Winter Meat

Finally getting back to blogging after the busy end of the semester and holiday season.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and happy new year!  I've been out a number of times since my last blog with getting a mixed bag of things.  If you can believe it on the larger tribs there are still a salmon or two hanging around in addition to fair numbers of browns and good numbers of steelhead.  Getting a slow dead drift has been the key when using eggs or nymphs.  When swinging flies (depending on the water conditions) purple and black have been productive colors when the water has been clearer and pink, red, and orange have been better when the water has been stained.  Despite the heavy rain and snow melt off we had this past week the creeks are retreating faster than usual due to the cold weather we are having and looking at the forecast it looks like it's here to stay.  That being said watch out for icing on all the tribs and expect the small area tribs to be frozen solid by the end of the weekend.

Thanks again for reading and don't forget that you cant catch fish on the couch!  Tight lines everyone! 

Current Stream Information:  Look for streams to be falling fast and starting to freeze in the next couple days.

18-Mile Creek (Burt):  January 5th, 2017

Low fishing pressure

High Muddy Flows

142 CFS

Cattaraugus Creek:     January 5th, 2017

High Muddy Flows

1850 CFS

32- 37.4

Oak Orchard Creek:   January 5th, 2017

Low Fishing Pressure

High Stained Flows

32 CFS   

Oatka Creek:        January 5th, 2017
High Stained Flows
334 CFS

My YouTube Channel

Snow Flies

Last night we received our first significant snowfall of this fall.  It's hard to believe that just a few days ago it was 70 degrees here.  This is without a doubt going to affect the fishing.  As the weather starts getting colder we will need to start to transition from our fall tactics over to our winter tactics.  It is going to stay pretty cold for the next few days here in WNY so the snow is probably going to stick until around Thursday and Friday.  Until then the fish are going to definitely be sluggish.  With the water temperature dropping significantly it is a good idea to start to fish once the sun has been up for a few hours to let the water heat up a little bit. 

For the Lake Ontario tributaries the flows are pretty low and clear.  Larger tribs like 18 Mile and the Oak have some salmon still hanging around but mostly they are moldy zombies with maybe a few fresher fish mixed in.  As for the other smaller tributaries the fish are spread out and can be hard to find as well as spooky.  The chance for Cohos is pretty good with an excellent shot at steelhead and browns.  Getting good slow drifts with egg patterns and nymphs has been the trick lately but this cold calls for a downsize in tippet and fly size.  If the fish seem totally unwilling to go for anything a woolly bugger swung of dead drifted is always a good bet. 

It's only a matter of time now before the Erie Canal will start being drained which will bump up the flows in some tributaries significantly as well as show us anglers if there are any late run browns and what the winter steelhead fishing might be like.  More good news is the fishing pressure on all the tribs has lessened quite a bit since gun season for deer has opened as well as the cold weather has scared off the fair weather fisherman.  

If you haven't checked out my YouTube channel it can be entertaining as well as educational (follow the link below).  As always thanks for reading, tight lines, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!


Current Stream Information:

18-Mile Creek (Burt):  November 21st, 2016

Mod fishing pressure

Low Clear Flows

62 CFS

Cattaraugus Creek:     November 21st, 2016

Low Flows

313 CFS

33.3- 47.3

Oak Orchard Creek:   November 21st, 2016
Mod Fishing Pressure

Med Clear Flows

57 CFS   

Salmon River:           November 21st, 2016
550 CFS

My YouTube Channel

Gotta Break Some Eggs

Sorry for the delay in blog posts it's been a busy time for me.  Getting on to the fishing report there are good numbers of salmon still hanging on with zombies as well as some fresher green fish in the mix from last weeks rain.  Lots of spawning going on including some early brown trout spawning.  Atlantics are being caught on a daily basis here on the tribs which is a really encouraging sign to see so many being caught.  However I have not seen many or heard of many coho's being landed.  From my experience the coho's come a little later in the fall but by now it's usually common to have a number of them being caught.  The aforementioned rain gave all the tribs a little boost in water flows but it was very short lived.  Now that it's November winter is right around the corner and with that comes the cold weather we all love.  That being said look for water flows to get a nice boost from the Erie Canal Drainage effort coming towards the end of the month.  Since the run of fish started pretty late this year don't be surprised to continue seeing kings hanging around for awhile yet.  Swinging flies was very productive in the high muddy conditions where dead drifting with a smaller fly was more effective when the waters leveled out.  Productive streamers were woolly buggers in a wide variety of colors as well as egg sucking leeches.  Other productive flies have been pink and chartreuse eggs (for muddy water) with apricot otters eggs when the water was a little lower.  Look for the stonefly bite to get on when the steelhead have been in the streams a little longer and key in on that food source.  It looks like its going to be a little warmer this week until Friday when we might get some snow even!  The fishing pressure has definitely lessened some but still a lot of guys in the likely places like Oak Orchard and Burt Dam.  Check out my newest video on my two setups I generally use in the fall and feel free to ask questions and comment!  Even though it might be getting cold out a bad day of fishing sure beats watching the Bills.  Tight lines everyone!

