Call them steelhead, lake-run rainbows, steelbow rainheads or anything you want. I call them big, bright and lots of fun. Some of my most memorable fly fishing memories to date, involve fly fishing for steelhead and brown trout on Lake Ontario’s seemingly unlimited tributaries. Considering that Lake Ontario is the 14th largest lake in the world boasting an impressive 7,340 square miles and huge sources of forage; it is no wonder why steelhead and brown trout species thrive, naturally reproduce and grow big. I recently read a statistic noting that 40% of the lakes steelhead are wild and that number continues to increase. But, when it comes to what I personally like most about Great Lakes steelhead fly fishing; it has less to do about statistics and more to do with having fun chasing steelhead with new and long time friends. Most trips involve early mornings, late nights, beautiful stretches on big pristine water, small/remote creeks, urban rivers, swinging flies, nymphing, tough days, good days, rain, sleet, snow, sunshine and lot’s of laughs. This trip was no different. The cast of characters was Alex from Argentina, Joey from Colorado and Boz and myself from Maine. There were also a few “extra” characters and friends who happened to be there at the same time; Kory from New York City, Mark from Rhode Island, Kyle from Montana, Dave from Syracuse and Taylor from New Hampshire. The fishing was spectacular with some beautiful steelhead and brown trout. Most of the steelhead were freshies from the lake; pure chrome, aggressive and sometimes too hot to handle. As always, it took us a few days to find this years “chrome zone.” We traveled lot’s of miles by foot and car looking for good concentrations of “chromers” and lot’s of our “go-to” spots were not producing very good results for a variety of reasons. But, after many miles, types of water and disappointment we finally found some productive drifts. We worked as a team, helping each other figure out the micro drifts and perfect presentations. One of the best parts of the trip for me was having my good friend Alex on-board as part of our crew. Alex lives in Argentina and, prior to this trip, all of his fly fishing involved swinging flies to sea run brown trout and rainbow trout. Dead drifting nymphs, is not something he and his Argentine crew typically do. So, for Alex, learning how to dead drift nymphs was very challenging and it was difficult to break the “swing” habit. But, he loved this “new” concept of fly fishing and while everyone else but him seemed to have the “hot stick”; he continued to work hard at dialing into the nymphing game and trying to get the perfect drift. Then, after lots of frustration and very few hook-ups; he got it! And, I kid you not, he lit them up and had the “hot stick” for the rest of the trip. On one occasion, Alex stepped into the river and I said, “No dude, you gotta get out to that far rock!” He humbly disagreed and replied, “Ok, I just want to try one drift here first.” Bang! He hooked a beautiful chromer and shut me up immediately. He continued to do this time and time again and I found myself asking him, “Where is the drift?” So, the best part of fly fishing for me is fishing as a team. We are all one unit and when one of us hooks or catches a fish, it is a “fish for the team.” If one of us is having a run a bad luck, than that person gets the preferred drifts. So, Great Lakes steelhead for us, is all about “the team.” And, that sense of camaraderie carries over into the night and, on this trip, the early morning hours. Friends stop by, we play music, party, laugh and “take it into the backing” as Alex likes to call it. The tune (9 Lives) that accompanies this video is a tune that we all wrote during those nights of sitting around partying and messing around with the guitars. The lyrics are more or less our interpretation of fly fishing for steelhead in the Great Lakes and what it means to us. So, there might very well be better and more exclusive steelhead fisheries around the world with more desirable and elite steelhead populations and all that stuff. That’s cool and hopefully we get a chance to fly fish and hang-out at some of those places someday; but if not … we will have no shortage of fun fly fishing the Great Lakes and chasing “steelbow rainheads.”
Book
- Alaska
- Guide & Fisherman
- Guiding: Choosing Your Guide And Choosing Your Customer
- Guiding: Do It Yourself With A Guide
- Guiding: Evolution Of A Guide
- Guiding: Freshwater, More Than Meets The Eye
- Guiding: Friends For Life
- Guiding: Know Where You Are
- Guiding: More Than Just A Fisherman
- Guiding: Mystery Of The Fisherman
- Guiding: Payment
- Guiding: Saltwater, A Different World
- Rough Fish
- Fly Fishing For Rough Fish: Why Do It?
- Introduced Rough Fish: The Carps & Other Invasive Species
- Methodology: Gear & Tactics For Pursuing Roughfish On A Fly
- More Roughfish: Bullheads, Whitefish, Goldeye, Burbot & Drum
- Rough Fish Environments: Where To Look For Rough Fish?
