Bourbon, Flies, and Lies: October 2021

I woke up at 2330 and made myself breakfast. I hit the road at 0100 and made sure I had my thermos of coffee. I would watch drunk drivers come in and out of my lane and just keep driving. Our deer here are in full rut and I was more concerned about them. I made sure I had a full tank of fuel because the last thing I want to do is purchase fuel in Pennsylvania. I noticed the cost of fuel in Pennsylvania was $3.55 and I had paid $2.95 in Ohio.

The history of the Niagara River Gorge is amazing. For instance, I found that this rock that I have passed several times had a trolley route next to it. The photo credit comes from Detroit Publishing see link for full write up. http://www.niagarafrontier.com/greatgorge.html

I entered New York and watched the digital thermometer reach 42 degrees! I thought O yes finally cold weather and its been raining. Its early for steelhead season in my book depending on what strain you fish for. The Manistee’s are a cold water/later in the season running fish.

The Pennsylvania mutts are just dumb! Lol New York stocks the two types of steelhead the Washington Strain and the Skamania or Skams (Skams are only to my knowledge in the Salmon River and the Little Salmon River).

I know there are a few out there who have caught a Chambers Creek steelhead. They are chrome torpedo’s and extremely fast you will notice the difference. The Skams have smaller shoulders than the Manistees!

I arrived at the empty parking lot this crisp October morning. The morning was still and no sound could be heard except the light morning 5 knot breeze. I know I was way early, but I wanted to sit with my thoughts on the riverbank and reflect. During these moments mother nature can be heard putting on a show! I would listen to fish breaking the surface and tearing the pants off bait as they fed. They were most likely Lakers and Browns. I would listen to this onslaught for over an hour.

When I fish, I know there is a risk and reward. The risk here would be the number of boats recreational and guides alike. I have no issues with these folks if they are respectable. Now let’s be clear here that not all guides and recreational fisherman are cut from the same cloth.

I have wade fished around boats before from the Cumberland River to the Two Heart River. I know how nuts it can get, but if respect is given the two parties should be able to coexist in that moment.

Here comes my rant from yesterday. Its does not matter the number of boats but there was six. They normally come off plane 30-50 feet away from where they decide to fish and where I am standing! Lol

The first three boats did the respectable thing and did not swamp the shore coming off plane. The next three not so much and I was polite about it. I used a calm assertive and respectable tone. I told them the fish have been rising all morning and are all on the second shelf 50 feet out from shore. They all looked at me like I was nuts and how could I know this. So as Mr. Guides and their clients continued to catch zero fish. I have been down there with more boats before and as long as they are mindful and respectable, we hooked fish. It’s a balance between common sense, etiquette, and skill that was lacking inside themselves.

I made a shore breakfast part II right in front of them with the smell of hamburgers from the little stove I packed down to the river. Fishing my Scott L2H1157-4 I did continue to swing leeches, smelt patterns, and shad patterns. I would start to realize how much weed growth was on both shelfs and I stopped.

I began to walk out of the gorge and waved goodbye see you in a month!

Well, I cut my teeth on the Oak Orchard until I realized there is more out there! I stopped by and hey look Walmart Creek or often affectionately called The Joke. The Oak had good color that tannic brown with 24” of solid visibility. I saw some dead salmon, but not as many as I am accustomed to seeing this time of year. The parking lots where full cars and trucks.

Now granted I must confess my last time fishing it back in 2011 I had the north side of the Archers hole all to myself and the south side of the Archers hole is where 5 guys from Pittsburg fished, and it was the best time. We laughed and made fun of each other’s state to the point other people would chime upriver and down river. We ended up all having dinner at the Archers Club that day under the pavilion “one of them was a member and invited me”.

I went back to the car it was 0830 at this time. I knew the rains had the creeks and rivers pumping mud like Grand River, Ellicott Creek, Cattaraugus Creek, but 18 Mile Hamburg was low and clear!

I wanted to start to fish my way home. I pointed my car southwesterly and choose a small tributary of one of those that was swollen by the recent rains.

I arrived and was happy to see zero evidence of any human presence prior to my arrival. I switched over to lighter tips and still used the skagit set up. This Scott rod is set up with Scientific Angler Freightliner 440 and multiple tips.

The river was coming off being gray from the shale/clay mixed in the water column. She had 12” of visibility and in this size creek that is good enough for me to have the opportunity to have a grab.

After fishing a pool from top to bottom and varying the speed of the tube flies, I decided to call it a day. I did not want to be driving through this part of NY in the dark because of the deer population and the rut.