November
Cattaraugus Creek hen steelhead that could not resist a Nagy Steelie
Rock Worm.
Of
all the steelhead tributaries in the Lake Erie watershed, Cattaraugus
Creek in western NY is considered by many steelheaders to be the classic steelhead
river.
Located 30 miles south of Buffalo, NY, in the northern part of
the famous “steelhead alley” region (a group of about 50 Lake Erie
tributaries extending from Buffalo, NY to Vermilion, OH), it
provides the ideal features as well as challenges to keep both novice
and veteran “chrome chasers” coming back every season.
The
future also looks bright for Cattaraugus Creek, with plans in the
works for modification of the Springville Dam to allow Lake Erie
migratory steelhead to move to new water above the dam where 34 miles
of public fishing access is already in place.
The
River: A Land of Glaciers, Indians and Natural Wonders
Hundreds
of years ago Native American Indians that fished and hunted along the banks
of Cattaraugus Creek encountered natural gas oozing from the river
mud. Because of this natural phenomenon the Indians named the river
“Cattaraugus” which means “foul smelling banks.” These days
steelheaders in the Lake Erie region simply refer to it as the “Cat”
for short.
More
of a river in size than a creek, the Cat averages 100 foot wide and
2-6 foot deep in its lower reaches on the Cattaraugus Indian
Reservation. High gradient in nature, it travels 68 miles from its
headwaters at Java Lake in Arcade, NY to Sunset Bay at the Lake Erie
shoreline, dropping a 1000 feet in elevation along the way.
The
Cat is a relatively new river geologically speaking. Twelve thousand
years ago, the advancing, 1 mile-high, Laurentide Ice Sheet blocked
various northerly flowing rivers in Western NY, forming numerous
finger lakes. Low spots in several of these finger lakes spilled over
onto the Allegheny Plateau and flowed westerly (toward what is now
Lake Erie), forming the Cattaraugus Creek watershed. Since that time
the erosive force of water has progressively shaped and lowered the
Cat forming its high-cliff canyons, gravel-bottom pools and
shale-ledged streambeds that we see today.
The
fishable steelhead water on the Cat begins at the Springville Dam, in
the lower part of the Springville Canyon, and ends 34 miles down
river at the lake shore. There is an undeveloped County Park at the
dam (the dam blocks all steelhead migration up river) with some
fishing opportunities below the dam and a short stretch of water
below the Scoby Hill Road bridge (check for posted signs for this
lower section).
Below
the dam area begins the magnificent Zoar Valley. The upper part of
the Zoar is a broad valley with limited public access except for 3.8
miles of New York State Public Fishing Rights (PFR) lands (two
separate sections).
New
York State PFR's are permanent easements purchased by the State of NY
from landowner’s, giving anglers the right of way to fish and walk
along the bank (usually a 33’ strip on one or both banks of the
stream).
Below
the upper valley, the Cat (and its south branch), flow into a wild
and remote, 14 mile long, narrow canyon area known local1y as the
“gorge”. This geological and natural wonder contains 400 foot
high cliffs, bald eagles, numerous waterfalls and the second largest
concentration of old growth forest in NY State.
The
Zoar Valley gorge is boulder strewn and contains many rapids in
higher flows. A few rafting companies run white water trips through
it during spring run-off, but at fishable levels it is very difficult
to float due to low water between the deeper pools and runs.
Because
there is limited streambed gravel areas in the gorge, steelhead seem
to push pretty quickly through it (as a general rule steelhead prefer
to hold and rest on gravel lined streambeds) although there is nice
pocket water and shale ledges for indicating as well as some decent
runs and pools for swinging flies.
Half
of the canyon is contained in a 3,014 acre, state owned property
known as the Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area (ZVMUA) which is open to
the public for outdoor recreation use (including NY State PFR fishing
access). 1,492 acres of the ZVMUA was named by the State of NY as a
state nature preserve or “Unique Area” to protect it for
posterity.
Accessing
the ZVMUA is very strenuous and difficult and fisherman need to be
aware of debris falling from the cliffs when fishing in the canyon
floor as well as river water levels which can change quickly. There
is roughly 7 miles of fishable water in the ZVMUA canyon section
with numerous marked trails in the canyon accessing the river itself.
