A Morning Person Gets A Wake-up Call

It must have something to do with my DNA but I’ve been a morning person my whole life. When I was a kid, sleeping in never happened. During my college years, I was the guy who loved 8:00AM classes. When I took up golf, I always wanted one of the first tee-times, at the crack of dawn. When I started to run, it was between 4:00AM and 6:00AM. So, when I got back into fishing seven years ago, being on the river early was a no-brainer. It worked out well, especially during the summer. You can’t beat fishing for smallies at 5:30AM, just when the sun is rising, and the air is the freshest. And I also thought fishing for steelhead should follow the same schedule, adjusted for the time of the year. But, whether it’s old age, or some moment of clarity, I’m beginning to think differently about fishing for steelhead. Let’s call it being flexible.

This time of the year fishing for steelhead is often affected by the weather. If it’s dry, the water levels are low and fresh chrome can’t make it up the rivers. Extreme cold like we had several years ago will ice up the rivers early. Too much precipitation, and the rivers are blown out. So far, this December has been mild. After a blow out rain storm late in November the water levels are low but fishable. There have been some frosty mornings, but slush hasn’t shown up yet. But that’s about to change. A major cold front is coming through. Snow, and an extended cold snap will make it feel like January came early. I wanted to get out before the cold front so yesterday was my target day. Unfortunately I had a family commitment in the morning. On the ride back home my wife said “why not fish this afternoon”? I started to tremble and didn’t know if it was a panic attack because I’d have to change my schedule or because it was a great idea. It ended up being a great idea.

Frosty mornings are a given this time of the year.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

After inhaling a sandwich I hit the road and almost immediately realized things were a little different. Morning drives to the river are easy and fast with very little traffic. Yesterday it was agonizing. There was a lot of traffic and everyone was moving at a snail’s pace. Hey people, don’t you know I’m in a hurry to get to the river. A 15 minute drive seemed to take an hour. But, once on the water, all that was forgotten.

It was surprising that the stretch of the Grand River I fished was so open. There were only two other fishermen, so fighting for a pool was not going to happen. I made my way to a spot where there’s always a fish or two to be had. But the catching started slow, just like the drive. Swinging a white woolly bugger didn’t interest anything. So I made my way to another spot and thankfully after a few casts I got hung up on a log and had to break it off. That forced me to change to a smaller, tan bugger. Two casts later and I felt that tug. All of sudden the slowness of the day stopped as the fish moved all over the pool. A couple minutes later and a nice, 22” hen was brought to net. After releasing the fish my only hope was the pool wasn’t toast from the fight. I continued to cast toward the downed tree on the other side of the pool and let the woolly bugger swing through the middle. Three casts later and another relatively fresh hen took the bugger and moved around the pool just like the first one. After landing this one I couldn’t believe how similar the two steelhead looked. Both hens were roughly the same size, and had some color in the gillplate, but also had that fresh “chrome” look.

On the way back to the car I ran into a fisherman who was fishing the Grand for the first time. He said he was not having any luck. I’ve been there more times than I care to admit so I told him to move around the bend and fish the pools with casts that have to be close to the downed trees. I hope it worked for him. It did for me.

This hen was a twin of another fish caught several minutes earlier. 

I had to look close to make sure it wasn't the same fish.

So, am I going to stop being a morning person? Nope. Will I fish later in the day? Maybe during steelhead season. Just don’t ask me about changing during the summer.

Go out and fool a fish!

Steelhead Fishing: A Drug With Side Effects

When someone has an illness, more than likely a drug is prescribed to cure it. As steelhead fishermen we crave steel and chrome. The only way to feed that craving is to stand in flowing water or cast from a pier in search of the drug. Catching one will help a little, but often we need multiple doses. This uncontrolled craving leads to all kinds of side effects. Let’s look at some of the more severe ones so everyone can recognize them and work on controlling them.

SIDE EFFECTS:

1. Insomnia from worrying if the trip planned will be aborted due to a blown out river.
2. Confusion will lead to poor decisions such as wading into a pool and cutting off someone’s drift.
3. Irritability caused by that guy that waded into the pool.
4. Lightheadedness caused by landing an 8lb. steelhead.
5. Tunnel vision as almost nothing matters but finding the drug from October to April.
6. Runny nose from standing in 35° water, rain, and snow for hours.
7. Drowsiness from fishing for hours and not even getting a bump.
8. Increased blood pressure due to the fisherman downstream hooking up every other drift.

