The Perfect Morning

Driving to the river early yesterday morning I witnessed a fantastic sunrise. The combination of high cloud cover and the rising sun turned the sky to various shades of pink and blue that stretched for miles. It was one of those times where a photo could never capture what the eye is seeing. Maybe this perfect sunrise would carry over to a perfect morning on the water. For a couple of hours, it did.

Early mornings in the summer is a favorite time of mine to hit the water. Add warm, humid conditions along with some cloud cover and I can’t wait to throw a popper. I seem to have my best days under these conditions. With all this going for me I walked into the river with confidence. The third cast of the day reinforced that confidence. A smallie hit the popper, and little did I know but this first fish would the smallest of the day.

I only fished about a 150 yard stretch of river. Fishing the main flow I couldn’t buy a bite. But just off the current in slower water the fish were aggressive. Each hookup produced a bigger smallie than the previous catch. I laughingly thought that if I caught 10 the last one would be a state record. But then I hooked one that made we wonder if I was on to something.

There is a section of the river that is about 30 yards wide. I can wade down the middle and hit both banks. One side has a fast flow, the other side is very slow. Starting out, I did pick up a smallie on the bank on the faster side. Moving downstream, I placed the popper right against the bank on the slow side. I could see the bottom of the river and it was maybe 6” deep. A couple of strips moved it away from the bank into slightly deeper water. I saw a flash and then it was like a toilet flushed. A smallie inhaled the popper and about a gallon of water. I set the hook and the fish wasted no time going airborne. To be brutally honest, when it did jump, I had a holy $&#t moment. It was a tank. This fish ended up being the hardest fighting smallie I had ever hooked, and had to be one my top three smallies in terms of size. After landing it, taking a quick photo, and then releasing it I took a minute to smile. Every fisherman that has had a similar experience knows that feeling just doesn’t get any better.

Hardest fighting smallmouth I've caught.

Unfortunately, the sun broke through the clouds, and just that fast, the bite was over. But it was a perfect morning.

Go out and fool a fish!

Sometimes It’s Not About The Fish

I know it sounds like a cliché, but sometimes it’s not about the fish, especially this time of the year. Being an early riser, late spring / early summer is my favorite time of the year. First light is before 5:30AM. Throw in a warm morning, and it’s a perfect time to hit the water. As the pictures show, you can’t beat being alone on water at that time of the day.

A great morning to be on the water.

There’s a local pond that I like to fish at least once a year. I use the pond to kill a couple of hours, practice casting and maybe catch a fish or two. Sunfish, largemouth bass, and catfish populate the water. A light fly rod or ultralight spinning outfit is all that is needed. When fishing the pond I take my 4wt and use a popper. After six months of using an 8wt for steelhead, the 4wt is a welcome change.

This week I hit the pond at the right time. It gets pressure in normal times but because of the lockdown even more fishermen were showing up. Now, Ohio has opened up, and some of the added pressure is coming down. The parking lot was empty when I showed up at 6:00AM. The water was a mirror except for a few active geese. Nothing beats casting a popper on a glass surface.

 Smooth as glass.

I started with a large popper, hoping a bass would key on it. But, anyone who has fished ponds knows that sunfish can be a nuisance. They always seem to be around the popper no matter where it lands. If it’s a larger popper, all the sunfish seem to be able to do is bump it. And, that’s what they were doing.

Meanwhile, the bass were having nothing to do with the large sized popper. So I switched to a smaller size, one that even the sunfish could inhale. Sure enough, a sunnie hit the popper and inhaled it. Several casts later a large wake followed the popper and a nice size bass hit it. It went deep into the weeds and hung me up. I finally managed to free the fly but the fish got off. After that I managed to land a couple of sunnies, but I reminded myself that sometimes it’s not about the fish.

 Could have been a 20" bass or a 5" sunnie. It just didn't matter.

Find yourself a warm summer morning and hit a local pond. You’ll be glad you did.

Go out and fool a fish!

Stinko de Mayo

It certainly didn’t feel like May 5 this morning in northeast Ohio. The temperature at the river read 30°. It felt more like February. But, because of schedules and timing I was going to hit the river today for one last crack at some chrome before saying Adios for the year. In fact, I downsized my rig, putting the 8wt away, and knocking the cobwebs off the 6wt. My thinking was that I may come across a lake-run smallie, and the 6wt would be perfect. And, if I hook a dropback, the 6wt could handle the fight.

I wish I could have tested my thinking but that would have required fighting a fish. I had one strike while watching a juvenile eagle pick something off the bank downstream, and was late with the hookset. If I had a dollar for every strike I had while distracted I’d have more than a few bucks in my pocket.

Overkill? Maybe. Certainly felt cold this morning.

