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[SpringMaster]

Hey guys: it's been a while since I contributed, but it's because I've moved to the east coast US and on a different time zone!
Anyhow, the Steelhead are large and plenty here in Buffalo; all the tributaries of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie produce Steelhead, Springs, Cohos, Brown trouts and other trouts.
I've caught my first Steelhead  in my life here in Buffalo ; needless to say that I had tried it two seasons in Vedder a few years ago and I got skunked both seasons.
I've been going to the 18mile creek (Burt Dam) and I've been landing fish on every trip.  Google Burt Dam, New Fane, NY and you'll see the river and also find some youtube videos.  The fish are still entering the creeks and rivers here and according to the locals, we can fish until April for these beauties.  Some of the smaller creeks are frozen over now, but they will break of on a warm day.  The larger rivers like Cattaraugus are flowing and fishable with fresh runs.
Two weeks ago I was at the river and after about an hour of casting, I moved down about 10 feet and continues casting an egg pattern in pink.  Third cast hat hardly hit the surface of the water when I felt like a tug and I assumed I snagged a rock or pebble.  I tired to retire the line and sure enough I had a fish on!  A beautiful silver Steelie!  That was a day that very few people were fighting a fish...sure enough I got some attention from the other fishermen and they wanted to know what technique I'm using.  And I'm just a rookie   I felt so good  
One thing I don't like about fishermen here is that after they catch their fish, they don't bleed them, and they drag the fish on the ground until they get to their vehicles!  I just find it rude and disrespectful to the fish (even though it's dead already)

I'm going to attach a couple of photos here for you...I hope it works!

Tight lines.

[newsman]

Way to go Spring.  I have told people for years about the Salmon & Steelhead fisheries back east. Very rarely does anyone believe, that easterners live the fisheries that we only talk about. If it weren't for work and family I would be living back there; maybe in retirement.

[anorden]

I thought springs and cohos were pacific salmon - how the hell do they get there?!? Or were they introduced?

[SpringMaster]

Thanks newsman.
I'm a beginner in my own opinion - don't let the name fool you - and I've been doing so well here on the east coast.
Same as everyone else, I didn't think sport fishing was that hot here; I assumed only Bass fishing is popular, but boy was I wrong!  and gladly so.
I'm using west coast methods here on the east coast and getting results that surprise myself and the locals!  I'm only guessing that the fish are also not used to west coast methods.  Again, I'm not an experienced fisherman, but I've watched and envied good fishermen when I lived in Vancouver.  Now I feel like one of them
East coaster like using hardware and cured roe.  I use coloured wool that I have brought with me from Vancouver and it works!
There are so many rivers and creeks that I haven't seen yet, that are full of fish.  I'm just finding my way around now.  Oh, there is even a small river that flows throughout most of the city and it also has Steelhead and trout fishing.

anorden: all the salmon species here in the east coast are introduced and also they get re-stocked each year by the hatcheries.  A great system.  The fish fatten up in the lakes (Erie and Ontario) and then they return to the rivers to spawn.  Check out Salmon River, Polaski NY; it's a hot spot for Springs in fall.  Next fall I'll be there to try.  The Springs can get as large as 45lbs and average is around 20lbs.  Not bad eh?

[Kenwee]

It must be a fishing paradise out there with the vast number of rivers and an abundance of fish. Good for you!

[Dogbreath]

Cool post hope you get the pics figured out you can always email to me I'll host them on the web for you and link them here.

[newsman]

All the salmon, steelhead, and kamloops rainbow in the great lakes were introduced back in the late 60's. It came about as a result of the sea lamprey problem. For years the powers that be were trying everything they could think of to get rid of the sea lampreys that came in through the St Lawrence Seaway. It was a worst case sate of affairs with an invasive species.  After a number of years they decied to introducing aelwives (a sub-species of herring), to feed on the lamperys. The idea work but brought another problem when the alewives had a mass die-off every four years at the end of their life cycle and as the populations grew so did the die-off. It became a huge problem. The solution was to hybrid herring eating pacific salmon to keep the alewives in check. The first were chinook and coho. After the experiment was proven successful pink salmon, steelhead, and kamloops rainbow were introduced. ( would you believe there are kamloops swimming in those lakes to 35 lb. I have seen them weighed in at the "THREE WEEK LONG" Great Lakes Fish fishing derby).

