Fishing Reports
Click the link to be taken to the report-(updated as we can!)
* Please remember to call us for more up-to-date or detailed information! These reports are not meant to be your one and only, daily source of information. They are typically general, even seasonal type reports and we currently don't have a set schedule as to when we update.
There are many different approaches you should take in order to get a good game plan for a trip or a day of fishing. Also remember that things change and these reports are what we know at the time of posting only. Keep in mind that we do express opinions and personal preferences from time-to-time which may be different from yours or what you may read elsewhere. Thanks for checking and don't forget to hit refresh on your browser to be sure that you are seeing the most recent posting.
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Fishing reports for Erie Steelhead, Mad River and Clearfork Trout
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The Mad River
5/2/08- The river is in perfect condition right now. The water level is excellent. Unfortunately we are still not seeing many feeding fish during the day. There are still sporadic Hennys during the day but the hatch is almost over. There was a heavy spinner fall last night with fish feeding steady from about 8:00 pm until dark. The caddis have really started to come on in the late afternoon/evening so there will be some overlap with any spinners that come down. We have seen a few early Sulphers near dark in the past couple of days but the main hatch probaly won't start for at least a week or more. Water temps need to get in the low 60's for the Sulphers to really get going.
4-25-08- The river has continued to come down and the fishing has picked up a little but even with good numbers of Hendricksons we are still not seeing many feeders during the day. The main hatch has been happening between 1:30-3:30 in the afternoon. There will be sporadic Hennys earlier in the day and they will continue to come off all the way up to dark. There was a good spinner fall last night but the fish didn't start feeding really heavy until 8-8:30 pm. Water temps in the afternoon have been around 62 degrees. We have also started to see good numbers of caddis. A size 16 elk hair with a pupae dropper can be productive when caddis are around.
4-18-08- We are seeing sporadic Hendricksons during the afternoon but not many feeding fish due to the water levels. The color is excellent but it is still running a little high which discourages the fish from feeding actively during the hatch. They are not holding in the feeding lanes like they should. Decent spinner fall last night but not many risers due to the water level. The river needs to come down another 50 cfps to be prime (based on guage at Rt 36). Water temps in the afternoon have been around 56 degrees.
4/8/08- With the recent warm weather we have finally started seeing some Hendricksons. There were decent numbers of Hennys on Sunday and Monday. There should be a few sporadic Hennys coming off earlier in the day but the main hatch will start around 2:30-3:30. The water clarity is good but the level is still a little high. This will prevent the fish from feeding as heavily as they would if the water was lower but there still should be plenty of feeders. If no active feeding fish are visible they can be raised by drifting over the feeding lanes. Pay attention to foam lines and current seams. Try a Parachute Adams sz 12 or 14 with a Pheasant Tail dropper .
3/28/08- We did have some folks out yesterday and they went way upstream. Flows were strong but the river was "fishable". Blue Winged Olives were around but no fish were rising. Water is just plain cold! Last night the rains blew the river again and it is very unlikely that we will be thinking of fishing this weekend. It still appears that Hendricksons may be weeks away yet. Keep the faith!
3/25/08- The Mad is still coming down and should be fishable in the upper stretches today. The lower stretches (36 and below) should be ok as long as we don't get any more rain. We need some warmer sunny days to really get the bugs going. Water temps need to be around 54 before we'll see Hendricksons.
3/10/08 The river is up and will go higher with the snow melt likely early this week. Conditions don't look good before the weekend.
03/03/08 UPDATE: The warming temeratures and rain have put the Mad high and unfishable as of Sunday night. Check the gauges before heading out. Sunday before the onset of high water the fishing was good. Water temperature at Old Troy Pike was 40 degrees.
02/23/08- Sorry we haven't been posting but it's been too gray and ugly.......depressing......but.....things are looking up. The Mad is in good shape and some folks out fishing today. We have had some reports of sporadic Blue Winged Olive types, good numbers of the Winter Black Stoneflies (Little Blacks) and decent midge activity. Best bet for the stoneflies by the way is the nymphs...a dark or black #14 nymph will do the trick. Before long we may start looking for Blue Quills and you know what that means.....Hendricksons are not far behind. It is already time to be thinking about Henny nymphs. Best bet right now is still big, gaudy streamers, especially with the amount of water we have had. If the weather is right....go fish.
01/12/08- The Mad has come down to a fishable level. You may want to be in the upper reaches today but it should be allright for tomorrow. One of the few spots to fish in the state right now. Fish are gobbling up small nymphs and midge larva. If you want to catch numbers, that's the way to go. We have been doing well...some REALLY well, on monster streamers. No dry fly activity reported as of late but we wouldn't be surprised to hear of some midge activity with the sunshine today....especially in the upper river. Take advantage!
