By D'Arcy Egan
Plain Dealer Reporter

Friday, February 1, 2002

Steelhead trout fishermen should go west for success, reports Craig Lewis at Erie Outfitters in Sheffield Lake.

The primary steelhead trout waters have been in Cleveland and eastward, where the Ohio Division of Wildlife releases yearling trout each year and expects them to return to the rivers where they were stocked. The Rocky, Chagrin and Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek get most of the steelhead fishing pressure.

Even though trout are not stocked west of Cleveland, Lewis has been focusing on the trout fishing on western streams, especially the Vermilion River. Next spring, the Vermilion will receive 55,000 young, enhancing the good trout fishing that Lewis has enjoyed since he began fishing the watershed in 1986.

."We welcome the trout releases in the Vermilion River," said Lewis. "The Vermilion is a much cleaner river than the others, with clear water tributaries and freshwater springs that feed it. "There are areas where bald eagles nest and the scenery is wonderful. It almost feels like Alaska."

The ODOW will steal a few trout from the other rivers in order to stock the Vermilion, a move to broaden the steelhead program and spread out the angling pressure. The Conneaut Creek stockings will fall from 100,000 to 75,000 trout, but actually gain in total numbers. For the first time, Pennsylvania will stock the upper reaches of Conneaut Creek along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border with 75,000 trout.

"There are a lot of good access areas along the Vermilion River as it winds its way all the way to Wakeman," said Lewis. Mill Hollow Park provides good access and there is access in the Birmingham area that opens the upper section to anglers.

"Over the years I've caught steelhead trout from the river, as well as coho and king salmon. Before the rain hit this week, Vermilion had a monster run of steelhead trout."

Erie Outfitters and the Golden Hackle Fly Shop, operated by Lewis and Terry Buchko, are on Lake Road in Sheffield Lake, a half-mile west of the Avon Lake launch ramp. The Lake Erie shoreline in that area is one of Lewis' favorite haunts for steelhead trout.

"Fishermen can wade along the beach and cast to the current that runs from the Avon power plant," he said. "The warm water discharge attracts huge numbers of baitfish and lots of steelhead trout. My best there this season is a 28-inch girth. That is a very fat fish."

Lewis feels the trout roaming the shoreline are spring spawners. They are voraciously feeding before they will run the rivers to spawn.

Webmaster Notes:  Both Craig Lewis and Terry Buchko are OCBS members and have served on the Board of Directors for this past season. They own and operate Erie Outfitters and Golden Hackle Fly Shop in Sheffield Lake, OH which is one of our clubs sponsors.