Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh At Yourself

I managed to get out for a couple of hours on one of my favorite stretches of water. It’s a spot where this time of the year offers more action than a half off sale on Black Friday. Rigging up the night before, I didn’t even agonize over the choice of streamer. All indications pointed to white, as the fresh push of steelhead still had shiners on their mind. Good choice, even if I did get in my own way for a bit.

Sure enough, within a few minutes of stepping in the water, I hooked and landed a strong male that exhausted itself with multiple runs up and down the pool. Too tired to thrash around, the chrome posed for a quick picture, and was released. I checked the knot and leader, making sure no nicks showed up that could weaken the connection. Everything looked fine, so I moved on to another spot.

Strong male with some nice color

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This close-up shows a nice hooked jaw. Its been around a few years.

There’s a stretch of water, probably 60 yards long, that has a deep slot where steelhead will lay waiting for their next meal. For the second time in a row I had the water to myself, so I waded to the head of the run and began the methodical cast, swing, step process. A few casts in and I snag the rig on a rock. Working it free without disturbing the water, I again checked the knot and leader. It all looked fine. Continuing to cast I made my way downstream. Something didn’t seem right. There are no guarantees when fishing but I should have gotten at least a bump through that stretch. I decided to reel in and move to another spot. It’s about this time I let out a sharp expletive, followed by laughter. After all, fishing is supposed to be fun, isn't it? Somewhere, somehow, the streamer came off. Inspecting the leader, there still weren’t any nicks, or the telltale curly tippet that exposes a failed knot. I can’t explain what happened or when it happened. I don’t know if I was streamerless for one cast or twenty. Normally, during the backcast I can see the streamer as it travels behind me. I must have zoned out because I can’t recall even watching the backcast.

After all that, I still went home a happy guy. Spent time on the water, caught a fish, and laughed at myself. Can you say that?

Go out and fool a fish!

Perfect Steelhead Weather

There is never a bad time to be on the water, but some days are just better than others. Yesterday was one of those days. Fishermen chasing steelhead around the Great Lakes in the fall and winter know that weather will play a part in their pursuit of chrome. Usually they can eliminate the sun, as it seems to appear as frequently as Halley’s Comet this time of the year. That leaves everything else on the table, and yesterday had just about everything else. And it was fun.

I was anxious to hit the river as the water was back to fishable levels after last weekend’s rain and snow. The bump in flows should have brought in some fresh steelhead. The weather forecast called for some rain coming in over the next few days, so I felt Friday morning was the best opportunity to hit the river.

The morning was perfect. Grey skies were dripping rain, snow and sleet like a leaky faucet. Fog shrouded the tops of the trees that were no longer bearing any color. When I arrived at the parking lot I was surprised that no other cars were there. That couldn’t be right. I expected to share the river with at least a half dozen other fishermen. Weather doesn’t keep steelheaders from their time on the water. Maybe I picked the wrong spot to fish?

Perfect day for steelheading but an empty river. Unusual for a Great Lakes tributary.

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Working my way downstream on the trail I came to another surprise. A beaver made his or her mark on a tree. A perfectly gnawed tree stood near my first fishing spot. One more night of work and that tree will be used to build an addition to a den.

A beaver has been very, very busy.

Continuing to walk downstream, I finally arrived at a series of pools that almost always hold fish. It felt strange to wade into the water, look around, and not see another fisherman. I knew it was just a matter of time before someone showed up so I made the best of my time and worked through the pools quickly. The first pool produced nothing. Then I noticed a few dead shiners laying in the water, and immediately switched from a dark color woolly bugger to a white one. At this point, the rain changed to wet snow. There was no wind, so the flakes gently hit the water like a well-presented dry fly. I had to take advantage of the perfect weather and an empty river.

Moving to the next pool I told myself there has to be fish in here. The pool had depth, structure and some current. Heck, I’d live there if I was a fish. After making a few casts I moved to the tail of the pool. The snow had changed back to rain and drops were now noticeable on the water. I made a cast to the opposite bank and let it swing across the tail of the pool. Just as the line straightened I felt the tug. The fresh steelhead made several strong runs. Getting it close, I reached with the net when it made another run, this time behind me. It made a move for a downed tree but I managed to steer the fish away from it. Finally, showing some exhaustion, it came to the net again. A nice, 25” hen found a temporary home in the bottom of the net. After a quick picture it was released to live another day.

The end to a perfect morning on the water.

There must have been something about yesterday and the color white. On the Facebook Steelhead group I belong to there were three or four other steelheaders who reported catching chrome on a white streamer or lure. What’s interesting is the rivers were 30 miles apart. Maybe the fresh steelhead were still keying in on shiners that are plentiful in Lake Erie.

