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Mad River Fishing Reports

Fishing Reports- 9/30/17

* 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. Please, just because we don’t update as often as we like, it doesn’t mean that we don’t care.

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 call us if you need any further information or a more up-to-date report. 614-451-0363

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.


New Orleans Redfish Update-

The trip was a smashing success! Great group of guys enjoyed a fantastic adventure at Woodland Plantation. 2018 dates are already up on the website and we expect that most that attended this year will repeat. It simply doesn’t get any better!

The 2017 Woodland Plantation Group- Left to right: Mike Billow, David Ellis, David Kitchen, Al Carnes, John Raisbeck, Jeremy Moore, Ralph Rothfelder, host Brian Flechsig, Phil Clay, Ed Yen and Woodland owner Foster Creppel.

Trip host Brian Flechsig. Hands-down his favorite destination on the planet!


CLICK HERE to view the full photo album.

CLICK HERE to check out the details and pricing on the 2018 trip.



“Naktoberfest” Alaska Update-

The group, hosted by Jeff Liskay,  is just arriving back in Anchorage here this afternoon and then dispersing to their hometowns so we don’t have a ton of photos yet….but we will. Preliminary reports have this as an “Epic” week of swinging up trophy rainbows and more. It does look like they did a fly out for Arctic Char as well so we can’t wait to dig into the photos once the guys get home and start sending. Keep your eyes on the Photo Albums as well as Social Media for updates.

The “Naktoberfest” group had a surprise visit from none other than Jerry Darkes. Here is long-time friend and great customer Bill Previty and Jerry with a trophy rainbow.

MRO Trip host Jeff Liskay and James Johnson from the Katmai Trophy Lodge/Blue Bonefish Lodge 
Jeff Liskay twisting up some bugs for the group this week at Katmai Trophy Lodge


CLICK HERE to learn more about our Alaska Trips- 2018 dates already posted



Next up in October: Peacock Bass in Brazil-

Pat Kelly hosts 8 lucky anglers in Brazil for Peacock Bass- October 21st- 28th


CLICK HERE to learn more about our legendary trips to Brazil



Warmwater


Low Low Low!  Across the state everything is running low and clear.  That does not necessarily mean the fishing is bad.  We now have good temps, but we just need some rain to make the fishing even better.  

Smallmouth Bass fishing has been very good.  Pencil poppers and small streamers provided the most consistency.  With this cold snap we are all excited to hunt for big fish.  The stream fish will start to put the feed on like a few weeks ago.  Float trips right now are pretty tough due to the conditions, but we can still run a few on certain waters.  If you want to target some big Smallmouth Bass then make sure to get a date setup before the leaves start to come down.  

Lake and pond fishing will fire back up into next week.  The Largemouth Bass have been in summer mode holding in deep water.  Most of the lake temps have been in the upper 70s and lower 80s.  Once the fish adjust to these cooler temps they will be much easier to catch.  These big fish will start to move shallow searching to fatten up before the water temps fall.  


Ohio Power/AEP is a great place to catch a good number of large bass and panfish. The fishing there can be FANTASTIC in the Fall. 


Not familiar? Hit this link here:


https://www.aep.com/environment/conservation/recland/



Pike fishing continues to be strong as well and should continue through the fall. Interested in a trip? Let us know. Pat and Josh have a few openings yet in October and November and would love to get you out on the jets or drift boats.

Josh was out today scouting some new water on some smaller creeks. He’s reporting that we should have some new options in the rotation soon. 

Mad River


As with everything else the flows are low.  We will need a steady rain over a couple days to fire the streamer bite back up.  This doesn’t mean that the fishing has been bad, just very technical.  
Euro style nymphing, long leaders, and Tenkara have provided the most success.  There are a few caddis and small mayflies around, but the dry fly fishing has been inconsistent.  As Fall progresses nymphing will be the best tactic.  We prefer a longer rod for nymphing something like the Redington Hydrogen 10′ 3 or 4wt, 10′ 4wt BVK, or Sage ESN.  Flies for nymphing will be the usual Hares Ear, Pheasant Tail, Prince Nymph, and the caddis imitations like the Nitro Caddis, Swinks Core Caddis , and the Flashabou Caddis.  Trail these bead headed nymphs with a soft hackle and you are set.  Once we get some water you will want to add a Double Stone to the mix to get your rig down. 

