the numerous fly shops for their referrals and to the 30+ fly fishing industry leading companies that have provided us Pro staff status to offer the amount and quality of equipment we use on a daily basis. Last but not least to our Lake Erie communities, the tributary land owners, and my true home, thank you for your unwavering support of our team.

SAO Staff

Cool spring rains mean hot fishing opportunities!!

Most of the rivers in Ohio desperately needed the cold spring rains this week provided. The higher water and the drastic change to cooler temperatures have allowed for, what may be the last push of steelhead into the lower sections of our Lake Erie tributaries providing a good mix of both drop backs and fresh fish. Most of these fresher steelhead have been smaller between 2 and 4 pounds, but as shiny as a new dime and full of fight.

We have had great success on the lower rivers especially the first half mile to the lake shore, steelhead have pretty much completely left the upper rivers now and Lake run Smallies have taken up residence. Most of the guys have been targeting the Bass and been searching out the local area and tri state trout streams.

The Maumee and Portage rivers are still providing excellent opportunities for White bass and small mouth bass on the fly, and will continue to get better as we move toward warmer summer days. I have spent alot of time lately with clients targeting the white bass and having a great time.

Our new warm water page is up at our http://steelheadalleyoutfitters.com/ website, and we have added another great new member to the SAO team to help anglers accomplish their spey and fly fishing goals. I will have this new and exciting addition posted shortly, with schools and trip information to follow. I know you will be as excited as we are to have this gentleman with the SAO team.

Our hosted events page should be up dated here this week offering several destinations across the country for trout, steelhead, and salmon. Our new tube fly line is now just around the corner and coming soon. I hope everyone gets out to enjoy some of the great spring weather; that is in between the rains :) and has a chance to relax a catch a few fish with family and friends!!!

Tight Lines and Good fishing
Greg Senyo
419-466-9382