Steelhead Alley: Where Cold Streams Run Wild in Chautauqua County… and Beyond - Dave Barus
From October to April, in between ice-in and ice-out, and even when there is ice on Lake Erie, but the streams are flowing, the Lake Erie tributary streams of Chautauqua County’s Steelhead Alley draw anglers from across the globe.
On a foggy winter morning, Gerald Brydalski captures a colorful steelhead from a Lake Erie tributary along Steelhead Alley. Brydalski is founder of the Western New York Steelheaders organization and owner of Jigmaster Jigs.
When winter weather chills enough to form ice, great early season ice fishing takes place on Chautauqua Lake, Bear Lake, Findley Lake and in Dunkirk Harbor. Crappies, yellow perch, and walleye are among targeted fish species for the inland lakes. At Dunkirk Harbor, steelhead are caught through the ice!
Last year when I met Gerald Brydalski at a local restaurant at breakfast time, he wore an eye patch and appeared as a local pirate, except it wasn’t Halloween. I discovered how a Western New York craftsman turned post-stroke recovery time into a movement connecting thousands through the art and spirit of steelhead fishing. Locally in Western New York, Brydalski is known as the “The Flybrary Man.”
“Steelheading isn’t just about catching fish—it’s about community, learning, and sharing what you love.”
—Gerald Brydalski, Founder, Western New York Steelheaders
Gerald Brydalski (L), President of theWNY Steelheaders (FB group), share fishing tales and the origin of the Flybrary idea with Dave Barus (author) at a local restaurant along the Steelhead Alley trail.
A Spark in the Current
When most people think of recovery, they picture rest. But for Gerald Brydalski, a lifelong fly-tier and jig maker from Western New York, recovery meant creation.
Last year, while he was healing from a debilitating stroke, the 72-year-old Brydalski found himself restless. The hum of his fly-tying vise, the pulse of the stream—he missed it all. So, he decided to stay connected to what he loved most. From his home near the shores of Lake Erie, he founded the Western New York Steelheaders, hoping it might become a digital gathering place for anglers across the nation. Facebook provided new purpose for steelhead anglers new and far.
Stonefly steelhead killer recipe: Gamakatsu J-20 jig hooks—size 12, 3.0-3.5 mm tungsten beads, body is black hair ice-dubbing, Gold BR ultra wire rib, size small Lively Legz, and a green flash body. Fly recipe from Adam McInerney. Adam McInerney photo
In just 14 months, what began as a modest Facebook group has grown to more than 5,500 members from across the United States—all passionate about the pursuit of one fish: the Lake Erie steelhead. The surprise for many anglers visiting for the first time is the plump brown trout and occasional lake trout that enter the streams.
Steelhead Alley
Welcome to Steelhead Alley—a geographic region that includes five streams in Chautauqua County, New York, where cold, tumbling creeks meet the deep waters of Lake Erie, and the promise of silver-bright steelhead fill every riffle and run.
Where to cast, what to bring, and how to make the most of your trip. In Chautauqua County, five legendary tributaries define the fishing landscape:
Chautauqua Creek – A steep, scenic stream that carves through a dramatic gorge near Westfield.
Canadaway Creek – Flowing through the village of Fredonia, this productive water offers deep pools and long drifts perfect for nymphing or swinging flies. Visit with Marty Kleeman at Canadaway Creek Outfitters to find fish fast.
Silver Creek – A small but mighty fishery that lights up after autumn rains. I first fished this creek with renowned artist, fly angler and fishing stream educator, Alberto Rey, an Orvis-endorsed guide.
Walnut Creek – Known for its clarity and challenging drifts—technical but rewarding.
Cattaraugus Creek – The “Catt” is the crown jewel of Steelhead Alley: big water, wild terrain, and heart-pounding runs. The first several miles of this stream are in Chautauqua County but note that special new regulations for fishing on the Seneca Indian Reservation (www.sni.org) require an Indian Fishing License and an Indian Fishing Guide.
Just north in Erie County, Eighteenmile Creek holds a special distinction—it’s the birthplace of Brydalski’s most inventive community project: the Flybrary.
Flybraries (free fly exchange program, on-your-honor) are working and expanding to Chautauqua County in 2026. The units are donated through the courtesy of custom builder, Robert McDivitt, with installation manpower from the WNY Steelheaders. The cedar wood Flybrary units are stained with teak oil to weather-proof them.