01/10/08- The Mad is pretty well blown out from the rains a day or so ago. It was dropping pretty quick but now we are getting some more rain and it will most likely spike up again. We will try to let you know when she's fishable again......our web guy is back now and we can resume reports!!!! Remember though that you can always call the shop if we don't. Happy New Year!
12/3/07- The Mad is up and running....no fishing for at least a few days. Maybe Wednesday in the upper reaches. Good news is that we have good water for winter streamer fishing!!!!
11/23/07- The Mad is low and clear.....no problems with precip. Should be a great winter weekend of fishing. See below for more.....pretty much the same report.
11/16/07- River is looking great for the weekend.....has some water and the leaves are beginning to thin out. Another shot of rain and streamer season will be ON and is surely worth a try if the leaf activity will let you!!!! See our "Modern Streamers/Sculpins" category online to see the flies that we like. Actually saw a few bugs around this week...a few small olives and some caddis in the late afternoon and had fish rising to them. Also quite a few midges in the air and caught some fish on Griffith's Gnats which are critical from here on out. Fish are gobbling up little nymphs and tiny midge larva. Typical approach this time of year is to fish either really small...midge larva, tiny green or red copper john's etc. or go really big with cranefly larva, bitch creeks, yuk bugs and the like. Fishing has been good to excellent!
11/02/07- River is in good shape....a bit low....but nice. These next two weeks will be the worst of the season in relation to leaves. We are a bit behind. If the wind blows especially, the fishing could be tough to impossible. Your best bet regardless will be nymphs. Streamer fishing will be out of the question and dry fly fishing has been slowing. We have still been seeing good to excellent numbers of caddis, both the small #18-20 micro-caddis variety and the big, autumn sedges #8-10, but not huge numbers of fish feeding on them. We have also seen that the Fall BWO activity is slowing down. Time to start thinking about midges, both above and below. Also try a big, ugly attractor nymph like a cranefly or a yuk bug. As soon as the leaves are gone, and we hopefully get some more water, streamer season will kick in!
10/15/07- The river is still pretty low and with the cooler temperatures the leaves are starting to become a real problem. Other than those issues the fishing has been excellent. We are seeing decent numbers of the fall Olives during the afternoon and good numbers of the Great Brown Autumn sedges later in the day. The BWO Sparkle Dun in sizes #18-20 will work well for the Olives if there are feeding fish. When the Great Brown Autumn sedges are around try a size #12 Tan Elk Hair Caddis with a caddis pupae dropper. Nymphs and streamers as usual if there is no steady surface activity. Pheasant tails in sizes #16-20 with a soft hackle or midge larva dropper are a good bet.
09/28/07- Rains did nothing but help! The river was a bit off color and up yesterday but is fully recovering today. Should be a great weekend. Leaves starting to show up in the water and will be a problem for the better part of October. Not a bunch to report as far as bugs go! No reports of White Millers or White Flies in the past week or so...as expected. Still some tiny micro caddis around...and a few of the larger, Great Brown Autumn sedges but no glowing reports of fish going crazy over them. With this cooler weather we should really see some good BWO activity. They will range in size from #18-22 and can be seen any time in the mid to late afternoon. Cloudy days will get them going all day! Small nymphs fished dead-drift will be your best bet overall. Stay home on windy days!
09/13/07- The Mad is in good shape and it should be a great weekend over there. Less canoes, much better weather.......time for some serious Fall fishing! The cooler temps have had an impact on what is going on. It does seem that the White Miller Caddis are slowing down in the evenings. Best to assume we have seen the better of them. Also no glowing reports of White Flies (Ephrons) in the evenings either. Both could still be seen and fished but will be tapering off the next two weeks. Still worth having some ants and beetles during the day, especially sunny days, but that will begin to taper off here as well. You will see a mess of tiny little micro-caddis....#18-24 and the fish have been feeding on them. Will also start to see some of the Fall BWO's in sizes ranging from #20-24. They will mostly be in the later afternoon and evenings but can be seen all day on a cloudy, cool day. Also may see some of the Great Brown Autumn sedges (big caddis). Most fish will most likely be caught on nymphs and larva....(soft hackles) and that matches what we have been hearing from folks. Get out and fish before the leaves start to fall!
09/02/07- Pretty much the same report as below....just throw in a bunch more canoes than usual!!! The river is in good shape for the weekend. It will be busy though. If you go....go early or late to avoid maximum crowds in canoes. With the slightly cooler evenings and mornings the past few days, the Tricos are surely going to wind down. Most exciting thing of the day right now will be the White Miller caddis in the late evening. Should see quite a few small...micro caddis around in the late afternoon early evening as well and the warm afternoons will still be ant and beetle time. Read below for some more ideas and please remember that we are closed on Sunday and Monday of Labor Day Weekend. Have a great holiday.
