Elk Creek, PA

[Red Owl]

I've read some articles but it would be good to hear from some real life folks that have fished the stream. For steelhead, as I understand it they slowly move up stream throughout the season? The reason I ask is because I've fished the salmon river in NY (Chinook) and it seemed to me the salmon ran up the whole run in a day or so and were also spread throughout the entire river.
In any event, this year I thought I might try Elk Creek. I can pretty much get away at any time so what would be the best week of the year (I realize weather can change this) and during that week where would be some of the best places along Elk Creek to fish.
And best flies.

 

[ejsell]

I've read some articles but it would be good to hear from some real life folks that have fished the stream. For steelhead, as I understand it they slowly move up stream throughout the season? The reason I ask is because I've fished the salmon river in NY (Chinook) and it seemed to me the salmon ran up the whole run in a day or so and were also spread throughout the entire river.
In any event, this year I thought I might try Elk Creek. I can pretty much get away at any time so what would be the best week of the year (I realize weather can change this) and during that week where would be some of the best places along Elk Creek to fish.
And best flies.

I've fished it the last two falls, both trips about 4 or 5 days. The steelhead in it are mostly fall run so they enter the river earlier than Ohio or Michigan do. They do get some strays from Ohio. Late October through December seem to be the best times but as long as it stays warm I'm going to try and get a long weekend in at some point soon. The fish do take a while to move up. We did well on minnow type patterns and crystal meth spawn patterns early in the season.

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[hooklip]

Erie is not what it use to be but like others have said oct-late dec is best.

 

[Red Owl]

Well, just got back. Spent half a day on Walnut Creek and half on Elk creek. First time on either stream. Before this- fished Chinooks on the Salmon River in NY.

Newbie Impressions:
1. I thought you were supposed to use salmon egg type flies. 95% of the anglers use standard spinning gear and use small live bait (minnows) that are 1 1/2" long. I was told there are no salmon in Lake Erie so salmon eggs don't work- use a minnow imitation.
2. On Walnut Creek: I was still was able to catch one steel head. About 4-5 lbs. I have heard them called "pure chrome" but that doesn't really describe them. They have an iridescent quality- beautiful fish.
3. I liked Walnut Creek better than Elk Creek. Walnut Creek has a slate bottom (The Wall) but Elk Creek has a muddy bottom and I almost got stuck trying to wade. Elk Creek also has opaque or muddy water and you cannot see the fish- you cast blind. On Walnut you cast to a holding fish.
4. Half the anglers caught nothing and the rest caught only one a piece except for this one guy, he was using some sort of a minnow fly about 1 1/2" long and he jiggled the rod tip as he retrieved it. This fly fluttered. Now when I use a streamer I can make it dart but not flutter. If you hold your finger horizontal and move your arm quickly 6"- that's a dart. If you do the same thing but wiggle your finger- that's a flutter. Well, this guy that could make the streamer flutter- he would cast in front of a holding steel head and you could see the fly flutter right in front of it and he literally was catching one steel head after another- just about every cast- I've never seen anything like it. The pool (the wall) has virtually no current in it.

 

[ejsell]

Love to know what type of fly he was using but the flutter thing makes sense. I watched a guy with a flat fish lure that fluttered catch steelhead on almost every cast the first time I went to PA. You must have stayed near the mouth of the Elk?

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[Red Owl]

Yes, everyone said that on both creeks all the steel head were still downstream from Rt. 5 which seemed to be true. That fluttering fly is something I have been looking for- the fly was retrieved slowly through the pool but fluttering. He dragged it right in front of a steel head and got a take on about every cast. It had a silver shine to it. He was jiggling the tip of the rod and slowly bringing in the line.

 

[jaybo41]

I'd bet dollars to donuts the "fly" in question was a Mini-Foo, which are readily available at Poor Richards. They're a jig head streamer of sorts. Lots of guys with spin gear fish with them.

I've been reading of some pinks being caught this year and in good numbers. That happens from time to time. The theory is they migrated through the GL system from Superior from stocked fish transplanted from BC in the 1950's. While I'd love to catch one, it's far too early for me to make a trek North. Sure, I could walk the creeks to look for stream changes and scout holes where fish MIGHT hold in the future, but this time of year, especially with the low water and lake temps, the fish are just not there in good numbers yet. They're down low right now trying to run the gauntlet of anglers in hopes of finding some space above rt 5 and even 20. In short, anything from 5 to the lake is a circus and I won't fish there.

Walnut has been off my radar for a while now since the falls above Manchester Hole prohibits the fish from moving upstream in any significant numbers, if at all. You used to be able to fish below rt 5 and 20 and find fish on Walnut without guys standing single file, but I've not seen or heard of fish in those stretches over the past several years.

