Another great video.... Thank you for NOT adding musical soundtracks and talking excessively. Everything you say in your videos has meaning and you let mother nature say the rest. Great job! keep'em coming!
I used to catch Skamania steelhead on the Kalama River in Washigton. Sadl;y, I guess, those days may be gone. How ironic that I was born and raised in eastern Pa., and then moved to idaho back in the early 1980's after hiking the AT. And now, after nearly 40 years, if I want to catch steelies like that, I may have to go back to Pa. to get them. I guess it's my turn to be "anadromous" myself and go back home to my native birthing grounds to catch steelhead. Thanks for the video.
I really enjoyed this video Mike , great scenery and nice editing! Good camera work and nice perspectives when hooking into some beautiful steelhead! I see your frustration when breaking off a couple, just call it an early release ! And I agree these last few months water levels have been low , even in New York where I fish ! Tight lines !
The key is always the water flow. That river had great water flow yet very clear. I was at Elk creek the end of October. Not enough rain there and the water was barely moving. Very few fresh fish. You found them. Congrats. Great job as always
Nicely done; good work with intro of your patterns used/applied and great effort on quality video edit and scene selections (lots of work and thought went into the video)...thanks! See you on the streams...
You'll be surprised how playing a beautiful fish, like the steelhead in the video, with a lower rod tip...will enable you to put a little more pressure on the fish, get em' in quicker(but great job by you!) & allow a firmer hold by the fly-hook..preventing lost fish...but great stream and beautiful steelhead. There are indeed probably more...waiting for higher levels. Great video!
I understand your frustration with 5X. We had to drop to 5X in western NY when we were there in November. But oh so satisfying when you get them in the net. Thanks for posting.
a friend of mine told me he ran into you while out steelheading about a month ago... i was left in a month's worth of suspense for the video! glad to see a new video out. it's awesome and i love your channel:)
Head shakes and barbless hooks = losing a few fish. Love your videos! I feel like I'm there with you on a fishing trip because you don't your commentary is minimal. Perfect !
Wow that looks like so much fun! Need to get up there and go after them steels sometime soon! They look much more powerful then your average little dinky rainbow 😂💯🐟🎣. Tight lines Mike, and good luck up in Milwaukee! Theirs another place I’ve been wanting to go for the longest time!
Hey Mike love the videos been recovering from lisfranc foot surgery so the last 8 weeks have been TerrIbly boring but been enjoying your videos makes days to so much quicker
I dunno how you manage to get these spots with no competition. I am just getting back into fishing after 16 years, still relearning everything. Anytime I walk the creeks or stop any fishable areas West of Erie it's elbow to elbow the last 2 weeks.
Thanks for posting a steelhead video! I'm taking my first of many fall and winter trips to Lake Michigan tribs on Friday. Your pink and red "ice worm" was dynamite for me last year. You should give that fly a try this season. Tying more up as we speak and hoping it stays hot this season!
Well done Mike. I kept thinking that second fish was going to get you snagged on that partially submerged log. Very surprised you got on fish without shoulder to shoulder anglers on the water. That’s what drove me off steelhead fishing when I lived back there. Got threatened one too many times as the only fly fisherman. BTW you did great on 5x tippet for those husky fish in current.
Good job Mike! Good video. I am wanting to get up there. Still have plenty of footage to work through from the out west trip. Will be posting a fun one before long.
Enjoyed the video, awesome scenery & great fish, always a test/challenge to find a balance, between fly selection & tippet size to light & you break them off or play them to long,to heavy & no fish always a guess
Going back over all your videos to see what I missed. Water is music, I’m thankful to you for not ruining a good thing with The other. 5x, is it Fluor? Anyway the natural is best, like the vid.Those fish are beautiful.
Very Nice Mike! BEAUTIFUL steelies! Erie tribs are a little farther away for me so I tend to hit the Salmon River area but I do love those small stream steelies! Very nice job fighting and landing most of the fish. I had to laugh at your reaction when you lost fish though because I do the exact same thing! I do tend to go heavier on my line but I am also fishing bigger, faster water. Congrats on some awesome steelies though! I can't wait to get out for some! No salmon fishing for you this year?
