This is the time of the year when the sanity of steelheaders is questioned. Ice is forming on the river edges. Slush is flowing on the surface. Snow is piling up. Temperatures are dipping into the lower 20’s at night, with single digits a day or two away. But, what does a steelheader do….try to find some open water, all the while repeating the mantra “just give me one more day”. Well, based on the forecast for a polar vortex to hit anytime, that “one more day” for me was today. With four layers of clothing, plus a heavy coat, I felt like Ralphie in “A Christmas Story”.
I’m convinced the only way to stay warm on the water is to hook into a fish. It seems as though the mind forgets the cold when fighting chrome. All of sudden fingers thaw enough to land the fish, remove the fly, and take a quick picture. Release the fish, and immediately that inner voice we all have says “Wow, that water’s cold’. Catch five or more this time of the year and it’s like you’re in the middle of summer.
Today’s outing had a feeling of déjà vu. A little over a week ago I hit the South Chagrin River area and while swinging a shiner pattern managed to hook into a nice, thick hen. Today, fishing the exact same log jam, and using the same pattern, I managed to land another nice hen. It was so close in size that I thought it was the same fish. But, after looking at the pictures, they were different. Had they been the same I was ready to quote Yogi Berra, “déjà vu all over again”.
Beautiful hen in the net. Notice the sinking leader laying on her. Had to fish deep.
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Get them while you can. If the polar vortex stays around it could lock up the rivers for quite a while.
It is with some trepidation that I write this letter. This is not a political site. But I feel that you, as the son of our next President, and an avid outdoorsman, can relate to concerns about environmental issues.
As a Christmas gift last year I received the George Daniel book on streamer fishing, Strip-Set. In writing the foreword you discussed how your grandfather was important in nurturing your love of the outdoors. In your own words, “The woods were our playground, the campfire was our TV, and the memories and friendships made there were truly unforgettable. It was these formative year that led me to a lifelong pursuit of all things outdoors”. It is because of your love of the outdoors that makes you the perfect person to carry the message to the new administration that rivers, streams, lakes, and hunting lands need to be protected.
Being a fisherman and hunter you know that trout, deer, elk, and other game live in beautiful places. And if we are going to be able to pass our knowledge and experience to a new generation these beautiful places need to survive.
I have lived in northeast Ohio my entire life, and was around when the Cuyahoga River caught fire. Lake Erie was polluted, and all rivers had a difficult time sustaining aquatic life. It took a major effort to clean up the lakes and rivers. Because of that effort, Lake Erie is now one of the premier walleye and smallmouth bass fishing destinations. The rivers now support a wide variety of aquatic life. In fact, northeast Ohio is in the center of Steelhead Alley. This success is not only limited to Ohio but has been replicated all over the United States.
We need to insure that these special places remain for years to come. If some of the environmental regulations are eased or removed there is a fear that many of the fishing and hunting locations will be affected. Spills, similar to the ones that affected the Yellowstone, Animas, and Kalamazoo rivers could become commonplace.
Donald, you are in a unique position. As part of President-Elect Trump’s inner circle you can have his ear on these issues. As someone who has always been busy building his organization he may not “see” the opportunities that protecting the environment can bring to the country. Your grandfather would be proud of you championing the environment.
I was able to get out before the rain, and hit one of my favorite spots on the Chagrin River. The water was clear, cold, and flowing at a perfect speed for swinging a streamer. After covering most of the pools that usually produce (but didn’t today) I ended up walking further downstream and tried a new spot. I noticed this pool the last time I fished the park but there were two fishermen already working it. I’m glad I remembered it.
Using my go-to streamer, a tan, golden retriever, which is a cousin of a woolly bugger, it didn’t take but five drifts before I felt that tug. A five minute battle ensued. This chromer did not want to give up. I’d get it close and it would make a run. It flopped round the surface a few times and then would head for the bottom. I was finally able to net it and was amazed how thick it was. This female was loaded with eggs. After a quick picture the fish was revived, and took off for the bottom. I believe it was the best fight a steelhead put up for me.
This female put up a good fight. A tan, golden retriever fooled it. One of the best baitfish imitations.
