Brian Merdzinski and I fished for Steelhead below Croton Dam with his friend and long time fishing buddy Jay "Vern" Koehler. Jay runs an all season guide service primarily on the Grand and Muskegon Rivers, and can be reached at http://www.riverwonderland.com/. It was a blustery cold day with intermittent snow showers. To my surprise the river was packed with other boats. We drifted fresh spawn over gravel runs with light action, but we both landed a nice Steely. I am relatively new to Steelhead fishing and learned a great deal from these two seasoned pros. One technique I want to try with the fly rod is to fasten sinkers along the entire length of leader below the bobber to about 1-2 feet above the bait. Unlike the bottom dragging method, this approach results in fewer hangups and assures a natural presentation. Jay cooked a nice lunch on board his jet sled - a sleek barge with a jet ski motor. Brian used his center pin rig which I tried but could not get the hang of casting. This contraption looks like a fly rod but the reel spins freely (and I mean freely). Other fisherman on the river were using these rigs which provide a near perfect drag free drift. I plan on trying again on a warmer day. Brian is great company on land and sea.
Weather: 30 Degrees, Snow, Sleet & Light Wind
Weather: 30 Degrees, Snow, Sleet & Light Wind
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