I just stumbled upon your channel and dig the content. I yearly fish the Connie in Ashtabula, OH for Steelhead in the Spring. Will the Crystal Bugger you use work there too? I know OH stocks a different type of Steelhead from PA.
Wooly Bugged no joke I fished the 12-16 mile creeks and saw so many all day just people kept running thru the creeks so I didn’t get a bite until as we were ready to head home I threw a random cast into the straight lake from the beach and got a big one on that cast
It sure is, it can be frustrating at times when you are trying to plan vacation time, etc. You'll eventually get that steelhead and when you do it will all have been worth it!
I fully understand the low water conditions but I would rarely ever use 5X. Consider using the Rio Powerflex 5X as it is much stronger than other nylons. 5X is 6# and 4X is 7.5#.
Matt Troutman I’m a believe that in low water conditions, fish can see the heavier gauge tippers and leaders. I like to use fluorocarbon and that helps with rock abrasion as well.
Are these a different species from PNW steelhead? Every one I've caught especially in S Umpqua river in Oregon had a very dark silvery head. One you showed looked very much like a really big rainbow, pale head with spots...
We fish many of the same waters, pine, tulpehocken, mile streams and elk by the looks of it. Have you ever considered selling some flies? I’ve always fished with a spinning rod but recently caught the fly and center pin bug.
Nice job Mike, what weight rod was that you were using? Looks like you had a blast with that light tippet. I'm sure those tribs are raging today and that water will be nice in a few days ,full of fresh chrome.
dave williams I was using a 9’-8wt Douglas DXF. I’ve come to really like this rod for the lake run fish. All the PA and NY tribs will be teaming with fish this weekend. This was the rain we needed.
Hey Mike! Great video as always! What size hooks do you use for your crystal buggers? I have a bunch of y2ks and crystal meth tied up for next weekend, but I'd like to add a few of those to my box
Michael, you made it look easy, although I know that it's not. I'm impressed that you seemed to have the stream to yourself. Did you try 4X just to see if you would still get takes and have better odds of landing the fish? Were you sight fishing at the end? Thanks.
Slow deep pools up there pink with white worm works better for me. I prefer Erie tribs to Ontario tribs. Salmon Rivers not for old farts. However, the runs have been on the decline the last 10 yrs on Erie imo tons of poaching up on Erie too I used to see pods of 20-30 fish now 4-5 is the norm. You see the same guys keeping their limits on multiple streams during the day.
Man, another great video! So cool to see such quality production from a local guy. Love the execution of the editing and scenery as well as just silent nature parts of the footage. It's also really good to see the fails too. It helps those of us not to yet skilled in the Jedi Art of the Fly, haha! Great info as always too! Thanks for that. Seriously. But hey, can I ask in regards to that first deep hole you fished there. I heard you say you threw the egg pattern and the squirmy in there and got no takes, but that steely wooly bugger got the bite. So, can you tell me what kinda weight you used for such an immediately deep hole like that? And did you change the weight from what you used when tossing the squirmy/egg pattern vs fishing the wooly bugger? Just wanna get your thinking on weight to use when depth is a factor for holes like that. I find them most challenging to successfully fish. Thanks
XYKLON thanks for the kind comments. So I tied those crystal buggers with weight wrapped on the hook. Because of that, when I started fishing the bugger, I took the shot off. The weighted bugger was just enough to get it down in the plunge pool but allow it to drift above the creek bottom. I change weight a lot depending on water depth and speed.
Really enjoyed this one, Mike. I really have to get up there and chase some chrome. I've yet to make that leap. This video really gets me going, though. Nicely done. As an aside... what wading boots are those?
Being from Erie, this was my favorite pastime, but due to the Internet exposure the resulting hoardes of amateurs became unbearable. So how you managed to have the creek all to yourself is astonishing. Are you at Elk, or 20 mile?
