Recent storms have reshaped some of Lake Erie's key streams, and may have helped set the stage for good early season steelheading.

"The ground is right now saturated with rain," said Gary Heubel of Poor Richard's Bait and Tackle, referring to storms that blew out parts of Elk Creek and closed access at the Route 5 tunnel. "That gives streams a good base for run-off."

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Cool fall rain is still the key in the Erie steelhead equation, which also includes shorter days and falling lakeshore temperatures. The normal state for Erie tributaries is low and clear, putting good steelhead runs, which typically begin about this time of year, at the mercy of the fall runoff.

"Without high runoff flow, steelhead will try to come in, but won't get very far," said steelhead guide and author John Nagy of Brookline. "They'll stack up down below along with the fishermen, especially on tribs that have obstructions, like 'the chutes' on the lower part of Walnut."

Elk Creek, which is bigger, has few major obstructions, so a limited number of steelhead will run that stream even in low water, he said.

The soggy summer may have triggered an early run in August.

"It was interesting and unusual because lakeshore temperatures were in the lower 70s and it has to be 68 degrees or lower to bring them in," said Nagy, who surmised that those early steelheads could have born a skamania gene.

Skamania are summer-run steelhead that haven't been stocked in years, however, they are one of several strains that produced Erie's "mutts," as Nagy calls them. The vast majority of Pennsylvania steelhead are a fall/winter run salmonid that peak in November.

The most productive Erie tactic is to dead-drift egg patterns and nymphs, and either bottom bounce or use with indicators, Nagy said.

"Because of the shale composition of the tribs, with their drop-offs and ledges and fairly fast currents, dead-drifting with indicators has always been the bread and butter technique for catching Erie steelhead. It's relatively easy for rookie steelheaders to master and enables them to catch steelies on their first couple trips."

But Nagy challenges anglers heading to Lake Erie in early fall, when the water is warm enough that fish are most active, to try something less commonly done on tributaries -- swinging flies.

"The take, or strike, of a swung fly is incredible," Nagy said. "Steelhead will literally pull the rod right out of your hands. It's the complete opposite take of a dead-drifted fly, which is subtler, especially when water is cold.

"Also, just the technique of casting downstream and covering the water, it's a different experience. You're more in tune with the current, with the nuances of the trib. It's less popular in the Lake Erie region, but it's actually a more traditional way to fish."

The idea is to get your fly to show a lot of movement, creating the impression of a bait fish, Nagy said. It is especially effective in early fall, when fish fresh out of the lake are active and aggressive, with a strong feeding response to emerald shiners, alewive and gizzard shad.

Though typically done on bigger waters such as the Cattaraugus and Grand Rivers and Conneaut Creek, it can be scaled down for Pennsylvania tributaries. Swinging flies allows you to cover a lot of water in a downstream movement, so you're encouraged to hike upstream to find relatively unoccupied pools and runs, and enjoy steelheading away from early-season crowds, Nagy said.

Typically, swinging flies is done with sink tip lines matched to depth and flow. Lines come in different sink rates. Some sink faster than others.

"Some of the longer sink tips may be too much for the Pennsylvania tribs," Nagy said. "So, instead, use sinking leaders. Attach the leader to your floating line. Or make your own sinking mini-tip. Use sinking shooting head material. Cut it into the section length you want, from one to eight feet, and incorporate it into your leader."

It is analogous to varying the amounts of split shot to get your fly down with the current flow, he said. "With sink tips, you vary the length and sink rate to get the proper drift. You're trying to get to the bottom," Nagy said.

In higher flow and on some of the larger tributaries, Nagy uses sink tips from 10 to 15 feet in various sink rates, and in lower flows and on smaller tributaries, sinking leaders and mini tips from one foot to eight feet in various sink rates.

"In higher flows, when you're using faster sink tips, a short leader, two to four feet, works well," he said. "If the stream is low and clear, you may go up to six feet."

He uses 8- to 12-pound test tippet depending on flow and clarity. "Fish will follow and hit when your line straightens out. You'll feel them nipping at your fly and they'll hit when it straightens out."

Flies needn't be fancy. Simple streamer patterns, woolly buggers, and rabbit fur strip Zonkers work well. Steelhead wet flies, such as the Green Budded Skunk, spey flies and simple soft hackle patterns also are effective, Nagy said.

"Your fly will be activated by the current flow, so choose patterns that use materials that allow for movement, like Philoplume, maribou, rabbit fur and soft hackle."

Anglers accustomed to dead-drifting flies may find that swinging doesn't yield quite as many fish, but it enhances the fishing experience, said Nagy. "What's so gratifying is, it puts you more in touch with the ebb and flow of the stream."