Around
the town of Gowanda, NY no formal public access is in place within
city limits. Good fishing opportunities exist above the Aldrich
Street bridge and above the route 39 bridge to the ZVMUA (which
begins 1 ½ miles above Gowanda). Be aware of some posted private
lands below the ZVMUA towards Gowanada city limits.
A
quarter mile down below Gowanda begins the Cattaraugus Indian
Reservation of the Seneca Nation of Indians (SNI). SNI lands surround
14 miles of the river down to the lake shore (except for Versailles
area and the south bank of the river between Lake Erie and ½ mile
north of Lake Erie).
The
Cat on the reservation flows into a sand and gravel lake plain area
that was formed from glacial outwash from the last ice age. It has
bigger water than the Zoar Valley area (particularly below
Versailles), containing good size pools and runs lined with gravel,
rock and sand that are ideal for swinging flies as well as numerous
tighter areas such as chutes, shale ledges and pocket water for
indicating.
Non-Indians
fishing on the reservation require a SNI fishing license (no New York
State license is required though). SNI fishing regulations are in
effect on the reservation. Licenses can be obtained at the William
Seneca Administration Building on the reservation (https://sni.org
/716-532-4900) and also a few authorized vendors on the reservation
including the Seneca One Stop at the intersection of Routes 20 and 5.
Steelheaders
who have a SNI fishing license are allowed to drive, park and walk
just about anywhere on the reservation unless it is specifically
posted. Be aware when taking dirt roads to access the river on the
reservation. Driving can be hazardous in the loose, sandy soils and
it is not uncommon for vehicles to get stuck (even 4WD’s). A good
strategy is to park in heavily used parking areas and walk down to
the river from there. Expect heavy crowds early in the fall on the
lower reservation, with less pressure in the upper reservation (above
the town of Versailles).
The
Steelhead of the Cat
The
steelhead of the Cat are legendary for their aggressive nature in
taking flies and strong fighting ability. The majority of steelhead
“running” into the Cat every season from Lake Erie are 3 year-old
fish, averaging 5 to 6 pounds. Steelheaders commonly catch 8 to 12
pounders, with steelhead over 12 pounds caught every season.
The
NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) stocked
56,030 steelhead yearlings into the Cat in the spring's of 2020 and 2021. These juvenile steelhead are
obtained from the NYSDEC Salmon River hatchery in Altmar, NY and are
of Chambers Creek strain origin. They are popularly known as Salmon
River strain, a naturalized Lake Ontario hatchery strain of steelhead
which is basically a late fall/winter and spring run fish.
This
is substantially down from the NYSDEC annual stocking target of
90,000 steelhead for the Cat due to a new experimental approach to
rearing steelhead at the NYSDEC Salmon River Hatchery.
This
experimental approach was a recommendation from a study conducted on
stocked yearling steelhead in Chautauqua Creek by the NYSDEC. The
study showed the stocking size of NYSDEC steelhead smolts are to
small to imprint and emigrate out of Chautauqua Creek. Instead they
remain stream residents, resulting in poor survivability and very
little contribution to the adult steelhead fishery.
The
goal of the experiment is to improve the overall size of steelhead
smolts stocked into Lake Erie by the NYSDEC. (In recent years NY has
had the lowest average mean length of yearling steelhead stocked into
Lake Erie by all the fishery agencies). Early results indicate
substantial increases in both size and weight as well as a more
“consistent” steelhead hatchery product.
Larger
stocked steelhead smolts have proven to have better survivability and
return rates. Also, the NYSDEC has learned that stocking steelhead
smolts well upstream of the lake confluence increases steelhead
return rates to their stream of origin. This experiment is planned to
continue over the next 2 years.
In
addition to stocked fish by the NYSDEC, it is estimated that
approximately 25% of all returning steelhead to the Cat are of wild
origin. Most of the spawning of wild steelhead in the Cat occurs in
its tributaries such as Spooner Brook, Derby Brook, Coon Brook and
Connoisarauley Creek.
Steelheaders
on the Cat should also expect to catch a few steelhead that have
“strayed” from nearby states of Pennsylvania and Ohio (both have
extensive steelhead smolt stocking programs) as well as the Province
of Ontario which are all almost exclusively wild fish.