So, let’s hope for warmer temperatures and a margarita or two. If not, it’ll feel more like Stinko de Mayo.

Go out and fool a fish!

Finally

For awhile I thought I forgot how to catch a fish. That’s tough to say, especially during peak steelhead season. Social media fishing groups are filled with reports of 10+ steelhead catches almost the norm. And I make five trips in February and March to Lake Erie tributaries and not even a bump. That’s some bad juju!

Wrong flies…wrong time…wrong stretch of water…wrong day. It was all wrong. The strange thing was I fished good water that had always been productive. And, on the days I was on the water I wasn’t seeing anybody else catch chrome. There would be five or six fishermen sharing water, all coming up empty. Was it me? Was I spreading my bad juju to them? It was getting so bad that I wanted to go up to them and apologize, explaining they won’t be catching anything today. But for my own safety, and not wanting to spoil their day before it began, I just went about my business…of not catching a fish.

Something had to change. I went fishing yesterday and decided to go as far south as I can go on the Chagrin River. Maybe get away from the crowds and find some unpressured water. I had nothing to lose. If I wasn’t hooking up on popular stretches of water I’d find some place without footprints in the mud. I found the spot and began to swing flies in pools and riffles. For a little over two hours I threw every color woolly bugger in my fly box without a bump. Was it going to be another long ride home smelling of skunk?

Absolutely not. Running out of water I had a small riffle left to fish. Only having about 10’ of fly line and the leader on the water I got a tug. I set the hook and it felt great. A quick fight ended with some chrome in the net. How ironic. The shortest cast of the day catches the fish. Not the biggest steelhead I’ve caught but at that time it was a giant.

After a long drought getting this fish in the net felt great.

 

After I released it I said to myself “that wasn’t a fish, that was a smile. I’m back!

Go out and fool a fish!

The Pause That Refreshes

Can't believe January passed me by. I took the month off from chasing chrome. Not by design, it just happened. Actually, I spent a lot of time beginning to teach myself Spanish. This is to correct a mistake I made in high school a long, long time ago. I chose French as a freshman and that ended up a bust.

I also recharged my batteries. Just stepping away from the water for this short period made me appreciate even more the time that I do get to spend on one of the greatest hobbies man has ever created.

I'm ready to catch some chrome.

With that said, the calendar change to February and I’m ready to catch some fish, if there’s any left. From the reports I’ve seen there have been many great catch days out there. As a “pescador” I want some of that.

Go out and catch a fish!
Sal y engana a un pez!

Christmas Came Early

December in northeast Ohio can mean a lot of things. A lot of cold and snow is the general rule. But this year, December has been a sleeper. We’ve had some cold and snow but it could have been much worse. In fact, as I’m writing this, it is sunny and 53° F. It’s called a heat wave around here. I couldn’t pass up a day like so I hit the water and received an early Christmas gift.

My favorite steelhead river was fishable, and I’ve been eager to try a streamer pattern that I was introduced to during a trip to Virginia for trout. It was successful on a couple of rainbows and I thought it would be ideal chasing steelhead. After working a nice stretch of water for 1-1/2 hours I was beginning to think the streamer only liked southern hospitality, as I couldn’t get a bump. I was down to my last 20 yard stretch of fishable water when the tug finally arrived. I came tight and the fight was on. The fish surfaced a few times, splashed and rolled to break free, but to no avail. After a brief chase downstream I was able to guide it to the edge of the river. The Kreelex pattern did its job. Christmas a few days early.

Go out and fool a fish!

Steelhead with some nice color. Took a swung streamer fished deep and slow.

 The streamer hanging out of the mouth is a Kreelex. I fished it for trout in Virginia and thought it might be good for chrome. It was.

Blame It On The Cat

I was able to get out yesterday and hunt for some chrome for the first time in a couple of weeks. Leaving the house pumped to get a tug on a swung streamer I made my way to a local Lake Erie tributary. That feeling did not last long.

Driving through the park a little after sunrise I was startled by a black cat running in front of my car. Oh crap! Just what I didn’t need. Funny thing is, I am not superstitious in everyday life except when fishing is involved. I quit packing bananas for a snack a few years ago and noticed that I don’t get skunked as often. And, on several occasions after catching a fish on the first cast of the day and nothing after I now always make a half-hearted attempt at the first cast of the day. Now I have to add a black cat to my superstition checklist.

The day went as expected. Not even a bump for a couple of hours. Maybe it was the low and clear water conditions. Maybe I just picked the wrong stretch of river to fish. Or, maybe the cat knew I am a dog person and was seeking revenge. Anyway, it’s a good excuse for not catching anything.

This is what I didn't catch yesterday, and I'm blaming it on the cat.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

Go out and fool a fish!