- Rough Fish Species: The Suckers
- Rough fish: A Lifetime Of Learning
- Rough Fish: Fishing For Dinosaurs (Gars & Bowfin)
- Rough Fish: What Are They?
- The Hook: Some Common Rough Fish Fly Patterns
- Spey
- Spey: Applications, Where Can You Do It?
- Spey: Atlantic Salmon, A Significant Fish
- Spey: Defined And Demystified
- Spey: Gear, The Nuts And Bolts
- Spey: Lines, They Are That Important
- Spey: Steelhead, New Traditions & A Modern Movement
- Spey: The Energy
- Spey: The Flies
- Spey: The Swing
- Spey: Two Critical Casts
- Striped Bass
- Striped Bass: Fishing Rocky Shorelines
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Beaches
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Flats
- Striped Bass: Fishing The Reefs
- Striped Bass: Fishing Tidal Rivers
- Striped Bass: Flatwing Swing
- Striped Bass: Fly Line Options & Choices
- Striped Bass: Gear, The Nuts & Bolts
- Striped Bass: Migration Patterns
- Striped Bass: What They Eat
- The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: A Natural Drug
- Fly Fishing: A Validation Of Freedom
- Fly Fishing: Don’t Fight The Current
- Fly Fishing: It Is What It Is
- Fly Fishing: Socialization For Asocial Individuals
- Fly Fishing: The Allure Of The Fish
- Fly Fishing: The Art Of Escape
- Fly Fishing: The Simplicity Of It All
- Fly Fishing: Time Flies
- Fly Fishing: Times You Remember & Try To Forget
WOW, blew me away. there are some outrageous shots in there and the metal was smoldering hot. nice work all the way around, don’t know what else to say, speechless.
Nice work guys. You’re making steelheading look too easy.
What a killer trip…that video pretty much sums it up. There were alot of miles covered and some serious laughs had late at night. Definately “took it into the backing” a few times making it a long next morning..but well worth it. For me as well the great lakes was where it all started for me. Getting my but kicked by the weather, the fish and all the other obstacals that go into it. So when I return there each fall it is nice to fish in the area that taught me alot in the ways of steelheading. Not an easy game. But it is my favorite. Alex, Boz Jeremy, Kory and all of you that were at the smoke filled shack great meeting you and sharing some time on the water. See ya next time.
I may have only 7 lives left but after watching the video, I’m going to try and waste a couple more in New York. I can no longer sit by and tell myself that Brookies are good enough, you have finally pushed me over the edge with this video. Great video and story and real nice shots of fish, thanks, I just woke up.
My favorite part of your story, was the fact that NO fly fisherman in your party was left out! You all worked hard to get guys into fish. Everything else is a bonus in my book! I have been doing this trib thing for a while now, and it never gets old for me….and to see all of you guys enjoy sharing the experience together is priceless. It reminds me of all the friends I have shared some steel with. As always….nice work
Great video! Good to meet you guys up in steelhead country. It was nice to put some names to the faces that I always see on the site. You guys really cover some ground looking for Chrome! Thanks for sharing some helpful info. Till the next time around…..
Taylor (from NH)
Man, we’re headed out there again this weekend, 2nd time in three weeks, and honestly I couldn’t have asked for a better steelhead montage to get me stoked. Teamwork was the name of our game two weekends ago, and with the higher flows this week, I have no doubt we’ll be pulling similar tricks starting on Friday. Sweet post.
Wow….smoking hot chrome for everyone and comraderie to boot, nice work guys! steelhead fishing brings people together like no other, late nights, tying flies, good food, and playin’ till your fingers bleed. I loved the tune! chord progression?
Austin — the tune is a little rough around the edges .. but, whatever… Here are the chords … Simple.
VERSE = A/D
(A)boots are always mudy leaking at the (D) Seams
CHORUS – E/D/A
(E)Freedom (D) Nine Lives if ya (A) Need One
ps.. you can add the bass “g” note (6th string) to the E chord in the chorus .. or not .. whatever.
Jeremy that is just excellent!!
Whip, it was a absolute pleasure fishing you brother. I am also speechless about the video just killer.. thank you for all the incredible info and help on your home waters … hopefully I will see you soon down here in Patagonia with all the team bro… all i ask is bring a ton of killer cigars with you … cheers Alex
“Way down deep in to the backing brother”, tough mornings for sure… although it was as if we had fished together for twenty years man, It really was all about the energy we gave to one another as a team during the course of time and I am always amazed at what we can collectively put on the bank..beautiful white lighting too hot to handle, with “major un necessary roughness”… Killer trip and thank you for teaching me so many amazing new techniques to add to my quiver and arsenal
cheers man, Alex
Likewise man, it was a total pleasure to finally be riverside with you, look forward to fishing more with you in the future… Alex
“It reminds me of all the friends I have shared some steel with” I love it thats what it is right there seeing all you dear friends hard work pay off and the river finally bear its fruit to you with beautiful fish and enegy to the team…and that right there is priceless…
cheers man hopefully will get to fish next year together… Alex
que increible viaje !!! Alex siempre pesca en equipo , es impresionante , nunca tuve la oportunidad de pescar steelhead…ya vendra , seria bueno poder compartir un viaje de pesca con ustedes y poder aprender todo lo que se ve en el video .