It’s early December and almost all the leaves are down. The brilliant colors are now replaced with the winter grey on every tree and bush. As for the leaves, I think they are all in the rivers. It seems as though every bit of slack water is holding 3’ of leaves. The rivers needs a big flush. The rain we received last week pushed water levels up a little but we could use a major rain event. That would push the leaves out and bring more chrome in. Not that I’m complaining, as fishermen are catching steelhead in all northeast Ohio tribs, in both the lower and upper stretches. And, after several nights of cold sweats due to not wetting a line for 10 days, I can include myself in the catching part.
There’s a section of the Chagrin River near Chagrin Falls that I fish regularly in the summer for smallies. It has easy access, deep holes, and good structure. If smallies like it, I think steelhead would as well. As the steelhead migrate into the rivers some will travel as far upstream as they can. That’s what I was hoping for, as this spot is definitely the farthest from Lake Erie I’ve fished for steel.
My start to the day was uneventful and frustrating. On previous outings I have been swinging streamers waiting for that unmistakable tug. Today I made the decision to start drifting an egg pattern. For me, casting would be better if only the egg was attached to the line. But, add split shot and an indicator, and all of sudden I’m getting tangles from my poor casting technique. Throw into the mix having to adjust the indicator seemingly every other cast and you can see my frustration. So, after no success through a couple of holes I made the switch to a streamer, and then moved upstream. Glad I did.
The spot upstream is deep and loaded with wood structure. I’m thinking there’s got be some chrome is this stretch. I tied on an imitation of a minnow pattern, as the river was loaded with them, and starting swinging the streamer. There was a log jam on the other side of the river, so I made my cast several feet in front of it. The current moved it downstream. I was hoping to keep the streamer as close to the wood as possible, crossing my fingers that the drift wasn’t going to end with a snag. I made one strip and felt some weight. For a brief moment I thought snag, but that went away when the line started moving downstream. After a couple of nice runs I was able to bring a thick, 20” steelhead to the net. Life is good!
A nice steelhead caught far upstream from Lake Erie. Released to live another day.
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As the title of this post states, there’s a long and short to the story. The steelhead is definitely the long. As for the short, I mentioned earlier that the river was loaded with minnows. As fishermen you know where this is going. That same streamer that hooked the steelhead also managed to hook into a minnow. Now, I don’t know if the minnow went to eat the streamer and missed, or by swinging the streamer through the pool I foul hooked it. If you look at the photo you will see the hook is neatly placed near the base of the tail. I guess it’s just one more species to add to my list.
An unexpected catch. Released to live another day. :)
For those of you who fish rivers you will be able to relate to this. Picture walking between spots on a river. Normally, I’ll get out and walk the edges where the rocks, stones, and gravel accumulate. That way I don’t disturb the water, and it’s quicker than wading. But, one thing I’ve learned is to watch where I’m walking. If I don’t look down I’m stumbling over the uneven surfaces. For whatever reason, I’m starting to see patterns and odd shapes on the ground. Then I saw the state of California last week, Time for a shrink? I’m not so sure.
I noticed a stone along the Grand River and it looked like California. The stone had that rounded, jagged edge where it meets the Pacific Ocean. And it had that straight, sharp angle where it borders Nevada. I didn’t think much more of it as I continued to walk downstream. What I didn’t realize was I started to really look at all the stones. Now I’m obsessed with finding all 50 states. And wouldn’t you know it the very next outing produced two more states.
Walking the same stretch of the Grand this past Monday, I’m looking down and spot Florida (minus the keys) and Nevada. What’s unbelievable is they were only 3’ apart. I had to pick up the stones and start documenting the finds. Oh how I wish I would have picked up California.
Florida, minus the keys.
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Nevada. If you look close you can see Las Vegas at the bottom.
Now, when the fishing is slow I can look at the stones. A hobby within a hobby. Maybe I do need a shrink.
If it wasn’t for me getting in my own way I’d catch a few more fish. As an example, the other day I got out to the Grand River early to grab a good spot, and swing a streamer in search of chrome. You know the process, cast, swing, step, repeat. Unless you catch a good pool stacked with steelhead, swinging a streamer usually isn’t a big numbers game. I’m happy for a fish or two. So, when the day is slow, one strike could make the difference.
