Elk Creek Folly's camp ground 11/08/08

[ryguyfi]

Left from my church around 5am with a group of around 20 guys. Had a nice ride up with out any of the weather that was predicted to come, almost hit a deer (which always happens) and got to the stream around 7am. Got suited up after visiting the nearest tree (always remember to do that) and hit the stream. I brought 2 of my buddies and knew about half the guys going up there. One being my pastors son, who has been steelhead fishing about 5 times and has yet to land one. His patience runs thin after not hooking up and usually goes for a hike after about an hour of fishing every trip. This time he hooked up a MONSTER within the first 5 minutes and snapped him off after about a 3 minute fight. He was determined to land one that day. My brother in law landed his first 2 steelhead within the first hour on his brand new fly rod. He was pumped! I couldn't be outdone after losing 4 straight fish and finally landed one. It ran me about 100 yards downstream and was the most beautiful fish I've caught up there. The picture doesn't do it justice but it was a beautiful pink all over with a dark red lateral line. The Pastor's sone helped me land it and it was then his turn. After him joking with me that I'd need an Ohio license if I went any farther on landing my fish, he hooked one in the same hole I did and fought him, no lie, about 300-400 yards downstream on a 5 wt rod. We FINALLY landed him and he was stoked! Got a few pictures and brought it home to get it smoked in his dad's new smoker. Bigger thrill landing that fish for him than the few I landed.
Overall the fishing was pretty slow for most people. The water was very low and clear and you could see all the fish huddled up in the slow moving water and some hugging the few runs that were there with the water conditions. I don't remember a single hookup all day for myself that wasn't in some faster water. I landed 6 (my best day for steelhead so far in the 2 years I've been doing it) and missed around 10. Sucker spawn and egg patterns in a cream color seemed to work the best. I actually had better luck with the larger patterns, size 10, rather than my usual size 14's. We left around 4pm and I emptied my fly box to some of the guys in the group who didn't have much luck with all my eggs and sucker spawns. Heard one guy who didn't have a hook up all day caught 2 fish in the next hour on my flies. So it was a rewarding day on the stream. I fished from right by the camp ground, down about a mile downstream and then back upstream about a mile up from the campground. The stream wasn't that crouded as I was expecting and has some nice secitons of the stream. Most of the fish I caught were in the 25-27 inch range around 7.5 to 8 pounds. I saw some smaller ones and a few larger ones but that was the average I caught. Will be up again maybe 2 more times this month.

Enjoy the pics!


Ryan

 

[albatross]

Ryan,

Looks like you were able to show a good time to a lot of other folks while having a nice day for yourself. Good for you!

I was up yesterday a little upstream from where you fished. Melting snow had the stream temp down to just above freezing. All the fish were holding in the deep pools, none in the faster water. I saw a few fish taken, but got skunked myself.

 

[ryguyfi]

yeah that's the second time I've fished that section of the Elk. It has a lot of different water to offer. Way downstream I actually spooked some fish on purpose to put them out of stagnant water into faster water just to see if they would feed... none the less, 5 min later I was hooked up and landed him. lol. I fished the mouth of Elk a few times last year and enjoy the water a bit better at that campground. I had to look for a while in the runs, but there is fish there. Everyone seems to fish the cliffside right by all the campers there, but I didn't see anyone hooking up there hardly all day. There's a nice run downstream from there on the closer bank and one abougt 15 yards farther downstream before the big bend that I caught a few out of. A good drift will produce fish if they're in there. I'll be back in hopefully 2 weeks to see if I can have another great day.

 

[jrcll]

looks like you had a great time, i know the feeling ryan, seeing someone new to flyfishing hook up with one of those big fish, i`d like to join you sometime , i live a couple mins away from you, but right now i don`t have weekends off ..,which might not be a bad thing

 

[Acristickid]

Looks familiar man. Nice mud fish by the way!! haha
I have fun when when friends are hooking up too. Rain on the way.

 

[ryguyfi]

My wife is going shopping on Black Friday.... so you know what that means???? Ryan's going to Erie...

Anyone who want's to join me is more than welcome. Just give me a call.
724-622-7502

 

[ryguyfi]

well my brother in law is offically hooked (pun intended) he called me today and want's to go back up this weekend! lol. So I'll probably be back at the same spot for a short stint this Saturday. Probably show up around 6am and fish till about 10 or 11. Out of flies so I need to do some emergency tying in the next 2 days...

 

[ryguyfi]

I just noticed something.... that picture of me with the "mud fish" as someone referred to it as, if you enlarge the picture you can see the steady stream of sperm this fish was shooting out. When the kid helped me land it, he picked it up and the fish squirted ALL over him. I laughed and he was completly caught by surprise. lol. Just another great day on the stream!