It’s probably a good bet that we have all experienced these side effects. When you are on the water and any of these side effects occur you can lessen the impact by remembering……you could be at work.

I can’t end this post without writing about a recent outing. There’s a stretch of the Grand River that has about a 1/2 mile of good water. Steelhead have been caught in every riffle, run, and pool so there’s no one good spot. Including myself, there were six fishermen on the water, and for whatever reason five of them were working a 50 yard stretch. That left me with the rest of the water. After managing to catch a couple of chromers downstream I watched them fish for about twenty minutes. They weren’t moving, and they weren’t catching anything. It didn’t appear they all knew each other so there was no buddy system that would keep them together. I guess they were suffering from tunnel vision.

These fishermen couldn't get enough of this spot. That left me with the rest of the water.

This chromer gave away its lcoation by rolling on the surface next to a log.

Threw a small woolly bugger and it inhaled it on the fist cast.

Go out and fool a fish!

All We Can Do Is Wait

The first big rainstorm of the fall has yet to show up. In northeast Ohio we’ve had a few cold fronts come through that initially looked promising for a good rain. But unbelievably, what started out as a possible 1-1/2” rain ended up being ¼”. Not enough for a good bump in flows to get the steelhead moving upriver. There is some chrome in the rivers, but most are staging at the mouth of the Lake Eire tributaries waiting for the big push.

My unscientific view is that the Vanpoppen Bubble is protecting northeast Ohio from a major rainstorm. In my mind, the bubble is mass of very dry air that affects any front that moves through the area. This bubble of dry air forces the moisture north and south of northeast Ohio. What results is an area begging for a big rain.

Actually, this bubble has affected the rain totals since the beginning of summer. For the past three to four months the rivers flowing into Lake Erie have been extremely low. Sediment is building up. If anyone waded these rivers the past few months I’m sure they’ve kicked up sediment as they made their way up or downstream. Now, the leaves are starting to accumulate. We need a big push of water to set us up for another steelhead season.

So, for hundreds, if not thousands of fishermen, all we can do is wait until the bubble is popped and a big rain comes. Until then, hit the mouths of the rivers, and the shoreline of Lake Erie. Steelhead are there, and they are feeding. Or, if you're like me, dream about catching some chrome.

A guy can dream, can't he?

Go out and fool a fish!

The Fisherman’s Promise

The bite was slow during a recent outing so I began to think about how my experiences on the water affect my behavior. As I thought about it, there were some basic beliefs that stood out that I believe can guide other fishermen who share the same passion as I do. So, I created the Fisherman’s Promise in the hope that others can use it to guide them.


The Fisherman’s Promise

I promise to….

Do my part to protect the resources; rivers, lakes, streams, and the fish that inhabit those waters by taking out more than I pack in, harvesting only what I need, and handling fish delicately.

Be tolerant of other fishermen’s behavior.

Be respectful of all methods of fishing used by fishermen.

Adhere to the rules and regulations that govern the body of water being fished.

Look at fishing as a privilege.

Pass on some of the knowledge gained from fishing to someone who might be struggling, or just starting out.

Have fun.

A Real Treat

I was able to spend a few hours on the Chagrin River this morning and was rewarded with a special catch. Special, because resident smallmouth bass over 12” in length are not an everyday occurrence. In fact, I haven’t caught a resident this big in a couple of years. This smallie hit a yellow popper, and came to the net only after a great fight. Glad I was using my 6 wt. Based on the size of the net, the smallie came in just short of 14”.

It is a real treat to catch a smallie this size. Based on growth rates, this smallie could be 8 or 9 years old.

It knows how to survive.

Go out and fool a fish!

Transition Season

Summer is waning. Being able to get on a river before 6:00AM in full light is gone. Those hot, sticky mornings have been replaced with cooler temperatures. River flows are still at summertime lows as northeast Ohio hasn’t had a big rain event in some time. In fact, we could use a good storm (please, not like Harvey) to flush the rivers, as sediment is accumulating. One can’t wade without kicking up a cloud of sediment. Even a few fallen leaves have found their way into the waters. The only thing that seems to be hanging on to summertime is the smallie bite. I’ve been surprised how well it has hung in there.

