Steelhead Alley Guide ServiceKype Magazine's Steelhead Alley Guide Service is now booking trips
for the Fall of 2010 from October 15th to December 15th.  $350 per person (two or more angers) Includes:
Call and ask about our Internet Special
-- 2 nights lodging (You choose your lodging between two great places, see below)
-- A guide trip with Publisher, George Douglas. Driftboat or Bank Guiding.
-- All equipment provided.
-- Lunch on the river.
-- All trips will be filmed with an HD camera giving you a great shot at being on an upcoming Kype film.Book now at 360.299.2266 or drop us an email on the Contact Page |
We work with two great lodges, you choose!
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Lodge Comparison:
The difference between the two lodges is fairly significant. They are only one mile apart and both are close proximity to the Geneva-on-the-Lake Strip which runs parallel to Lake Erie.
The lodge is a magnificent structure with the feel of a lake front resort. It is great for couples, families and anglers that want a first-class experience. The lodge has a nice restaurant and bar on the premise and an indoor swimming pool.
Steelhead Alley Fishing Lodge is more for the anglers who want their own kitchen and hang out by the fire pit at night. Separate bedrooms and two blocks from local beer and wing hangout (the High Tide).
Either choice is great!
Scenes from the Spring Guide Season
(music from Stalemate)
Grand Daddy of Ohio
By George Douglas
About five years ago, my friend Mark and I went on a quest for fish that started in Pulaski, NY. The Salmon River was low and we decided to head west to seek out some higher water flows. We ended up on the Cattaraugus in Western New York. This river had plenty of water. Actually, it had a bit too much with a chocolate tint. We exhaled in discouragement as we looked over the bridge.
Another angler walked up next to us with the same mission, although he was driving from the opposite direction. He was delivering products from Chicago to Albany, and had taken the opportunity to drive along the Great Lakes to check out the rivers along the way. He was tall, thin and a bit jumpy – a resemblance to the famous Major League Baseball pitcher, Randy Johnson. His hands shook with every inhale of his Parliament Cigarettes. I remember this because he kept referring to them as “parlies.” He spoke very fast, but with a low mumble and a high pitched laugh following every statement he made.
We told him that there is not much east of the Catt, and not to waste his time. He was disappointed and I could tell that he didn’t fully believe us. Perhaps he thought that we didn’t know what we were doing, and he would surely have success finding fish where we did not. He began to tell us some fish stories from his trip thus far.
“I wa’ standing on the bank, puffin’-a-parlie, wham”! Giggle. “I stuck her good.” Laugh. “12, 14 pounds, Ohio, past Erie – fish after-fish.” Giggle. “Steelhead.” Laugh.
Mark and I stood there looking at this nut as he spit out random words while looking down at his feet, kicking up clouds of dirt.
“Did you say Ohio?” I asked with a smirk of disbelief.
Mark loudly interrupted, “Alright, have a good one!” Walking back to the truck, Mark and I gave each other a quick look. We were thinking the same thing, that this guy was full of crap!
In the truck we went over our options. “No on Ohio?” Mark asked.
“Man, the guy was bent that we said there weren’t any fish. He just wants to send us on a wild goose chase through Ohio...Are you serious, Ohio?”
As it turns out, Randy Johnson was the man, and we just didn’t know it yet.
Years later I got my first glimpse of the rivers from the PA border to the Cleveland area. Wow! It’s not too often when you stumble upon a region that is teeming with fish, yet has very few anglers. You’d think that it would take a float plane or a long hike into the back-country in order to find such treasure. But, surprise, it’s right off of the I-90 corridor in northeastern Ohio.
As I said in this issue’s film, this is the “Steelhead Mecca of the Great Lakes.” Not to take anything away from the other fisheries, but think about this...Ohio only has steelhead, that’s it! There is no more salmon program and no more brown trout. Those species did not take, but steelhead did, and the state is keyed in on this species. They chose the Little Manistee strain out of Michigan, and what a good choice that was. Those Manistee’s have big shoulders and are powerhouses.
Ashtabula County features the upper Grand River and the Conneaut. More towards Cleveland you’ll find the lower Grand River, the Chagrin and Rocky River. These are all excellent choices and will usually provide good fishing opportunities through the spring and fall. Unfortunately, the clenches of winter will lock up these rivers barring a temporary thaw.
The Grand River is the largest, the grand-daddy of the region. The river features many twists and turns from the mouth of the river near Painesville, to the dam at Harpersfield. There are many stretches of slow moving water that can be great for pinning. I prefer the sections of pocket water and typical steelhead pools with fast runs at the top, spilling into a deep, luscious pool. These sections are perfect for drift and fly fishing. Steelhead are scattered through the river in abundance. Most of the fish are in the 10 lb range with an occasional 15 lb pig.
You have to understand that you will not find the conveniences of a typical fishery. Why? Well, for starters it is not fished compared to other popular rivers on the Great Lakes. It’s basically undiscovered and under-fished. Sport and fly shops are far and few between. There are a couple in Painesville and a small shop adjacent to the dam in Harpersfield. Joe Pniewski, the owner of the shop was nice enough to give me a ride in the morning down to the ramp below. Nice guy with a conveniently located shop. Fishing Licenses can be purchased at the Gander Mountain Sports in Mentor.
One warning: Don’t fish on private property. Fines are given like parking tickets here: a few hundred dollars a pop. Apparently, property owners own the land under the water that extends to either halfway across the river or in some cases, all the way across. Therefore, anglers cannot enter into a public fishing area, then hike into private waters. Due to these private property concerns, it is recommended to hire a guide or to do your homework on where and where not to fish.
Other than that, this region is ripe for the picking. Upon arriving in Ohio, check out the tributaries from the PA Border to the Rocky River. It won’t be too long before you are locked into a Manistee strain steelhead.