Cole Geiger so I use .010 lead on a predator style trout hook with small silver wire, then tie in white marabou, wrap opal estaz thread and then bugger grizzly hackle. I use white or gray thread.
Northwest Oregon Fishing ya I know, we’d debate it all day. But don’t get me wrong, I’d rather chase and catch your steelhead every day of the week. Without question!
@@northwestoregonfishing1716 Guess where the original strain of "trout" came from to start the stocking of these Lake Erie tribs? Pcific Northwest. Did they magically change into plain old trout, because they never entered salt water? Do the descendants of apes in zoos become another species, because they don't live in the jungle?
Another great video.... Thank you for NOT adding musical soundtracks and talking excessively. Everything you say in your videos has meaning and you let mother nature say the rest. Great job! keep'em coming!
Like a double secret hiding spot. I'm more impressed at avoiding the masses than catching the fish.
You do a good job of communicating, showing some good scenes and helping us enjoy the beauty of creation and catching fish too!
I used to catch Skamania steelhead on the Kalama River in Washigton. Sadl;y, I guess, those days may be gone. How ironic that I was born and raised in eastern Pa., and then moved to idaho back in the early 1980's after hiking the AT. And now, after nearly 40 years, if I want to catch steelies like that, I may have to go back to Pa. to get them. I guess it's my turn to be "anadromous" myself and go back home to my native birthing grounds to catch steelhead.
Thanks for the video.
Glad to see you back... Beautiful creek I have never fished that one but after seeing the surroundings It is on my list..... Thanks
Skipper Ruhl you gotta get up there at some point
I really enjoyed this video Mike , great scenery and nice editing! Good camera work and nice perspectives when hooking into some beautiful steelhead! I see your frustration when breaking off a couple, just call it an early release ! And I agree these last few months water levels have been low , even in New York where I fish ! Tight lines !
Chasingbowsnbrowns 365 sometimes you go hours without a hookup so when it happens and it breaks off, awwwee man. So exciting though.
The key is always the water flow. That river had great water flow yet very clear. I was at Elk creek the end of October. Not enough rain there and the water was barely moving. Very few fresh fish. You found them. Congrats. Great job as always
Great video Mike! The footage is awesome and the steelhead are beautiful. Definitely makes me want to head there!
Scott Lowe it’s cool we all have access to that fishery up there!
Very nice video. Great editing too.
Great vid Michael - thanks for posting.
Nicely done; good work with intro of your patterns used/applied and great effort on quality video edit and scene selections (lots of work and thought went into the video)...thanks! See you on the streams...
You'll be surprised how playing a beautiful fish, like the steelhead in the video, with a lower rod tip...will enable you to put a little more pressure on the fish, get em' in quicker(but great job by you!) & allow a firmer hold by the fly-hook..preventing lost fish...but great stream and beautiful steelhead. There are indeed probably more...waiting for higher levels. Great video!
Looks like a beauty day tome thankyou nice job bro fish on
I understand your frustration with 5X. We had to drop to 5X in western NY when we were there in November. But oh so satisfying when you get them in the net. Thanks for posting.
a friend of mine told me he ran into you while out steelheading about a month ago... i was left in a month's worth of suspense for the video! glad to see a new video out. it's awesome and i love your channel:)
Head shakes and barbless hooks = losing a few fish. Love your videos! I feel like I'm there with you on a fishing trip because you don't your commentary is minimal. Perfect !
I'm heading up there in 2 weeks and I hope to have an "ok" outing like that on most days.Nice work. Love the chrome.
Solid video. Mike.
Keep up the Great Work..
Frankie Shoenfelt thanks Frankie
@@WoolyBugged if you could forward the picture of that Brown. To me. The Day we spent together. I lost some picture's and some contacts. Thanks Mike.
Wow that looks like so much fun! Need to get up there and go after them steels sometime soon! They look much more powerful then your average little dinky rainbow 😂💯🐟🎣. Tight lines Mike, and good luck up in Milwaukee! Theirs another place I’ve been wanting to go for the longest time!
Wow dude, looks like an awesome area, new to the channel excited to see what else you bring us!
Excellent video as always, my friend!
