Erie Tribs Report: The Quest for 200 (Part 2)

I didn’t think I would land 17 steelhead today, but you never know. Crazier things have happened. We — Number 2 Son Cam was joining me today, along with our guide Bob Packey — would be fishing Conneaut Creek in Ohio. I love this stretch of Conneaut. It’s got the ubiquitous sheer shale cliff faces you associate with Erie tribs, and while it does have its share of shallow, easy-to-read flat bottom, much of it resembles a traditional trout stream like you’d find back east.

The weather was cooperating. At least at first it was. Overcast, which was nice, but then it began to shower, building to you-need-a-raincoat strength. Then, the wind picked up, whipping piles of leaves into the water. That was a wee bit of a problem. But when it comes to steelheading, you get what you get and you don’t get upset. The water was lightly stained, and with the leaves, increasingly tannic. Not necessarily a bad thing.

We started off at the tailout of a deep pool, hard against a shale ledge. We fished this mark last year, and did very well, but for the first 10 minutes this year the fish weren’t having it. Finally, they began eating. This is a challenging place to play a fish, as the tailout dumps into a series of rapids and pockets. If the steelhead goes down the chute, you’re either chasing after it, which can be dicey, or breaking it off, which is lose-lose for all parties. Fortunately, the steehead gods smiled upon us. Conneaut has several sections where playing a fish is difficult due to swift currents and rocky substrate. Landing fish on this day was far more challenging than yesterday at Elk. I felt like I earned every fish.

Adding to the challenge was a mix of fresher fish, and water temps that were a decidedly un-December-like 47 degrees. Many of the fish, like this one, were hot players not long from Erie. But I like a challenge. It sweetens the pot.

We worked our way downstream, banging away at pockets and runs that looked like good holding water. This lovely hen came out of a swirling pocket at the edge of a waterfall. I can’t say enough about the fine coaching Cam received from Bob Packey — and about Cam’s fly fishing. You see, Cam really doesn’t fly fish. But he gets it. Sure, he’s had experience landing steelhead on the fly rod (I used to hand my rod off to him when he was little and let him have at it) but as anyone who’s done it can attest, steelheading isn’t easy! Great job, Cam.

And so, dear reader, this is where the story gets interesting. We fished a tailout that held dozens of steelhead last year. This year, not so much. Only two touches, and zero fish landed. However, the run below was Yahtzee. At one point I hooked up on six consecutive casts. My landing percentage was good. Some quick math, and I was at 198.

Two to go.

And then, the steelhead gods stepped in and waved their collective index finger at me. Now, now. Not so fast, Steve. I had a chrome skipper just at the net before it bolted, ran between two rocks and wiggled off. I got snagged on the bottom and could not free it. A walk upstream and some direct pressure and…the bottom fought back. Big steelehead. Battle ensues. The fish spit the hook and got fouled on the dropper. Off it went. We made the command decision to stay a little later and finish the job. Again, the steelhead gods with their wagging fingers. Foul hooks, tippet failure, bad luck, no fish where they should be…200 would have to wait for another day.

I can’t say that I was mortally disappointed. 15 in the hoop is very, very good day.

2 comments on “Erie Tribs Report: The Quest for 200 (Part 2)”

Greg Tarris says:

December 22, 2023 at 2:03 pm

Thanks for sharing. Curious, is it at all crowded like the NY steelhead rivers?

Steve Culton says:

December 22, 2023 at 4:38 pm

Yes it is. Of course there are varying degrees of “crowded.” It’s probably not as crowded as the LFZ on Salmon River, and definitely way more crowded than the middle section of the Salmon. It all depends on when are where and what season you go. Certainly this applies: the Erie tribs are generally not a place to go when you’re in search of solitude. Hope that helps!

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