The topwater action continues to be strong. It doesn’t seem to matter what color is used, black, yellow, or green. They have all produced. This has been a fun summer, watching smallies attack the poppers. And when that action slows, I’ve been able to throw small woolly buggers into faster water and managed to move quite a few smallies.

This smallie attacked a popper and fought hard.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

But, late August and early September is transition time. I suspect the smallmouth bite will continue for the next few weeks. As the weather changes and brings with it cooler nights, and northeast Ohio gets a rain event, fishermen will keep an eye out for the first push of chrome entering the rivers. And from the chatter on social media there are a lot of fishermen waiting. Check any steelhead group on Facebook and you’ll see discussions about buying new gear, or when will the first run happen. Soon, the empty rivers will be flush with fishermen, and hopefully, steelhead. The clock is ticking.

Enjoy the photos from a recent outing.

 The only sunfish I caught all year. Great color.

 Thin, long, and likes yellow.

A path leading to the river. This field was part of a controlled burn last year

by the Cleveland Metroparks. Came back healthy and better than new.

 Early morning fog always makes a great picture.

Go out and fool a fish!

Nice August Morning

After the wet trip to Virginia I wanted to get out and hit one of the local rivers. It was a nice, cool August morning. The kind of morning that makes you realize mother nature will soon be making her change to Fall.

Cool and damp August morning brought out the ground fog.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

The walk to the river took me through a field of wild flowers and grasses loaded with dew.

The fishing didn’t disappoint as the smallies were still active, going after baitfish patterns and poppers.

This smallie choked on a yellow popper.

The cigar hanging out of this smallie mouth was a peach color woolly bugger.

Go out and fool a fish!

A Wet Fishing Trip In The Shenandoah Valley

My wife and I finally had a chance to meet up with her sister, Ginny, and her husband, Art, to fish the Shenandoah Valley. We try to make the trip at least once a year, and our original date was in early June. Bad weather in the valley forced us to cancel that date, and tight schedules prevented us from traveling until the first week in August. The weather forecast for the day we were going to be on the creek was light rain, followed by heavy rain. But, it was now or never. We couldn’t reschedule again, so off we went and hoped for the best. I will never complain about time on the water, but best never showed up. You’ll soon see why.

When fishing the Shenandoah Valley there are several options for the type of water to fish. Mountain streams are close by so you can fish for brook trout. If someone is after smallmouth and largemouth bass there are several warm water rivers that hold some large fish. But if you want to challenge your skills, fish in beautiful surroundings with the opportunity to catch brown or rainbow trout, then you want to fish a spring creek. In the valley, Mossy Creek is the premier spring creek. Usually in early August you can have a lot of fun fishing terrestrials. Hoppers, beetles, and ants are the meal ticket to some great topwater action. However, our day on the water was anything but usual.

This a stretch of Mossy Creek that shows the channeling that will test your presentation skills.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

The day before we were to fish we arrived in Harrisonburg, VA late afternoon, and drove out to the public stretch of Mossy Creek. The creek is only eight miles long, and runs through pastureland. As you can see from the photos, in some spots Mossy is not very wide. Based on the sections I’ve fished, a cast directly across the creek will be no longer than 20’, give or take a few feet. Hero casts are not required, but bring your accuracy. I was able to fish about a hundred yard stretch, and I was tested on every cast. Truth be told, I’m used to the rivers of northeast Ohio, wide with a lot of room to make a backcast. Put me on small water with streamside vegetation taller than I am and I fold like a bad poker hand.

Not very wide at this point. The thick vegetation helps keep the creek cool and clear.

Mossy Creek’s water maintains an even temperature even through the hottest summers, as the spring continually supplies refreshingly cool and clear water. The thick riparian zone helps to protect the creek. The landowners have to be recognized for working with local groups and Trout Unlimited to maintain the streamside vegetation, and of course, allow access.

Another thing visible from the pictures is the vegetation in the water. Spring creeks are so nutrient-rich that vegetation grows quickly. It’s one of the characteristics that give spring creeks their charm, and forces a fly fisherman to bring their “A” game. The trout will sit in the channels or at the edge of the vegetation waiting for food to drift their way. But, the vegetation and current make it difficult to get a good drift. Attempting a cast that has to hit a target area about a foot wide with tall vegetation behind you will test your skills.

