Know Your River for More Success

One of the Lake Metroparks allows access to the northern stretch of the Chagrin River. This section of the Chagrin will hold steelhead early in the fall, until a big rain raises the level to allow migration further upstream. It’s a section that I’ve fished many times, and thought I knew the lies that would produce a steelhead. Fishing it this past week in low water conditions forced me to the deeper spots where the fish should be holding. After looking over the water, I knew the starting point was going to be the stairs, then the long pool about 100 yards downstream, and finally, across from the construction yard.

I tied on a white woolly bugger to imitate the baitfish that the steelies key on this time of the year. The area by the stairs has enough flow to allow the streamer to swing in the current after a down and across cast. This section can be covered in about 20 minutes. So, after a number of casts without a take, and mumbling to myself that we need rain, I decided to wade down to the long pool. Little did I know that a slight detour would make my day.

The flow of the Chagrin at this section takes the current towards the opposite bank, so the riffles and pools hug the right side of the river. The water was so low and clear that the bottom of the river was in view wherever you waded. Before getting to the long pool, I glanced over to the bank and spotted some darker water. Now, I’ve waded this stretch many times and never remember seeing this small spot. It was a short riffle that emptied into a small pool about 15’ in length. The head of the pool was about 3’ wide and at the tail, about 10’. What threw me was the dark water. Wading over to it I was surprised at the depth, as the bottom could not be seen.

Because the pool was small, I only needed about a rod length of line along with the leader. I made my first cast toward the bank and let the current drift the streamer. I could tell from the tip of the line that the current was also pushing the leader and streamer deeper. After letting the streamer hang in the water for a few seconds I gave it a short strip when the line went tight. Setting the hook, the fish immediately made a run to the end of the pool and jumped, shaking its head. The rest of the battle was spent with short runs through the pool before it finally came to the net. I estimated the fish at about 19”, and for its size, it was the best fight I’ve had landing a steelhead. It did not want to quit. You can see from the photo it was a fresh fish, probably only in the river a few days. You can also see the white woolly bugger just above the head of the fish. It fell out on its own shortly after being netted. Call me lucky, I will.

Fresh steelhead ,about 19" in length. Strong fish put up a good fight. The white woolly bugger is visible above the head.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

That was it for the day, as the other spots didn’t hold any fish. For me, it’s never going to be a numbers game. Catching only one, having it put up a good fight, and finding a new spot makes this outing a success. The day made me realize that I need to be more observant of the waters I fish.

Go out and fool a fish!

The Dark Side of Fishing-Umbrella Rigs

Let me start by saying fishermen love to catch fish, and they will always look for the hot fly or lure to bring a fish to hand. For years, most lures have been made with two to three sets of treble hooks. The hooks will be near the head of the lure, in the middle, and near the end, or tail. Depending on where the fish strikes, there’s a good chance it will get hooked. These lures have been used for years, and will continue to be used by amateur and professional fishermen.

Several years ago, along came the Umbrella Rig, (Click here to see an example of an umbrella rig).” which was an attempt to make the next best lure. The rig is comprised of five thin wire rods connected to a single point. Picture a small umbrella with the spokes attached to the tip. Each wire rod can hold a lure with a single hook. Cast it using a heavy line and rod, and catch a lot of fish. If you believe the manufacturers websites, the rig catches so many fish that professional fishing tournament organizations have banned it from tournament use. But, is that the real reason?

One pleasure I enjoy since retiring is watching fishing shows, either online or on television. I’m always looking to increase my knowledge of techniques and tactics to improve my fishing. There have been several shows where the umbrella rig was used, and in all honesty, I didn’t believe what I was seeing. For every fish that was caught on a single hook there were several that were foul hooked. In one instance, the fish caught did not have a hook in the mouth. Four of the hooks were embedded in various parts of the fish’s body, one very close to the eye. In essence, it was snagged.  To me, when a fisherman reverts to snagging it's an attempt to boost their self-esteem and ego. What fun is that?

This brings me back to banning the rig from professional competitions, and hopefully, the real reason. It is my hope that the rig was banned to protect the resource, the fish. After all, without the fish, there would not be professional fishing organizations. But, as amateur fishermen, who fish for enjoyment, we should go further. Snagging is not fishing. If not using the rig protects a resource, stop using it. Without the rivers, lakes, and fish, there is no fishing.

Go out and fool a fish!

The Lower Clear Fork River in Mohican State Park

Every spring and fall my wife and I make a trip to Mohican State Park in northcentral Ohio. It is a very popular park for hikers, campers, rafters, and fishermen. In fact, during the summer it is difficult to fish with all the rafters. We find that the best time to visit is while school is in session.

The part of the Clear Fork that flows through the park is considered the lower section, below Pleasant Hill Dam. Periodic releases can change the flow quickly, as we found out this last trip. When I planned our trip this past week the depth at the gauge was .75 ft. However, by the time we arrived there was a release that bumped it to 1.8 ft. That bump stained the water, and the fishing was not the best.

You can see from the photos the river has a lot of structure, good riffles, and deep pools. In fact, the lower could pass for a Pennsylvania stream. The river can get a lot of angling pressure, so the fish are wary. The most popular fishing spots are between the dam and the covered bridge. But for someone who will take the time to hike downstream, there are some very good spots that are less pressured.

Excellent structure will hold  fish.

(Click on image for larger view.)

A great run with good flow.

With a scene like this you could forget you're fishing.

Every fall the Ohio Department of Natural Resources stocks the Lower Clear Fork with brown trout. The brownies are found throughout the entire five miles of the river in the park. The park has a 12” length limit for any trout, so any trout caught right after the stocking will be released to be hooked another day.

