Steelhead Flies: |
Nymphs: |
Honesty is our number one priority at Steelheadschool.com
We know most people are smart enough to spot a fake or a liar. Before you book a trip with any Steelhead Alley Guide ask them how many years they have been fishing Ohio. If they are honest you might be surprised by the answer. Anybody can be a internet hero. Out of state guides are flocking to the area to make a quick buck. Our team of guides have been fishing Ohio and the rest of Steelhead alley our whole lives. We want lifelong customers. We strive to exceed our guests expectations. My guarantee is simple. If your not 100% satisfied with anything we do contact me.
The Original "Steelhead School"
Since 2001
March 27, 28, and 29th 2009
Often imitated but never duplicated.
We have had over 150 satisfied Graduates thru the years. The school is a three day adventure into the world of fishing Steelhead Alley. Our team of local Steelhead Pro's teach you everything you need to know to be a successful Steelhead angler. It also includes a nine hour tour of the hot spots on the streams.
We will cover; when to fish where to fish, knots, rigging, terminal tackle, leader construction, fly selection, reading water, fighting fish, spin, fly, spey and centerpin techniques, plus three hours of hands on fly tying. All you will need are an Ohio fishing license and a pair of chest high waders.
The weekend is value priced at $350 per angler. Two nights lodging is included in the price.
Guided Steelhead Trips |
|---|
In conjunction with my partner site, www.steelheadschool.com, I am pleased to promote the guide services of Dfishinfool, Don Mathew's. We have put together the premier guide service for Steelhead Alley, recruiting guides that know the streams and the fish, to give our customers the best guide experience possible. I'm a licensed, CPR/first aid certified guide and fully insured. I will do what it takes to make your trip the absolute best & remember, you catch fish or you fish for free! So there is no double bookings, Don handles all my dates on one central calender, but feel free to call or email me with any questions or help with reserving your trip date(s). I accept major credit cards for deposits; only $50.00 will reserve your spot to fish the Great Lakes Steelhead Alley, the worlds largest runs of Steelhead! My Spring 2009 guide season pictures Contact Mark Defrank: 724-317-8582 e-mail: mark@defranksflies.com Contact Don Mathews: 330-565-5457 e-mail: dfishinfool@aol.com We now have 7 team member guides, Look For This Symbol for the Steelhead trip of a lifetime!
You simply can't beat the concept - the best Steelhead Alley guides working together for a common purpose - to promote their love of the sport! No competitiveness, no egos, no infighting - just fishing Our group of guides was carefully chosen from the area's best local talent. Each of us is self-employed, but we work together. Experience taught us that by combining forces and working together we can provide our guests with a better trip. This team concept gives us the advantage of networking to find the most productive fishing areas. We are in constant contact with each other via cell phone. Only guides who live up to our high standards are considered to join our group. Come enjoy a day with us |
Don "Dfishinfool" Mathews
330-565-5457 e-mail: dfishinfool@aol.com Hyde Boat Pro Staff member, Founder and Owner of Dfishinfool's Guide Service, Steelhead School Instructor, Instructional speaker, Outdoor writer, NY Guide License # 4348, 2008 Pennsylvania Guide License # 198, 2008 Guide Permit holder Lorain County Metro parks, Insured, CPR Certified, First Aid Certified, Water Safety Certified, Fly and Tackle development and field tester for several industry leaders, B.S.A. Fly Fishing Merit Badge Counselor, Fished Ohio Steelhead since 1976, Over 20 yrs experience guiding hunters and fishermen, 11 years of guiding experience on "Steelhead Alley" Hello my name is Don Mathews and I am the owner of Dfishinfool's Guide Service. I was born and raised in NE Ohio. I currently reside in Garrettsville, Ohio with my wife Erma and daughter Ashley. I grew up in a fishing family. I was very fortunate to have a father who introduced me to fishing and the outdoors at a young age. I spent my youth working on charter boats on the Great Lakes and accompanying my father on his endless list of fishing destinations. As I got older I spent a few years guiding bear hunters and fishermen in the Quebec wilderness. About thirty years ago I caught my first Steelhead, or Lake run bow as we used to call them. I still remember the day as if it were yesterday. The beauty and fight of this new silver fish left me in awe. I have been hooked ever since. In my pursuit of Steelhead I have fished all over the Great Lakes and Pacific West Coast. Let me tell you there is no place like home here on "Steelhead Alley". I feel very fortunate to have a Steelhead paradise in my back yard. In 1997 I made the decision to leap into guiding Steelhead fishermen and I have been having a blast ever since!! Lets go fishin! Mark "Super Fly" DeFrank