Finally, spring creeks are very clear. Trout will spook easily. Sudden movements, noises, or a false cast will put the trout down. The channels visible in the photos look cloudy but that is the creek bottom. Most spring creeks can fish well even after a rain event. But, at some point even a spring creek can become chocolate if the rain is unrelenting. Yesterday was beyond unrelenting.

Fishing the same spot a year apart. Shortly after the picture on the left was taken I had my only hookup of the day.

A sunny Sunday turned into a rainy Monday. We awoke to a gentle rain. My first thought was “this is doable”. Heading down to breakfast I passed the lobby and looked outside. It was raining a little harder. I still thought we would be OK. Packing the car required us to be in full rain gear. It was now raining a little harder. It was then that I thought we’re in trouble. A quick glance at the radar app showed a large area of yellow and red coming our way. We considered calling it off but decided to listen to what our guide, Brian Trow had to say. Brian is co-owner of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing with his brother Colby, and guides us on our trips. We have fished with Brian for seven years, and he is considered a good friend. He understands the weather patterns of the valley. We’d listen to what he had to say and then make a decision.

Brian met us and began to tell us that often the storms coming from the west hit the mountains and lose a lot of their punch. Brian mentioned that the steady rain we were experiencing could possibly let up by mid-morning. What really caught my ear is when he said these are the conditions that will bring out the biggest fish in the creek. Because the water will be stained, and cloud cover will keep the light muted, the big trout will become more aggressive. At this point I didn’t even feel the rain. We looked at each other and all of sudden the thought of calling it off went away. I guess we were all wondering which one of us will make the decision to go or not. I’m not that guy. I stand in 30° water dodging snowflakes, fishing streamers for steelhead. A little warm rain is nothing. So, we made the decision to try it. Unfortunately, little didn’t hang around long.

Fast forward to the parking lot and gearing up. Brian put on some of the biggest and darkest streamers he had in the fly box. Art, my fly fishing mentor, is a traditionalist. He is always looking to fish dry flies and terrestrials. Our time on the water was going to rough on him as he doesn’t like streamer fishing. I’m sure he went along because this was going to be my only chance of getting on Mossy Creek this year.

As we walked from the lot to the creek the rain began to pick up. Our first look at the creek showed a few inches of visibility. Maybe a few inches are all we need. Those few inches didn’t last very long.

After about an hour of swinging the streamers and hitting the banks I had a take. The fish immediately started violent head shakes and came to the surface. I had hooked a rainbow that was every bit as big as a grown steelhead. Unfortunately, I made a mistake with line control and the fish tossed the streamer. Just like that, the fight was over. Then it started to pour.

We eventually called it quits after about three hours. At the end Mossy Creek had turned to chocolate. We found out later in the day that during our time on the water 3” of rain fell in the valley. We tried our best but it was not to be. For me, our fishing excursions have been a series of memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Being with family and friends on the water cannot be beat.

Enjoy the photos and short videos. One video will give you a good idea of how hard it was raining. The other video shows the flowing vegetation that makes Mossy Creek a very technical creek to fish.

Go out and fool a fish!

A Good Storm Would Help

H2O, water, rain, we need it. The rivers in northeast Ohio are running as low as they have in a long time. Both the Grand and the Rocky are flowing at less than 30 cfs, while the Chagrin, where I fished this morning, is flowing at around 70. We could use a big flush to freshen things up, and get the fish moving again.

Even the deeper pools are low enough to see any bottom structure.

(Click on image for larger view.)

Low water does have its benefits. Seeing the bottom structure can be helpful in spotting likely holding lies and identifying potential snags. Pools that have some depth now will be even more inviting with higher flows during steelhead season.

Today’s outing started in a way I didn’t want it to. Being superstitious, I don’t want a hookup on the first cast. I’ve had a few trips were I caught something on the first cast and then nothing after that. So, now I’ll just dump the cast to let some line out. And I did that today but seconds later a smallie hit the streamer. After releasing it my inner voice said “Man, I hope that’s not the only strike today.” Fortunately, it wasn’t.

