NOVEMBER TRIP TO OLCOTT NY

On the 3rd of Nov I went up to Olcott NY to fish the 18 mile creek for the Brown trout and Steelhead that are now up creek to spawn. I stay at the Lighthouse motel 716 628 2570. I find it clean,warm and comfortable. But most of all  AFFORDABLE! My fishing buddies and I pay 660.00 for a 4 bed, two bedroom apartment with a kitchen and living room for a week, Thats 165.00 each and that is a deal.
The motel is on Lake Ontario and the creek runs down into the lake right next to it. Fisherman's park is 1 mile up the road from it and you can park your truck in a large lot and walk down the hill to the creek there. Burts dam is just a short walk upstream from there and the fishing can be fantastic.They have a new kobota utility vehicle that you can ride up and down the hill for a buck each way and its nice cause I can bring down my Coleman stove and make chicken soup creekside for all who want it.When its 40 degrees and blowin even lipton instant soup tastes good but my homemade beats that by miles, ask anyone whos had it.
This year it rained a lot and were talking 8 inches since Oct 1st, I was told. So that brought in the browns and steelies in big numbers with a few Chinook salmon as well.The water was off color and high. The fish were very willing to bite.We were using egg fly patterns mostly with pink or red being the best colors.
A floating line and an indicator up near the top of a 7ft leader tied down to 1x fluorocarbon. A couple split shot to take it down and let it swing though the current. You want the fly as close to the bottom as possible.
I see many fisherman using lighter tippet, I feel this is not necessary as I seem to Hook just as many fish as they do and I don't have to chase them all over to land them. Leaders and tippet are a personal thing, some guys will tell you this,others will tell you that. What works for one guy may not work for you, so nothing is written in stone.What works in one creek or river wont work so good in another. Go out and see what you like to use and use it .Once you find your "formula" you will catch fish easy and YOUR WAY.
On Tues I went to The Oak orchard river and fished the Archery club section and had a great time.
Here they have a great big pavilion right on the bank of the river that has a big kitchen and they make  terrific meals. For 5 bucks you get a great big breakfast til 10:30 am then at 11:30 they serve a great big lunch for 7 bucks The pavilion has a big wood stove and its burning hot. There are easy chairs around it and you can BYOB and smoking IS allowed.The river bottom is very smooth as the stones are all small so its easy wading. The place is awesome. here there seems to be a better variety of fish as the river supports Brown trout, Steelhead, Chinnok Salmon, Landlocked Atlantic Salmon and lots of big rainbows too. Oak orchard river is 28 miles from olcott on route 18 east, but about 24 miles out there you cross the Johnson creek.
Johnson creek is a little smaller then the other two and has the same fish in it as 18 mile creek. It also happens to be nicely uncrowded as its not as large and frankly overlooked by most fisherman.
Here you have to take the back roads to find the best fishing and I think that is why its overlooked.
Johnson creek runs along 18 but it is easier to fish if you go off 18 onto the other road that runs along it and most guys don't want to be bothered doing that, and nobody carry's a map anymore.Get the Delorme map of NY its like 40 or 50 pages and has ALL BACK ROADS IN IT. Thats what I have used for 20 years now and I find ALL the best spots easy.