Water
Conditions and the Seasons
Run-off
conditions and associated water clarity are the biggest challenge for
steelheaders fishing the Cat on a daily, weekly and seasonal basis.
The Cat is similar to most steelhead alley tributaries in that it is
heavily dependent on run-off from rain and/or snow melt to get it up
to fishable flows. Because it has such a large watershed (551 square
miles), excessive and consistent run-off can “blow-out” the Cat
for weeks or even months at a time with high, unwadable flows and
heavily stained water. It is not unheard of for the Cat to be only
fishable for only a handful of days during the fishing season (fall,
winter and spring) due to excessive and consistent run-off from rain
and snow-melt.
Even
when it does finally get down to a fishable flow, water clarity (or
lack of) on the Cat can be an issue. The culprit is the Gowanda shale
and siltstone contained in the Cat’s high cliff banks and river
bottom. During run-off episodes, water erosion causes this very
unstable strata to breakdown into fine clay sediment that suspends in
the water. Along with topsoil erosion, early run-off flows on the Cat
(like many steelhead alley tributaries) are a high, muddy mess. As
run-off decreases, water visibility slowly improves as well.
Steelheaders
should be prepared for water visibility to vary on the Cat from
heavily silted water in early stage run-off to an opaque, chalky
green color cast (after 1 week or less of run-off) to a somewhat
clearer green tint after a week or more of run-off. Water visibility
of less than 12 inches makes fishing very difficult. Steelhead not
only have a hard time seeing your fly but they also spread out in the
river more (particularly in higher flows) forcing you to work more
for them.
During
extremely dry fall seasons, the Cat clears up pretty good and
maintains a fishable minimum base flow (unlike other Lake Erie
tributaries which can be bone dry) due to its large watershed size
and spring sources.
When
the main branch of the Cat is unfishable, due to high/stained flows,
fishing some of its feeders such as the lower section of the South
Branch in the ZVMUA, Clear Creek on the
reservation and Connoisarauley Creek are worth a try. (Note that the
North Branch of Clear Creek and Spooner Brook are closed to fishing
from Jan. 1st
to March 31st
to protecting spawning steelhead).
Also
nearby Lake Erie steelhead tributaries such as 18 Mile Creek to the
north of the Cat and Silver, Walnut, Canadaway and Chautauqua Creeks
to the south provide good alternatives to fish when the Cat is
blown-out.
The
Cat is primarily a fall steelhead fishery with late September through
mid November the best months. Early in the fall, expect steelhead to
concentrate on the lower reservation waters. By mid-to-late October
fish start moving into the gorge and upper Zoar valley especially
with good fall run-off.
Mild
winter periods usually mean high, unfishable run-off flows due to
rain as well as ice and snow-pack melt. A severe winter can make
steelheading on the Cat very difficult if not impossible due to
ice-over and heavy snow-pack.
The
spring can have excellent fishing to a mixed bag of fresh running,
wintered-over and “drop-back” steelhead working their way down to
the lake after spawning. Steelhead are spread throughout the river in
the spring, with good numbers found early on in the upper Zoar Valley
and Springville Dam area. Fishing in the spring is usually better
later (May and June) when flow levels and water conditions are more
favorable. A great bonus run of smallmouth run-up from Lake Erie into
the lower reservation water on the Cat in the spring as well.
Technique,
Flies and Equipment
Swinging
streamers, wooly buggers, zonkers, spey flies, large soft hackles as
well as tubes flies are something steelheaders should not pass up on
the Cat. Many sections of the Cat have long runs and large pools of
moderate depth, with relatively level bottoms of broken shale and
rocks that are custom made for traditional “down-and-across”
presentations.
The
warm flows of the fall and spring (above 40 degrees F), make
steelhead of the Cat very aggressive (particularly the wild fish) and
they actively move for flies (referred to as “players”) even
grabbing a swung fly on or near the surface. Incorporating materials
like marabou, rabbit strip fur, arctic fox tail into fly patterns
imparts additional movement to the fly on the swing which can prove
irresistible to steelhead. Look for these hard-hitting fish to hold
along current seams in moderate to fast runs, pool tail-outs and
below mid-stream rocks and obstructions.
