Mike,

I confess to not being a expert on steelhead but I am passionate about fishing for them when I get the opportunity. I have no direct experience with the rivers of Northern New York but I've fished a number of the Lake Erie Tribs in both Ohio and PA. My preferred set up is a 7wt floating line. My favorite is the Rio Nymph Taper. I prefer 9 ' fluorocarbon leaders and don't generally fish anything lighter than a 3X and more often a 2X. I've been know to go as light as 4X but only in very low and clear stream conditions.

I keep a few sink tips I've made up in various lengths for special conditions, like a particularly deep hole or run that's holding fish but using these are the rare exception and not the norm.

Hope this helps as a starting point. I'm sure others have some thoughts on this and I look forward to seeing their posts on the subject. Good Luck and Tight Lines!