As it turned out, this day was very slow. I worked several runs and pools and couldn’t buy a strike. Then I made a cast toward a downed tree in about 4’ of water. After a good mend, the streamer started to swing across the current. At this time I noticed a huge flock of starlings flying overhead. With the color in the trees already making a good autumn photograph, watching the starlings fly over against the sky was an added bonus. Just as I turned around to look at the remaining birds I got the strike I was waiting for. Unfortunately, my mind was elsewhere, and by the time I made a hookset it was too late. An expletive echoed across the water, followed by that inner voice, “you suck”. What really sucked was that ended up being the only strike of the day.
The colors were too much for me to ignore Unfortunately, my only strike came at
a time when I was soaking in the view, not watching the water..
The worst part of this is I’ve done this more times than I care to remember. When it happens, it is usually the first cast when I’m just getting settled in or after an hour or two with no action. The sad thing is I’m aware of my tendency to brain freeze, but still get in my own way.
But it’s time to turn this into a positive. Some fishermen have a go to fly or lure when things are slow. Me, I’m going to turn off the brain, make a cast, look to the sky, and then quickly look back to the line, and set the hook. Doing this a few times will either catch a fish, or give me a case of vertigo.
The covered bridge makes for a great photo any time of the year.
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What is turning out to be an annual event, my wife and I made a day trip to Mohican State Park in Loudonville, Ohio. If we time it right, the fishing and fall colors make for a great day. This year the colors were at, or close to peak. The fishing…not so much. The water was low and crystal clear. The first part of the day the water was void of leaves, but then we had a major leaf hatch, and by the time we called it quits around noon the surface of the water was covered with leaves.
As for the fishing, I moved up and downstream to find some deeper pools. There were a few spots but the fish didn’t want to play. I did manage to hook into a small largemouth bass, but that was it. In the past few years the Ohio Department of Natural Resources stocks the lower Clear Fork River that flows through the park with brown trout. I didn’t see any trout, so the stocking may not yet have occurred.
Look close. The only hookup of the day.
Before calling it a day, we took one last walk upstream and as if out of nowhere I spotted some bass, bluegills, and suckers hanging out in the middle of a few downed trees. Unfortunately the only way I could get a fly to them was to dap a woolly bugger. I spent about 10 minutes trying to entice a strike, but they didn’t want to play. Just a tough day.
Here's nice shot of a few bluegill hanging around some cover.
I want to share some of the sights captured by my wife. The colors were spectacular. There is also a video to view. Remember, the fishing was tough, so what you will see will be the fall colors, and some casting to fish that weren't there. Enjoy.
Early morning, sun kissed trees make a good backdrop for a day on the water.
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The morning was cold, the coldest of the fall so far. The type of cold that reminds you what is to come. Dressed in layers, I wanted to hit the river early for a shot at some chrome. There’s a deep hole that’s been productive, but also a magnet for fishermen. Be there late and you’ll have to wait your turn.
For whatever reason, the pool didn’t produce today. I don’t know if it was the cold front or the pressure this pool gets. I moved upstream just as the sun was kissing the tops of the trees bringing out the autumn colors. Using a tan woolly bugger, I began to slow my retrieve, literally bouncing the bugger off the bottom. Halfway through the retrieve I felt a tug. With the reflexes of an old cat, I lifted the rod and set the hook. The fish made a run upstream, and my initial thought was a small steelhead. Throughout the fight the fish never jumped. It just kept running around shaking its head. As the fish got closer to me it looked like a smallie, and not a steelhead. Finally, close enough to net, I brought a 14” smallie to hand.
A nice, 14" smallie saved the day.
That was a surprise. I wasn’t surprised that it was a smallie, as I’ve been catching quite a few this fall. It was the size and the lack of acrobatics that was surprising. I’ve never caught a smallie that large that didn’t jump at least once. I’m guessing that the fish was reacting to the cooler water temps, and was just sluggish.
