Thanks as always for reading our reports friends. As the weather gets more conducive we should be reporting more regularly….but we need your HELP!
Send any and all reports to admin@madriveroutfitters and we’ll do our best to get them up.
Noted author, angler, lecturer, guide, historian, lodge owner, master chef…this guy does it all. We are thrilled to have Matt as a guest here at the shop for this very special “Spring Creek” weekend. Matt is probably the world’s foremost authority on Spring Creek angling. His latest book, “Selectivity” is one of the best books ever written on the subject. He will be with us to help all of us to become better and more technical anglers.
Friday, May 5th- 6-9 p.m.- Special Presentation: Selectivity
Join us in the shop for a great presentation and some beer and pizza. Matt will blow your mind with the information in this program and you will come away a better trout angler. We will also be running a special price on his “Selectivity” book and a great chance to get it signed by the author himself. Tickets to this event are only $10.00. Pizza and beer starts at 6:00 and the program should start right around 7:00.
Register Online HERE
Saturday, May 6th- 8 a.m.- Noon- Fly Tying Session: Favorite Spring Creek Patterns
Matt is an epic fly tyer and instructor. This class will cover some of his favorite patterns for finicky trout. Bring your vise and tools and we’ll do the rest. Class is limited to 6 and the cost will be $50.00.
Register Online HERE
Saturday, May 6th- 3 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.- On-Water Spring Creek/Selectivity Clinic
This class will be half-classroom learning and half on the water experience. It will be held at the legendary Zanesfield Rod and Gun Club so you will get to practice over some of the finest trout fishing in Ohio. Again, Matt will blow your mind with intermediate and advanced concepts and techniques that will make you a much better trout angler. Sample topic outline listed below. A unique opportunity here to fish this club for the “evening hatch” as we would expect the insect activity to be at a peak and offer a great chance for picky fish on dries. We will be grilling some burgers and dogs and take a break from 6:30 -7:00. This class is limited to 10 anglers and the cost will be $125.00.
Register Online HERE
Sunday, May 7th- 9 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.- On-Water Spring Creek/Selectivity Clinic
Can’t make it Satruday? We’ll do it again on Sunday.
This class will be half-classroom learning and half on the water experience. It will be held at the legendary Zanesfield Rod and Gun Club so you will get to practice over some of the finest trout fishing in Ohio. Again, Matt will blow your mind with intermediate and advanced concepts and techniques that will make you a much better trout angler. Sample topic outline listed below. Should be a great chance to witness first-hand some terrestrial fishing which Matt is very fond of. Lunch will be provided from 12-12:30. This class is limited to 10 anglers and the cost will be $125.00.
Register Online HERE
Mad River
Many people have come into the shop sharing frustrations with the muddy water. Individuals looking to have some streamer action over the weekend were greeted with poor conditions due to runoff. Many of the local farmers have or were in the process of planting crops. With the heavy rain and the loose freshly planted fields caused the water clarity degrade worse than usual. Look for a small streamer window to happen Wednesday and then quickly close with the predicted weather later in the week. We will keep you posted as things change.
Take a look at our past Social Media posts to see some on stream videos and photos. We are looking forward to some of the best Dry Fly fishing we have seen in years!
As far as the bugs go, the big news is that we DID have Sulphers as of last Tuesday. They didn’t come off super strong, but they came off. We did also see some March Browns and some LIght Cahills as well. It is pretty likely that the Hendrickson hatch is mostly over except for the upper reaches of the stream. Hopefully we’ll know a bit more once the water clears and we get back to dry fly fishing. One thing is for sure is that we have quickly moved into the “Evening Game”.
If you can make it out midweek focus on streamers and nymphs to make the most of this small window. Streamers consists of the usual Barely Legals, Articulated Monkeys, Dungeons, Bottoms Up, Silk Kitty, Boogie Man, and others. Smaller streamers also get the job done: Cougars, Dirty Hippies, Wooly Sculpins, Near Nuff Sculpin, and other traditional streamers.
While nymphing make sure to have plenty Pheasant Tails, Hares Ear, Copper Johns, and Prince Nymphs to fill in the gaps. Your main nymphs will be Brown Drake Nymphs, big Hares Ear, Guides Choice Hares Ear, and San Juans though.
Dry fly fishing will be limited here for a few, but this time of the year you never want to travel without your dry fly rod and flies. 3-5wts with a Wulff Triangle Taper, Rio Suppleflex Leaders and a good mix of size 12-18 Rusty Spinners in various sizes, Parachute Adams, Thorax/Traditional style Adams, Red Quill, Quill Gordon, and Irrisistibles. With the cloudy and rainy forecast on Thursday make sure to have some Blue Wing Olives and Sulphers in your box also (Sulphers will go all day in overcast/drizzly conditions as well). In the next coming weeks stock up on Light Cahill, Sulfurs, March Browns, and Caddis.
If you are in this area focus on some of the ponds for bass and panfish. There is a cold front setting in that will push these fish off the shallow water to suspend over near shore drops and bay mouths.
Look for the high water to continue into the weekend. It is highly unlikely that there will be a fishable window through the rest of the week, but we will keep you updated if things change.
There are posts of a few fish being caught here and there, but they are few and far between. Our guides have moved on to other species to focus on till this fall. Not to say that you couldn’t still find a few steelhead around, but professionally speaking, we’re calling it a season for now.
The Smallmouth fishing has been fantastic in the Tribs. If you want to focus on these fish look at the lower few miles of the rivers. Stripping big streamers is our go to tactic. Streamers like Kelly Galloups Dungeons, Monkeys, Peanuts, Totally Articulated, Fat Head Minnows and Deceivers. Load up your 6-8wt, Scientific Anglers Titan Sonar Clear Tip, heavy tippet and have fun!
Mad River Outfitters