Perfect comes in many different forms. My morning had perfect weather, no other fishermen, and fresh chrome.

Find your perfect.

Go out and fool a fish!

A Good Sign For The Future

In northeast Ohio we got the big rain everyone had been waiting for. It started the first big push of steelhead of the fall. After the rivers became fishable there were reports that a considerable number of young steelhead were being caught. These fish generally range in size from 14”-18”. It is possible that many of those fish are making their first visit to a river since their stocking. I felt a little field work was in order to check out these reports.

I hit the Chagrin River for a rare afternoon of fishing. For the first couple of hours I thought the river was devoid of fish. I hit every pool and run that had produced in the past. Not even a bump. I was going to call it a day when I decided to try a section of the river that had a nice current, but was less than two feet deep. It turned out to be the best decision of the afternoon.

What was a skunking turned into 25 minutes of activity, all in about 20 yards of water. Swinging an olive woolly bugger I hooked into what I thought was a good size chrome. It fought hard, and then jumped not more than a rod length away from me. I smiled when I realized it was one of the young steelhead. It continued to put up a good fight, but quickly found the bottom of the net. I want to catch this same fish in a couple of years.

This young chrome put up a great fight. I want to catch it again in a couple of years.

They don't get much fresher than this.

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Moving a few feet downstream I hooked into another young one, followed by another a few casts later. My final hookup was a bigger chrome that I don’t think fought as hard as the first one landed. All this fun in a short amount of time! To me, this is what makes fishing for steelhead fun. I’m not a big fish guy or a big numbers guy. I just like to catch fish, big and small. I can’t control what size the fish is. To me, it’s like opening a present at Christmas.

So, are there more young steelhead in the rivers this year? Well, based on my afternoon and other reports I’d say yes. And, that bodes well for the future.

Go out and fool a fish!

A Pelvis, A Tug, A Bump and A Bonus Bronze

Late last week, before the rain blew out the rivers, I was able to get on the water and hunt for some chrome. The rivers were low and in need of a fresh shot of rain, but very fishable. My usual routine is to swing some flies and hope for a couple of hookups. I got that, and a little more. What I experienced was outside a normal outing.

The Pelvis

Everyone who fishes rivers has seen animals, both dead and alive. That’s nature. Spend enough time on the water and you will run into a deer, mink, or beaver. Occasionally they will die there.

Walking along the bank to get to a pool I ran across a deer pelvis. In the past, I’ve seen fragments of one but not the entire structure. My first thought was I was being transported to an X-Files episode. The holes give the bone a ghoulish look, perfect for Halloween. I had to take a picture but decided not to disturb it fearing some bad ju-ju.

Pelvis, late October, Halloween. Not your everyday find.

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The Tug

Like many fly fishermen, I have fun swinging a fly for chrome this time of the year. The fish are fresh, and willing to move for a baitfish imitation. That’s when you will get the tug, and there’s no doubt a fish is on.

I was working a pool that had been productive in the past. It’s deep, with good flow, and some structure. Not only have I caught steelhead in this pool but it is a great spot for smallies during the summer. I made a cast toward the opposite bank and let the flow swing the fly through the pool. Just as the swing was straightening I felt the tug. Immediately the fish came to the surface, splashed around, and made a move to the opposite bank. As if it hit a wall, the fish changed direction. Now, I’ve had steelhead move up and down the river but I’ve been able to control them with side pressure. This time I could only hold on. The line was coming off the reel faster than I’ve ever seen. In a timeframe that felt like two seconds, the fish was 30 yards downstream and not stopping. It was so fast I didn’t have time to get out of the water and chase after it. All I could do is hold the rod high. From past experience I knew I was in trouble. Too much fly line in the water will often lead to a long distance release. Sure enough, the fish kept moving downstream, and all of a sudden the line went slack.

Damn. I don’t know if it was the biggest steelhead I’ve hooked into, but it was definitely the hottest.


The Bump

Licking my wounds from the tug, I made my way upstream to another pool. Using the same woolly bugger, I made a cast and felt a bump. I instinctively set the hook and nothing. So, was it a rock or a short strike? Only one way to find out. I made another cast in the same area and sure enough, another bump. I set the hook, and nothing. I quickly made up my mind that I was either going to lose the fly to a snag, or I was going to catch a fish.

I took a break from casting for a minute or so. It forced me to look around and notice the fall colors. Sometimes we’re so focused on fishing we miss what’s in front of us.

 The fall colors are starting to pop. Sometimes you just have to look up.