The Flybrary Revolution - A Simple Idea, A Powerful Ripple
Picture a sturdy weatherproof box tucked beside a trail along the creek. Inside: rows of hand-tied steelhead flies—tiny works of art in marabou and chenille. The concept is simple: Hand-tied flies donated by local anglers. Take a fly. Try it. Replace it with one of your own.
That’s the Flybrary—a blend of generosity, creativity, and tradition, and changing the way anglers connect. Bring a few extra flies—and the spirit to share them. The Flybrary tradition is what keeps Steelhead Alley’s heart beating strong.
Under Brydalski’s leadership, the Western New York Steelheaders have installed multiple Flybraries along Eighteenmile Creek, encouraging generosity, creativity, and camaraderie on the water. Photos flood social media daily—smiling anglers holding steelhead and showing off the flies they borrowed and replaced. The social media buzz and word-of-mouth have helped spread the concept far beyond New York—creating a ripple effect that encourages stewardship, education, and inclusion in the outdoors.
“It’s about giving back,” Brydalski says. “When you share something, you invite others to discover what makes this sport so special. We’re planning to add Flybraries to Canadaway Creek, Chautauqua Creek and other Chautauqua County locations.”
The Hairy Trout is a Western New York fly shop open for haircuts, fishing gear sales, and fly angler conversation.
Flies That Fool Chrome
Steelhead Alley’s conditions change by the hour—snowmelt one day, gin-clear the next—so versatility is key. The Flybrary boxes often hold an evolving collection of local favorites:
The cold, boulder-strewn creeks of Steelhead Alley demand a mix of classic and creative fly patterns. Among the favorites found in the Flybraries and tackle boxes alike:
Sucker Spawn and Glo-Bug egg patterns, irresistible during the fall and early spring runs.
The iridescent Crystal Meth, a Chautauqua Creek staple that glows like candy in the current.
Adam McInerney is an expert steelhead angler and fly tyer that has explored every Chautauqua County Lake Erie Tributary along Steelhead Alley.
Woolly Buggers and Egg-Sucking Leeches, time-tested streamers that tempt the biggest fish in the system.
Intruders, swung on two-handed rods through the broad tailouts of the Catt.
And nymphs like the Hare’s Ear, Prince Nymph, and Pheasant Tail, perfect for dead-drifting through pocket water.
Each fly tells a story—often tied at a kitchen table late at night, ready to dance through the currents come dawn. Each fly is a handshake between anglers—shared, tested, and passed on.
Tools of the Alley
Steelhead demand strong gear and precision casting. On these creeks, anglers rely on rods like that perform. Some of the big-brand rods include the Orvis Clearwater—10’ 7wt, Redington Chromer—11’6” 7wt Switch, and Echo Trout—10’ 6wt—rods that handle heavy fish but still allow delicate drifts.
Reels such as the Lamson Guru S, Hardy Ultradisc, and Orvis Hydros SL offer smooth drags for icy conditions. Most anglers run Rio Elite Salmon/Steelhead or Scientific Anglers Skagit Lite lines, paired with 9–12 foot fluorocarbon leaders tapered to 4X–6X.
The goal is a seamless connection from hand to hook—so when that steelhead surges, you feel every pulse.
Egg-Ticer Jig Fly recipe: Glass bead for the head represents an egg, a 10mm soft bead for the trailer egg held on by a small shrimp eye, followed by crosscut rabbit palmered up a #1 Voodoo jig hook. These resemble a piece of salmon or trout flesh with two trailer eggs floating down the waterway after a hen fish dies and starts to rot away. Tie them in natural colors. Fly recipe from Gerald Brydalski.
Beyond the Drift
What Brydalski has built is more than an online group or a clever idea. It’s a movement—a modern expression of an old truth: that outdoor traditions thrive when shared.
Through his volunteer time, leadership, and contagious enthusiasm, Brydalski has helped thousands rediscover the joy of cold streams, the art of tying, and the thrill of a tug on the line.
In Chautauqua County, where steelhead runs light up the fall, winter, and spring, his legacy is already in motion—woven through the current like the thread of a well-tied fly.
From the Western New York Steelheaders, “Remember if you carry it in, definitely carry it out.” We and others across this great nation, are losing increasing numbers of private land access locations due to garbage left in the stream on the shore by irresponsible anglers. Let’s grow up. Have a great season.
“The Flybrary isn’t about what you take. It’s about what you leave behind.” —Western New York Steelheaders Motto.
To contact Gerald Brydalski, use Facebook via the Western New York Steelheaders site and message him that way.