Paul Snyder thanks Paul!
Nice fish and gorgeous spot!
Fish Hawk thanks Fish Hawk!
Love it . Beautiful area . All caught up on your videos..
Great quality video very smooth with shots and beautiful fish. Nicely done im subscribed
Hey Mike love the videos been recovering from lisfranc foot surgery so the last 8 weeks have been TerrIbly boring but been enjoying your videos makes days to so much quicker
I dunno how you manage to get these spots with no competition. I am just getting back into fishing after 16 years, still relearning everything. Anytime I walk the creeks or stop any fishable areas West of Erie it's elbow to elbow the last 2 weeks.
very cool video man awesome that you captured the hook sets
Thanks for posting a steelhead video! I'm taking my first of many fall and winter trips to Lake Michigan tribs on Friday. Your pink and red "ice worm" was dynamite for me last year. You should give that fly a try this season. Tying more up as we speak and hoping it stays hot this season!
blingadinghey sweet! Ya I enjoyed making this one. Steelhead are tough to film solo.
Well done Mike. I kept thinking that second fish was going to get you snagged on that partially submerged log. Very surprised you got on fish without shoulder to shoulder anglers on the water. That’s what drove me off steelhead fishing when I lived back there. Got threatened one too many times as the only fly fisherman. BTW you did great on 5x tippet for those husky fish in current.
Farmer Bob I hear ya Bob. There were definitely guys around but many were sticking to the deep holes or left early.
Good job Mike! Good video. I am wanting to get up there. Still have plenty of footage to work through from the out west trip. Will be posting a fun one before long.
Nice 👍 I was starting to think aliens abducted you ............or something. Good to see ya back with another quality video!👍🇺🇸
Great video Mike. Thanks
Great video mike. Go up to Erie this coming Monday, hopefully flows go up a little until then. Tight lines
Jon H you’re gonna hit it perfectly. They are getting rain this weekend.
Great video Mike. I know people using 5x for brookies and scaried, nice rod work bro!!
awesome job filming mike as usual!!
Great fish and great video. Subbed 🙌
Silva On The Fly thank you!
Great fish! I am trying to catch some like that, beautiful chromers
Enjoyed the video, awesome scenery & great fish, always a test/challenge to find a balance, between fly selection & tippet size to light & you break them off or play them to long,to heavy & no fish always a guess
Going back over all your videos to see what I missed. Water is music, I’m thankful to you for not ruining a good thing with The other. 5x, is it Fluor? Anyway the natural is best, like the vid.Those fish are beautiful.
Nice catches. I have to explore that area.
Great job in low and clear conditions
Kyle Matesic thanks Kyle. I don’t like fish Erie in low water but it was fun!
Wooly Bugged I never liked low and clear in our Ny tribs. Fish are too skiddish IMO
Very Nice Mike! BEAUTIFUL steelies! Erie tribs are a little farther away for me so I tend to hit the Salmon River area but I do love those small stream steelies! Very nice job fighting and landing most of the fish. I had to laugh at your reaction when you lost fish though because I do the exact same thing! I do tend to go heavier on my line but I am also fishing bigger, faster water. Congrats on some awesome steelies though! I can't wait to get out for some! No salmon fishing for you this year?
Nice video Mike. I was up there Saturday also. We fished Elk. Still waiting to get my 1st on a fly rod.
Jon Montanari next week would be a great opportunity! Rain coming Saturday night into Sunday in Erie!
@@WoolyBugged thanks. A few guys I fish with are heading up tomorrow. It's a shame work gets in the way of fishing haha!
Jon Montanari always does!
How were there no people around you, everywhere is usually shoulder to shoulder for miles lol. Nice video, hoping to get into some chrome next month.
Nice video!
That Woo Woo thanks Woo!
Great Vid! You covered some real estate. 10:45- Yup!
screamin drag, my fav sound in the world
I just stumbled upon your channel and dig the content. I yearly fish the Connie in Ashtabula, OH for Steelhead in the Spring. Will the Crystal Bugger you use work there too? I know OH stocks a different type of Steelhead from PA.