So, after that short break I made a cast to the same spot and let it drift with the flow. Right on cue, there was another bump. I set the hook, the line went tight, and I felt the headshake. After a short fight I netted a fresh 18” steelhead. That chrome may be too young to realize you don’t play with your food, you eat it.

It took three tries to hook this one.

The Bonus Bronze

I was looking for quality river smallies all summer. The key must be to wait until October to catch them, as they feed heavily for the winter. The last two outings have produced my biggest smallies of the year. Landed with the steelhead net, they look smaller than they are. Both were pushing 14”. Not bad for resident smallies.

Quality smallmouth in October. A good bonus.

Go out and fool a fish!

Smallies Have To Eat Too

It is mid-October and steelhead has become the target species for many fishermen in northeast Ohio. One big rain event in September brought some chrome up the rivers, and fishermen have had early success. But now the rivers are low, and we could use another big rain to freshen the run.

I’ve had a nice start to the season with two 25” chromers landed and one long distance release after a good fight. Sometimes I get tunnel vision and forget that smallmouth bass are on the move to their winter lies and need to eat as much as possible. So, it was a little surprise when a smallie hit my woolly bugger as it swung through a pool. It turned out to be a nice size resident. And it was my only fish of the day. Saved a skunking!

This smallie hit the olive woolly bugger as it swung through a deep pool. 

Trying to pack on some weight for the winter.

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I never get tired of catching smallies, even in October.

Go out and fool a fish!

Early Fall Surprise

It is hard to tell Autumn has arrived in northeast Ohio. The calendar says it is October but most of the trees have not begun their journey from green to orange, red, or yellow. And with temperatures touching the upper 70’s, low 80’s since late September you would almost think it’s August. But steelhead fishermen know better, thanks to a series of storms that dumped up to 3” of rain in steelhead alley. This allowed the first run of chrome to enter the rivers.

Experienced fishermen in the alley know how important a late September storm is to jumpstarting the steelhead season. It’s difficult to put a number to it, but the initial run is usually the smallest of the season. The steelhead that are part of the initial run are found in the lower sections of the rivers. Occasionally a small number of dime-bright chromers may make it further upstream. A few years ago I caught one about 15 miles upstream in mid-September but I thought that was an outlier…..until today.

A one-day cold front knocked the morning temps into the 40’s. I thought it was going to be a tough day. And it was for about a half hour. My favorite stretch of water on the Grand River is about 10 miles upstream from the mouth. Tying on a tan woolly bugger I began working downstream and started swinging through a nice run. I was soon into a cast, swing, step rhythm. Then, after about 25 yards, a tug that I hadn’t felt since last spring jolted me out of that rhythm. Immediately the fish took off downstream, jumped a couple of times, and then reversed course, heading upstream. A couple of minutes later, after making a few more runs, I was able to get the fish into the shallows where the net scooped up a fresh, bright chromer. You have to love the fight that a fresh steelhead gives you. I’m hoping this is the first of many.

26" of pure energy.

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Go out and fool a fish!

A Little Bit Of Everything

It is time for a brain dump.

I hate knots that fail. That means I failed. After tying a knot I always give it a pull and a tug. I tied a clinch knot on a popper and the knot passed the pull/tug test. After casting the popper for about 20 minutes I finally had a smallie hit it. I set the hook and there was no tension on the line. I looked at the leader and the tippet had the unmistakable curl at the end. I am going to just use a loop knot for all my tippet to fly connections. I’ve never had that knot fail. As for the smallie, it jumped a couple of times trying to get the popper out of its mouth. Somewhere in the Chagrin River is a smallie with a popper attached. If anyone catches it send me the popper. It was my favorite.
 
When fishing for smallies in the Chagrin and Grand Rivers I know that most of them are going to be on the small side. I know there are some larger resident smallies but they aren’t easy to find. What was worrying me this summer was a lack of young of the year smallies. Those 4”-5” bass just weren’t around. They are a nuisance because they will eat anything but they are a sign of reproduction which should bold well for the future. I finally caught a couple so maybe it’s time to stop worrying.

 A lot of small fish hopefully bodes well for the future. 

With time and a little luck this smallie could exceed 10".

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I looked back at posts from the last two summers and was surprised at how many larger smallmouth I caught. To me, a large resident smallie is 10”+. This year was not as productive in terms of size. They are out there, I just didn’t find them.

 Here's one of those 10"+ smallies that you can fool.

I missed more fish than I caught this summer. I can’t explain why. Playing a fish for 10 seconds and having the line go slack is frustrating. I think my hookset is good but then again I also think I’m still young.