Current Stream Information:

18-Mile Creek (Burt):  November 6th, 2016

Heavy fishing pressure

Low Clear Flows

60 CFS

Cattaraugus Creek:     November 6th, 2016

Low Flows

431 CFS

44.1- 55.0 

Oak Orchard Creek:   November 6th, 2016
Heavy Fishing Pressure

Med Clear Flows

97 CFS   

Salmon River:           November 6th, 2016
695 CFS

Photo Credit:  Kevin Carges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnVp3Nz_LQs

Brown Water - Brown Fish

FINALLY we got the rain we have been looking for all year!  The rainfall Thursday and Friday really gave the fall run a boost.  The supplemental flow from the Erie Canal has been slow so the rain was the saving grace for the salmon.  The flows have already pushed a fair number of fresh fish into the streams including a mixed bag of browns, steelhead, and Atlantics.  Salmon spawning is really getting underway and expect to see a lot more eggs in the streams.  Most of the creeks are still high and fishable.  Big flies swung through ideal spots and seams has been productive.  Earth tone colors have been the biggest producers but since the water has gotten muddier purple has been the go-to.  Look to start switching over to egg patterns (orange, chartreuse, and pink) while the flows retreat and the browns start the feast.  Smaller tributary levels are already back to normal where the larger tribs could take a few days.  The dam on Oak Orchard has been packed but flows on the dam side have remained clear but med-high flows.  However once you get towards the archers club it starts to get a little dirty. 

The run still has a lot of life left in it so if you are interested in taking a trip to see the streams in their fall colors and have the chance to catch the fish of a lifetime feel free to email me at wnyflyguy@gmail.com.  I will have a new fly tying video going live tonight on my YouTube channel so take a look.  This week I tied a pattern I love to swing when the water is high.  Stay tuned there for fishing trips in the coming weeks.  As always thanks for reading/watching and tight lines!

Current Stream Information:  Look for streams to be retreating well within the next day or two.

18-Mile Creek (Burt):  October 22nd, 2016

Heavy fishing pressure
Med flows

79 CFS

Cattaraugus Creek:     October 22nd, 2016

High/Muddy Flows

1280 CFS

49.1- 69.3

Oak Orchard Creek:   October 22nd, 2016
Heavy Fishing Pressure

Med/Heavily Stained Flows

83 CFS   

Salmon River:           October 22nd, 2016
2300 CFS

YouTube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV4wVbpaexeCK7aug549YQ

Cooler Weather

So this past week we finally got that cool down the area needed.  However it is only one part of the equation.  The cool down was a good start but we only got rain (the other part of the equation) yesterday and it was just enough to bolster flows a little bit.  The cool down plus this sparse rain led to the first real migration of fish.  On most WNY tributaries the fish are still spread out with building concentrations at the dams.  However on streams without a barrier to migration you can still expect to walk a fair amount to get away from either the crowds or just to find fish.   Since we are about 2 weeks behind the "normal" flow of things the spawning activity has only just started with fish beginning to drop back to spawning gravels.  There have been a few reports of brown trout trickling in behind the kings.  That being said we now have two choices for targets.  For the salmon woolly buggers and other streamers will work well.  Egg patterns can also be used but at this time the concentration of eggs in the water are low but they can still produce some fish.    All of the patterns above will work for the browns but egg patterns are among the best producers since they set up shop most times right being spawning fish.  For streamers you can dead drift them or swing them to get that aggressive bite.  For the egg patterns and stoneflies dead drifting on the bottom yields the most consistent success. 
On the Lake Erie tributaries the only stream with any reports of fish is the Catt.  There are some steelhead coming in on a daily basis and they can be caught in the lower reaches of the stream using a wide variety of streamers like woolly buggers and sculpins.  It's the same story here with the lack of rain to move fish into the creeks.  Once that big fall rain comes the fish will be on the move. 
I still have open dates for guided fly fishing trips this fall and if you are interested please shoot me an email to wnyflyguy@gmail.com.  Remember despite the slow start to this run the only way to catch fish is to get out fishing.  As always thanks for reading and tight lines!

Current Stream Information:  

18-Mile Creek (Burt):  October 14th, 2016

Heavy fishing pressure
Med flows

62 CFS

Cattaraugus Creek:     October 14th, 2016

Low Clear Flows

91 CFS

48- 70.7

Oak Orchard Creek:   October 14th, 2016

Heavy Fishing Pressure

Clear Flows

0.46 CFS   

Salmon River:           October 14th, 2016

 248 CFS

YouTube Link:  New videos coming soon!!!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV4wVbpaexeCK7aug549YQ