En Argentina comenzo la temporada , los espero en Bariloche .
saludos
Miguel
Bariloche -Argentina
Miquel,
El año que viene tiene que venir con Alex To peces con nosotros en los EE.UU.. Creo que 2009 va a ser el año en que vengo a la Argentina con un par de amigos a pescar con usted, Alex, Mateous y el resto de la tripulación argentina “! Estoy deseoso de experimentar y aprender la pesca con mosca Argentina a través de todos ustedes!
Congratulations all around guys. Jeremy, I think this is the finest post I’ve ever seen here.
Friends, music, fishing, blended expertly.
Good times..on and off the water
Had a blast fishing, and chillin out with a ne cast of characters…tying flies and strumming guitars at the Roger’s lodge.
The video brought it all together…
Nice work J-dawg
Good meeting up with Joey and Kory…sure we’ll chase fish again in the near future.
Alex, hire a couple roadies…the bands looking to tour Argentina.
I don’t care what people want to call the fish, they sure are fun to teach lessons that they will never forget!
Killer vid J, good stuff. Great trip running into you guys and great “energy” all around both on and off the water. It was a blast hangin with you guys on the water and almost more fun in that cigar hazed, wined up cabin off the water. Time and time again my fishing trips are made when I am not casting or fighting fish. The fish draw me to these amazing places but without the great friends to share the experience with I probably woudn’t bother…well I probably would but it wouldn’t be the same.
Looking forward to the next energy collision…
yo — i hear ya man .. don’t know what was more fun the hot steelies or the “smoke filled wined up nights” .. it all kinda blended into one big blur anyway, so i guess its a tie. it was great fishin and partyin’ with you, your bro and his girl .. you should seriously consider coming down to argentina with us to fish with alex and his crew … check out some of the argentina videos on this site and you will see that they have arentina dialed in big time .. and to say it would be “fun” would be an understatement … would be killer to have you onboard for that trip. i know alex would be psyched if you made it down with us. anyway, great seein’ ya and fishin with ya; as always.
ps. how is jason doing up on the salmon now? camping out huh? that is the real deal! it’s like 17 degrees at night!!! .. but from the sounds of it; he had the whole tent thing pretty dialed in with heat and all the immenities. nonetheless, still pretty rugged to be camping out this time of year there. saves money though.
Wow! Thats a wrecking crew if I’ve ever seen one. Seasons over everone… I’m sure those fish told all their friends and headed back for the big lake as fast as they could!
Great stuff as usual. Thanks!
MarcP
gracias por la invitacion , voy a hacer lo posible , me gustaria conocer su pais y disfrutar de la pesca con ustedes .
Espero que puedas venir en 2009 .
Hasta pronto
Miguel
Love it…You guys are just the best examples of how to live it…….
Em
I couldn’t have said it any better my friend… just amazing to learn from you and your brother riverside and barside… I can wait for our energy to merge again… “Energy can not be created nor destroyed just changed in form…”
see you soon..
Alex
Jeremy:
Looks like a great trip was had by all. Great video – its fun seeing you hooked up in familiar places. Couldn’t help but cringe when I saw the fellow trip on a river rock and fall when chasing a fish downriver. Looked like something from “Scarred”.
Jim Ray
Friendship, time shared on the water and good tune…what else!!!
Look like an easy game to fish Chrome…just look like I guess.
Unbelievable!! I keep saying I’m going to get out there and give it a go. Let me know if you have room on the next trip, I’ll drive! 🙂
Those are some hot lookin square tails. Nice work boys!
Realmente increible!!! el trabajo en equipo parece ser un sinonimo de Alex, y es fantastico cuando un resultado del grupo se disfruta en todos por igual.
Algun dia podremos juntar nuestro equipo al suyo, para disfrutar de esta pasion junto a uds.
Un gran abrazo Jeremy y Alex! excelente trabajo.
WOW simply awesome…
SICK
me and my brother have been trying for months to get this song on our ipods. is there anyway to get it?