724-317-8582 Mark lives in Southwestern PA. He is located just a stones throw away from several famous trout streams. Mark is a fly fishing addict who has dedicated his life to fly fishing. He has done it all from owning a fly shop to commercial fly tying. He has been helping me guide steelhead anglers since 2001. Mark relocates to the Alley in the busiest parts of the spring and fall. Although Mark is not local talent he knows the streams as well as any other. When not guiding steelhead anglers you can find Mark matching the hatch on his home waters in Pennsylvania. He is a master fly tier with 35 years experience, 18 of which are commercial and competition tying. He holds several prestigious awards, and routinely instructs many satisfied novice, intermediate and advanced tiers. Mark is an instructor at the Steelhead School. His latest contribution to Steelhead Fishing is being listed in John Nagy's newest Steel Head Guide 4th edition. Mark has 5 hot patterns published in the book, with his Blue Steel Caddis being honored in Nagy's NEW Dirty Dozen. Mark is a fly tying prodigy and one of the best fly tiers I have ever known. He has an easy going way about him and I'm sure you would enjoy his company on the stream.
Jeff "Steelhead Caddy" Novak
e-mail: steelheadcaddy@aol.com 330-984-7406 Jeff Novak hails from Southington, Ohio. His website is called Extreme Steelheading and that sure describes Jeff. I have seen him do some extreme things to catch a fish. Jeff isn't a internet personality. He is the first to admit he doesn't like the internet. I can remember hearing him brag more than once that he lands his fish with a landing net not the internet. We consider Jeff to be the jokester of the crew. He is sure to entertain you during your day of fishing. He has a motto "I don't wear a watch or a ring!" Fishing for Steelhead has become a year round pursuit for Jeff. He used to bowl, shoot archery, hunt, golf, and ski. Now he pretty much just fishes and he does it well. He has a knack for catching fish when others get skunked. That is probably why he has so many repeat guests. Jeff can cast a flyrod like few others. He has taught hundreds of first timers. On the rainy days you can't fish, you can find Jeff at his fly bench tying the perfect flies he uses. He is a fly innovator and has developed some of the best patterns we use on the Great Lakes region. Jeff has a passion for fly fishing but he feels right at home with the spinning rod also. Jeff carries a current NY guide license and fishes from Pulaski, NY, to Cleveland, OH, but will readily admit one of his secret spots on our Ohio streams is where he considers home. Jeff also is doing trout fishing trips in Pennsylvania during the summer months. Jeff Novak is probably the best Steelhead fisherman I have ever known. Dick Keagy
ph. 330-544-8818 - cell. 330-646-8150 Dick Keagy lives in Niles, OH, with his wife Judy. Dick is a retired tool and die maker. We jokingly call him the "Old Man" of the crew. For a old guy "grinning" he sure is full of energy. You can find him on the stream on those nasty days when nobody else fishes. Funny thing is he is usually catching them. Dick is a patient teacher and you will come away a better fisherman after a day on the stream with him. Dick is quickly becoming my busiest guide. He is available to guide seven days a week and he's usually out fishing on the days he doesn't guide. Dick knows the Ohio and Pennsylvania streams very well. Dick is a excellent fly tier. He is at home with spin or fly gear. Give me a call to spend a day on the stream with Dick. You will have a great day. I guarantee it.!! Travis "Trout" McAllister
330-399-2746 Travis is a local fishing addict. He lives to fish. His friends call him "Trout". It seems like everywhere I would go, there would be Travis, or on occasion his guests standing there fighting a fish. Travis has been dabbling with guiding fishermen as a hobby for a couple of years now. We needed help keeping up so I approached Travis about guiding with us - about the same time he gets laid off from his factory job at Kraftmaid. So he has decided to make the plunge into the world of being a fishing guide. Travis is now available to guide you seven days a week. He may be young at 24, BUT he meets all of the requirements to guide the Alley. He is local and knows our streams very well. Think about it, do you really want to hire a guide who lives three hours or more from the stream and needs a GPS to find his way around? Travis has been Steelheading Ohio and Pennsylvania his whole life. He knows every hole and rock that holds fish on the Alley. He is experienced with fly and spinning techniques. He will bring his beautiful original hand tied Steelhead patterns on your trip. He is pleasant to fish with and has a calm easy going way about him and is a patient teacher. Yet he approaches his fishing with much enthusiasm. I'm excited to welcome Travis to our team.