Keep a few caddis dries in your box and maybe add a few small Blue Wing Olives or Parachute Adams……although the dry fly bite has been pretty tough here the past week or so. 

Like in earlier reports you will need to use all of Mat Supinski’s tactics from Selectivity.  Stealthy approach is nothing new for the Mad, but with these conditions you will have to be extra careful.  

Clearfork River

Clearfork Map

Nothing much has changed over the past month.  The creek is very low.  If you are up that way there are trout around, but you will have to use very long drifts and casts.  Fish very small caddis and midges both dries and nymphs on long leaders.  Euro or High Stick drifting will be the most productive presentations also.  


Down in the park below Pleasant Hill Dam there have been a good mixture of fish being caught. A few trout with plenty of Smallies and Rockbass are the norm.  If you are looking to cross off a new species on the catch list then take advantage of the great Yellow Perch fishing.  These panfish are plentiful and of good size.  Fishing small streamers like Buggers, Zonkers, Clousers, and gummy minnows will keep you busy with the mixed bag.  


The forecast does not look like much will change in the flows.  As soon as the water levels do come up then fishing bigger streamers will bring the bigger fish to hand. 


Clear Creek

Clear Creek Map


Same story for this little creek.  The water temps have been better than we have ever seen them this year.  At flows in the teens we need some rain to get the fish more fired up and not so skittish.  Very stealthy approaches have been needed.  Tenkara has been the most productive allowing the individual to naturally drift a fly with little to no line on the water.  Also tight line nymphing will get the job done and allow you to fish even deeper.  

As for flies for nymphing will be the usual Hares Ear, Pheasant Tail, Prince Nymph, and the caddis imitations like the Nitro Caddis, Swinks Core Caddis , and the Flashabou Caddis.  Trail these bead headed nymphs with a soft hackle and you are set.  If you are in the Hocking Hills enjoying the changing leaves and want to trout fish then study up on your weary trout tactics or grab Matt Supinski’s book Selectivity.  There have also been a few smallies caught on those fishing small Clousers and Classis trout streamers like the Black Nose Dace, and Grey Ghost. 


Erie Steelhead

Gauge Links and Maps

Steelhead Season is right around the corner in the Great Lakes Region!

Nothing has changed other than the air temperature.  These cooler night temps will push the fish even tighter to the beaches.  Once we get some significant rain there will be a good push of fish.  Keep an eye here and we will keep you updated.  There have been a lot of people in the shop gearing up for fishing the Alley.  If you want to get a Spey casting class in make sure to contact the shop before the run starts!

Interested in a guide trip this coming Fall Season?

Our guides can provide most equipment and are available most any time.

Click HERE for information and pricing on an Erie Steelhead Trip.

Mad River Outfitters
Mad River Travel
Midwest Fly Fishing Schools

Fly Shop, Guides, Trips, Classes, Schools and more!

813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
614-451-0363

Fishing Reports- 9/20/16

* 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. Please, just because we don’t update as often as we like, it doesn’t mean that we don’t care.

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 call us if you need any further information or a more up-to-date report. 614-451-0363


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.


**We forgot the last go-round to give a “shout-out” to our good friend and great customer Eric Clapton. He caught a ginormous Atlantic Salmon in Iceland back in August. In fact, it was the biggest of the season there. Quite an accomplishment. Hope to see you in the shop again soon!

**Special Thanks also again to the Buckeye United Fly Fishers for having Brian down to the September meeting. Turns out his “Make Fly Fishing Great Again” Campaign speech was pretty well received and many have claimed that he earned their vote. He’s looking forward to coming back and doing the Casting and Knots and Leaders Classes soon.



Warmwater

* The “green and brown” fish have been the hot ticket most of the Summer and that seems to continue. Warmwater fishing in the region has been…well….HOT! Even despite the low waters throughout, things have remained steady and strong. Many folks still out chasing smallmouth, as they should be with temps in the high 80’s today. Lots of reports the past few weeks of folks doing very well on crayfish patterns and large, white streamers. The popper bite continues to be strong as well although that may slow up a bit as the temps cool.


* Our friends with the Buckeye United Fly Fishers are having their Little Miami River Cleanup on Sunday, October 2nd. They need some volunteers to help float down river and clean up trash, tires, or whatever else they can find. They have 8 canoes, so they have space for 16 people to help for this event. See their website HERE for more details or call Bryan Tudor at 513-827-5437.


