~StreamSide Tales~: November Chill

November Chill

11/20/25

You’ll forget all about your problems, how cold you are and how uncomfortable you are when you’re either dead or hook up to a steelhead!

It was 34º, at 6:00am, when I left home and headed for Erie to steelhead fish. I figured once daylight hit and by the time I got to Erie, a two hour drive, the temperature should rise. Wrong! When I pulled in the lot my truck read 28º. I haven’t fished for steelhead below 32º since I don’t know when. I got up to Erie early to be the first one at the place where we finally found a good pod of fish the day before. Brian pulled in about 10 minutes after I did. One thing for sure we were the only vehicles off the road. I figured we’d be the first there? Not!

We got our waders on and gear and headed to where we wanted to fish. Brian showed me the trout beads he was planning on using. I figured he bought them in Alaska when he was up there in September fishing. I heard that’s what the guides and fishermen use. The box full of beads he showed me looked like colored pearls all the same size. I would imagine if they don’t work he could always sell them to some jewelry maker? The 10 minute or so walk along the path warmed us up. When we were in vision of where we wanted to fish there were already 2 guys fishing, one on each side of the creek. There was enough room for all four of us so that wasn’t a problem. By the time we started to cast a line it didn’t seam to be below 32º and we managed after that.

The guy on the other side caught a steelhead so the guy on our side crossed the creek, with their net, to help him net the fish. He ended up staying on the far side so Brian and I had our creek side all to ourselves. Brian started off with his trout beads and I started off with a streamer.

The day before we fished in a section with a few fish, Brian was the only one to hook a steelhead. We went elsewhere after noon. Brian ended up leaving and my bud Kevin, who came up with me, drove further upstream where I figured that the steelhead would be holding in a deeper run. Sure enough we found them along with only one guy fishing the hole. The steelhead were pretty particular or not hungry at all. I hooked only one steelhead for a second or two. Kevin said he had a couple taps. He was’t using an indicator. We left without hooking up. At least I knew where they were though. I planned on coming back up Thursday. Brian said he’d meet me at the same place I found where the steelhead were holding.

For a while it was like the steelhead were picky. I finally got a hook up with a light shaded sucker spawn. The heaviness of the fish bowed the 7 weight rod into the lower mid section. As the steelhead took off the tip pointed to where the fly line entered the water but the fish was beyond heading up and across creek. I lifted the rod to keep as much line out of the water as the steelhead started head shaking like a lead guitarist, in a rock and roll band, playing a familiar hard rock riff. I could feel my forearm muscles tighten under the constant tugging and pulling of the steelhead and my heart was beating like a drum in excitement.

I knew I had a fair hook. We battled. The whole fight continued with him head shaking trying to get the hook out. He wasn’t making it easy and I wasn’t making it easy on him. Brian grabbed the net as I was backing up to the bank. I wouldn’t let the fish take any more line unless he had a burst of energy. Brian got down creek from him as I raised the rod bringing the steelhead higher in the water column. He scooped up the fat steelhead and I had a big grin on my face. After the past two visits up here fishing for them I had my first steelhead, this season, in the net.

Brian hooked up next, soon after, on one of his light colored beads. The fish put up a good fight. After the tough battle I netted the steelhead. It too was a fat one.

My next hookup was as if the steelhead was in a race to grab it before others in the same race. My indicator took off up creek in a hurry. I tightened the line quickly within my grip to set the hook and then let go, as the line shot through the eyes towards the swift swimming steelhead. I held the rod butt in my gut like an honor guard, trying to hold the flag pole steady, in a windy and gusty parade. The steelhead swam wildly is the big pool like the front man in a rock band on a circular stage! I thought at first it was foul hooked but during the battle I saw the steelhead swimming up creek with the line tightened towards its mouth. He wasn’t giving up easily and It took longer to get him into the net than the last. Once Brian netted him I could see why he wasn’t giving up. He was a big fatty!!

For some time after that the steelhead evidently kept their mouths shut. I watched over and over again as Brian drifted his beads, under his float, into a pod of steelhead. They must have had their jaws clamped shut like a bunch of clams. In time Brian gave up and said he had things to do at home and left. After that there was a lull in the action like the next band was late to be present. I accidentally snagged a couple fish but the hook came out during a short melee.

A young guy joined me and the guy across the creek. He fished downstream from me in shallower water. Maybe a little over knee deep but the steelhead were easier to notice. Neither of us were hooking up. I started to cast out sucker spawn in just about every color I had without a strike. I’m not sure what the others were using but the fish just didn’t appear to want any of it. I decided to show them some of my old nymph collection like presenting old, one of a kind, rock and roll memorabilia. I thought I had a bump on one of my depth ray stoneflies but missed. I continued with it for a few more drifts until I got snagged up and lost it. I then knotted on a copper john. On my third drift through the run my indicator went straight under. I lifted the rod for the hook set and the line tightened with a heavy load. The steelhead fought with head shakes and quick turns throughout the pool. Once he quit his energetic maneuvers, like a lead singer starting to perform a slow song, he settled down to holding in the oncoming current. I kept side pressure on him to tire him out forcing him to come my way. The young man, down creek from me, grabbed his net to help net him. I got the steelhead turned downstream and safely got him towards the net and into it.