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Where to Fish
While I prefer large rivers, many small or lesser-known tributaries throughout the region provide solitude. Enlightened management has created runs of fish on rivers that until recently saw few fish. Practices such as restoring spawning areas or expanding hatchery programs where natural reproduction is impossible have led directly to fishable runs of steelhead on more rivers. Even though some of the runs are marginal by Great Lakes standards, they provide an opportunity for privacy. I find a challenge in hooking fish in rivers that have comparatively lower return numbers or that are difficult to fish because of their size or access.

One way to find these small creeks and branches of larger tributaries is to use a DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer. The detail of these maps is good enough to find some smaller water that many fishermen overlook. Before you access any water, check the state's regulations and stream access laws. Some waters have closed seasons or are protected by stream access laws.

Long rivers provide greater opportunity for privacy because more access points spread out anglers. The farther you move from an access point, the better your chances of finding empty water. Long rivers with miles between access points like the Grand River in Ohio or the Saugeen in Michigan are perfect for hiking in or floating the river if it is large enough. I enjoy hiking into areas that require long, challenging walks because I gain a sense of accomplishment in completing the walk itself. If nothing else it's a good way to keep in shape. Some of the most foreboding hikes are those that entail a descent into one of the many gorges carved throughout the Great Lakes region, even though they allow you to fish without another angler in sight. Wherever you hike and fish, remember to respect landowner rights and to be safe.

One of the best strategies to find solitude on popular rivers is to concentrate on water in between pools and tailouts. These areas become popular because access is easy and they hold numerous fish throughout the steelhead season. A good holding pool contains a balance of depth, broken surface current, structure, and a softness to the flow that makes it easy for steelhead to rest. Though they may not be as large, most of these elements exist in the pools between the popular areas. With careful observation and exploration you'll discover subtle holding areas in water that other anglers pass by.

Don't neglect water with only a few key elements that define prime holding water such as pocket water, deep slots, and shallow riffles. Heavy fishing pressure in popular pools can push steelhead to alternative holding areas. On rivers and streams with significant runs, there are plenty of fish to fill not only the holding water in the prime pools but these lesser spots as well.

Another option is to fish the parts of a pool that are ignored by other anglers. I often observe anglers concentrating on the head of a pool or run where the current is greatest and steelhead feel secure. However, the bottom half, or tailout of a pool, may go unfished since this type of water doesn't always fish well with a dead-drift technique. A slow tailout regularly holds steelhead, especially if it contains structure such as large boulders.

The type of water below a tailout often dictates how well it attracts steelhead. When the water below is fast and heavy, steelhead often rest in the tail, especially if it is the first slow flow they have encountered in some time. A tailout is my favorite type of water because it is perfectly suited for a wet-fly swing.

While my search for solitude is ongoing, the reality is that we all have to share water on the popular rivers from time to time. My approach involves rotating through a productive stretch.

I begin at the head of a stretch, make a presentation, take one or two steps downstream, and make another presentation. Once I reach a certain point, another angler can begin fishing through the pool from my starting point. I continue casting and stepping downstream until I reach the end of the area I want to fish. I then get out of the water, walk upstream past the other fisherman, and make another run through the pool.

Rotating through a pool provides me with a method for finding aggressive fish and other anglers the fair opportunity to fish the water as well. When another angler comes to a pool that I am fishing by myself, I often encourage the angler to join in a rotation of the pool. Many anglers oblige, while others don't know what I'm talking about and stare at me like I'm speaking a foreign language.

From a fish-catching standpoint, many of these strategies for finding solitude mean catching fewer fish. It's a trade off you must come to grips with. But the total number of fish hooked doesn't have to define your entire experience. I am content catching a few quality fish when there is plenty of room to work the water at my own pace.

Rick Kustich is the author of several books including Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead, co-authored with his brother Jerry. He lives in Grand Island, New York.

This story originally appeared in the Feb. 2005 issue of Fly Fisherman Magazine.