A Surprise Catch

Lake Erie is known for fantastic walleye fishing. According to reports, it’s even better than fantastic this fall. Size and quantity of catch have been unbelievably strong. Even fishermen working the rivers for steelhead are reporting walleye catches. With first-hand experience I can confirm those reports.

A couple of days ago I went on a hunting mission in an attempt to determine if any steelhead have made it past Painesville on the Grand River. With little rain, the Grand hasn't been able to get a big push of water since August. Well, the hunt went on for a couple of hours and I finally got a take on a white woolly bugger. I was surprised when I realized it wasn't a steelhead. It was a walleye. Not big, but a walleye none the less. This was my first walleye ever on a fly rod.

A surprise catch three miles upstream from Lake Erie.

A toothy walleye.

(Click on image for larger view.). 

A great time of the year to be on the water.

Oh, by the way, on my second cast after landing the walleye I did hook up with a steelhead. Unfortunately, after playing it for about a minute, and after three jumps, the hook pulled loose. I examined the woolly bugger and the hook was bent. Oh well, that’s fishing.

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.

(Click on image for larger view.)

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".

(Click on image for a larger view.)

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!

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!

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!

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!

Winter Thoughts

Winter forces fishermen into downtime between storms and blown out rivers. So how do fishermen pass the time between outings? They think about being on the water while tinkering with rods and reels. I don’t know about you but my mind does not work in a straight line. In fact, I think it needs its own GPS. Somehow an ADD diagnosis was missed. Here are some recent thoughts.

When a steelhead hits a spawn sac do they want the eggs or the netting?

Almost time to purchase a 2017 license. Can’t believe there aren’t more people fishing. Ohio’s fee is $19.00. No better value exists.

I’d pay more if the Ohio Department of Natural Resources used the money wisely.

I remember summer trips to Canada in the 60’s to fish. There were no electronics on the boats. You had to learn the lake to find the fish. My father and I would troll until we found some fish. Then we tried to remember the spot by looking at the shoreline to pick out a landmark. It made us better fishermen. Now there’s a whole generation of fishermen who just look at a screen to find the fish. I think they are missing out on an important part of fishing. That’s why I like to wade and fish rivers. You have to work to find the fish. Seems more satisfying.

Fishing shows on cable are not realistic. They always catch fish. I guess it would make for bad viewing if they didn’t catch anything, but it would be more realistic. I don’t know of anyone who catches fish every time out. Getting skunked is part of fishing.

It would be great to experience the Cleveland area when it was first settled. Imagine the fish in the lakes and rivers. I’d go back in time if I could take my rods and reels……and a bathroom. Got to have a bathroom.

Pound for pound, a smallmouth bass fights harder than a steelhead.

 I'll take the fight this Rocky River smallie put up over a steelhead any day.

You would think water is the same no matter what river you’re on, but the Grand smell is different than the Chagrin, which smells different than the Rocky. Smell your net and you’ll see what I mean. Maybe that different smell is what locks the steelhead in finding its stocking river.

This country has worked too long and hard to clean up the lakes, rivers, and streams. It would not be progress to eliminate protections in place. Do you really think businesses would have stopped polluting the Cuyahoga had the government not gotten involved?


Go out and fool a fish!

If Only The Fish Had Cooperated

It’s the middle of winter and hard core fishermen try to steal any time they can on the water. I’m not sure I fit that category although my wife may say I’m crazy. But Old Man Winter has lost his grip for a few days. It is Mid-January, and temperatures are approaching 60° in steelhead alley. Who can pass up a chance to get on the water? Maybe the fish will cooperate.

Last week all the rivers were blown out. Now, most of the rivers are fishable. It’s time to get out before the next rain event. Maybe the fish will cooperate.

For me, I’m going to hit a creek that flows into the Grand River. It’s in good shape. Maybe the fish will cooperate.

Being retired it seems that these days my toughest decisions revolve around whether I should drift an egg pattern or swing a streamer? I’ll take the easy way out and try a little of both. Maybe the fish will cooperate.

Sunday and Monday are out, so Tuesday’s the day. Warmer temps mean one or two less layers of clothing, and no ice on the guides. Perfect. Maybe the fish will cooperate.

Tuesday comes and there’s rain in the area, but it looks like there’s a window of dry weather for a couple of hours. I arrive at the creek and there’s another car in the lot. He’s downstream, so I head in the opposite direction, and hit a couple of pools. The water was stained from the overnight rain but still fishable. Working an egg pattern through the pool attracted nothing but a small branch. Time to switch to the streamer. Cast after cast produced nothing. Change colors, nothing. The fish aren’t cooperating.