08/24/07- The Mad has come back down after the rains this week and is looking good for the weekend. Keep your eye on the skies....but otherwise it is in good shape. We needed the rain! The main issue is that the weather is so darn hot.....the water temps are in good shape, in the low to mid 60s, but it's just hard to handle for the fisherman. It does look like the Tricos are pretty much slowing down. We did have a few folks that had good hatches earlier in the week but they were way up the river. There will be sporadic Tricos around for weeks but it does seem that the peak is over. Daytime is still an ant and beetle game. A few folks doing well on attractors like Madam-X, Tarantulas and Stimulators.....also worth trying an adult cranefly. In the evening you will see sporadic White Flies and tiny little Baetis and Pseudocloen types but the star of the show will be the White Miller Caddis. These are best fished with a bright green soft hackle early and a dead adult later. These are the guys that look like white moths flitting around the surface. Fish early and fish late and hope for cooler weather.
08/18/07- The Mad is in great shape and this slightly cooler weather should help things out. The Trico's didn't seem as strong this week as last. A few folks got out but didn't see much...a few did. It does seem that the upper river is the better choice which is usually the case later in the hatch. With cooler weather we could also see them more spread out and later into the morning. Of course, ants and beetles continue to be the hot ticket. Be sure to make those beetles splat down real good! The firefly pattern has been hot also, even into the evenings. We have been seeing good numbers of the White Miller caddis! Remember that a green soft hackle #14 is the best option here...maybe a big white elk hair with a bright green body with the soft hackle behind it. Also some Ephrons (White Mayflies) but they are typically not that strong on the Mad. Some small bwo types in the evenings as well but we have been doing better on ants and beetles into the evening and then swithching to White Miller type stuff.
08/10/07- The recent rains have helped the river a bit. The water is in pretty good shape....could still use a few more downpours....but better and very fishable. It has obviously been hot as can be around here, but fishing has still been decent...you just need to know when to be there and what to fish. The warmer/humid weather has been great for the Tricos, they love it! You have to be there when the sun comes up and you will see both adult and spinner activity. With as hot as it has been, activity has only been lasting until 8:30 or so. It has been a great Trico season already and the guys around here expect them to be strong for another week or two! Afternoons and early evening still belongs to the ant and beetle. Terrestrial fishing has been good to excellent. Also try the Steeve's Firefly pattern. There have been some sporadic White Flies (Ephrons) in the mid to late evening and they will be around for a few weeks or so and can provide some good evening activity. We have also seen the start of the White Millers, one of our favorite caddis hatches on the Mad. They look like white moths flitting on the surface in the late evenings. It is actually a bright green bodied caddis with white wings....usually about a #14. The green soft hackle works especially good for these. These will be fairly strong here over the next month or so. Fish early and fish late...and there is good trout fishing to be had in Ohio right now!
07/26/07- Finally got some! The river spiked up pretty good this morning...... but is coming right back down. Should be quite fishable this evening..no problems. Had a guide trip yesterday and did surprisingly well. The rivers water temps have been running pretty cool for this time of year. There have been some Tricos around in the mornings. They have been hatching just as the sun is coming up and lasting until about 8:30 or so. They are running about a size 22. The spinners are falling right after, making for some decent fishing up until 9:30 or 10:00. The upper river is the much better choice if you are Trico hunting. Ants and beetles continue to be the hot ticket, especially during the afternoon and early evening. We have been seeing some small caddisflies and some tiny BWO type bugs but not a ton of activity. Your best bet is small, green caddis pupa. If you don't see rises, try small nymphs like copper johns and trail a green soft hackle behind. A few folks hitting some fish on attractor/hopper types like the tarantula or madam-x. Overall, fishing has been pretty good for this time of year.
07/05/07- The river did spike a pinch last night with the rains but is already back down to where it was.....nice try but not quite what we were looking for. Let's hope for more!
07/03/07- Just about the same report as below. The river is in good shape....still in need of a few days of rain, but very fishable. The good news is that the cooler weather did bring on some better dry fly fishing. The surface rise in the evenings has been pretty good to excellent. Most activity has been on caddisflies in the evening....make sure to have some small green soft hackles or your favorite pupa pattern for those splashy risers chasing the emergers. There have been good numbers of "BWO Type" mayflies around in the evenings.....#18-24 as well as some Light Cahills and a few Slate Drakes. Best bet on mayflies is the spinner fall right at dark. Try a #12-14 white spinner and see what happens! No sign of Tricos yet but we have been out a few mornings looking. Terrestrial fishing has really turned on! Ants and beetles are a must have and we will soon start tossing some Madam-X and Tarantulas as well. Have a great holiday!
06/22/07- The Mad is in decent shape...in need of some water of course, but very fishable. Fishing has been decent, but most folks a bit disappointed in the surface activity recently. It does seem that the Brown Drakes are over and never really got cranking....very sporadic. We can tell you that with the warm weather we have been having, the surface feeding has been very late and even after dark. Right now you may see a few straggling, #18 Sulphers, possibly decent Light Cahills #12-14 and some smaller BWO types but not alot. Most feeding right now is on caddis and a good bet is to fish the larva/pupa type stuff unless you see risers. Also good reports coming in on Ants of all types. Terrestrial fishing should start to really pick up as we have been seeing some Japanese Beetles! Should see sporadic Slate Drakes over the next few weeks with the spinner falls (like the Cahills as well) being the most important part of the day..........fish late.