Salmon Stall

Rain rain DON'T go away come again any day!!  This past week was another warm and dry week with temperatures consistently in the 70's keeping the water too warm for any serious migration of salmon to take place.  The warm weather has been the status quo for this year; a serious lack of precipitation.  The supplemental overflow from the Erie Canal has subsided in the smaller area tributaries leaving them low and clear creating insufficient flow to encourage salmon to enter the creeks.  This is the second year in a row with these conditions and if last year is any indication of what the populations of salmon are, then we are in for another rough fall.  The exceptions to the rule are the Salmon River as well as large tributaries like the Oak.  There are decent numbers of fish already at the dam (at Oak Orchard) with some fish starting to drop back to the fast water spawning grounds.  Consistent activity on the piers has led to a fair amount of hook ups by spoon pitchers as well as fish crashing around the bridges area.  It's only going to take one good rain to convince the fish that are out there to charge up the stream.  This hold true for all the tribs and not just the Oak.  Sandy creek as you can imagine is low for this time of year however holds a few fish.  It takes persistence and a whole lot of walking but convincing a fish to go isn't out of the question.  If you're trying to decide where to fish this weekend and are in dire straights for salmon your only real choice for a shot at a salmon is at Oak Orchard.  Smaller area tribs will have fish trickling in on a nightly basis but once that sun is up they won't move nearly as much.  So all in all fish at sunrise and at sunset for your best chance at migrating salmon.  For low clear flows don't forget to downsize your tippet, lengthen your leader, and downsize your flies.  As always leave your comments below and post pictures of your fish!  Until next time tight lines!

Current Stream Information:  

18-Mile Creek (Burt):  October 7th, 2016

Med fishing pressure
Med flows

62 CFS

Cattaraugus Creek:     October 7th, 2016

Low Clear Flows

96 CFS
58.8 - 70.7

Oak Orchard Creek:   October 7th, 2016

Med-Heavy Fishing Pressure
Med/Clear Flows

0.61 CFS   

Salmon River:           October 7th, 2016

 248 CFS

YouTube Link:  New videos coming soon!!!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV4wVbpaexeCK7aug549YQ

Into the Woods

          It seems like the past two years it's been like pulling teeth with the fish.  Are they going to run or not?  A lot of fisherman on the stream are already very disappointed in the lack of fish despite the recent weather.  I can honestly say that I am prepared and expecting another unfulfilling run like 2015 and here are my reasons why.
1)  If the forage for the salmon really is low like the DEC is claiming, then the returning fish (for however long it takes for the alewives to recover) will continually be lame.  This coupled with a 20% reduction in stocking efforts will only compile the shortage of fish in the short term.
2)  Water flows in the streams early this fall were a little low but not abnormal.  However now that we have had some rain the flows have bumped up a bit in addition to there being some water being drained from the canal while under construction.  That being said there has been more than enough water in the streams to supplement fish movement.
3)  Fishing the lake over this past summer in the western basin I saw no real signs of a solid population of salmon whether it be immature or mature fish.
          All that being said I see no reason to believe that the conditions are right to have the tributaries of Lake Ontario host a large run of king salmon or any salmonids for that matter.  I don't like thinking that the glory days of salmon fishing here in Lake Ontario are over for the time being but things don't just change overnight.  Despite being prepared for another unsatisfying fall run it is still early and I could be wrong about the prospects of a strong run of fish. 

          So now that the discouraging report is out of the way I can talk about what IS good about whats going on right now in fishing.  So far as mentioned above there is no serious concertrations of fish anywhere in the region.  Here in WNY the only stream that has any real concentration of fish is at the dam on Oak Orchard.  If you don't mind being shoulder to shoulder with the guy next to you getting his line tangled in yours and vise versa then this is the place for you.  Despite this being the place with the most fish there still are maybe only 35 fish at the dam with trickling fish coming in every day.  Other area streams like 18 Mile Creek and Sandy Creek don't have much in the way of fish yet.  Last weekend (at Sandy) I saw a couple fish moving up the lower reaches of the stream on the kamikaze mission to spawning grounds at first light.  The fish that are in Sandy so far are spread WAY out.  If you fish here expect to walk a long way before finding any fish.  As for 18 Mile, there have been a few fish spotted at the dam but to my knowledge no fish have been caught yet.  Fishing action on the piers of 18 Mile and Oak Orchard is pretty spotty still with only around 15-20 fish being caught in a day by persistent anglers.  The pressure on the piers is pretty high as well so expect some company. 

          I know it's not the report I'd like to be giving but it's the truth none the less.  Hopefully the run picks up and there are fish to be had and anglers can go home satisfied.  But in the mean time I always encourage people to check out my YouTube channel with videos to entertain and potentially learn a little something about fly fishing.  Also for those of you who don't know much about fly fishing or fishing the tributaries I am a NYS Licensed Guide and have dates open this fall for Salmon, Brown Trout, and Steelhead.  If you are interested in booking a trip send me an email at wnyflyguy@gmail.com.  Thanks again for reading and keep your lines tight!

Current Stream Information:  

18-Mile Creek (Burt):  October 2nd, 2016

Light fishing pressure
Med flows

67 CFS

Cattaraugus Creek:     October 2nd, 2016

Low Clear Flows

126 CFS
57.4 - 68.4

Oak Orchard Creek:   October 2nd, 2016

Light Fishing Pressure
Med/Clear Flows

0.56 CFS   

Salmon River:           October 2nd, 2016

 273 CFS

YouTube Link:  New videos coming soon!!!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV4wVbpaexeCK7aug549YQ