| Angler | 10/25 | 10/26 | 10/27 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sam DeNillo |
9 | 12 | 9 | 30 | |
 Eric Lally* |
1 | 11 | 5 | 17 | |
 Brad Lovas |
4 | 6 | 4 | 14 | |
| Total/Day | 14 | 29 | 18 | 61 | |
* Most improved angler! Eric landed 1 steelhead the first day and 11 on the second.
On October 27, 2006, Sam, Eric and myself set out on
an Erie, PA steelhead fishing adventure. We stayed at the Presque
Isle Motel off of route 5, which was about 10-15 minutes away from
are fishing destination, Walnut Creek. We selected a spot which was
upstream from the mouth of Walnut. This was a new spot for us to
fish and away from the large number of fisherman concentrated at the
mouth and Manchester hole.
The weather conditions were great for catching steelhead, it had
rained a few days prior to our arrival and the streams were up a bit
and the water was slightly murky. It was a great feeling to know we
picked the right time to make the trip. We used minnows as the
primary bait based on the recommendation from the BAC tackle shop
steelhead guru. We also loaded up with egg sacs, mini-foos, and a
number of 1 1/4oz rooster tails (my favorite!).
Each day we woke up around 5am and made it to the stream by 6am.
It was still pitch black out until around 7am and we could not start
fishing right away, but we were able to secure the best fishing spot
for the start of the day. Eric was able to improvise on the last day
by using a bobber with a light inside so he could start fishing as
soon as we got there. Great idea, but he did not catch any fish
before the sun came up.
We would fish for 4-5 hours straight before
breaking for a can of soup and an orange Gatorade. Each day the
fishing was so action packed I had to force myself to take the time
to eat something on the side of the stream. We landed a
total of 61 steelhead in the three days but had the opportunity to
land double that. Factors such as nicks in the fishing line,
incorrectly set reel drag and the unanticipated power of the
steelhead contributed to the low ratio of landed versus “fish on”.
We wrapped up fishing for the day around 6:30pm. We went to the
local steakhouse and diner for dinner each night and then headed
back to the motel to get rest and do it all over again the following
day.
This was around my 10th year going to Erie to fish for steelhead
(thanks to Moe and Sam), and by far one of the best trips
ever. The fishing was excellent, the company was great, and the
laughs were plentiful. I am already looking forward to the fall trip
next year.