06/09/07- The rains yesterday had virtually no effect on the river. Still low and clear. The big news is that the Drakes have yet to explode! We have been seeing some here and there, but not big numbers yet....and no spinners at dark. This has to be the week! Decent numbers of sulphers still around with most weighing in at the #18 size. The activity is better up the river on these at this point. It does seem that the fish are a bit more keyed in on caddis pupa at this point. If you are getting refusals on the sulphers, try a small green caddis pupa or a green soft hackle. A few light Cahills around as well but not in huge numbers. Fish late and we'll try to keep you informed this week as we get Drakes.
06/01/07- About the same report as below....with just less water. We are getting pretty desperate for some rain, but the river continues to fish well. We have seen some Brown Drakes! They have not been thick yet, but the next week or two should bring some of the most exciting dry fly fishing of the season.......it will all happen after 9:00 p.m. though. We have also started fishing ants with some success during the day, that time of year has come a bit early. Other than that, read below and be sure to lock your vehicles and don't leave any valuables! Have a great weekend!
05/25/07- The Mad has been fishing pretty good if not excellent....you just need to be there at the right time! It is a bit low...but still very fishable. There have been sporadic risers in the mornings and lasting througout the day.....some reports of fish feeding on ants during the day. March Browns are still around in decent numbers and have been hatching in the mid to late afternoon. The excitement begins in the evening though! Around 7:00 you should start seeing Sulphers....and big numbers of them. There are still some of the #14-16 variety around as well as the #18s. Other bugs around have been sporadic Cahills, Little Dark Olives, Craneflies and Tan and Olive Caddis. Your guess what the fish are feeding on at any given instance but our bet is the Sulphers...they are the star of the show. The best fishing will be right at dark when the spinners fall. You may see spinners of any of the above mayflies so you want to have #12-18 rustys but again, the sulphers will be the most prolific and this will probably be the case for at least another week or two. Next week we will start looking for the Brown Drakes....the kings of Mad River Mayflies!!!!!
*Please note- there were three cars broken into today at County Line Rd. The drivers side windows were broken. Luckily not much was stolen....but still a hassle and still proof that the world is a dangerous place. Don't leave any valuables in your car!!!!!!
**Remember that we will be CLOSED on Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day Weeekend. Have a great Holiday!
05/12/07- Flows on the Mad are excellent. The water is in great shape. With the hot weather, water temps have been hovering around 61-62 degrees. The Sulphers have officially started! Huge hatch Thursday night with good numbers of steady feeding fish. We should see consistent Sulphers for the rest of the month. The peak of the hatch will be around 7-7:30 but fish will feed before that and all the way until dark. We have also had reports of large numbers of adult Craneflies near dusk with the fish feeding aggressively. Decent numbers of March Browns and Little Hendricksons (Paraleps) have also been reported. The AA March Brown (sz 12) and Parachute Adams (sz 18) are great patterns for these bugs.
05/04/07- The Mad is in good shape for the weekend. There is still alot of water, but it is totally fishable. Dry fly fishing has been OK....not gangbusters. We are in that time between Hennny's and Sulphers! There were good numbers of spinners out last night.....Henny's, Sulphers and a few March Browns.....but it was a bit windy for them to really fall and create much feeding. There are still a few straggler Hendricksons around but they are definitely winding down. We expect that the next few days and nights should really see some March Browns during the afternoons and good to great Sulpher activity in the evenings. Remember, the best dry fly activity will be before dark with the spinner falls! March Brown nymphs and Brown Drake nymphs have been killer by the way!
04/27/07- The Mad is up and muddy and most likely won't fish until Sunday...if then. We'll see how she drops the next 24 hours. We did have a decent week of fishing....but not the way we wanted. The Henny's have been sparse at best and dry fly fishing has been mediocre. Some folks did really well...but that seems to be the minority. Spinner falls were ok....but not what we are used to. It is likely that next week our thoughts will turn to March Browns in the afternoons, Sulphers in the evenings and a mix of spinners at dark. March Brown Nymphs and Brown Drake Nymphs will be the hot ticket the next three or four weeks if you don't see dry fly activity.