Anyway you look at it, that fish saved the day, as the chrome didn’t want to play.
Sometimes I just have to laugh on the river. For the last few weeks I’ve been using the 8wt rod hoping to catch some early steelhead. And during this time I have had at least a dozen strikes by small smallmouth bass. It seems as though these 6” fish can’t get enough of the woolly buggers I’ve been tossing. What I laugh about is almost everyone I’ve hooked has flown out of the water and landed 5’ upstream. For me at least, being gentle with a hookset using an 8wt is just not possible. Since a small fish can’t put any resistance on such a big rod, the fish flying upstream puts slack into the line. I’ve lost more fish from this than I care to remember. So, I just laugh and move on, knowing there’s a steelhead with my name on it somewhere.
This past week, the weather was great, and the water was in good shape. There had been reports of some steelhead being caught in the Ohio tributaries, so I was feeling confident. I hit my favorite spot with thoughts that I was going to hook into my first steelhead of the season.
The first hint of fall color on the trees is a good indication that steelhed are making their way
into the Northeast Ohio rivers
True to form, within the first half hour I had four light strikes. In fact, I launched one the smallies into the air covering about 10’, a new personal best. Continuing to move downstream, hitting the deeper pools, I was swinging a white woolly bugger when I felt that unmistakable tug. The first thing that came to my mind was “this is not a smallmouth”. And I was right. On the end of my line was a hot steelhead that did not want to give up. It put three good runs on me, moving from the tail to the head of the pool. At one point I thought it wrapped me around a downed tree. In the end, the 8wt did the job. A very thick, 23" chromer came to hand. From the looks of it, it has been in the river a little while. Red is starting to appear on the gill plate and along the lateral line.
The first steelhead of the season. Thick and feisty.
You can’t catch a second steelhead until you get your first. It’s always good to get the first one of the season in the net.
Well, it’s only a few days before the start of Autumn, the night time temperatures have been touching the 40’s, and a big rain event pushed up the water levels on the northeast Ohio tribs. That only means one thing, time to change the target. Steelhead are making their initial push into the rivers, with reports of success already trickling in. Good bye smallmouth. See you in the Spring.
Hey smallie, see you in the Spring.
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I reviewed my fishing journal from last September, and realized that this same week last year I hooked into my first steelhead of the year. Unfortunately, I had my 4wt outfit trying for a late season smallie. I was stripping a steamer through a pool when I felt a tug that tells you this is not a 10” smallmouth. The chromer hammered it, and the 5X tippet didn’t stand a chance. That fish was fresh and hot. So, I’m not making the same mistake this year. The 8wt is coming out, and in another 6-8 weeks more layers of clothing, and fighting with leaves. Can’t wait!
How many thoughts go through your brain while on the water? Do you solve the world’s problems? I know, when you are in the middle of a stream you should be concentrating on catching fish, but my self-diagnosed ADD gets in the way. I’ll be fishing a pool or riffle when two or three thoughts enter my brain. I never know what the next thought will be. But, to get an idea of what I go through here’s a few thoughts from a recent outing.
Enjoy the warm weather and solitude now because steelhead season is right around the corner. Four layers of clothing and iced guides will be here soon. Summer is never long enough. We’ve lost about two hours of daylight since late June. Used to be on the water at 5:30AM. Now it’s closer to 7:00AM. Hate that. Term limits would solve a lot of the problems with the government. One term, eight years. Eliminate reelections and maybe Congress votes for what is right, and not a vote to protect their seat. Why don’t the smallies like this fly? Most business meetings are twice as long as they need to be. I still can’t understand why tippet manufacturers don’t color a section of the tippet near the end of the spool. It would be a perfect warning that the spool is almost used up. Why didn’t I take up fly fishing 20 years ago? I’ve got a great wife. She’s never said no to a fishing trip. 41 years and going strong! Some day I’m going to float the Shenandoah River for smallmouth. Are the Browns really going to be that bad? Projected one win. Doesn’t matter, still watch them. Wouldn’t a Cubs, Indians World Series be fun? Why does a round of golf seem to take forever yet the same time on a river will go by way to quickly? I hate plumbing repairs.