First cast smallie. I'm still superstitious even though I wasn't shut out the rest of the day.

That first fish, and the other six that came to hand, were all caught in the faster water. Problem was, I spent too much time in the slower water throwing topwater poppers. For whatever reason, the smallies wanted nothing to do with a surface fly. Still, it was a good day.

 I was hoping to get into some topwater action today but it didn't happen. 

This smallie hit a yellow popper from a previous outing.

This guy let me get close. Even he didn't have any success in the slower pools.

This heron had no luck fishing the slower pools. I didn't either.

Finally, I came across this rock formation. A rock balancer hit the Chagrin and left it behind. Nice job, but it won't last with the next bump in flows, whenever that happens.

A Rock balancer left behind this exclamation point.

Go out and fool a fish!

The Hotter The Better

Almost 80° at 6:00AM, cloudy skies, and over 2’ visibility on the water. I knew the topwater bite was going to be on. It has been my experience that the hotter the temperature, the more willing the bass are to attack a topwater popper. And attack it they did.

My go-to popper has been a black, Boogle Popper, with a size 10 hook. For the rivers in northeast Ohio I don’t think you need anything larger. Once the smallmouth lake run is over, and the residents settle into their territory, a downsized topwater offering does the job.

The black, Boogle Popper, laying by the tail, has been my go-to popper.

 

My goal is to cast the popper within a foot of a bank, wood structure, or a rock. It seems the closer the better. One thing I do is change up the retrieve. Sometimes I immediately pop it. Other times I’ll let it sit and drift before popping it. I’d have to say that both methods work equally well. At least they both produced yesterday.

It didn’t take long for the fun to begin. The first pool with some wood structure produced a couple of nice sized smallies. One hit the popper immediately after it landed. I must have put the popper right on the smallie’s head.

This smallie hit the popper immediately after it landed on the water. Had to have hit him on the head.

(Click on image for larger view.)

The largest fish of the day was taken from this pool. The smallie swallowed the popper, and gave a great fight. The bloodied warrior came to the net, was revived, and swam away strongly.

This bloodied warrior gave a great fight before coming to the net. He swam away strongly when released.

I like the spot pattern on this smallie. Click on the image for a larger view.

The rest of the day was spent catching, and occasionally missing a lot of fish. Let’s hope the hot weather continues.

Go out and fool a fish!

A Walk In The Park

Yesterday was one of those summer days that you just had to be outside. Blue skies and comfortable temperatures make for a great combination to pick a park and go for a walk. My wife grabbed her camera and told me to take a rod and do some fishing from shore. These trips are more about getting out and enjoying the scenery, and not necessarily about catching fish. If I hooked into something it would be a bonus. To travel light I picked my 6 wt. along with a popper and a woolly bugger. And off we went to a couple of parks out east.

We started at the Harpersfield covered bridge. It makes for some great photos. Whenever we go to the bridge I’m amazed at the number of people fishing from it. The bridge has to be 20’ above the water. Yesterday there were seven people, young and old, tossing live bait under bobbers. If you are familiar with the bridge there is a pool that is about 75 yards long. Some of the fishermen were drifting their offerings right to the tailout of the pool. Unfortunately, it was a quiet day, and there wasn’t any catching going on.

Harpersfield Covered Bridge, one of 19 covered bridges in Ashtabula County. A great spot for a walk or wetting a line.

As my wife and I walked downstream there were egrets, herons, and belted kingfishers perched on their favorite rock or tree waiting for a meal. I think they were having about the same kind of day as the fishermen from the bridge.

This egret stood motionless for minutes waiting for a meal.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

My wading boots were purposely left at home so I found a spot with enough room to cast from shore. I worked a stretch of water with the popper with no action. I guess not catching was contagious.

I worked this nice stretch of water downstream from the bridge.

The second stop we made was to Hidden Valley in Madison. We try to hit this park at least once a year but realized we hadn’t been there in two years. There’s plenty to see and enough room to cast. The portion of the Grand River that runs through the park has probably the most tannic water in the system. I always think I’m standing in a cup of tea when fishing there. I worked the popper and woolly bugger but couldn’t buy a hit.

The Grand River through Hidden Valley has some of the most tannic water in the system.

Even without catching anything it was still a great day. Sometimes it’s just about taking a walk in the park.

