(More pictures once I receive them from Joe McMullen)
After shifting some of my guiding schedule around, I was able to accept Joe McMullen’s (a well known PA fishing expert) offer to head up to Northwestern Pennsylvania to try my luck for some spring run steelhead. I was informed not to expect much, as the primary run takes place during the fall, but I was still excited. With the massive rainfall we had experienced, the water may be high and off color, but might just allow more fish to enter the river. I rushed home after my trip on the Tuesday afternoon to get my stuff ready and headed back down to the clubhouse, battling torrential rain and wind in the process. Once I was back at the clubhouse, I was told that a very large pine tree had fallen right at the front and was crossing some power lines. I was able to reach Joe at home and let him know to call me once he was on his way, so I would know he would be ~20 minutes away. Meanwhile I chatted with other staff about how they intended on getting home that night, but all the while I was really thinking about all of the stories about the monster steelhead, snatching flies with incredible force. The phone finally rang and before I knew it I was running the brief minute down the driveway with all of my gear wrapped in trash bags to keep dry.
Joe and I chatted through the intense rain bouncing off the windshield for the three and a half hour drive before we arrived to his favorite lodging, a truck stop-esque dive hotel in Erie. He had been going there for years and the staff all knew and greeted him, even though we arrived shortly after midnight. We both crashed out and I woke up a little after 6:00am to see Joe tying away at his vise. Once I was up and he cranked out nearly two dozen flies, we were off for a quick breakfast before heading out to meet up with another guide and get on the water.
Upon arrival at Twenty Mile Creek, we tried our best to spot some fish in the slightly murky water, and tried drifting some nymphs by them. After about an hour, we switched to a small olive streamer with nice green and white barbell eyes. After a few swings right in front of a couple of fish, one finally turned and I was telling myself, “WAIT, WAIT, WAIT,” as I saw the fish charge the fly. WHAM!!! The fish smashed the fly and I finally hooked into my first steelhead. The line was whizzing off of the reel, and I was just trying to keep up with him as he heading downstream a bit. Once he got into some calmer water, I played him for a few minutes until I finally had him on shore. We snapped some photos and I was instantly back in the water, swinging more flies to the fish I could spot. I did this for some time, moving back upstream, then downstream, chasing the few fish we could locate in the deep pool and run. I managed to hook into about five more, but only land 4 total for the day. They varied from being very fresh from Lake Erie, to being very dark and “old” by Joe McMullen’s standards.
I am now hooked on steelheading, and will try my hardest to find more opportunities to catch these powerful fish. If you have never fished for steelhead, I highly recommend it. Change your schedule around, make that extra trip, and show some patience. Once the first fish crushes your fly, you, too, will be hooked for life!
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