In addition to brown trout, the river will give up smallmouth bass, bluegills, carp, creek chubs, and every once in awhile, a musky. It seems like a musky ends up in the river after getting caught in the flow when the gates are opened for a release.

Fly fishermen will have success using streamers, nymphs, and dry flies. The river can have some good hatches of midges, caddis, and mayflies. Last spring I had a good day drifting a Griffith’s Gnat on top. This past week, there were tan caddis everywhere, but no fish were rising.

This brownie fell for a Griffith's Gnat in the spring.

Summer will take a toll on the trout. Even though the river has good overhead coverage, the water warms to a critical temperature that is harmful to all but the heartiest trout. It’s a shame that something can’t be done to lower the temps, as the river could be a top trout stream. I don’t pretend to know all the intricacies of dam releases but if the Chattahoochee River, that runs through Atlanta, can hold trout year-round the lower Clear Fork should be able to.

Our favorite time to visit is during the fall when the leaves change from green to bright orange, red, and yellow. My wife, with her ever-present camera, takes care of the memories. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

Go out and fool a fish!

Mother Nature be Kind to Steelheaders

Low flows have prevented good numbers of steelhead from coming up the rivers

Mother Nature has not been kind to Steelhead Alley so far this fall. Since early September, when the first reports of chrome in the rivers started circulating, the Alley hasn’t received any significant rain. Every time a front would come through, with the promise of rain, it dries up before reaching northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania. All the rivers would get a minor bump in flow, but not enough to get the steelhead moving upriver in decent numbers. There are reports of some good numbers being caught at the mouths of the rivers from fishermen in kayaks, canoes, or boats. It just doesn’t seem like many of the fish have been able to make it past the mouth. A few steelhead have been found upriver, but by now there should be a lot more action than there is.

I tried to find my own action yesterday. The area had a little rain the night before and the flows bumped up a little, so I gave it a try. Living between the Chagrin and Grand Rivers, it is always a flip of a coin as to which river to hit. I thought the Grand would give me the best shot, so I made my way to one of the Lake Metroparks access points. Hitting the water at sunrise, even with the bump in flows, the water was about as low as I’ve ever seen it. After working the usual spots, where I had previous success, I began to think of a skunking. When chasing steelhead, a skunking is not anything to be ashamed of, but I decided to go down fighting. After all, in my last post I mentioned patience and covering water as keys to success. Practice what you preach.

If I was going to find chrome, I had to find deep water, even it was a small pool. There’s a section of the Grand at this access point that I never fished. It is about a half mile downstream. After making my way to this section, I noticed some darker water. Add to that, a couple downed trees and moving water, and my first thought was “there has to be a fish in that spot”.

Normally, when fishing a streamer, I’ll make a standard across and downstream cast, letting the fly swing through the pool. But with the downed trees, and limited space for a backcast, my only option was to make an upstream cast and dead drift the fly. On the second drift the fly line twitched, so I set the hook. For a split second I thought it was a snag, but a snag doesn’t move the line. The fish took off and the fight was on. It jumped, revealing itself to me. It wasn’t a big steelhead, but it was fresh and full of vinegar. The fish gave a good account of itself, and put up a nice fight, but finally found the bottom of the net. Skunk off.

This fresh jack put up a good fight.

So, covering water and patience does pay off. I not only found a spot that will be visited again for a shot at chrome, but it has to hold some smallmouth bass in the summer.

I wonder what’s around the next bend?

Go out and fool a fish!

Steelhead Season Arrives in the Alley

Changing leaves and low cloud cover. Steelhead season has arrived in the Alley.

Even though I’ve been back fishing for about five years after a long, long layoff it’s obvious that around the middle of September a change takes place in northeast Ohio. It all revolves around cooling temperatures and a bump in the river flows. Get a good rain in September and the steelheaders dust the cobwebs off their gear and hit the river. Gone are the warm days of summer, all alone on the Grand and Chagrin rivers. Gone is the ability to wet wade in warm water searching for smallmouth. Say hello to layers of clothing, crowds, and in about six weeks, iced guides. Can’t wait!

See ya in the spring, Mr. Smallie

Hello Mr. Steelie

Won't see an empty river until late May

A couple of weeks ago we had some rain and cool temps that brought some steelhead into the rivers. There have been reports of fisherman catching a few but not in numbers usually seen when the big run is on. I even hooked into one but was using my bass rod with a light tippet, and the fish made a run and broke off. Everyone I talked to is waiting for the big rain event that should really get the fish moving. The rain we had yesterday did not move the water levels much. Fishing may be tough for awhile as the fish in the system battle low water, and fishing pressure.

For anyone who has visited some of the fishing message boards and forums has seen an increase in discussions about steelhead, with most of them questioning where the fish are. Steelheaders are just as tightlipped as anyone on exactly where they find the fish, so don’t expect a straight answer.

The other noticeable change is the amount of steelhead expos and classes put on by local organizations and fly shops. Seems like just about every week from late September through October you can visit an expo or take a class on how to catch steelhead with all types of tackle, baits, and flies. One of the better expos is usually put on by the Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders at the Rocky River Nature Center. This year’s was October 3, and was well attended. Exhibitors range from fly tiers to organizations working to improve watersheds. There were also presentations on a range of topics, including gear for steelheading, and an update from ODNR on the stocking program.

Steelhead seminars start the season

Local fly tiers crafting steelhead flies

In closing, as a word of advice, if you start fishing for steelhead, have patience. It will take you awhile to learn their holding lines. Also, cover water, and don’t be afraid to change flies and lures.

Go out and fool a steelhead!