While some may have been targeting small stream browns, brookies and rainbows around the state, Brian, Tony and I were after some much bigger trout. The big nasty sibling of the rainbow trout....the steelhead. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the transition to fly fishing for small stream trout. It is an entirely different art form. But, as long as these bruisers are around I'll go after the steelhead any day of the week.
Since we had two days of fishing ahead of us, we decided to move around a bit and try some places we hadn't fished in a while (or in Brian's case, ever). It paid off in spades! Under the expert tutelage of Tony, Brian and I landed 13 steelhead along with 3 brown trout.
When you look at these photos, you would think that these fish must have come out of big water. I can safely say (without blowing up our spots) that some of these big, ahtletic fish were caught in water not much bigger than what my fellow anglers were wading through in search of brookies on the trout opener. Pretty amazing!
Soon enough, I'll turn my attention to fishing for resident trout in small streams like Nine Mile Creek and Chittenango Creek. But, for now let the drag peeling onslaught of the anadromous trout continue!
