Lake Champlain Trib

[jsynnott]

For those thinking that out on the ice/ Pulaski is where the only action is, I present my first Champlain Steelhead (in a stream) and a few supporting browns and bows all taken in an hour and a half of fishing (streamers) in a small NY side creek.
This place has been loaded all winter and the fish are pretty active regardless of the temps.

[fleshfly]

nice job, seriously. just curious were those fish released?

[jsynnott]

Always! They are there growing and waiting for some other lucky angler.

[Fly Deacon]

Nice outing - I've heard there are small steelhead runs from Lake Champlain tributaries - but how do you differentiate between a true steelhead and a rainbow trout?

[fleshfly]

Good to hear that they were released. It is too bad there aren't more people in the area that practice C&R. Thanks for sharing the pics, great effort.

[jsynnott]

In this creek the distinction is easy, only browns are stocked and there isn't a known native rainbow population. So most any bow you catch had come from Champlain. Also, when it's big and takes to the air in the dead of winter it is probably a steelhead variety bow. Technically, they're the same fish but the steelies show much more life in winter.

[Slappy]

That is a great report. Something that most guys aren't doing and you are getting nice fish. --127-3-