The Chagrin Pays Off Again

I was able to get out before the rain, and hit one of my favorite spots on the Chagrin River. The water was clear, cold, and flowing at a perfect speed for swinging a streamer. After covering most of the pools that usually produce (but didn’t today) I ended up walking further downstream and tried a new spot. I noticed this pool the last time I fished the park but there were two fishermen already working it. I’m glad I remembered it.

Using my go-to streamer, a tan, golden retriever, which is a cousin of a woolly bugger, it didn’t take but five drifts before I felt that tug. A five minute battle ensued. This chromer did not want to give up. I’d get it close and it would make a run. It flopped round the surface a few times and then would head for the bottom. I was finally able to net it and was amazed how thick it was. This female was loaded with eggs. After a quick picture the fish was revived, and took off for the bottom. I believe it was the best fight a steelhead put up for me.

This female put up a good fight. A tan, golden retriever fooled it. One of the best baitfish imitations.

Go out and fool a fish!

The Long and Short Of It

It’s early December and almost all the leaves are down. The brilliant colors are now replaced with the winter grey on every tree and bush. As for the leaves, I think they are all in the rivers. It seems as though every bit of slack water is holding 3’ of leaves. The rivers needs a big flush. The rain we received last week pushed water levels up a little but we could use a major rain event. That would push the leaves out and bring more chrome in. Not that I’m complaining, as fishermen are catching steelhead in all northeast Ohio tribs, in both the lower and upper stretches. And, after several nights of cold sweats due to not wetting a line for 10 days, I can include myself in the catching part.

There’s a section of the Chagrin River near Chagrin Falls that I fish regularly in the summer for smallies. It has easy access, deep holes, and good structure. If smallies like it, I think steelhead would as well. As the steelhead migrate into the rivers some will travel as far upstream as they can. That’s what I was hoping for, as this spot is definitely the farthest from Lake Erie I’ve fished for steel.

My start to the day was uneventful and frustrating. On previous outings I have been swinging streamers waiting for that unmistakable tug. Today I made the decision to start drifting an egg pattern. For me, casting would be better if only the egg was attached to the line. But, add split shot and an indicator, and all of sudden I’m getting tangles from my poor casting technique. Throw into the mix having to adjust the indicator seemingly every other cast and you can see my frustration. So, after no success through a couple of holes I made the switch to a streamer, and then moved upstream. Glad I did.

The spot upstream is deep and loaded with wood structure. I’m thinking there’s got be some chrome is this stretch. I tied on an imitation of a minnow pattern, as the river was loaded with them, and starting swinging the streamer. There was a log jam on the other side of the river, so I made my cast several feet in front of it. The current moved it downstream. I was hoping to keep the streamer as close to the wood as possible, crossing my fingers that the drift wasn’t going to end with a snag. I made one strip and felt some weight. For a brief moment I thought snag, but that went away when the line started moving downstream. After a couple of nice runs I was able to bring a thick, 20” steelhead to the net. Life is good!

A nice steelhead caught far upstream from Lake Erie. Released to live another day.

(Click on image for larger view.)

As the title of this post states, there’s a long and short to the story. The steelhead is definitely the long. As for the short, I mentioned earlier that the river was loaded with minnows. As fishermen you know where this is going. That same streamer that hooked the steelhead also managed to hook into a minnow. Now, I don’t know if the minnow went to eat the streamer and missed, or by swinging the streamer through the pool I foul hooked it. If you look at the photo you will see the hook is neatly placed near the base of the tail. I guess it’s just one more species to add to my list.

An unexpected catch. Released to live another day. :)

Now that’s a short story.

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!

Fall Trip To Mohican State Park

The covered bridge makes for a great photo any time of the year.

(Click on image for larger view.)

What is turning out to be an annual event, my wife and I made a day trip to Mohican State Park in Loudonville, Ohio. If we time it right, the fishing and fall colors make for a great day. This year the colors were at, or close to peak. The fishing…not so much. The water was low and crystal clear. The first part of the day the water was void of leaves, but then we had a major leaf hatch, and by the time we called it quits around noon the surface of the water was covered with leaves.

