Cattaraugus Creek is a very special place to fish ~ it has the feel and appearance of what an archetypal Steelhead river should be; swift flowing riffles intersect with deep, meandering pools lined with timber and large boulders. Though the majority of anglers are drawn to its banks in the autumn, I spent the last two days fishing there, as I suspected that the recent warm rains would invariably draw some fish into the river. Yesterday was an incredible experience - a heavy cap of Prussian blue coloured clouds and mild temperatures made for excellent fishing; two friends and I caught and released a nice mix of spawned out fish, 1 to 2lb "egg eaters" or "scouts", and deep bodied estuary fish in the 4-6lb class (known locally as "springers"). I would guess that the latter are chiefly following clouds of baitfish, which might possibly explain why we did not encounter any today. As I left the river around 12 o'clock this afternoon, visibility had reduced to about 6-8 inches, and the characteristic glacier green shade of the Cattaraugus turned to a less appealing hue of cement from last night's rain.It was great to be able to fish with my friend (and rodbuilder extraordinaire) Dan Colville, and his friend Jason. Those gentlemen are fortunate enough to live within a stone's throw of many Western New York tributaries, and they certainly have a pulse on the Cattaraugus. I have included some photos, and I will eventually add many more....
Ghost of the Cattaraugus
Release
Solitude
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