Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2012 - 6

Small Stream
by Carl Haensel
photos by the author
far between. The deepest holes with good runs flowing into them will hold the most fish. Fish in shallow riffles or runs will often be moving between these points. Fresh fish will be “brighter” or more silver and lighter in color and usually moving upstream. When you’re walking the water, move slowly and wear polarized glasses. Polarized glasses are your most important small stream tool. Stay out of the water and on banks for the best vantage point and to avoid disturbing fish. Steelhead can hide very well in a shallow riffle that is only 8 inches deep. If you see a fish, cast to it. Watch its reaction closely. If you make them nervous with your casting, they will often shift up and down in a run and back and forth across the stream. I’ve watched anglers fishing to empty water, because the fish they were targeting left after the first few casts. Areas with overhead cover such as logs, stumps and rocky cliffs hold fish more consistently over time. Find these places and look for them to produce trip after trip, as long as the cover stays in place. Start your drift upstream far enough to avoid startling fish in very shallow water. Make sure to vary the amount of weight on the rig that you are fishing, depending on the situation. Avoid snagging up on the bottom next to fish in shallow sections. It will frighten the fish, and you will be more likely to foul hook them. After a rain, fresh steelhead are more likely to be aggressive and hit brighter, larger egg patterns. Sometimes even small streamers, large nymphs or Woolly Buggers can work. Often, the fly or lure really doesn’t matter to a fish that is truly fresh in from the lake. They will reflexively bite at anything appropriately drifted near them, and they may aggressively chase flashy flies or lures. If fish have been in a stream for a long period of time and the water is low and clear, smaller nymphs or egg patterns on light line may need to be employed to get the fish to bite.

Heading to Erie on a Saturday morning in November several years ago, I pulled into the parking lot at the mouth of Walnut Creek and was greeted with a familiar sight. Dozens of cars and many anglers were on the water. Even at 8 a.m., all the best water was taken, and there was not even a small amount of water to fish without being right on someone else’s elbow. I decided then and there to start exploring other waters for steelhead in Pennsylvania. Smaller waters, out of the way places, tiny holes that are hard to get into. The rewards soon became apparent. If you find the right hole that nobody is on and the steelhead are active, an angler can do extremely well. Fishing a small stream for steelhead is all about timing. During steelhead season, there are periods when smaller steelhead streams run almost dry. Look at them on these days, and you will rarely find fish. If you do, fish will be jittery and will not be in a biting mood. Wait for a good rain to bring water levels up and entice fresh fish. Then, start walking the water and looking for fish. Deeper holes on small streams are generally few and far

This nice female steelhead was taken on a morning of fishing on a small Lake Erie tributary stream.

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater • November/December 2012

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2012

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