I'm fairly certain all of the Lake Erie tribs in Erie are shale lined. I know Elk is a shale lined stream but the closer you get to the mouth it changes to mud. Another reason stay stay clear of it.

I hope the run is better than last year, as last year's was bar none the worst I've seen in all my years of fishing there which goes back to the early 90's. The temps are shaping up nicely so I suspect the lake will be dropping to hit a good number, but we need several series of rain events to bring the creeks up and move the fish in. I hope that happens over the next several weeks as I hope to be fishing Erie in November.

 

[repperson29]

My buddy just pulled an 8lber out of elk today, I was supposed to go but alas, adult things needed to be done.

Rain in the forecast for 4 straight days starting next week with dipping Temps. We're getting close

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[ejsell]

We are there next Friday through the following Thursday. Was planning on stopping in at Poor Richards so I'll look for that fly, thanks. Hopefully that rain spreads them out some more. I don't do the creek mouths either but was thinking about trying the beach at some point. Did anyone move into the trout run shop? I heard they shut down, they seemed to have a prime location.

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[jaybo41]

I know it turned over within the past couple of years at least once and last year when I was there, I believe it was open, though with limited inventory. It is more of a bait shop, but they did sell licenses, had limited terminal tackle and tying materials. And a few flies if memory serves me. Did it turn over again? Ryan???

The best shop in town closed down last April, which is unfortunate. That was a full service legit fly shop. Now we're pretty much left with Field & Stream which is big box and not really close to the streams.

Just to be clear, the Mini Foo isn't really a fly. It's a jig that many bait guys will tip with a grub. If you bounce a jig in front of those fish's noses enough, they'll hit it sooner or later. That's not my idea of fly fishing but that's just my opinion.

Here's a link so you can see what they look like.

Mini Foo Jigs - Steelheader Flash : FishUSA

 

[ejsell]

Is Folly's worth stopping in? Thought about stopping there first for our licenses since it's pretty close to the highway and a little closer to our cabin than poor richard's is.

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[jaybo41]

I don't know if Folly's has licenses, I think they may. They do have a reasonably good fly selection and you'll find tippets, leaders and terminal tackle there.

Another option is to look at FISHUSA's page and figure out what you want. They are located in Erie and I believe you can make arrangements to pickup your order. I order from them and have my order within a day or two almost every time I've ordered. They ship fast.

 

[ejsell]

Thanks, we did stop in FishUSA last year. They do have a small "show room" and the guy working it was more than willing to run back into the warehouse to grab anything we wanted. It was an interesting place.

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[Red Owl]

Thanks on the Elk being shale- just go farther upstream. I was told when it rains and raises the water level that then the fish move upstream, if true, then it would seem rain is a good thing. I never mind fishing in rain.
I was constricted to time and I was happy to land one steel head just to say "I did it" and as I said that one guy was catching a bunch. Is October the best time? Is there a "best time" or just a strung out season with good days here and there?
That fly wasn't a jig. What it looked like to me was a chrome/silver Mylar tube of swizzle stick thickness - half the diameter of a straw- with a small amount of feathers for a tail-probably marabou. How it fluttered I don't know unless you took a tube and cut out a lip- like on a bass plug. If it was a jig it would have sunk- this suspended at mid-depth. As I watched this guy I realized he had worked out a near perfect system, the fly, leader, etc. all matched to work just right.
I really had an enjoyable day. It was crowded at the mouth and if later on the fish are higher upstream and you can get more seclusion- that would be nice.
On fly patterns, as I said, I thought you had to use egg types but they don't seem very common. What fly patterns do most of you prefer?
BTW- I have previously fished the Salmon River in NY. Egg type flies, egg sucking leeches, Babine Specials all work well there on Chinook.

 

[ejsell]

Egg pattern, I believe it's a "Gorman Egg"

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Beat up Clouser

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I couldn't find in my file but Crystal Meth also work well.

 

[gills x 3]

Hello Jay. Former name okuma here. My other half and I took a trip up last month. Trout Run shop is barren. Poor Richard's and Fish USA are about the go to places.

 

[jaybo41]

Hey hey x3 aka okuma welcome back! Thanks for chiming in on the Trout Run shop. When you say barren, is it open and barren or barren as in vacant?

How'd you guys do? I'd imagine that with the rains some fish should start pushing in from the lake. Almost time

Don't be a stranger.

 

[ejsell]

Trout Run shop is completely empty, drove by it yesterday. I'm surprised with its location and steelhead season starting no one is in there. It's the perfect size for a fly shop and guide service.

We did watch a fish survey yesterday. Nice group, talked to us about what they were doing and gave us some advice.

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[gills x 3]

Jay,
It was barren as in 99% nothing in there at all.

 

[ejsell]

Saw a realtor out front of trout run on Wednesday taking pictures. Someone should jump on that and open a fly shop.

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