Swinging
white or lightly colored patterns (size #8-#6/3XL), like Lake Erie
emerald shiner or rainbow smelt imitations, work well on sunny days due to their
ability to reflect light which attracts steelhead especially in
clearer flows. For more stained water, on overcast days and early
morning/late afternoon, try swinging larger, dark patterns in black,
purple and dark olive which provide a large, bulky profile that
steelhead can spot more easily in limited light conditions. Rigging
two patterns on the swing, or using tube flies tied as long as 4
inches, can increase your chances of success on the Cat in really
turbid water.
John Nagy's Lake Erie Rainbow Smelt tube fly pattern is very effective when swung "down-and-across" in the warm run-off flows of the fall or spring on the Cat.
Warm
run-off flows can make steelhead very receptive to added movement to
the fly. At the end of a swing presentation (when the fly line
straightens out), hold the fly stationary in the water below you and
begin twitching it. Also, instead of just directly retrieving your
line at the end of the swing, “jerk and strip” it in as you bring
it in for the next cast.
Dead-drifting
bead-head nymphs, egg patterns, soft hackles, small wooly buggers and
streamers is very effective on the Cat for picking up less aggressive
and tightly holding fish during the fall (water temperatures
typically start to drop below 45 degrees in late October on the Cat).
It is especially effective for lethargic fish in the colder flows of
late fall and winter (below 38 degrees F). These bottom hugging fish
often get cases of “lock jaw” in the ice water flows and require
multiple presentations and subtle changes in drift (usually from
tippet and shot adjustments) to get hook-ups.
Since
the Cat is often stained to some degree, finding areas to dead-drift
flies on the big water of the Cat can take work. Look for obvious
breaks in the surface water texture that indicate subsurface holding
and resting areas for steelhead like below boulders, pocket water
areas, shale ledges and streambed cuts and depressions (polarized
sunglasses cut the glare on the water to make this easier).
When
the Cat does get down to a fishable flow (after a run-off episode) it
is mostly shallow and easy to wade (although a stain in the water can
make wading difficult in terms of seeing where you are going). This
allows the steelheader to wade into close proximity to steelhead lies
and “high-stick” nymph with long fly rods, long leaders and
floating fly lines by either floating indicator fishing or
bottom-bouncing (without an indicator) to achieve drag-free drifts.
(See John Nagy's Steelhead Guide Book for detailed information on his
Right-Angle-Floating-Indicator Technique).
Holding
areas are more difficult to locate in higher flows and stained water
on the Cat. Riffles, runs and pools seem to blend together with the
steelhead spread out more. Under these conditions find steelhead by
working the water methodically until you catch a fish. Mark this spot
mentally since more steelhead will likely be holding there.
Neon-colored
egg patterns (particularly chartreuse) work great in the stained
flows of the Cat. A good setup is to rig an egg pattern (sizes
#12-#8) in tandem with a bead-head nymph, soft hackle, small wooly
bugger or streamer as the bottom fly. (Note: SNI regulations allow
tandem fly rigs on Reservation water but the use of more than one
hook is illegal on NY State waters).
Keep
both flies relatively close together on the leader (within 6 inches)
so the steelhead can see both flies on the drift at the same time. If
the steelhead does not take the bright colored egg pattern (which
acts as an attractor in the stained flows) he will usually take the
more naturally colored fly nearby. Incorporating some flash into egg
patterns, nymphs, soft hackles, buggers or streamers can help
steelhead spot them in heavily stain water.
Since
the Cat normally has some sort of stain to it, tippet size is
normally not critical. The stain actually is beneficial in that it
allows steelheaders to use heavier tippets, which means more landed
fish. For swinging flies, 1X or larger is ideal. For dead-drifting,
2X is a good all around size. In less common, low, clear flows, 3X or
less may be necessary when dead-drifting.
High-stick
nymphing fly rods for the Cat are on the long side (9 ½-11 feet/6 or
7 line weight) which allows for maximum line and leader control and
minimal floating fly line contact with the water (which can interfere
with drag-free drifts). They also are somewhat limber to buffer the
surges and runs of steelhead after being hooked. Longer, more
moderate action rods also help to land steelhead when using lighter
tippets and smaller flies, which at times are needed in clearer
flows. Smaller two-handed spey rods can act as great
“cross-over” rods for both nymphing and swinging techniques.
