PA Steelhead Guide - local knowledge, expert guidance, the fish of a lifetime

     11-11-08

Although the creeks have remained low and clear for the most part since my last posting, fish have been cooperating most days with frequent hook-ups and landings.  Some of the best fishing was during the last few days of October and the first full week of November.  The largest fish was a 12.5 # male hooked on my baby emerald shiner imitation, fought and brought to net by Howard of Fresno, CA.  He has fished the steelhead streams of Northern California and Alaska, but greatly prefers our fishery.  Many others in the 10 to 12 # class have been caught each week.  Our worst day, however, was yesterday, as the blowing snow accumulated 6 inches, and the water temp fell to 35 degrees by 3 PM.  

     11-19-08 

This past weekend proved extremely productive with running fish feeding on many fly patterns and colors.  Friday was a great day for my baby emerald shiner, while Saturday's fish preferred light colored SS especially oregon cheese.  On Sunday, my day off, we received 13 inches of snow, which cooled the waters to 34-35 degrees and markedly slowed the bite on Monday and Tuesday.  The fish that were caught preferred orange eggs and SS.     

     11-13-08

So far, this year's run has continued despite extremely low water conditions.  Fish have continued their migration nearly daily the past three weeks.  Although most of their travel is at night, after a brief morning's rest, movement begins in the early afternoon hours.  The run remains better than recent years both in numbers and sizes.  Scattered throught the lengths of elk and walnut, they hungrily attack most well presented offings, especially minnow imitations in white, SS in pearl and pink crystal meth and oregon cheese; olive and black buggers, and small eggs in salmon and steelhead colors.

PASteelheadGuide.com is Doc Wally's new web site although his original web site, Steelieguide.com remains. Our friends at Fishsites.com continue to work diligently creating this new site. We hope you enjoy it.

As of the 2006 fall season a new guide has been added to my staff.  Mike Komarny is a retired US Army Command Sergeant Major and lifelong fishing friend who brings decades of steelhead fly fishing experience, superb fly tying, and a sincere willingness to teach to the river's edge. 

Doc Wally is a full time guide / fly fisherman, offering one-on-one guided trips to some of the most prolific Steelhead rivers in Erie county, PA.  This area is so consistently productive that it has become affectionately known as "Steelhead Alley."

You will find throughout this site many happy customers who have benefited from Doc's local knowledge and expert guidance and have landed the fish of a lifetime.  Guided trips on Elk, Walnut creek, or even both, will provide the backdrop to a tantalizing battle of the human species vs. the wise old nomadic Steelhead.

Doc guides experts and first timers alike through the presentation, hook up, fight, catch and release. This experience has every chance of hooking you as well as enabling you to hook that fish of a lifetime.