04/20/07- Rock and Roll! We finally got a decent hatch on Hennys on Wednesday and the fish were up! The past three days have been excellent. The bugs started around 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday and hatched until around 4:00 with a peak around three. With the warmer temps this will probably move up to about a noon appearance this weekend. We will be out tonight in full-force looking for spinners! We have seen bugs all up and down the river.....not just an upper river deal yet. Don't miss the spinner falls these evenings......can be the best fishing of the season! Have also seen decent numbers of Blue Quills and some Blue Winged Olives as well but for the next bit here...should be mostly Hendrickson activity. Who knows how long it will last as it is so late at this point....but we know we'll be out there this weekend! Also good numbers of #14-16 tan and olive bodied caddis out as well so tossing a green caddis larva or a green soft hackle may be a good bet if you get there before the fish are rising. Keep your eyes out for March Browns as well...this temperature surge may just cause them to go as well! Go fish!
04/13/07- The Mad came up with the rains the other night but is coming down. It should be fishable in the upper reaches tomorrow and hopefully Sunday will be fairly back to normal. The temps are still not overly conducive to Hendricksons but we can tell you that they were hatching sporadically during the week.....problem is.....not many fish up and feeding on them. We have had some anglers reporting good hatches of Blue Winged Olives but same story there...not much feeding. If you go, fish nymphs unless you see otherwise. Hard to say what the next few days will hold though with a winter storm approaching tomorrow. Keep the faith.....at least we have March Browns and Sulphers coming!
The Clearfork of the Mohican River
4/28/08. The water levels on the Clear Fork are good bordering on the low side. Rain early this week could change that. Midges are always a safe bet but fish are rising to caddis in decent numbers. In the park the mayfly activity has yet to really get started but check the upper river for hatches.
4/18/08. The water levels on the Clear Fork are finally in good shape. Always check the gauge before heading up. The warmer weather is starting to make things happen. There have been fish rising during the day to small caddis, midges and mayflies.
3/28/08- Same.....way up.....not a chance this weekend.
3/10/08 The Clear Fork is very high and is likely to stay that way for a while as the snow melts. Check the levels before heading up any time soon.
2/29/08 Clear Fork. The river is fishing well at the moment. Releases from the dam this winter have been unpredictable but this week levels have stayed constant. Short of a big release today, conditions should be good for the weekend. Streamers fished deep have been working well and some large trout have been landed in the past few weeks. Always remember to check the gauge or give us a call before you head up.
Clear Fork-01/10/08- The Clearfork is really blown...way up...and now we are getting more rain. It's gonna be a few days before we think about it. We'll try to let you know here but if we don't, remember that you can always call the shop.
12/3/07- The Clearfork is pretty well blown out...both stretches. The upper may fish on Wednesday, barring any more rain. The lower will depend on what they do with the dam. Later in the week could be really good!!!! Wink, wink.
11/23/07- The area did get some precip and the river did rise a bit....but still very fishable. Good flows, good streamer water, and should make for a great weekend.
11/16/07- The Clearfork is in really good shape...good flow and good color. It does seem that the leaves there are not nearly the problem this week and things should shape up as far as that issue goes. We are hearing really good reports from down in the park. That is nice for a change! Not much reported as far as bugs but you may still want to have some small caddis with you just in case.....of course in addition to your #20-22 midge patterns. A Griffith's Gnat and some Brian/Ryan Midges are a must for the next few months if you want any dry fly activity. Smaller nymphs....#16-20 will be the sure bet and streamers will bring the larger fish. Egg patterns are also worth a shot as the fish are still in spawning mode and will react to an egg. Fishing has been picking up and it's good to see people heading back up north!
11/02/07- Wow the Clearfork has really turned on! Great reports coming from up there and not just "recent stockers" either. Really seems that the cooler water temps have stirred things up. Good reports of dry fly activity on caddis and midges. Small caddis mostly....#16-20. No glowing reports of fall Blue Winged Olive activity but we did see some hatching during the day last week. Not many fish paying attention though. Leaves here will be a problem as anywhere in the state over the next few weeks. Nymph fishing will be the ticket until they move out. Fish have been gorging themselves on midge larva from what we have seen recently along with some caddis larva. Streamer season is right around the corner!!!!
10/15/07- Water levels and leaves making fishing tough on the fork. Decent numbers of both small caddisflies and Blue Winged Olives and fish have been rising to them.....but just tough to fish. Probably going to be a few weeks before we really think about serious fishing up there and windy days are out of the question. If you go, dead drifting a caddis larva may be your best bet.
09/28/07- The Clearfork is in good shape...the rain helped. It is actually still a bit low...but fishable. Fishing has been challenging up there as they have still been in "Summer mode", but things should start to pick up. Not much bug activity other than some smaller caddis and a few Blue Winged Olives starting to show.....especially in the past few days. Leaves are beginning to be a problem...and they will for the better part of the month. Not a deal breaker...but a challenge. Dead-drift fishing will be about your only option. Small nymphs like copper johns, pheasant tails and the like as well as caddis larva. Don't forget red larva like red midge larva or san juan worms! They are big producers from here on out!