Go out and fool a fish!

A Day Even The Fish Are Patriotic

Have a great 4th of July. Enjoy it with family, friends, and maybe a fish or two.

Go out and fool a fish!

Fast Water Was The Winner

It is the end of June and the lake run smallie season is over, so the chance to catch a really big one in the rivers is limited. But the resident smallies have been very cooperative, and with the right equipment they can be a blast. And every once in awhile you can be surprised with an above average size smallie that puts up a great fight.

This 11" smallie put up a good fight on my 4 wt fly rod. It inhaled a woolly bugger.

Each time out this summer the fishing has gotten better and better. This has been my best smallmouth season since I got back into fishing seven years ago. There aren't a lot of big fish but the numbers are higher than previous summers. What has stood out is how different the rivers fish from one outing to the next. The last time out I found success with a popper working slow pools. It seemed the slower the better. A few days later after a cool front the action totally changed. It was fast water from start to finish. As much as I tried to get a smallie to hit a popper, in the end it was a woolly bugger day.

Take an ultralight outfit or a 4 wt fly rod and give it a try. There's plenty of room on the rivers. You just might have some fun.

Go out and fool a fish!

Do You Practice K & R? I Hope Not.

K & R, or better known as Kiss and Release, seems to be a growing “thing” among fishermen. Catch a nice size fish, give it a kiss, and let it go. I’ve seen it on outdoor television shows and on the water. Sure, it may be a fish of a lifetime, or it put up a good fight, but I just don’t understand. I’ve caught big fish, and it never even entered my mind to kiss it. I guess that’s the Seinfeld in me.

Do you know where that fish has been? It lies at the bottom of a lake or river in muck and around rocks and wood. It has a slime coating to protect it. And some fishermen want to kiss them? I’m sure there’s some obscure study that identifies several health concerns that could potentially be transferred from the lip lock.

Beautiful rainbow caught on a dry fly. But you'll never see me kiss a fish.

Take a picture. Pat it on the head. Release it. Don’t kiss it. But if you do, don’t tell your significant other that you kissed a fish when you go to kiss her, or him.

Practice P, P, & R.

Go out and fool a fish!

Some Mornings Are Better Than Others

And this is one of them. You just have to be in the right place at the right time.

The Grand River, early morning. It's worth getting up early.

(Click on image for larger view.)

Oh, and they like yellow today.

A couple days ago I had a strike by a small pile of rocks and missed the fish.

Same spot two days later, I didn't miss.

Go out and fool a fish!

Best. Smallmouth. Day. Ever.

The weather everyone in northeast Ohio has been waiting for has finally arrived. A string of hot days was missing until this weekend. A lot of people ran for the beaches and parks. I ran for one of the rivers because the hot weather brings warming water temperatures, which makes the smallmouth bass more active. What I didn’t expect was almost non-stop action on the water.

Wanting to hit the river early before the sun starts to bake everything, I set the alarm for 4:30 AM. After downing a quick breakfast I made the half hour drive to one of the prettiest stretches of the Chagrin River. Early arrival guaranteed access to any pool I wanted. Settling in, I carefully waded to a spot that has always been productive. At this point I slipped on a rock, and thrashed around trying to keep my balance. While I didn’t get soaked I did think the pool was toast, but decided to try it anyhow. That was the first correct decision I made on the water. Fortunately, it wasn’t the last.

Nice smallie fooled by the Root Beer Golden Retriever. The fish couldn't resist it today.

The second correct decision was on fly selection. During the summer I rig up two rods. One rod is for a streamer, and a second rod for a topwater popper. For the streamer, I tied on a Root Beer Golden Retriever. This is a streamer I have only found in one fly shop in Virginia, Mossy Creek Fly Fishing. Tied with a No. 10 hook, it is basically a brown color with some crystal flash. Today it was deadly. Within the first 15 minutes I hooked into five smallies. Maybe I’ll thrash around the water more often.

Only 1-1/2" in length but it's an ideal baitfish imitation.

Moving down the pool I switched to the topwater popper. It’s actually a Sneaky Pete, which has rounded head. It displaces the water by sliding instead of popping, and creates enough disturbance on the water to attract fish. It was like a magnet today. I made a cast to the opposite bank and gave it a strip. On the pause a smallie came to the surface and sucked it in. A nice fight took place but in the end the bass found the net. Topwater strikes are the best part of fishing for smallies. I found they don’t sip in the popper, they attack it.

