Of all the things one might need to get a sporting season under way, rain would seem to be low on the list.
But it's exactly what steelhead anglers are praying for here in northwestern Pennsylvania.
The days over the past week or so have been autumn gorgeous, the nights sleepily perfect. But high sun and few clouds do little to help steelhead move out of Lake Erie and into the tributaries, where thousands of anglers will chuck, roll-cast and retrieve for the big fish for the next few months at a minimum.
Fishing isn't relegated to the creeks, of course. Lake Erie charter boats do a booming business and can put sports on fish day after day. And some shore anglers are looking toward the open water as an option as they wait for minor early-morning and late-night steelhead runs to grow into the real deal.
Karl Weixlmann, a steelhead guide and Times-News contributing writer, has just the tips for those who want to try fishing the surf zone.
Inside the story, check video footage of Karl teaching the double-haul cast -- a vital open-water technique for fly-fishers -- and of his suggestions for beach-fishing tackle.