09/13/07- Things really seem to be shaping up for a good fall! They do have some water finally and the river is in good shape. Most people reporting good numbers of caddisflies...mostly small....but we should also be seeing some of the larger, Fall species of caddis as well like the Great Brown Autumn sedge. Also had some reports of small BWO type mayflies the past few days. That will continue and only get better! Dry fly fishing will most likely be spotty as is usually is in the Fall and most fish will be caught on nymphs and streamers. Try some larger nymphs and even a helgrammite or crayfish pattern is still worth trying.
09/02/07- About the same report here as well. The water has been up and down but looks good for the holiday weekend. It will be a busy place...especially down in the park. It has also been pretty hot for fishing up there and we haven't had a ton of glowing reports. Did have an angler a few days ago do very well in the upper stretch on fish that were chasing the White Millers (the caddis). Also a few reports of the true White Flies (mayflies, Ephrons)....both of which are around in the evenings. Terrestrials would still be the choice IF you fished during the day. Please remember that we are closed on Sunday and Monday of the Labor Day weekend. Have a great Holiday!
08/27/07- They did close the dam down quite a bit early today and the Clearfork looks to be pretty fishable tonight. Still a few Tricos around in the mornings but not much. We did hear some glowing reports of White Flies in the evenings....especially in the upper but they have been seen in the lower also. Good numbers of small caddis in the afternoons and evenings along with the White Miller Caddis like the Mad. Terrestrials have still been good during the day and hoppers have been producing well...especially in the upper.
08/24/07- As of right now, the Clearfork is still blown out. It looks like it will be a few days before it is really back to fishable. We'll do our best to let you know but if we don't, just give us a call. The good news is that there is water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
08/18/07- Not much has changed here....water is still on the low side. A few folks did get into some good to excellent Trico activity this past week......they were there at sun up. We have not heard of any Trico activity in the lower stretch. Terrestrials still rule on either stretch but the trout fishing really hasn't been much in the lower, park water. Most folks chasing carp down there and doing pretty well. We have seen some White Flies and some White Miller Caddis....along with the typical micro-caddis this time of year but not enough to write home about. Stick with terrestrials.
08/10/07- The Clearfork is in "summer mode". The water has been pretty low for a while now and it has obviously been super hot around here. Most trout fishing has been seen early or late in the day and mostly in the upper stretch of the river. Trout can be caught in the park but they are mostly holed up in the deeper slots and you will need to walk a bit. You will also probaly need to run a nymph under their nose......(try a hellgrammite pattern or even a crayfish). You CAN right now find some decent smallmouth and carp fishing in the lower/park stretch!!! Trico activity has been sporadic, and exclusively in the upper stretch. Also plenty of caddis around, as well as a few White Miller Caddis getting started, but most activity has been opportunistic feeding on terrestrials. Beetles have been exceptionally well and as usual, we have been doing well on the Steeve's Firefly pattern! Same story here..fish early and fish late and some fish can be caught!
07/26/07- The Clearfork has been fairly un-affected by the rain....hardly budged. Still in need of a few days worth. Like the Mad, the water temps have been pretty favorable and fishing has been decent although the upper does seem to be the much better choice for trout fishing right now. Smallmouth and carp have been good down in the park but not many glowing trout reports. A few folks did report some Trico activity in the morning...in the upper......but the main course is terrestrials. Ants and beetles of course but the CF typically hosts much better hopper action than the Mad. Caddis have been good, but on the smaller side...mostly #18-20 and mostly in the evenings. A few light colored, Cahill types are still flitting around but not that big of a deal. Load up with hoppers and beetles and you should do fine!
07/05/07- no change due to the rains.......keep it coming please!
07/03/07- The Clearfork is still very low....we are looking at water levels that we usually see in late August. Fishing has been pretty tough unless you are there right at dark. We did have some folks do well during the day on ants and beetles and it appears that terrestrial fishing is in full swing up there. Still good numbers of Light Cahills as there will be through the middle of July or so.....be sure that you are there late for them. Also a few Slate Drakes but nothing too exciting. Most activity has been on caddis....like usual....and in the evenings and right at dark. Read below for a few more ideas. Have a great holiday!
06/22/07- The Clearfork is very low and quite challenging because. There have been some Brown Drakes still around for those willing to stay after dark. They have been decent in both stretches. Best activity has been on Light Cahills and caddis. Have had a few folks throwing some terrestrials...especially ants....and doing fairly well. Overall fishing has been pretty tough. Try a helgrammite in the riffles or a wooly worm dead drifted through the deeper holes and see what happens.
06/09/07- Not much has changed on the Fork. Water is still super low. No sign of brown drakes yet but there should be some around this week and next. Stay till dark and if you are searching for them, action will be best in the park with the siltier bottom. Good numbers of Light Cahills in the evenings and some fish were focused on them. If you are in the right place you may catch a good spinner fall of them that the fish are working. Dry fly activity has continued to be good...but challenging. Most fish still keyed in on small caddis pupa.