These fish have since populated all the great lakes and their tributaries and thrived in-spite of all the predatorial species they encounter there. (this is why I don't believe the BC anti bass propaganda). In fact they have thrived to the point that they are out eating their food source of aelwives and have found their way down the St Lawrence into the atlantic. Now we have easterner's screaming about pacific invaders displacing their atlantic salmon.

[Kenwee]

When man interferes with nature, havoc runs wild. Man creates and man destroys.

[Rodney]

Actually, alewives were not introduced but rather invaded the Great Lakes via the Welland Canal.

The Great Lakes is recognized by biologists as the largest ecological disaster since the late 19th century. The fishing maybe good, but the challenges that it faces will not disappear anytime soon. These challenges include industrial (heavy metal effluent) and residential (Raw sewage) pollution run-off, decline of water supply, historic overfishing of native species, over 150 invasive species that have displaced or replaced species that were once abundant in the Great Lakes since the last glaciation.

[bigblue]

Great post SM.
You've given me something to think about when I go to Toronto next time.
A few days of detour for fishing would be fun!

[newsman]

Thank you Rod. I didn't know the alewives showed up on their own. Nice to see that nature can come up with it's own solutions. I know the big zebra muscle scare turned out to a great filter for cleaning the great lakes.   

[Rodney]

Actually, just to expand my previous post regarding alewife and sea lamprey. The relationship between the two species is not predator-prey (alewives do not feed on lamprey, they primarily feed on zooplankton like other herring species), but a symbiotic one. Because sea lamprey successfully removed most of Great Lakes' predators (lake trout), their absence allowed the second invasive species (alewives) to strive. This resulted in the population explosion of alewives due to the absence of predators, which lead to mass die-offs when the population grew beyond carrying capacity.

In the case of zebra mussels, they are indeed filter feeders like all other mussel species and are credited for clearer water in the Great Lakes. However, the Great Lakes already had native mussel species that did the job for the system. Like most invasive species, zebra mussels have been successful on establishing a monotypic population by outcompeting native mussel species. They are also responsible for the healthy population of yellow perch and smallmouth bass. Whether that is a good thing or not, it'd depend on who is being asked. My guess is the answer would be quite different between a biologist and a fisherman, or among fishermen who differ in preferences of target species.

[newsman]

Interesting, so what I was told about the alewives, back in 69, was wrong. Okay;do you know what brought the sea lampreys under control.

[SpringMaster]

Sorry for the delay...figured out how to post these photos now  
Enjoy.









Notes: The female Brown trout was the biggest I've ever seen and it was a show stopper when I landed it.  Other fishermen came to take a look.  It was awesome.
The male Steelhead (the readish one) wash caught 30min after then Brown.
The silver female Steelhead (the one in the net) was caught on a different day and released after the photo.  Being alone it was difficult to take more photos.
The river shots are from the Lower Niagara where you can catch many species.  That's my destination next fall

[SpringMaster]

The fish caught from the great lakes have high levels of toxicity compared to those on the west coast.  (which non of you fine people should take for granted)
The east coast DFO warns fishermen of limiting their fish intake to once a month on most species.  So you really have to be careful with how much you eat.  This leads into less fish being killed - in my opinion - and therefore more fish surviving.
The more sought after fish from Lake Erie is the Walleyes; they have white meat and lower levels of toxins.

Lake Erie turns over every 3 years due to incoming flow and outgoing (to Niagara Falls) which drains into Lake Ontario.  Also, few years ago they had a invasion of zebra mussels that came into lake Erie via some foreign vessels.  The zebra mussels that seemed to be a nuisance at the beginning, now are responsible for filtering out the toxins from the lake!  So even thought they stick to boats and motors, fishermen kind of respect them for cleaning the water.
I thought this was an interesting knowledge to share