Cool, rainy weather can be a fisherman's friend

Cool weather and rain may not be everyone's idea of good times, but steelhead fishermen are jumping for joy after the front that blew through northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania on Thursday.
The storm put a chill in the streams that run into Lake Erie. The increased flow of cold water signals to the big lake-run rainbow trout -- known as steelheads -- that it's time to gather at the beaches around the tributaries and migrate to their wintering water in the pools.
Steelhead have been evident around the mouths of Lake Erie tributaries for several weeks. Anglers have been catching "jacks" -- young fish in the 15-inch size range -- as well as mature fish measuring up to 28 and 30 inches.
Just a teaser
But the early run is just a teaser of what's about to happen when the rivers swell with cold run-off from blustery autumn rainstorms. Precipitation earlier this week came at a good time as the fish had gathered in significant numbers around the beaches.
Reports at week's end indicated many of the better stretches of Elk and Walnut creeks in Pennsylvania and Ohio's Conneaut Creek, Rocky River and others were holding good numbers of steelhead.
Word spreads quickly when the trout are in the creeks in catchable numbers.
More and more anglers are extending their fishing seasons to pursue steelies. The attraction is the tremendous fight they put up on the light tackle necessary to hook up. Mature steelhead strip line in long runs and jump spectacularly as they try to shake hooks. Anglers lose more battles than they win.
The challenge is to find the right combination of rod, reel and line to first hook and then land fish weighing 10 to 20 pounds.
Steelhead are fussy about what they'll strike and are quick to shy from hooks tied to stout line. Successful anglers learn quickly that they'll get strikes on 6-pound-test line, but they've got to be good -- and lucky -- to land the majority of the fish that eat their baits.
To counteract the wispy line, experienced steelhead anglers employ extra-long, light-action rods. The additional length and parabolic action of the so-called "noodle" rods absorbs much of the energy of a hard-charging steelhead, relieving some of the stress on the line.
High-quality reels capable of holding lots of line also are recommended. The last thing you need when you're hooked up with a 12-pound steelhead is a reel with a balky drag.
Steelies have pretty sharp eyesight, which means they can detect the line tied to a drifting bait and sense when the bait is reacting in a phony fashion relative to the current. For that reason, many anglers chose to spool up with fluorocarbon line. It sinks, thus reducing the drag of the current on the line, and is virtually invisible under the water's surface.
The fish will strike a variety of lures.
When they are on the beaches or just entering the streams, trout can be tempted to strike spinners and flashy spoons. Small crankbaits also will produce jarring strikes.
More wary, less likely
After they've moved upstream and settled into the runs and pools between riffles, steelhead become more wary and less likely to whack hardware. Flies that resemble small minnows will produce then, along with others that are tied to resemble spawn.
Another popular tactic is to drift natural baits through the fishes' holding areas. A variety of baits -- from single eggs and spawn sacks to live minnows and nightcrawlers -- will work, depending on the steelheads' mood.
The key to success with any bait or lure is to present it as naturally as possible. Stream steelies are extremely cautious and can detect even the most subtle flaws in the way a bait or lure is reacting in the current.
Fishing will remain fair to good throughout the cold-weather months. Tough times are when the rivers are swollen and murky. The best times are right after a fresh pod of fish moves in during high water and the streams have settled to normal clarity and slightly above-normal flow.
Those are times when it's a good idea to set the VCR to tape the football game. Steelhead time is too precious to squander.
jwwollitz@aol.com