The rest of the day I alternated between the streamer and the Sneaky Pete as I made my way through the park. When my day ended I was into double digits in smallies. But the highlight was catching a creek chub on the Sneaky Pete. I always thought chubs were bottom feeders but one of them couldn’t resist attacking the Sneaky Pete.

This is an above average size creek chub. It couldn't resist the Sneaky Pete.

Now for the downside of the day. You may wonder how could there be a downside when the action was constant. Well, I missed another six strikes, mostly by not paying attention. And, the biggest smallie got off at the net. I stretched to get the net under him but missed. I must have put some slack in the line as the smallie spit the fly and quickly swam off. Oh well, I guess you can’t have everything.

Go out and fool a fish!

Efishent Fishing

Let’s start with a definition.

E-fish-ent: Performing a fishing task in the very best possible manner with the least waste of time or effort.

After last week my picture is next to this definition in the dictionary. I managed to catch two fish, on one cast, with one fly. It doesn’t get more efishent than that.

I visited one of my favorite spots and started to strip a woolly bugger through a pool. After about five minutes I felt a tug. The smallie put up a little fight but in the end found the bottom of the net. Holding the fish in the net I removed the bugger. Then, after admiring the markings on the smallie, I released it. Standing up, I grabbed my fly rod to get ready to make another cast. I was surprised when I felt another tug. A creek chub inhaled the bugger only about 5’ downstream from me. I laughed so hard I had to look around and make sure no one was around.

This is the smallie that started a chain reaction.

This creek chub couldn't resist the woolly bugger dangling at my feet.

Now my goal is to catch three fish on one cast, with one fly.

Go out and fool a fish!

Rock Bass Get No Respect

The poor rock bass gets no respect. Fish for smallmouth and often a rock bass will hit your fly or lure. You won’t get a jolt that a smallie can put on a line but a slight bump. Dare I use that word “nibble”? I’ve always thought of them as a warm water fish, so when they start biting the waters are warming, which should improve the fishing for smallmouth. So catching them is a good sign.

Rock bass like clear water with rocky structure. Don't be surprised to catch one when fishing for smallies.

One of the most active five minutes I’ve had on a river involved rock bass. I was fishing a stretch of the Chagrin River with my 4 wt. and came up on a small boulder near a bank. It looked like a “fishy” spot. Casting a small, chartreuse woolly bugger, I let it swing through the downstream side of the boulder. First drift and I feel that slight bump. Sure enough, a rock bass comes to hand. Second drift, same thing. I ended up pulling seven rock bass and one small largemouth from behind that boulder in the next five minutes. Sure, they weren’t smallies but I won’t pass up a chance to catch a fish. A fisherman cannot control what hits their fly or lure. Enjoy the activity. And, with ultra light gear, have some fun.

Go out and fool a fish!

May Has Given Us The Cold Shoulder, Until Now

A cold morning brought out the river fog. Trees are filled in and catching the early morning sun.

Up to now May has been unseasonably cool in northeast Ohio. Temperatures have averaged about 6° below normal. That seemed to have slowed down the lake-run smallmouth bite. There have been some reports of catches, but the river temps haven’t been able to rise to a level that would make them extremely active. If you’re an early morning fisherman it’s even tougher. I know that first hand.

The other day I hit the water after a two week layoff. The morning temperatures were forecasted to be around 50°. Boy, did that local meteorologist get it wrong. I was greeted to temps in the upper 30’s. Not going to get many, if any, smallmouth to chase a woolly bugger at those temps. The good news is the temperatures are going to spike into the upper 80’s for a few days. That should help to increase the smallies metabolism, if the forecast is right.

The last couple of times out I’ve noticed a drop off in the number of fishermen hitting the rivers. The end of steelhead season will do that. I hit a popular spot, looked upstream and downstream, and did not see another fisherman. I had the entire stretch to myself all morning.

What I also noticed was the greening and growth of the trees and bushes. Almost all the trees are full of leaves. This is the time of year when the trails along the rivers start to narrow due to the growth. Paths that only a month ago looked like a two lane highway are starting to shrink. In another month you'll need your elbows to push aside the growth.