I was there that day! Got my first one. Too!
BD OUTDOORS you never forget your first one!
Wooly Bugged no joke I fished the 12-16 mile creeks and saw so many all day just people kept running thru the creeks so I didn’t get a bite until as we were ready to head home I threw a random cast into the straight lake from the beach and got a big one on that cast
BD OUTDOORS that’s awesome
It was all luck but I’ll take it, btw 12mile had a good run
Awesome video Mike
ron carlson hey Ron, thanks, I appreciate it, hope you’re having a great night!
@@WoolyBugged thank you yes I am waiting for the weekend to go to my camp in tionesta to split wood
ron carlson sounds like a nice weekend!
This will be my 3rd fall going up once or twice. Ashamed to say I'm Still after my first steelie. Timing is everything..
It sure is, it can be frustrating at times when you are trying to plan vacation time, etc. You'll eventually get that steelhead and when you do it will all have been worth it!
What rod and reel?
I fully understand the low water conditions but I would rarely ever use 5X. Consider using the Rio Powerflex 5X as it is much stronger than other nylons. 5X is 6# and 4X is 7.5#.
Matt Troutman I’m a believe that in low water conditions, fish can see the heavier gauge tippers and leaders. I like to use fluorocarbon and that helps with rock abrasion as well.
What did you use for the body of your white crystal bugger
Are these a different species from PNW steelhead? Every one I've caught especially in S Umpqua river in Oregon had a very dark silvery head. One you showed looked very much like a really big rainbow, pale head with spots...
We fish many of the same waters, pine, tulpehocken, mile streams and elk by the looks of it. Have you ever considered selling some flies? I’ve always fished with a spinning rod but recently caught the fly and center pin bug.
Why spot burn 🔥 ?
great video
Nice job Mike, what weight rod was that you were using? Looks like you had a blast with that light tippet. I'm sure those tribs are raging today and that water will be nice in a few days ,full of fresh chrome.
dave williams I was using a 9’-8wt Douglas DXF. I’ve come to really like this rod for the lake run fish. All the PA and NY tribs will be teaming with fish this weekend. This was the rain we needed.
WELL DONE VIDEO
Hey Mike! Great video as always! What size hooks do you use for your crystal buggers? I have a bunch of y2ks and crystal meth tied up for next weekend, but I'd like to add a few of those to my box
Great video. Are you using added weight to get the flies down to the bottom, especially in the moving water?
Mike Roller yes, I was fishing a couple shot above my swivel
Could you post a material list for the crystal bigger..
I love you videos
Mike great video! How far do you have to walk in to leave the crowds behind?
Michael, you made it look easy, although I know that it's not. I'm impressed that you seemed to have the stream to yourself. Did you try 4X just to see if you would still get takes and have better odds of landing the fish? Were you sight fishing at the end? Thanks.
Slow deep pools up there pink with white worm works better for me. I prefer Erie tribs to Ontario tribs. Salmon Rivers not for old farts. However, the runs have been on the decline the last 10 yrs on Erie imo tons of poaching up on Erie too I used to see pods of 20-30 fish now 4-5 is the norm. You see the same guys keeping their limits on multiple streams during the day.
I wish everyone used the rubber bag nets...the difference on catch and release effect on fish is very big...
Great job walking, avoiding crowds, and finding fish. One curious question though. I know the water is low and clear but why 5x for fish this size?
you answered your own question...low and clear. I wouldn't say 5x is mandatory but it can give you an edge on hookups. Landing em is another story!
Get Scott up there. Make him a believer. From pa woods and water
Hey Mike,
What sling pac and net were you using? Great video!
Great video as usual Mike. Were you using a strike indicator?
That one at 9:33 took off !
I have a few spots that you would enjoy fishing in Upstate NY
For steelhead?
Man, another great video! So cool to see such quality production from a local guy. Love the execution of the editing and scenery as well as just silent nature parts of the footage. It's also really good to see the fails too. It helps those of us not to yet skilled in the Jedi Art of the Fly, haha! Great info as always too! Thanks for that. Seriously.