06/01/07- The Clearfork is as low as we have seen it in a long time. It is now making fishing very challenging. There have been tons of bugs and rising fish....but they have been picky! Still good numbers of Sulphers and caddis in the evenings and the fish are on them! Also increased numbers of Cahills this week and that action should get cranking for the month of June! Some folks reported that they could only catch fish on small, green caddis pupa...a small green soft hackle will work too. Pray for rain!
05/25/07- The Clearfork has really turned on this week. It is super low...and fishing has been super technical (small flies and 7X tippet), but there have been rising fish all over the place. Stretches of water that we swore were void of fish have been alive with feeding fish! This is good news!! There have been decent numbers of Sulphers around in both stretches...both the #16 and the #18. Also a few March Browns and Light Cahills around as well. The Cahill activity should really pick up and be excellent in the evenings during June. Lots of caddis around as well as some fish feeding on midges. Shouldn't have to worry about much but dry flies from what we have seen this week. Best advice is to stay until dark and have some Rusty Spinners! A few really nice fish reported being caught this week.....20+ inchers......on dries!!!!
**Remember that we will be CLOSED on Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day Weeekend. Have a great Holiday!
05/12/07- Flows are great in the park this weekend. Earlier in the week we had reports of good surface action on midges. Both Griffiths Gnats and Bryan Ryan Midges were productive. A late evening caddis hatch (sz16) offered a chance to fish something large enough to see. Nymphs in the 14 -16 range are productive earlier in the day. Caddis continue to yield results on the upper stretches of the river.
05/04/07- Clearkfork is in good shape for the weekend for a change. We did get a few reports of decent dry fly activity in the upper stretch this week....mostly on caddis but there are some Hendricksons around as well. They are most likely winding down and we should be finding some March Browns and Sulphers up there over the next few weeks. Things should really start to pick up. Mostly caddis activity down in the park but there are good numbers of March Brown nymphs down there so it should get good. Take advantage of the nice water!
04/27/07- The Clearfork is blown out and doesn't look good for the weekend. We'll keep our eyes on it and see what Sunday looks like. If we don't...give us a call. Fishing up there has been ok at best....some reporting horrible. Some Hendricksons have been around, as well as some Blue Winged Olives, but not in huge numbers and very few reports of dry fly activity at all. A few folks did OK on caddis dries and there have been some around but again not very big. Best advise is to try streamers and Large nymphs (craneflies, hellgrammites, bitch creeks etc) until things start to shape up. We can tell you that the Sulpher and March Brown nymphs are there and getting ready to pop.
04/20/07- Finally....looks like a good weekend to hit the Fork! Hendricksons were out in good numbers as of Wednesday....mostly on the upper stretch so far but we did have reports of bugs on the lower. Also some BWO's around but the main focus should be Hendricksons for some time here. Decent numbers of #14 tan caddis as well but most fish were focused on the Hendricksons. Some folks reported seeing a mess of caddis flitting around on the lower stretch. The hatch seemed to start a bit late, around 3-4 p.m...but with the cool weather it makes some sense. They should get started a bit earlier...maybe even as early as noon...with this warm weather. Look for them in good numbers over the weekend and into next week. May even see a few March Browns as well!
04/13/07- This place is as hard to predict as the weather. They opened up the dam yesterday, then brought it down, then up again. Right now the upper is slightly up and off color, probably not great tomorrow but maybe on Sunday. The lower is very borderline fishable right now....looks like streamer water......but it all depends on what they do with the dam tonight and tomorrow. We'll try to let you know here but if we don't...give us a call. We can tell you that we have heard of no Hendricksons spotted and no dry fly fishing to be had up there as of yet. It will come!
04/07/07- Up and down. The river has been up and down a few times this week. It is fishable right now....but it's cold. Levels are back down and the water has a little stain to it. Not many good reports from up there recently. Let's go fish and change this! No sign of any bugs other than midges and with this cold/snow, most fishing will be on nymphs and streamers until we get some sun. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Hendricksons on the Clearfork! Stay tuned!
04/02/07- Quick update! Changed from below. They opened up the dam this afternoon and the lower stretch of water is now un-fishable. The upper is a bit up and off color but may fish in the next day or two if we don't get any more rain. We'll let you know when the close the dam up a bit.
Lake Erie Steelhead
4/28/08 We've finally had a couple of weeks of good fishing. Over the weekend water levels were low and clear making conditions a little tricky. Rain early this week could change this. We've had reports of many fish still in the streams with some excellent catch rates. Swinging streamers is very popular at the moment but fishing nymphs and eggs is always a good technique.
4/18/08 The season is finally in full swing. Water conditions are good from west to east and we've had many great reports this week and conditions look good for the near future. Swinging streamers is very popular at the moment but fishing nymphs and eggs is always a good technique.
03/28/08- Snow melt the past two days was causing some streams to rise and color up...then.....