* Pike fishing has remained steady throughout the Summer and should get only better as the Fall progresses. The Northeast part of the state has actually gotten and few pushes of water and kept things a bit fresher than the Central and Southern parts of the state. Pat and Josh actually had a few trips postponed due to high muddy water the past few weeks which is something we haven’t had to do much of this Summer.


Superstar Ethan Hall with a recent Ohio Pike on the fly!

* Musky fishing should heat up a bit here and remain strong through the Winter. Pat should start doing some trips here shortly and we’ll hopefully be sharing some pics soon. In the meantime, good friend and great customer Ryan Srbljan sent us this pic and note:


“Things are heating up as the temps and rain cool down… Tell people to call Josh & Pat and chase some toothy critters! They’ve got the feed bag on!

PS – This was on the 10wt stick I won at the legends banquet. Flips donation has been from Canada to the Caribbean and caught skis to poon. When’s the next banquet?- Your friend,
Ryan”
* Our good friend Michael Palatas sent us these notes and pics here in the past few days….pretty much sums it up:

Early morning fishing in riffles and runs with articulated streamers has been ridiculously successful! The smallies are aggressive and range from 12-24″. Lately, I’ve been reluctant to take pics due to the unfortunate loss of my previous phone after an amazing smallmouth got the last laugh after a few nice pics and a release that involved my leaving the zipper open on my phone pouch and said pouch taking on water. Truth be told I’d throw my phone into the river if it promised to bring me another one like that!

Anyway, the takes are aggressive and the fish have been downright violent on the fight.



This fella raced downstream toward a sharp rock so hard after the set I got the stripping line wrapped around my hand before I even knew what was happening!



Here we have one that, once I stopped his progress down stream, turned and shot right at me toward the bank, made a loop around me, went back into the main current and jumped like crazy!

Come mid morning I’ve had luck swapping to smaller streamers fished through similar areas. Generally a little less size 10-16″ but fun’s fun. Speaking of fun let’s talk channel cats.

One of the joys of warm water fishing is the variety of options one has with respect to species. Channel cats, even more so than smallmouth, cannot resist a dark leech pattern. Find a good riffle or just moderately fast water that drops into a deep pool where the stream bed widens such that a slow eddy develops on the surface were the water releases at the beginning of the pool. Toss that leech up at the top of the riffle and let it get down close to the bottom. At the front of the riffle you have the option of catching smallmouth or smaller channel cats (my experience has been smallies on the edges and channel at the center).


Not an amazing fight but beautiful looking fish.

Once you get to the eddy get that fly up by the bank and slowly bring just across. The fish will be sitting deep so you want to make sure you get the fly down just above the bottom. Once I know I’m down I prefer a slow sweeping motion with the rod tip as it allows me to keep a good connection to the line and I feel the bottom structure better. Typically when they hit the fly they hook themselves. BAM!

A few final observations.

First, last year it was rain all summer long and while this year hasn’t been without rain there has been significantly less of it. I mention this because it a very interesting and significant aspect of our sport. The tactics I’ve used this year for success relative to what worked last year: it’s like fishing a different river. So that’s awesome!

Second, not only is the faster water where you’ll find a majority of active fish but it’s also more forgiving to beginning anglers and way more fun to fish with a fly line. Fishing articulated streamers to the bank and Gallouping (jerk-stripping) them back to you is fun and effective but in the fast riffles I’ve had more control and success throwing well past 45 degrees up stream. I’ll swim the fly with various size bellies in the line and subtle flicks of the rod tip. When I see something especially attractive I’ll be sure to broadside the fly across it but have experienced a lot of success just using the swimming technique. If you’re pulling the fly by flicking downstream and happen to miss the first few hits switching to an upstream flick usually takes care of the problem. I usually start with the down stream as it is easier on the wrist and more often than not successful. If you aren’t seeing fish lengthen the leader 10″ with piece of one size smaller tippet and see what happens. The fish aren’t leader shy but the fly swims differently. The same tactics work for the smaller streamers as well but I find a floating line with a longer leader to be a better way to present the fly.

And in a nutshell that’s the fun of it; letting your tackle do the work and making minor adjustments until you see success. A river is just an ever changing constant: tiny little mind games and variations upon a theme as broad and as long as your imagination and feet or oars will take you!

