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!

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!

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!

Getting Caught Up On Some Sleep

I had a dream….that my dad was still alive, and he fished the rivers with me for steelhead and smallies.

I had a dream….every morning started out at 65°, and smallies were hitting topwater flies.

I had a dream….that the Shenandoah Valley was in my backyard.

I had a dream….that a picture my wife took of a local stream made the cover of fishing magazine.

Early morning on the Clear Fork in Mohican State Park.

(Click on image for larger view.)

I had a dream….and one of the manufacturers of tippet material finally produced a spool with a 3” long, colored coded section to visually let you know the spool is running out soon.

I had a dream….that I was 100’ downstream from a centerpinner and he kept hooking fish right in front of me.

I had a dream….that I caught a fish on every cast.

I had a dream….of wet wading for steelhead in July.

I had a dream….that Ohio had as many great trout streams as Pennsylvania.

I had a dream….that I was fishing without a wading staff, and not falling down.

I had a dream….that the Rocky River flowed east-west through Cuyahoga and Lake Counties.

I had a dream….that Asian Carp were only found in Asia.

I had a nightmare….that I never got back into fishing.



Go out and fool a fish!

60 Seconds With Mike Durkalec

Today I am beginning a series of quick interviews with people close to the fishing industry. Some of the people you may recognize, others you won’t, but all will have something of interest for everyone. The title, “60 Seconds With”, hopefully will be the time it will take to read the interview.

The first interview will be with Michael Durkalec, Aquatic Biologist, for the Cleveland Metroparks. Mike is very close to the fishing community in northeast Ohio. To update local fishermen on current fishing conditions Mike publishes a weekly fishing report on the Cleveland Metroparks website. He is extremely knowledgeable in all types of fishing methods, and has been the guest speaker at many local fishing expos.

Mike with a huger brown trout from a recent fishing trip.

Q: Growing up, a lot of kids want to be a policeman or fireman. I don't know of any who have said they wanted to be an aquatic biologist. How did you decide that was going to be your path in life?

A: I had an affinity for fishing and water from a very early age. I also performed well in the sciences. But it wasn't until early in college when I was majoring in biology I came to an epiphany. I was enjoying a beautiful spring day fishing for steelhead on the Rocky River, thinking about what I could do with my life when it came to me - could I find a career option in which I could enjoy my love of fishing AND my inclination toward sciences together? Follow up research revealed the field of fisheries biology as an option, and after obtaining my B.S. in Biology I followed up with an M.S. in Fisheries Management from Ohio State University, and ended up on the track which brings me to where I am today. I have zero regrets that I found the right path for me.

Q: What are your responsibilities as an aquatic biologist for the Cleveland Metroparks?

A: I oversee all aspects of the Park District fisheries program, much of the water quality monitoring, and serve as an advocate and expert on water issues. The fisheries program involves active fish management (ie- stocking, population surveys, and habitat improvement), providing fishing information to the public in many forms, and hosting fishing programs. But I do have great diversity in my job, which I love, and never quite know what surprises will come up from day to day. That's part of what I find so rewarding about public service.

Q: The Rocky River Reservation is one of the crown jewels for the Metroparks. What is it about the Rocky River that makes it one of the best rivers in the country for fishing?

A: A combination of lots of public land on 31 miles of the Rocky River protected by our parks coupled with an excellent stocking program (Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Metroparks collaboration) and a diversity of native resident and migratory Lake Erie fishes. We are proud to be the largest landowner in the state of Ohio on a particular stream. I owe this is large part to the forward looking vision of our park founders.

Q: Several weeks ago you published a portion of the fishing log you kept during the 1990's and early 2000's. In a three day period you hooked 228 steelhead. Those are numbers we don't see these days. What changed from then to now?

A: There were more steelhead, and far less pressure in those days. That instance was in a remote valley on a western NY stream that is now much more heavily fished. Why were there more fish then? Likely a combination of more sea lamprey parasites now impacting their numbers adversely, coupled with changes in the ecosystem. For example, the massive number of non native quagga mussels in the lake filtering out plankton (the base of the aquatic food web) has undoubtedly had some adverse affect on food availability to fishes. Expansive, late summer dead zones (oxygen void areas), due to algae blooms is likely another factor. Asian carp knocking at the door of the Great Lakes is another concern. It's a huge, complex system that is affected by many interwoven factors that scientists are continually learning about.

Q: What are the chances of seeing those numbers again?

A: Hard to say, but I'm guessing the number of anglers out there are more likely to increase than the reverse. BUT- I can tell you from experience that you don't need that many fish to have a great day. In fact, catching a good number of fish, yet few enough that each one is memorable, makes for a better quality outing. I can say this from experience. My perfect day is a beautiful day on the water with a good friend where we fish thoroughly, and hook 20 or so steelhead. Far from my best numbers, but great by any standard, and enough fish to keep things very interesting. And still a very realistic goal in the scope of our current steelhead program, which, frankly, is among the best anywhere. And I've fished all over the US and Canada, so I feel I have a good perspective to appreciate that.



Thanks Mike for your valuable insights!

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!

More Spring Steel

When early spring arrives so do the steelhead anglers. Pick any weekend, and if the waters are fishable, there will be hundreds of fishermen fighting for a good spot, often elbow to elbow in the prime locations. The Grand, Chagrin, Rocky, and "Connie" all see pressure during those weekends. As someone who was relatively new to steelhead fishing I found this slightly disconcerning. Now, I don’t expect to have the river all to myself but with crowds comes the possibility of turf wars, and after witnessing one, it took the enjoyment out of the day.

So, when I retired, my thought was to fish during the week which would “thin the herd”. For the most part that is true but I’m still surprised at how many fishermen show up. Of course, you have retirees like me, but also a fair number of younger fishermen who have either called in sick or are on vacation. It’s more noticeable when a river like the Grand is not fishable but the feeder creeks are.

On a recent Monday outing at Big Creek there had to be a dozen fishermen in a very short stretch of water. But it is steelhead season, and when the fish start to make their way into the feeder creeks to start spawning it is the ideal time to catch them in clear, skinny water. In a short period of time I have learned to like sight fishing. Being able to see your target and then figure out how best to approach it is what makes it interesting. It is one of the best ways to learn. There is no forgiveness. One little mistake and the fish is spooked.
During that outing I managed to hook into three chromers but did not land them. Poor hooksets allowed the first two to get off quickly. The third put up a good fight, making three runs into a downed tree before breaking off. Even though I didn’t land it I was happy just to experience the fight. To me, that is one of the things that make fishing fun. But, I still want to land one. I’d have that chance a couple days later.

Visiting the same stretch of water a few days later, I found the water lower which made fishing a little tougher. Armed with several different colors of egg patterns the fishing was indeed slower. Finally, after drifting an egg near the same downed tree that days earlier produced a good fighting chromer another steelhead sucked it in. The fight was on but it still got the best of me as the fish jumped right next to the tree and broke me off. It was a bright, fresh run fish. That one stung.

Moving downstream I spotted several fish cruising in and out of cover. They would move to the center of the 12’ wide stretch of water and then head back to the cover. I tried to get close but they spooked so I had to wait for about 20 minutes for them to calm down. Sitting at the side of the creek I was watching how close to the cover they got. I don’t think a piece of paper would fit between them and the submerged brush.

After the break I was able to approach the spot again and cast upstream hoping for a good drift. Being in only about 18” of water I was able to watch the egg drift past the staged fish. I noticed a flash and set the hook. Fish on! The chromer ran up and down the stretch of water but after a couple of minutes it was fish in hand. Mission accomplished.

Go out and fool a fish!