This creek had good flow, and a slight stain. Perfect conditions early. If only the fish had cooperated.

(Click on image for larger view.)

 

Through all this I didn’t notice the sky was darkening. Then the rain started. I decided to take a break and head to the car. At about the same time I reached the car a loud rumble began. The thunder was just as good as any summertime storm and it hung around for a few minutes. Then the heavy rain started. So, my outing was cut short after two hours with nothing to show for it.

If only the fish had cooperated.

Go out and fool a fish!

Now I’m Seeing Things

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.

(Click on image for larger view.) 

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.

Go out and fool a fish!

Sometimes I’m My Worst Enemy

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.

Go out and fool a fish!

Resident Smallmouth Fishing Is Picking Up

Beautiful morning at Helen Hazen Wyman Park on the Grand River.

(Click on image for larger view.)

By mid-June the lake run smallmouth bass season is just about over. Oh, there may be a straggler or two in the northeast Ohio rivers, but for the most part they are back in Lake Erie. Now is the time of year that fishermen can have a section of the Grand, Chagrin, or Rocky rivers all to their own. The water is heating up, and so is the fishing for resident smallmouth bass, carp, rock bass, and bluegill/sunfish. Match the rod and line size to the fish you’re targeting and even a small fish can be fun to catch. And, the catching has been good.

I have had good success this year whether I’m throwing topwater or a small streamer. The resident smallies have been especially aggressive, hitting all colors of small baitfish imitations. Throw in a couple of nice topwater takes on a Sneaky Pete, and it makes for a fun morning.

Yesterday, on a stretch of the Grand River that only two months ago was elbow-to-elbow with steelhead fishermen, I had the river to myself. It ended up being one of my best days fishing these rivers. I probably had over 15 hookups, landing most of them. Even though most were small, I had a blast. Using a 4wt with light tippet is ideal for the resident smallies.

Smallmouth bass sem to be hitting just about any color streamer. 

This one fell for a chartreuse woolly bugger.

The interesting part is the smallies liked any presentation. It didn’t matter if the fly was swung, stripped, or just hanging at the end of a drift. They were on it. The topwater action I had with the Sneaky Pete was when it was moving. They had no interest in a motionless slider.

Very typical size for a resident smallie. It's  fun catching them on light tippet.

This is a great time to be on the water. If warm weather, solitude, and a chance to catch some fish is what you are looking for, get out there.

As an update to the previous post on the banana superstition, I’ve had three excellent outings since giving up bananas as a fishing snack, and I’m now a full blown superstitious fisherman.

Go out and fool a fish!

The Lowly Sucker Gets No Respect

It seems like no matter where you fish there is one species that gets no respect. It is a fish that will get in the way of catching a targeted fish, like trout or steelhead. In the western United States, there’s the whitefish. It will grab a fly intended for a brown or rainbow trout. In the eastern United States, the fallfish will also grab a fly that the fishermen would rather have a trout sip it in. I’ve spoken with a few fishermen, and they almost feel cheated when a whitefish or fallfish are on the line. For me, I just like to catch fish.

In Steelhead Alley, many of the tributaries have a run of suckers during April and May. White Suckers are the most common. Redhorse Suckers are not as common, but are larger than the white. These bottom feeders just love to stage downstream from spawning steelhead picking off eggs. I’ve managed to catch a few over the years, and never felt cheated. The ones I’ve caught put up a strong fight which is a good thing, am I right? Sure, it wasn’t a steelhead, but it beats a skunking.

A few days ago I hit the Grand River for one last shot at some steelhead. I stood in a riffle nymphing with a pink egg pattern. On about the fifth or sixth drift the indicator went under and I set the hook. The initial bend in the rod made me think steel, but after a few head shakes it wasn’t fighting like steel. Finally, bringing it close, it was clear it was a sucker. It turned out to be the first of four suckers I would land that day, all between 16” and 18” in length. The reddish tail and large scales made these suckers members of the Redhorse family. What’s important is the Redhorse is intolerant of poor water quality, so finding them in the Ohio tribs is excellent.

Suckers are suckers for egg patterns. This was one of four caught, all about 16"-18" in length.

(Click on image for larger view.)

So, give these bottom feeders their due. From someone who knows, it beats a skunking.