Fast
action, single-handed fly rods (9 ½-10 feet/6 or 7 line weight) for
swinging flies have the ability to handle floating lines, sinking
leaders, interchangeable sink tip lines or shooting heads depending
on the water flows.
“Switch”
style fly rods are becoming popular for swinging flies on the Cat.
These down-sized, double-handed rods give the steelheader the ability
to cover the water at greater distances in moderate to higher flows
with minimal wading and less casting fatigue all while avoiding rear
obstacles. They are ideal for both swinging and nymphing
presentations and can perform both standard single-handed or spey
type casts. Compact size “Skagit” heads have been developed to
work with switch rods to make throwing big flies and heavy sink tips
a relatively easy operation.
The
Future
The
“Springville Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project” on Cattaraugus
Creek, NY was initiated in 2004 by the US Army Corps. of Engineers
(USACE) and NYSDEC and includes Erie County, NY as a partner. The
main purpose of the project is to restore ecosystem connectivity
above and below the dam (including steelhead runs) while preventing
invasive sea lamprey movement above the dam.
The
approved project plan will lower the existing spillway from 38 to
13.5 feet to serve as a sea lamprey barrier. A 15 foot wide rock
riffle ramp (denil fish-way) with seasonal lamprey trapping/sorting
capability is included in the design. Requests from the National
Historic Registry will be fulfilled by preserving a portion of the
original spillway on both banks to show the original structure.
Allowing
fish to pass through the Springville Dam opens up 75 miles of
water to steelhead fishing on the Cat where 34 miles of New York
State PFR land easements exist (including 15 parking areas). It would
also likely result in significant levels of natural reproduction of
steelhead due to the prime spawning, nursery and feeding habitat that
exists in Cattaraugus Creek and its tributaries above the dam.
The
upper Cat and its tributaries, notably Clear Creek, Elton Creek,
Hosmer Brook and Lime Lake outlet, are all of higher quality than any
of the tributaries located downstream of the Springville Dam with
regards to water quality and spawning habitat. Because these streams
support abundant numbers of naturally reproduced resident rainbow and
brown trout, and some native brook trout, it is believed that
excellent populations of wild steelhead would develop in these
streams should access be gained. In the long term this could mean a
self-sustaining steelhead fishery in the Cat with minimal (if any)
hatchery stockings by the NYSDEC.
However,
this could come at a cost to the resident trout populations due to
increased competition for food and habitat with juvenile steelhead.
NYSDEC
Senior Biologist James Markham has completed a year-round angler
survey in the Upper Cattaraugus Creek system in 2020. The survey
provided baseline estimates of effort, catch and harvest for the
existing fishery (which includes brown, rainbow and brook trout) in
the Upper Cattaraugus Creek. This “pre-fish passage” survey will
be helpful to determine possible impacts to the local fish community
once the steelhead pass over the dam. The survey will continue every
2-3 years after fish passage to document any impacts. A formal report
discussing the pre-fish passage data will be available sometime in
the fall of 2021.
The
NYSDEC has decided to maintain the current inland trout regulations
above the dam, meaning that it will primarily be Catch-and-Release,
Artificial Lure Only from mid-October until April 1. This keeps in
line with the NYSDEC Steelhead Management Plan (completed in 2016) to
promote natural steelhead reproduction when practical.
The
Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) for the project was signed by the
USACE, NYSDEC and Erie County, NY in 2017. Construction was targeted
for either 2020 after the sea lamprey spawning run but Project
Partners have decided to put the project on hold in 2020 (as well as
2021) due to impacts from the CO-VID 19 Pandemic.
For
a video of the Springville Dam PPA signing and discussion of the
project go to: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1629197503780864
More
information on fly fishing Cattaraugus Creek (including access maps,
recommended fly patterns and ideal USGS flow conditions for swinging
and “high-stick” nymphing the river) is available in John Nagy's
book Steelhead Guide, Fly Fishing Techniques and Strategies for
Lake Erie Steelhead (Updated and Expanded 4th
Edition). This classic book is available in both print and E
book versions (see right menu bar for ordering information).