As for the fishing, I moved up and downstream to find some deeper pools. There were a few spots but the fish didn’t want to play. I did manage to hook into a small largemouth bass, but that was it. In the past few years the Ohio Department of Natural Resources stocks the lower Clear Fork River that flows through the park with brown trout. I didn’t see any trout, so the stocking may not yet have occurred.

Look close. The only hookup of the day.

Before calling it a day, we took one last walk upstream and as if out of nowhere I spotted some bass, bluegills, and suckers hanging out in the middle of a few downed trees. Unfortunately the only way I could get a fly to them was to dap a woolly bugger. I spent about 10 minutes trying to entice a strike, but they didn’t want to play. Just a tough day.

Here's nice shot of a few bluegill hanging around some cover.

I want to share some of the sights captured by my wife. The colors were spectacular. There is also a video to view. Remember, the fishing was tough, so what you will see will be the fall colors, and some casting to fish that weren't there. Enjoy.

Early in the morning the leaves were not present.

Come mid-morning the leaves were hatching..

Go out and fool a fish!

This Was A Surprise

Early morning, sun kissed trees make a good backdrop for a day on the water.

(Click on image for larger view.)

The morning was cold, the coldest of the fall so far. The type of cold that reminds you what is to come. Dressed in layers, I wanted to hit the river early for a shot at some chrome. There’s a deep hole that’s been productive, but also a magnet for fishermen. Be there late and you’ll have to wait your turn.

For whatever reason, the pool didn’t produce today. I don’t know if it was the cold front or the pressure this pool gets. I moved upstream just as the sun was kissing the tops of the trees bringing out the autumn colors. Using a tan woolly bugger, I began to slow my retrieve, literally bouncing the bugger off the bottom. Halfway through the retrieve I felt a tug. With the reflexes of an old cat, I lifted the rod and set the hook. The fish made a run upstream, and my initial thought was a small steelhead. Throughout the fight the fish never jumped. It just kept running around shaking its head. As the fish got closer to me it looked like a smallie, and not a steelhead. Finally, close enough to net, I brought a 14” smallie to hand.

A nice, 14" smallie saved the day.

That was a surprise. I wasn’t surprised that it was a smallie, as I’ve been catching quite a few this fall. It was the size and the lack of acrobatics that was surprising. I’ve never caught a smallie that large that didn’t jump at least once. I’m guessing that the fish was reacting to the cooler water temps, and was just sluggish.

Anyway you look at it, that fish saved the day, as the chrome didn’t want to play.

Go out and fool a fish!

“This Isn’t A Smallmouth”

Sometimes I just have to laugh on the river. For the last few weeks I’ve been using the 8wt rod hoping to catch some early steelhead. And during this time I have had at least a dozen strikes by small smallmouth bass. It seems as though these 6” fish can’t get enough of the woolly buggers I’ve been tossing. What I laugh about is almost everyone I’ve hooked has flown out of the water and landed 5’ upstream. For me at least, being gentle with a hookset using an 8wt is just not possible. Since a small fish can’t put any resistance on such a big rod, the fish flying upstream puts slack into the line. I’ve lost more fish from this than I care to remember. So, I just laugh and move on, knowing there’s a steelhead with my name on it somewhere.

This past week, the weather was great, and the water was in good shape. There had been reports of some steelhead being caught in the Ohio tributaries, so I was feeling confident. I hit my favorite spot with thoughts that I was going to hook into my first steelhead of the season.

The first hint of fall color on the trees is a good indication that steelhed are making their way 

into the Northeast Ohio rivers

True to form, within the first half hour I had four light strikes. In fact, I launched one the smallies into the air covering about 10’, a new personal best. Continuing to move downstream, hitting the deeper pools, I was swinging a white woolly bugger when I felt that unmistakable tug. The first thing that came to my mind was “this is not a smallmouth”. And I was right. On the end of my line was a hot steelhead that did not want to give up. It put three good runs on me, moving from the tail to the head of the pool. At one point I thought it wrapped me around a downed tree. In the end, the 8wt did the job. A very thick, 23" chromer came to hand. From the looks of it, it has been in the river a little while. Red is starting to appear on the gill plate and along the lateral line.

The first steelhead of the season. Thick and feisty.

You can’t catch a second steelhead until you get your first. It’s always good to get the first one of the season in the net.

Go out and fool a fish!