Go out and fool a fish!

Steelhead Season Is Coming To A Close

Time is running out on the 2015-2016 steelhead season. With the help of El Nino, fishermen had seven months of relatively nice weather this past Fall, Winter, and early Spring. Spawning activity is continuing, with the late arrivals going through the process now. Those steelhead who have been in the river, and completed their spawning, are dropping back to Lake Erie. There have been many reports of steelhead being caught that look beat up from all the spawning. Unfortunately, I witnessed one of those beat up fish today.

I fished the Grand River early this morning to hit some of the deeper pools, hoping to pick up a dropback. I was swinging a black wooly bugger when a chromer hit it. It put up a good fight, but in the end the fish came to hand. Looking at the fish closely, there were scars on its sides, and the tail and mouth were raw. It certainly paid the price.

This 23" hen was beat up from the spawning process. Princess Warrior.

(Click on image for larger view.)

 

I have never felt sorry for any fish I’ve caught. Everyone I’ve caught was revived and released to live another day. But, I actually felt sorry for this one. When I landed it, I kept it in the water and grabbed by camera for a quick shot. Still feisty, the fish flopped a few times and landed on some rocks. I gathered the fish in my hands and placed it back in the water. It took about a minute or so for the fish to revive and swim off. I hope it makes its way back to the lake. Let’s hope this fish, and all the others make it back to the lake, put their feedbags on, grow strong, and come back next fall.

With May right around the corner, it’s time to target smallmouth bass. The lake run smallies have begun to show up in the rivers. This run usually lasts until late May, and there are some trophies pushing 5 lbs. to be had. If you like wading rivers looking for smallies, May is your month.

Get your share of the lake run smallies.

Go out and fool a fish!

The Grand River Was Rockin’

Crack of dawn on the Grand

(Click on image for larger view.)

Dry conditions the last week or so helped the Grand River find its prime flow, at least for me. The water steadily dropped to under 600cfs, which is about my upper limit. I found that higher than that, and I have to put so much weight on the line, it feels like I'm casting an anchor. Maybe if I had better technique it wouldn’t be a problem. But, that’s for another post.

Easy access and good fishing makes the Lake Metroparks a popular destination for steelheaders.

Accessing the Grand at Helen Hazen Wyman Park, I managed to fish for about three hours today with 20 of my closest friends. Doesn’t anyone work anymore? Overall, the steelhead action was brisk, as many fishermen had multiple hookups. But for me, and a few others who started fishing the riffles, it was a slow start. I don’t know about other fishermen but when I’m not catching anything and others are, I feel like I’m watching a movie instead of having a part in it. Early on, all the hookups were in the slower, deeper sections of the river. I did find a spot in one of the pools, changed from an egg pattern to a chartreuse woolly bugger, and started to see some action. So, today, the movie had a happy ending.

A nice 18" fattie. Been in the river just long enough for some color.

Stay tuned for the sequel!

Go out and fool a fish!

I Was Starting to Smell Skunky

When steelhead season starts I set modest expectations knowing that catching chrome is not usually a big numbers game. I expected to catch a few, and have some days when I get shut out. Well, after catching two in mid-to-late October I thought that maybe my expectations were too low. Then came November, and after a handful of trips, went 0 for the month. So much for raising expectations. I was starting to smell skunky… until today. Finally.

Off and on, the past several trips I have been experimenting with a sinking leader, hoping to get deeper in some of the pools on the Grand. Using a standard leader, I never felt like I was near the bottom whenever I would swing a fly through a pool. Today, I tied on an egg sucking leech, and it was my ticket to success.

The photo has no perspective, as I was in a hurry to snap the photo and release the fish. My guess is it was close to 20”, and had a nice pink color on the gill plate. It put up a good fight after a very subtle take. Most of the takes I’ve had swinging a fly have been strong. The tug is distinctive, so there’s no doubt a fish is on. Today’s take felt like the fly ticked bottom. No matter, skunk off.

No perspective, about 20".  Pink color just starting to show up.

(Click on image for larger view.)

The rest of the fishermen on the river seemed to be having a tough time of it. There was a guide with a client who said I might have caught the only fish in the river. I’ve been where they were at, and feel their pain. They’ll catch em. I'm convinced steelhead fishing is being in the right place, at the right time.

Go out and fool a fish!

Mother Nature be Kind to Steelheaders

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

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

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

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

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

This fresh jack put up a good fight.

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

I wonder what’s around the next bend?