But hey, can I ask in regards to that first deep hole you fished there. I heard you say you threw the egg pattern and the squirmy in there and got no takes, but that steely wooly bugger got the bite. So, can you tell me what kinda weight you used for such an immediately deep hole like that? And did you change the weight from what you used when tossing the squirmy/egg pattern vs fishing the wooly bugger?
Just wanna get your thinking on weight to use when depth is a factor for holes like that.
I find them most challenging to successfully fish.
Thanks
XYKLON thanks for the kind comments. So I tied those crystal buggers with weight wrapped on the hook. Because of that, when I started fishing the bugger, I took the shot off. The weighted bugger was just enough to get it down in the plunge pool but allow it to drift above the creek bottom. I change weight a lot depending on water depth and speed.
What size wooly bugger are you casting? Seems like it would be difficult and you’d hook yourself on 5X tippet.
Really enjoyed this one, Mike. I really have to get up there and chase some chrome. I've yet to make that leap. This video really gets me going, though. Nicely done. As an aside... what wading boots are those?
Troutman Outdoors thanks buddy! Next week is gonna be good! Those are Simms Fly Weights.
Do you own this stream or lease it lol
I know right..
What Indictor do you mainly use
May I ask the weight of your rod and your leader set up? I love how you normally do that in your other videos.
Troy Kelly I did that and forgot to include the clip, haha. That’s a 9’-8wt.
Being from Erie, this was my favorite pastime, but due to the Internet exposure the resulting hoardes of amateurs became unbearable. So how you managed to have the creek all to yourself is astonishing. Are you at Elk, or 20 mile?
Your the one that ruins streams.....is that elk or 20 mile? Duh you're naming streams and giving people ideas on where to go. So stupid
Looks fun might go up this weekend what did you use for that wooly bugger
Cole Geiger so I use .010 lead on a predator style trout hook with small silver wire, then tie in white marabou, wrap opal estaz thread and then bugger grizzly hackle. I use white or gray thread.
Wooly Bugged thanks. I’m going to tie some up for this weekend. Great video!
Cole Geiger ya I’ve historically always had takes on white buggers with some flash tied in.
what kind of reel is that?
What landing net is that
What’s your go to brand for tippet?
Jason Tice I really like Trout Hunter but will use Rio too
Wooly Bugged thanks!
I wish you would have quickly covered your rod, reel and hook sizes
I like to use a 10'-7wt for steelhead in Erie. I pair that with a reel rated for a 7wt. I typically tie my buggers on #6 or #8 hooks for steelhead.
I find it a little uncool that you mention the stream name.
Love your vids Mike, but that first segment is actually Chautauqua Creek in New York. I know because I've caught fish at that very same hole!
Not trying to be a spot stealer but what stream
Slam’n Sam 56 That is Notellum Creek, the only way in or out is through Invisible Pass
@@williamcooke6056 Yes but which notellum creek there are so many of them! 😉🤣🤣
for the love of buggers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gave up Lake Erie stream fishing...now fish only by boat.
great video! Do you know what the flow was during the video?
I do not know what the flow was but it was on the low side.
Sebastian Askin yes, I wrap the hook with 0.010 lead before tying on the other materials.
Hey ,you forgot you're camera ,turn around and go get it .
More hookups on lighter line but more wear and tear on fish
Not your fault
Trout.
Northwest Oregon Fishing depends if they swim to the lake or stay in the stream. Steelhead strain is a steelhead strain.
Steelhead is a steelhead
If it didnt go into the ocean its not a steelhead. You wont convince mw otherwise. Sorry.
Northwest Oregon Fishing ya I know, we’d debate it all day. But don’t get me wrong, I’d rather chase and catch your steelhead every day of the week. Without question!
@@northwestoregonfishing1716 Guess where the original strain of "trout" came from to start the stocking of these Lake Erie tribs? Pcific Northwest. Did they magically change into plain old trout, because they never entered salt water? Do the descendants of apes in zoos become another species, because they don't live in the jungle?