 This one didn't get away. I'm always amazed at the size of the tail in relation to the overall size of the fish.

Walking the river the other day I noticed a few leaves in the water, and some of the trees actually had some leaves changing color. It won’t be long until the rivers start giving up chrome. Time to get the cold weather gear ready.

 Some early color on the trees is already starting to show up.

The rivers in northeast Ohio are low and mostly clear. I say mostly because the Grand River downstream from Vrooman Road has been cloudy all summer. I fished upstream from the bridge and the water was clear. With all this said, we need a big rain to flush the sediment. You can’t help but kick up clouds of sediment when wading.

I fished one morning after a localized storm muddied  Big Creek. 

Here is what it looked like entering the Grand River.

Yes, I did catch a smallie right on the edge where the muddy water met the clear flow. 

The daily limit on steelhead in Ohio changes on September 1 to a limit of 2 per day. Know your regulations.

Remember, beginning September 1, you can only keep two steelhead.

I haven’t had my license checked by a ranger in four years. I wonder where they are. During steelhead season they can walk up and down a river and check a hundred or more in a day.

I didn’t know until recently that breathable waders don’t breathe unless you are in the water. I wore them the other day when it was really hot and sure enough, it felt cooler in the water.


Go out and fool a fish!

Smallmouth Fishing Is A Job This Summer

For whatever reason fishing for smallies in the northeast Ohio rivers feels like a job this summer. There’s a lot of hard work going into catching just a few resident smallies. I don’t know if it is the weather pattern this year or something else but the fish haven’t been as active as they’ve been in the last few years. I’ve even caught a lot less creek chubs, and they eat just about anything. The fishing just hasn’t been “on fire”.

Today I made a trip to the South Chagrin Reservation. There are several spots where I can honestly say always produce. Two pools in particular just scream “there’s fish in here”. I threw everything I could at them and nothing, not even a bump.

A short drive to another location that had been good to me in the past finally produced some fish. For resident smallies, they were decent size. Catching them on a topwater slider was a bonus. I just love when the water swirls and the smallie attacks the slider. I guess hard work does have its rewards.

 For a resident smallie, this is a nice size. Hard fighter with thick shoulders.

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This smallie couldn't get enough of the topwater slider. Notice the deep red in the eye.

For a retired guy, I can't wait to go to work again.

Go out and fool a fish!

Stillwater Surprise

I do not fish ponds very often. I like moving water and the challenges it offers. But, about once a year I like to take the 4 wt. to the local park and kill an hour. This allows me to practice my casting, which I need, and maybe hook a bluegill or small bass. With the rivers not fishable due to summertime storms today was a perfect day to hit the pond. By 6:30 in the morning the sun was already heating things up, and coupled with calm winds made for an ideal early morning topwater bite. Woolly buggers stay home!

A perfect spot, a perfect day. The reeds on the right produced a personal best largemouth.

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The first half hour went as expected. Throwing a panfish popper I was catching a few sunfish. In fact, just about every cast brought a curious sunfish to the surface. I finally had enough with the small fish. I wanted to feel the tug of something bigger. I changed to a larger topwater slider in hopes of enticing a largemouth bass. I like it when a plan comes together.

I worked my way over to a pier that had some reeds growing along the edge of the pond. Using this time on the water to improve my casting accuracy was going to be put to the test. There was a small break in the reeds that screamed “fish here”. I made the cast and hit the middle of the opening. At that point I was satisfied to have made a good, accurate cast. I let the slider sit for a few seconds and then stripped in some line to get it moving. It was at that point the water boiled and a largemouth bass inhaled the slider. The bass tried to take me into the reeds but with 8lb. tippet I didn’t have to baby the fish. Bringing him in, the fish went deep and briefly got hung up, but keeping pressure on the fish I brought him out of it. After a couple of jumps a nice, thick, 16” largemouth came to hand. Because I river fish for smallies I catch very few largemouth bass, and the ones I have caught were on the small side. This fish was a personal best.

This largemouth inhaled a topwater slider.

Not a bad way to kill an hour, don’t you think?

Go out and fool a fish!

An End To Another Steelhead Season

When the streamside trees change from grey and brown to green you know it is the end. I for one am glad it is over. These fish are beat up, and the water temps in the Lake Erie tributaries are getting to an uncomfortable level. Time to concentrate on smallmouth bass. It is my favorite time of the year.

The last one of the season. This was caught while targeting smallies. 

It just got in the way.

