Recent Trip Report

Is it spring?  Is it winter?  Is it both...all in the same day?  You never know what March will bring, and we've had some crazy shifts in weather over the last few weeks.  It's always one of the more volatile months, and this year has been no different.  Timing trips up in the productive weather windows has been important, and the fish have cooperated nicely when we've had a chance to get out!  Since ice-out our trips have been focused on the PA tribs, but that's about to change for the next several weeks.  With each high water event more and more fish are coming into the Ohio waters, making it prime time in the Buckeye State!

The PA tribs have been fishing well, but there's been a noticeable downtick in numbers of fish in the drainages.  That's just the way things go this time of year, as the steelhead will begin to make their way back out to the big water of Lake Erie for the summer.  There are certainly plenty of fish to be had, and it's possible to have a great day, but moving forward the total numbers will continue to shrink.  As another important note, the PFBC has started stocking smolt in the PA waters, so take extra special care of them when caught.  They will be the adults we catch in seasons to come, so keeping them happy and healthy is crucial for the continuation of our tremendous fishery!   As a general rule, if you catch a few in one spot you can bet there are hundreds in the area, so it's sometimes wise to move on to a new stretch to avoid catching dozens of the juvenile steelhead. 

Some hot flies from recent trips include: 

• Pat's Rubber Legs
• White/Chartreuse Sucker Spawn
  
• ​White/Orange Sucker Spawn
  
• Pink/Red Sucker Spawn
  
• White Single Egg
  
• Clear Squirmy Worm
  

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