Go out and fool a fish!

Steelhead Season Arrives in the Alley

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

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

See ya in the spring, Mr. Smallie

Hello Mr. Steelie

Won't see an empty river until late May

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

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

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

Steelhead seminars start the season

Local fly tiers crafting steelhead flies

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

Go out and fool a steelhead!

Increased Population of Smallmouth Bass

Call this an unscientific survey, but from personal experience and in talking with others it appears as though the population of smallmouth bass has increased on the Chagrin and Grand Rivers. This year there have been reports of many small, smallmouth bass being caught. Personally I’ve caught more this year than any of the past four years. Talking with other fishermen they are saying the same thing.

This can only be a good thing for the coming years. Many of the fish are probably less than two years old, and being residents, have to rely on the aquatic life in the Chagrin and Grand rivers. Those who fish the rivers regularly know that a good size resident smallmouth is 13”-15”. While the rivers do have enough life to sustain a population of smallmouth bass it doesn’t compare to the Lake Erie food supply, but that’s OK. Those residents who survive will improve the fishing in the next couple of years. Catching a 13" hard fighting smallmouth on a fly rod is fine by me.

Another aspect of the increase in population is that many fishermen wondered what the affect the harsh winters of the last two years had on the fish. Seems to me it didn’t affect the smallmouth. In fact, one could argue that the smallmouth bass had a “human blizzard“ affect them. We’ve all heard about the increase in births nine months after a blizzard. 

Nice 8" smallmouth from the Chagrin.

(Click on image for larger view)

Go out and fool a fish!

The Rivers are Back

If you live in Ohio then you know how much rain we received during the Spring and early Summer. For the most part, the rivers in many areas have not been fishable. Even if you have a kayak or canoe it’s been difficult getting out. Well, the weather finally broke in northeast Ohio and the rivers are now in good shape. In fact, as with all spate rivers that get their flows from weather fronts, we could use some rain. The flows and levels are quite low.

I had one of those weeks when I was able to get out three times. As much as I like steelhead season nothing beats this time of the year. Warm temps, early sunrises, and empty rivers make ideal conditions. I fished three different spots on the Grand and Chagrin rivers and did not see another fisherman. I’m sure they were out somewhere, just not where I was.

During the middle of the summer these rivers have a variety of species for an angler. For the panfisherman, there’s crappies and bluegills. On light tackle or a 4wt fly rod they are fun fish to catch. Smallmouth bass provide a fight for any fisherman. The resident smallmouth, while not the size of their lake run brothers, will not give up when hooked. Finally, for those fishermen looking for a bruiser there are bottom feeding carp. I’ve not hooked one but word is they will run you into your backing very quickly.

Smallie caught on the Grand with a black wooly bugger.

(Click on image for a larger view)

 

Most of the fish caught this week took several different colors of wooly buggers. White and chartreuse have been my best colors but now I’ll have to include black. In the past, I’ve not had much success with black but that changed this week. Several fish came to the net dangling a black wooly bugger out of the corner of their mouth.

I've also been throwing some terrestrials with some success. The bluegill below took a beetle pattern.

This bluegill grabbed a beetle pattern only seconds after it hit the water.

 

This morning I hit a stretch of the Chagrin, and using a white wooly bugger hooked into a nice size smallmouth within the first ten minutes. A few casts later another one grabbed the fly but I must have not set the hook well. It was off after a brief fight.

Moving downstream to a deep pool I switched to a topwater Sneaky Pete. This has a size 8 hook which may be too big for most of the fish. Over the course of 20 minutes I had about six hits but missed the hookset on all but one. It was time to downsize. I pulled a red and white popper from the fly box that is designed for panfish and two casts later a smallmouth attacked it. I played it for a bit but close to the net it got off. Fishing on the surface is so much fun!

This smallie fell for a white wooly bugger. It put up a good fight.

 

Walking back to the car I realized that I may no longer be a beginner. I’ve been fly fishing for five years and looking back at where I was two or three years ago there’s a big difference, and it is not only because I’m catching more fish. There’s a comfort level in knowing where the fish may be holding. Learning how sunlight affects the fish and the rivers has me looking at areas to fish differently. There have been many outings when I would catch a couple of fish early before the sun hits the water only to lose the bite once the sun makes an appearance. Find the shade and you will find the fish. This was true today as well, concentrating on shaded areas of the river I was able to extend the bite.

Can’t wait to get out again and learn something else.

Get out and fool a fish!