I was able to get out for an early morning fishing excursion and ran into one of those perfect scenes where everything comes together for a great picture. The fog hung around the valley long enough to allow me to catch the moon as it was setting.
Wow! What a morning.
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The fishing wasn’t good but that didn’t matter. I’ll take scenes like this every day.
A cold front came through and finally got rid of the heat and humidity that’s choked us for over a month. To celebrate, the wife and I took a hike around the Walter C. Best Wildlife Preserve. The preserve includes a 30-acre lake that has a good population of bluegills and largemouth bass. It’s best suited for spinning gear as most of the lake has high banks. There are only a couple of spots where a fly fisherman can get comfortable.
As we were walking around the lake we noticed a snake making its way across the path. The closer we got to it we noticed it was dragging something. With an even closer look we saw it had a largemouth bass firmly in its grasp. It struggled to swallow the bass but could only get the lower lip in its mouth. As we were taking pictures a runner went by and spooked the snake. It let go of the fish and slithered into the weeds. The snake survived to live and hunt another day….the bass did not.
This water snake tried to make a meal of a largemouth bass. A runner went by and spooked the fish. It dropped the bass and slithered away.
This past week my wife and I made a quick two day trip to fish Mossy Creek in the Shenandoah Valley. Mossy is a beautiful spring creek in the valley with a good population of wild brown and rainbow trout. We’ve fished it only a couple of times in the past, usually in the springtime when we could be fishing anything from streamers to dry flies. But, being mid-August we knew the weather and flows were ideal for dries and terrestrials. Being from northeast Ohio I do not get to fish for wild trout so making trips like this ramps up my excitement.
Weed beds make for interesting fishing. Keeping a fish out of there-a challenge.
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A beautiful spring creek in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.
It seems that when I take a road trip the fishing starts at 2:00AM. After getting four hours of sleep I inevitably wake up and begin anticipating the day, often envisioning holding a nice rainbow or brown caught on a dry fly. Then questions will begin to crowd my brain. What’s the water going to be like? Are the fish going to be feeding? Will there be some risers? This lasts until I nod off around 4:00AM and get in another hour of sleep.
We met my sister-in-law and her husband Art, the man responsible for my fly fishing addiction. Shortly thereafter Brian Trow, from Mossy Creek Fly Fishing arrived and it was off to the creek. Gearing up we received some bad news. Brian mentioned that the hex hatch arrived on the creek a week or two early, and the fish had been gorging on them at night, so the fishing may be tough early on. That was an understatement.
A landing pad for damsel flies.
We saw some fish feeding but they were very selective. Brian and I were watching a brown feeding under a tree while Art drifted fly after fly at him. The fish would follow his fly, turn away, then snack on something else seconds later. Later in the day, Brian and Art change flies multiple times at another brown. The fifth one did the trick but the fish quickly broke off the 6X tippet.
About mid-morning Brian noticed a few hex’s hatching so he tied on matching pattern and I made my way up a pool. Right at a shade line we saw a riser. On the third or fourth drift a rainbow came straight up and sucked in the fly. This was the moment I was waiting for. Fishing with 6X probably for the first time, I set the hook just like Brian instructed me to earlier in the day, quick but not forceful. Seeing the fish take the fly, then watching it run downstream about 20 yards, was a great feeling. The rainbow jumped, the splash sounding like a belly flop off a diving board. That fish was thick. Then it came straight at me and stopped dead. Brian said the fish went into the weed bed trying to shake the hook. For almost a minute there was no movement. I kept steady pressure on the line but couldn’t tell if the fish was still on. Finally the fish made a move, splashed on the surface, and went back to the weeds. At this point, Brian went into the water and with the stealth of a heron got the net under the rainbow, and in one movement scooped it up. That was fun, and thanks to my wife, most of it captured on video.See the end of the post for the link.
Casting a hex pattern to the shade produced a nice, spring creek rainbow.
Brian midstream with a rainbow and five pounds of moss in the net.
The fruits of our labor.
Unfortunately, that was all the action we would see. We just caught the creek on a tough day. Still, I won’t complain. I learned a lot (practice casting), and did manage to land a nice rainbow.