Bob "Screaming Reels" Williams 440-487-8111 My name is Robert Williams and I am the founder and owner of Screamingreels Guide Service. I am excited to be joining forces with the team of guides at SteelheadSchool.com in the hunt for trophy fish. I also will be helping and guiding with their bi-annual Steelhead School's. I am fortunate to have such great fishing nearby. Why not let me share our great fishing with you. Fish, fish and more fish! Steelhead, King Salmon, Coho, Brown Trout, Small Mouth and Carp – I will make sure you catch your trophy fish. If you are looking for a professional service with respect to property owners and other fisherman you can stop looking now. I respect all others on the river and treat others property as it be my own. We follow the rule of leave no trace. The only signs you may see of us is footprints in the snow or mud. This is why so many landowners trust me on their property. Come experience a fantastic all around fishing trip for adults and children of all skill levels. I’ve fished the Lake Erie tributaries and Lake Ontario since I was 8 years old. Together with the team of guides at SteelheadSchool.com we have over a century of steelheading experience. We will take you to the fish, teach you how to read the water and show you the skills needed to catch them. Come fish with us! Guide Kurt Bitikofer Hi, my name is Kurt Bitikofer and I have been an avid flyfisherman since the age of 12. I have fished all around south central Pa ( where I live), several western states and in Alaska. These are all great places to fish but for the last nine years Steelhead Alley has become the focus of my fishing addition! Nine years ago I saw Don's web site and I booked a trip with him. Since then I have spent many days on the water with Don and Jeff. I have taken the knowledge that they have past to me and I am now having a blast passing it on to others! Why spend your valuable time chasing 12in trout, when you can head to Steelhead Alley and chase 10+ pound trout! If you love fishing, you have to come experience this awesome fishery with one of the fishin' fools. I'll see you on the water !
|
 |
Steelhead Alley Guide Trips / Fly Fishing School / Casselman River Guide Trips / Maryland Guided Fishing / Steelhead Flies / Ohio Steelhead Guide / PA Steelhead Guide / Great Lakes Steelhead Flies / Tube Flies / Tube Fly Tying Materials / Fly Fishing Guide / Steelhead Guide / Great Lakes Steelhead Guide / Steelhead Alley Guides
 |
Save Time and buy your fishing license online.
FLOW CHARTS |
OHIO USGS FLOW |
PA USGS FLOW |
NY USGS FLOW |
MD USGS FLOW |
"Steelhead Alley"
Steelhead Facts
All of our streams in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York hold fish during the winter months December- March
MOST YEARS ALL OF OUR STREAMS FREEZE OVER IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY
New York Steelhead fishing is best in October thru December but most years the Cattaraugus Creek s the first stream to get a run of fish
Pennsylvania Steelhead fishing peaks in November and December but gets runs as early as September. They are the most heavily stocked streams on "Steelhead Alley" and hold the most fish per square mile.
Ohio Steelhead fishing starts in October and lasts until early May. Ohio streams are usually fish the best in the spring.
Look For This Symbol for a great guided steelhead trip
We have assembled the most experienced team of guides on the Alley. With over a century of Steelheading Experience under our belts, We feel we can offer a better guided steelhead trip than anybody else out there