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The rivers are becoming less crowded. I was on the water this morning and had a half mile stretch of water all to myself. It seems as though the majority of steelhead fishermen don’t have the same enthusiasm for chasing river smallies. I’m sure they are fishing for something, whether it is walleye, muskie or catfish. For me, I will just enjoy the solitude the rivers can offer for the next four months.

Go out and fool a fish!

What Was I Thinking

Back in February, after a quick warm up, I wrote that spring came early. What was I thinking? Fast forward to mid-April and we are still waiting for spring to arrive. Snow and cold continue to harass much of the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. The only people happy about the weather are steelhead fishermen, as the season may extend into early May. River temperatures are only in the mid-40’s. Compare this to last year when the water was already hitting the mid-50’s. And, after a big rain event last weekend the rivers probably got the last big push of fresh chrome, almost assuring good catch rates for the next two weeks. I may take one more shot at some chrome, but I can’t wait to shed some layers and go after my favorite species….smallmouth bass.

 Eager to take a topwater popper and a hard fighter make smallies my favorite species to target.

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Last year at this time I was already getting into some smallies, and while there are random catches they really haven’t turned on yet. The lake run has begun to trickle in, but a nice bump in temperatures, along with a warm rain, would help get the smallies up the river. I can’t get the thought of wet wading and throwing poppers out of my head. I keep telling myself that those warm mornings are right around the corner. I just wish Mother Nature would hurry up!

Go out and fool a fish!

Catch One For Lefty

 

The fishing world lost a true legend this week with the passing of Lefty Kreh. He touched so many people with his sharp wit and charm. And, if you were fortunate to meet Lefty and he gave you a casting tip, do everything he told you. The man could lay out a tight loop with a telephone pole.


To honor Lefty the only way fishermen can, let’s catch one for Lefty. The next time you go out catch one for Lefty. Post it on social media, #catchoneforlefty and let the world know we appreciate what Lefty did for our sport.

Go out and fool a fish…for Lefty!

Spring Came Early

Even though spring is 28 days away there is a feeling that it’s already here, at least for steelhead fishermen. Steelhead Alley has had a tough couple of months. There’s been enough snow, brutal cold and iced up rivers to last three winters. But, it looks like a big break in the weather pattern has taken place, and it has steelheaders at the starting blocks, ready to hit the rivers.

A warming trend, lasting longer than just one day, has melted the ice and brought spring rains, filling the rivers with fresh chrome. But, steelheaders are an impatient lot. Get a melt that blows out the rivers and social media fishing groups light up with questions as to when will the rivers be fishable. Sick days and vacation time are taken. Nobody wants to be late to the party. With some luck this party should last for about two months.

Fishermen will be chasing steelhead up and down the rivers for the next two months.

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I’m going out on a short limb and forecast no more ice outs on the rivers this winter. March is right around the corner, and while it could be a cruel month weatherwise, I believe the trend is for slightly warmer temperatures. If we can string some dry days together, the rivers will be in prime shape.

Let’s get ready to hit the water.

Did someone say party?

Go out and fool a fish!

Surviving The Winter

As I write this, winter is in full beast mode. It has hit almost the entire eastern half of the United States like a 2 x 4 to the side of the head. Lakes, ponds, and rivers have iced over seemingly overnight. There may be some open water somewhere but most fishermen are using augers to make it. When Mother Nature gives you lemons, make lemonade. That’s what ice-fishermen do.

I’ll be upfront with everyone from the start. I am not an ice-fisherman, although I did try it once in college. Truth be told, I can’t just sit or stand for an hour or two looking at a small hole in the ice waiting for a bite. I have to be in the water, not on the water. But I give ice-fishermen a lot of credit. With the help of modern equipment and clothing they are able to get their fix, and spend countless hours on the water. In fact, the Cleveland Metroparks help them get their fix, as well as teach people new to the sport, ice-fishing techniques. Several lakes in the Metroparks are stocked early in winter specifically for ice-fishermen. And, as part of Winterrific, Mike Durkalec, Aquatic Biologist, and several volunteers put on an all-day ice-fishing seminar. This is an ideal opportunity to learn the art of ice-fishing.

For those of us who do not ice-fish, all we can do is prepare for the thaw by getting our gear ready. It’s a great time to clean equipment and stock tackle or fly boxes. I’m preparing by changing out my old fly line, and replacing worn out aluminum studs on the soles of my wading boots. I consider those studs to be the most important piece of gear I have. They have saved me from countless falls.

Winter is the ideal time to repair or replace rods, reels, and fly line. 

My oldest fly line is being replaced.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

Changing these aluminum studs is a must. They have saved me from falling countless times.

So, fear not, you non-ice-fishermen, warmer days, and open water are ahead.

Go out and fool a fish!