Rain and more snow yesterday and last night blew things out yet again. Looks like the only bet for the weekend would be the mile creeks over in PA and possibly the upper reaches of Elk Creek but that is a crap shoot. Very hard to predict anything at this point as there is 2-3 inches of rain predicted by Monday. We can only hope that someday soon we can write a positive steelhead report.
03/25/08- Our guides report that the fishing in Ohio has started to pick up. Conneaut is fishing today and the rest of the Ohio streams heading west from Conneaut should fish tomorrow if we don't get any more rain. The Elk over in PA has been fishing well and should continue.
03/10/08 Too much water. All the steams are blown this morning. Melting snow will add to this so conditions are not likely to be fishable before the weekend. As always, check the gauges or call us here at the shop and we'll be happy to share any up-to-date information.
02/29/08 Ice, too much water, not enough water. This pretty much sums up the steelhead conditions at the moment. There have been some OK days but they have been few and far between. The fishing is coming but it will take a change in the weather pattern to make it happen. If you are planning a trip north check with us at the shop and we'll be happy to pass along the most up-to-date information we have.
01/10/08- Pretty much everything in the Erie region is high or way blown out. More rain coming too. We may see some fishing by the end of the weekend but more like next week before we chase steelhead again. The good news is that January has remained pretty well ice free and fishing has been decent to excellent in some areas. We'll try to let you know here now that our web guy is back in rotation!!!!
12/3/07- Blown out again. Way blown out. It will be at least a few days before we think about heading out for steelhead. Mid week may bring some fishable conditions in PA and Ohio is more likely to be later in the week. Call us if we don't get to updating later in the week.
11/23/07- Everything is blown out today after the precip from the last two. PA streams may fish tomorrow and over the weekend. Maybe the upper reaches of Elk tonight? All Ohio streams will be at least a few days. With the precip and wind there have been tons of complaints of leaves making fishing impossible anyways. Let's hope this does it! Regardless, this should be a critical push of water.....strengthening our feelings that next week will be on FIRE!
11/16/07- Steelhead season is really picking up! Conditions have really been improving and it seems that steelhead weather and conditions are finally upon us. The water is really "greening up" nice....... in most places. The leaves are still an issue but not a "deal breaker" at this time. A windy, rainy day may prove different but the worst is surely behind us. As of tonight, the Vermilion is still a bit low and reports from there have not been glowing. The Rocky is fishable but results have been mediocre. The Chagrin is coming down today and should fish this weekend, although it will most likely be pretty stained. The Grand is up pretty good and may only fish this weekend in the upper reaches and the tribs. As you head further east the streams are currently dropping and clearing and most should fish.....and fish well this weekend. Typical story, the further east you go, the better your chances of finding fish. PA is for the most part "stacked" with fish and they have finally gotten some water. Fish are spread throughout the Elk and it has been on fire! Depending on the weather over the weekend, next week could be killer!
11/02/07- Have some guide trips heading out this week so we should be getting some firsthand reports. First trips of the season. There are fish around in Ohio, and tons over in the PA and NY streams. We have had some folks out for the early action...some doing very well. We are right now in a typical fall pattern where we get some water and things really heat up for 3-4 days and then gets tough again. Also, the next two weeks will be riddled with leaves and may make fishing very challenging...but it can be done. Keep in mind that many guides that we know claim that the fishing never really gets going until the leaves are gone and the water "greens up" for the winter. Fall peak of activity usually happens two weeks before and two weeks after Thanksgiving. Regardless, steelhead season is upon us and we will fish hard until the ice comes. Look for more regular reports from here on out and don't hesitate to e-mail or call to find out what we know.
05/25/07- Thanks for a Great Season! We'll be back reporting in late September/early October. Remember to get guide trips booked up early......Larry, Graham, John and Patrick will be primed and ready for the season!
05/12/07- Despite some good reports from early in the week, Things are winding down quickly. Folks are still catching drop-backs but the numbers of fresh fish fell during the week. This weekend could be the last shot for good action this season. Several folks were catching a mix of smallies and steelhead this week.
05/04/07- We did get out this week on a few trips.....a few were postponed with the high waters. Those that did get out...DID find some fresh fish. There is still a good mix of fresh fish and drop-backs from what we are finding. Right now the V is blown out...it may fish on Sunday and more likely better on Monday. It got hit by a big cell that didn't really kill the others. The Rocky and Chargrin are fishing today. We had a guide out on Rocky yesterday and he did very well. The Grand is blown out and may fish early to mid week and may be a sleeper when it comes down. The Conneaut is fishing today and we are also finding surprising numbers of fresh. We are not implying that steelhead season is in full swing.....but if you want to get out for a last shot.....there is still a bit of time.
04/27/07- After a great week of steelheading across the board...we were due! All streams in the Erie region are pretty well blown out. It won't be until the 1st of the week until we think about it again. The big question to ponder this weekend....will this water bring fresh fish in? We'll let you know as we do......guide trips scheduled for next week.
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