The Dog Days Of Summer

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.

(Click on image for larger view.)

 

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.

Go out and fool a fish!