Around the Spring Corner and the Future – Fish Pens!
The Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club has initiated a “Tourt Pen Project” for Dunkirk Harbor. According to Paul Sopier, Jr., “Under the watchful eyes of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and with the volunteer core group assistance of more than 30 club members, and other area volunteers, the goal of the program start is to rear 3,000 steelhead/rainbow trout in floating trout pens placed in Dunkirk Harbor” The floating pens are approximately 20’ long x 6’ wide x 5’ deep to hold the trout. The fingerlings require feeding five times a day as they grow from 4 to 6 inches over three to six weeks in the pen. The fish scent imprint to the area where they are raised and then return for years to come. The cost of program start is approximately $10,000 and Sopier said, “We are hoping that anglers and local support will help us reach that amount.” Feel free to drop a tax-free conservation donation to Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club—Trout Pen Trout Project, Attn: Paul Sopier—Chairman, PO Box 178, Dunkirk, NY, 14048.
Brown Trout in Steelhead Alley are an occasional catch that provide a pleasant surprise for steelhead anglers. Adam McInerney photo
Beneath the Ice and Beyond
After ice forms, the streams can be tricky to walk with a fishing rod, though anglers can be found there during brief thaws. Solid ice means that Chautauqua Lake, the largest inland lake in New York State, is ready for ice fishing fun!
Single-digit air temperatures help to solidify waterways here, especially inland lakes that include Bear Lake and Findley Lake, providing hearty hardwater angler access. After thickening ice completely covers Chautauqua Lake end-to-end, angler access is open to more than 42 miles of shoreline. This southwest corner of New York has been highlighted as one of New York’s “Top 10” ice-fishing locations by Game and Fish Magazine. The lake is teeming with an abundance of walleye, black crappies, yellow perch, white perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, and even an occasional musky, promising excitement and tight lines for anglers.
The 1/32-ounce jig ball from Voodoo Custom Tackle so popular with steelhead jig tyers is the little hook on the right. For comparison, the same company offers triple-X strong 3/0 hooks available in ¼ to 3/4 oz wide gap profiles for bass and walleye fishing, also so popular here in Chautauqua County before and after ice forms.
In the village of Mayville, where the view overlooks the entire north end of the lake, weekends will find hundreds of colorful ice fishing huts visible. A talk with anglers coming off the ice at Lakeside Village Park in Mayville will find wide grins, happy folks, and lots of happy kids. Panfish are mainly among the buckets of fish that anglers take home for halftime football snacks from this top far northwest end of the lake. Sunfish and bluegill offer a continuous nibble on tiny tungsten jigs tipped with waxworms or spike grubs, while perch and some crappies mixed in bite jigs tipped with minnows or minnow parts. It’s fun for young and old. Black crappies are more dominant here than white crappies, but both reside in Chautauqua Lake.
For ice anglers or steelhead anglers looking for Chautauqua area lodging, the winters rates are a bargain. Visit: https://www.tourchautauqua.com/stay.
Steelhead Alley Quick Guide
Where to cast, What to bring, How to make the most of your trip.
Top Access Points
Chautauqua Creek (Westfield): Access at Route 5 or Chautauqua Gorge State Forest.
Canadaway Creek (Fredonia): Easy access via Route 5 at the Canadaway Creek Nature Sanctuary.
Silver Creek: Fast action after rainfall; great for short morning sessions.
Cattaraugus Creek: The region’s big water—float it, wade it, or bring a spinning rod to cast from the breakwall at the creekmouth with spoons and spinners.
Eighteenmile Creek (Erie County): Home to Flybraries and some of WNY’s easy-to-access steelhead water.
Must-Have Flies
Sucker Spawn • Crystal Meth • Woolly Bugger • Egg-Sucking Leech • Intruder • Prince Nymph
Recommended Gear
Rods: Orvis Clearwater 10’ 7wt • Redington Chromer 11’6” 7wt • Echo Trout 10’ 6wt
Reels: Lamson Guru S • Hardy Ultradisc • Orvis Hydros SL
Lines: Rio Elite Salmon/Steelhead • Scientific Anglers Skagit Lite
Leaders: 9–12 ft fluorocarbon (4X–6X)
Best Seasons
Fall (Oct–Dec): Peak runs, cool weather, brilliant foliage.
Spring (Mar–Apr): Fresh chrome and warmer days.
Local Resources
Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau www.TourChautauqua.com for a free visitors guide w/24x36 map w/stream access locations.
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