Ground cover is starting to fill in, making the paths narrower.

Hats off to Cleveland Metroparks. This path at the North Chagrin Reservation was widened in the fall.

You gotta love summer!

Go out and fool a fish!

Smallmouth Season Is Heating Up

In northeast Ohio we are about a month into Spring and the trees are showing their initial burst of green fuzz. This lime-green growth will morph into a deep green color that will carry us through September.

Lime-green fuzz on the trees as die-hard steelheaders try to catch one more as the season winds down

Similar to calendar seasons, fishing seasons come and go, especially in our river systems. Steelhead season is just about done. Die-hard steelhead fishermen are still hunting the riffles and pools for any remaining chrome. They all hope to catch “just one more” before it’s over. As steelhead season winds down the rivers in northeast Ohio get a lake-run of smallmouth bass. This run can last through mid-June. It’s this period of time where some really large smallies can be caught before they make their way back to Lake Erie. It’s also a fun time of the year because you have a chance to catch a nice size smallie and a steelhead on the same day.

Smallmouth season is heating up.

It’s also about this time when the rivers get less crowded. It seems as though most of the steelheaders do not hunt for smallies, so there’s no need to rush to a spot. A fisherman can have miles of river to his or her own. I know there have been times I’ll fish for smallies and not run into another fisherman all day. Talk about solitude.

So, for bass fishermen, get your gear and head out. For the die-hard steelhead fishermen, see you in October.

Go out and fool a fish!

That Was Fast

It was just yesterday that I posted a story about anticipating the start of smallmouth season. Well, I didn’t have to wait long. And even though I was still targeting steelhead it was fun to catch the first smallie of the year.

I know that the lake run smallmouth season begins around this time but it was surprising to catch one where I did. The creek I was fishing doesn’t have a reputation as a hot spot for catching smallies, but these non-residents are only renting space for a little while. It must have found a logjam it liked, and settled in. I’m sure I was in the right place at the right time.

This logjam held a nice surprise this morning.

After waiting out a rainstorm this morning I started throwing a chartreuse woolly bugger. I fished it through a few holes with no luck. I moved downstream, and made several casts towards a logjam. Each cast got me a little closer to the wood. On about the fifth cast I actually bounced the streamer off the log. I gave a quick strip to move the streamer away from the log and something just crushed it. At first I thought it was a steelhead, but the fish went airborne, and I could tell it was a smallie. It put up a good fight and gave my 8 wt. a good bend. A nice, fat, 16" smallmouth is a good start.

An early spring surprise. A nice, fat, 16" smallie.

Here’s hoping this is a sign of a good bass season.

Go out and fool a fish!

Steelhead Season – Closer To The End Than The Beginning

Early April brings mixed feelings for steelhead fishermen. We have been chasing steelhead since last October, and now realize that the rivers will be devoid of chrome very soon. Each rain event brings in smaller runs of fresh fish. Additionally, there’s been a noticeable increase in spawning activity with many catches being dropbacks. These fish have spawned, and are making their way back to Lake Erie. At some point the catches will dwindle to nothing, and another season will end. But for northeast Ohio this will go down as one of the best seasons in recent memory. Based on reports throughout the season the number of steelhead caught has surpassed previous years. In addition, there was an increased number of larger fish caught. These fish are considered 30/10, 30” and/or 10 lbs. In fact, there have been several catches of 15 lb. steelhead caught in the Lake Erie tributaries. This will be a season many fishermen don’t want to end.

This is short video my wife took on my last outing. Rated N for no fish caught..

For me, it can end at any time. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy fishing for steelhead, but a change of species and weather is welcome. I can replace two layers of socks, foot warmers, gloves, hand warmers, two hats, four top layers, and two bottom layers for a lot less. My 8 wt. rig with a strike indicator, split shot, and an egg pattern will be replaced with a 4 and 6 wt. rod that will be used to throw a streamer or topwater popper in search of smallies.

I want to duplicate this Rocky River smallie about a dozen times.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

The biggest thing I look forward to is being on the river at dawn, in warm weather. There’s something about being on a stretch of water with the sun just starting to make appearance. Beats messing around with iced guides.

This is a great morning to be on the water.

Can’t wait!

Go out and fool a fish!