Swinging Time

I’ll be Damn. A window has opened. There are fish to be had and the rivers have dropped into shape. I never had a March like the one we had. In twenty years of steelheading, I’ve always had a successful March. Hell, March is the one month I know I won’t get skunked, no matter what or where I go. NOT!! I didn;t fish one day in March. It was the wettest month in decades. At any rate, April is great. I managed to sneek out on one of the most beautiful days on record. The problem is so did everyone else.

The Rocky River was packed full of fish and folks. It was an Alaska grizzly scene. People lined up ,every hole taken, ever patch of gravel occupied. That being said, the fishing was great!!

Snowed In

Can’t believe this. That darn groundhog has cursed us all. It is still wintertime in NE Ohio. The rains will wash it away soon, but this will push the season back a couple of weeks. It seems that th seasons have been 6 weeks behind the traditional weather. There is lots of snow in March, 90 degrees in September, rains in December. All I can do is tie , tie, tie. Well, the rains will be on their way, and the restlessness will overcome my senses. The fish will be spawning soon and I will be on the move as well.

Lying in wait

January was a crazy month. It froze then thawed, then froze again. Fishing was so hit or miss that I had to lay low and tie flies for my future arsenal . My next post will have pics of my most successful flies I use. My web cam is acting up so adding video is not going to happen till after Valentines day. Get ready..

WINTER IS UPON US

This is the time of year that seperates the men from the boys. I love it!!!Less fisherman, lots of fish. The falling snow is usually the only thing you see. The steelhead are plentiful and full of color. This is when the bigger fish move in and chill out till spring. This is also the time to tie flies and prepare for the springtime gauntlet. I will be taking pics and giving out recipes to what I use. Video via youtube is als in the near future. Hear are a couple of pics from my latest quick trip to the Rocky River.

My first Advisary

All the hiking, sweat and tears has resulted in success. This fish went airborne 3 times!! This time of year brings feisty fish not yet worn down by stream life. Yes!!! It took a pink sucker spawn fly on 11lb tippet(fluro of course). It was a beautiful fall day. Probably the last nice day before winter. This is what it is all about.

Fall is Upon Us

• As I sit and write this, the annual show of brown,yellow, and orange invades my streams. This is what I have been waiting for. The fish have arrived. Every rain that befalls the dying lands brings forth more willing adversaries. It is on like Donkey Kong!! I will not get one good nights rest between steelheading and life. I must balance the two or my world will certainly disintegrate. Either way I ain‘t sleeping much. I could be anywhere in the great lakes region. As long as the run is hot, I will choose that location as my destiny. The addiction has turned its silver head and I have no choice but to oblige. There are flies to be tied, equipment to be prep-ed, phone calls to be made. My gas budget has to be reworked and other luxuries will be sacrificed. All this annual preparation for a fish with a brain no bigger than an eraser.
  

Life Lessons of a Steelhead Addict

My buddy gets one !I am a selfmade, uncontrollable steelhead trout fisherman. I have dedicated twenty years of pursuit for this fabled fish. I have spent enough time and resources to fund a small African army. I’ve lost girl friends, worn out vehicles, lost dogs and the occasional rod or two. I have managed to plan my life around fishing for steelhead. You give me a month out the year and I can point an lucky fisherman to a location that has fish. The only thing that slows me down is father time and a list of self abuse that has taken its toll on my once athletic body. I know there are others out there. We addicts have that look in our eye when the subject is brought up. These are my stories and experiences molded by an animal with a brain no bigger than an eraser top.