A final shout out to my wife and her sister. They endured an extremely hot day so Art and I can feed our passion.
The day started with blue skies and fair weather clouds.
It’s been hot and dry for the last two months, and the rivers around northeast Ohio have been low and clear. Fishing was good early in the summer but lately you’ve had to work hard for any action. If you are not out before the sun gets on the water, or around sunset, you are going to have a tough time. Even going out early the action has been slow. I’ve had enough success to keep me interested, but nothing spectacular.
Early morning on the Chagrin with a little fog.
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What’s interesting is the topwater bite has been nonexistent for me the last month. I can’t buy a topwater hit no matter what I throw. Early in June topwater was hot, but lately the only fish I’ve been catching have been on streamers, fishing faster water.
During these slow days I’ve had the luck to catch two new species on the fly rod. While targeting smallmouth bass on a popular section of the Chagrin River, I managed to hook a channel catfish on a woolly bugger. And, just last week, again fishing the Chagrin River, I hooked a largemouth bass fishing a tan color, golden retriever. Hooking the largemouth surprised me more than the catfish. I knew there were catfish spread out in the river, but largemouth bass aren’t as common in the northeast Ohio rivers as their smallmouth cousins. Fishermen do catch largemouth around the mouths of the rivers, and will occasionally catch them further upstream, but the rivers seem to be able to support smallmouth populations better than largemouth.
Channel catfish caught on a woolly bugger. It put up a good fight.
Surprise largemouth bass hooked on a golden retriever. Caught in a faster stretch of water.
Not wanting to shortchange the summer as I’ve enjoyed having stretches of water all to myself, but in another six weeks the steelhead will start to poke their noses in the rivers. Last year I was on the water with a 4wt in mid-September after a big rain event. Throwing a small streamer for smallies, I hooked a fresh steelhead, and was overmatched with that light rod. So, I’ll switch to an 8 wt after the first big rain event.
Steelhead will soon start their journey upstream. Need a big rain event mid-to-late September to get them going.
One morning on the Grand River the fishing was slow so I looked up and saw this. Now that's an office view.
I’m sure that at one time or another if you fish any river system you’ve seen rock formations that were built along the river or stream. These “stacks of rocks” are cairns, and the history of cairns date back to medieval times. In fact, google “cairns” and you’ll have many sites to choose from to learn about the history. In some instances these man-made rock formations are used to designate trailheads and directional markers. But in the fishing community cairns have another purpose, especially for Native Americans in the Arctic. Cairns are one of their visible, spiritual connections with Earth.
With the mound of rocks behnd this cairn my guess is it was going to be larger.
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One of the first times I remember seeing a cairn was on a television fishing show. About six or seven years ago while watching a show about fishing in the Arctic I noticed elaborate stacks of rocks at the river’s edge, some of which were 4’ in height. During the show it was explained that the Native Americans build the cairns to honor the fishing gods so their catches can be bountiful. I didn’t think anymore of it until I started fly fishing, and walking the rivers in Northeast Ohio. I began to see cairns, albeit smaller in scale, at the river’s edge. It seems as though Northeast Ohio rivers are loaded with rocks ideal for stacking. What I haven’t seen is someone building them, so I don’t know if fishermen build them or someone out hiking. More than likely the cairns are built for fun, and not to honor the fishing gods. To me, if a fisherman is having a tough day, change what you are doing, but keep the line in the water. Taking time to build a cairn will not catch fish.
This cairn was found at the Cleveland Metroparks South Chagrin Reservation.
Three days later it was gone.
I’ve included pictures of some of the cairns that have been built in the last few months. Unfortunately they don’t last long. Either heavy rains will push the water levels higher, knocking them over or someone will give them a gentle nudge and topple them.
Look closely and you will see a small stack on the left side. Like a small arm.
This small cairn was found on the Gand River. Next to it is a wood pyramid.
Not a lot of energy went into this one.
In the middle of the Chagrin River at the South Chagrin Reservation is a large boulder.
Someone used the boulder as a base to build this one. Notice the red bricks.
