ARE THEY SPAWNING YET?
HOW MUCH REPRODUCTION DO WE REALLY  HAVE?



     I think by now most of us can agree that our steelhead are in a transitional period.  If the water is breaking 36 degrees on a warm day, I and many have witnessed these fish in pocket water or in the riffles.  To go through the motions of a spawn, timing is everything as we know.  Photo periods or light in a day being to me the number one factor.  I have personally witnessed and have read studies of  steelhead staging in the riffles beginning the process, but not going through the motions.  Another characteristic would be fish darting back and fourth from the head of a pool,to the riffle, and back to the pool.  Reasoning for the back and fourth of this is said to be because of the temperatures.Which I would agree with.  Or "testing the waters" i guess would be more appropriate.
    Warm weather is good.  But their is a biological clock in these fish like any other animal.  If its warm for 2 days, u don't pull out your summer gear and pack up winter sweaters and hoodies. These fish no just as well.  which is why we had a pro-longed spawn last year(2011).The fish were able to come in as late as June, spawn and be done with the process as early as 12 hrs. (courtesy  of nick amato publications)They have no 7 day weather planner as well.  The power of light in a day goes as far back as the Mayans.  The time don't lie and is always accurate.  And to add to that,it has been recorded that 84% of the fish will go back to the pre-existing spawning redds.

 The sad part is most of us know that already,but you still hear it.Why? 
It makes you wonder why so many people here are so negative......

1. THEIR ALREADY HEADING BACK THE OTHER WAY.
2. MOST OF THESE FISH ALREADY SPAWNED!   really.
3. ITS GOING TO BE JUST LIKE LAST YEAR.

The truth be told,although i don't want to agree is only 2%-4% of the rocky river steelhead actually survive the hatch and make it to be fry. I think that number can vary from year to year.Our biggest problem being silt.  If  the rains held off and would not blowout the river I truly think we would have a far greater hatch/survival rate.  The silt inbeds the  eggs,washes them away or  it just plainly gets to warm to quick.Incubation of these eggs needs to be at least 45-55 degrees for the right path.  Which would explain the fry survival we had last year. On the other hand, the west branch of the rocky river where i grew up fishing has had fry survival.  Not that I have electro-shocked the water,but catching steelhead 10-25 inches in July is definitely not normal.  Or maybe it is. About 15 miles south of Olmstead Falls lies Medina county.  The headwaters of the west branch of the rocky are  mostly cold.Really cold. And filter into this stream.  For the first 12 or so miles of this stream we call the west branch , its a whole different entity,and very clean. But we will save that story for another chapter.  At any rate,I don't agree with ODNR. I truly believe from people I have talked with and have read that their number can vary from weather scenarios year to year.  On the other hand,the chagrin river has a higher rate and with the demise of the dam,i would be think mortality rates would be a lot less.

          The fish that due spawn in early February likely around the 32-35 degree mark are the chambers creek strain of fish. They come in our rivers through mid fall and yes,some due spawn in late October as their are different classes of  every strain.  Another strain we due get would be the skamania strain which due come in late august,and spawn late September through early October like the brown trout.  If you have ever caught one of these,you would know it as these fish seem to be way more athletic in their fighting and leaping agility.  Also,their bodies tend to be almost char/salmon looking being bulky and a smaller face and mouth.  So if you are hearing the RUMORS of a spawn being almost over,keep in mind this is a little manistee strain fish.  They run from late November ,and spawn in warmer temperatures of 36-60 degrees.  And the great lake giants begin late december through february.  And if you really are unsure, u can contact http://www.schmidtoutfiters.com/   they know their stuff,and their fish.