Thanks for being there to introduce me to the sport MRO and thanks for giving me a place to post my appreciation and progress!

– Michael Palatas

* Let’s not forget everyone’s favorite fish…the Largemouth Bass. Fishing has been good all over the state! We’ve had some folks going down to AEP and doing VERY well! Neighborhood ponds and farm ponds have all been producing well and the surface bite hasn’t seemed to slow at all yet!

Here’s a few from frequent contributor Joe Olivas–



Mad River

Not a ton of submitted reports the past few weeks. Seems that most, even die-hards are chasing warmwater fish. Probably the better choice.

Not much has changed since our last report. The river is ridiculously low and clear and fishing has been tough. Those that have been out have been catching a few fish very early or very late.

There have still been some of the Ephron mayflies hatching in the lower stretches of the river but most of the activity has seemed to be after dark. The White Millers are still around but seem to be tapering off. They will mostly be found in the upper parts of the river for the next week or two. A #14 Green Soft Hackle is all you need for this although we have had a few folks doing well in the evenings on the #12 Fat Head Moth pattern. Great idea to fish that with a Soft Hackle behind! Otherwise, best bet is small caddis in the evenings.

Brian is floating a couple from South Africa tomorrow. Despite the warnings of the low and clear water, they just want to see and fish the river…so it’s on. We should have a report and hopefully pics later in the week.

He is also doing one of his “On-River Seminars” at Birchbark Canoe Livery this Sunday. There are a few spots open if interested. You must be prepared to learn ALOT about trout fishing and the Mad River in particular. You can Click Here to sign-up.

A few notes on what our friends in the Madmen Chapter of TU have on their Calendar:

October 9th- Last Stream Monitoring and Trail Maintenance

October 15th- Mad River Cleanup

October 29th- Mad River Public Forum- Urbana Theater

For more information please see their Calendar HERE!


Let us know how you are doing our there! We are looking forward to writing some more promising reports.

Clearfork River

Same old story! Low, clear and warm water. Not many reports the past few weeks.


A few folks have been fishing the Upper Clearfork here the past few weeks but fishing has been slow. Really slow. Some fish caught in the evenings on Caddis dries and pupa but not much else. Too low for streamers!


The lower is pretty much a smallmouth fishery, and a decent one if you walk a ways. It will be until we get some water and cooler temps before we start chasing trout there again. Just too warm to stress the fish right now.

So…same report…..we need water!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Clear Creek
Probably don’t even need to tell you…..Clear Creek is super low and super clear. Same story….same report. Talked again to Ryan here in the shop and he says it’s still too warm. Not a good idea to stress the fish with these warm temps we are experiencing.

Most folks in the area are heading down to the Hocking and doing pretty well on smallmouth. The surface bite continues to be good to excellent. If not, try big white streamers!

Hopefully we’ll get some relief here and get back at it in late September/early October but we’ll need some water before we do!!!

Erie Steelhead
Nothing really to report yet! Some anglers fishing the mouths and catching a few fish but we are still several rains and a big drop in temperature away from Steelhead season. As things begin to happen, rest assure that we’ll let you know here.

In the meantime……1 spot open on the Sunday Class with Jeff Liskay which will be held on the Grand River-

Click Here to register! (If it says Temporarily Out of Stock…the spot already sold)



Mad River Outfitters
Fly Shop, Guides, Schools and more!

813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
614-451-0363

Fishing Reports- 3/18/16

* 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. Please, just because we don’t update as often as we like, it doesn’t mean that we don’t care.

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 call us if you need any further information or a more up-to-date report. 614-451-0363
Mad River


The river has been dropping nicely the past few days and looks to be a good weekend ahead. Sounds like it will be a bit chilly….but it shouldn’t affect the fish much. The lower river is still a bit on the high side which only makes for good streamer water anyways. By the time tomorrow rolls around it should be really good.


Some good reports here the past few days. Frequent contributor Jose Olivas got some nice fish on St. Patrick’s Day and our new friend Bryan O’Mally finally got his 1st Mad River trout to the net-


From Jose Olivas- “I’m not Irish but I am Lucky! Best of 4 landed today”
From Bryan O’Malley- “Hooked 3 but landed only this one. Thanks for the help”
As you probably read last week in the updates, we did have confirmed BWOs and Blue Quills as early as last Tuesday. Fish were feeding on them, especially the Quills. Not any confirmed reports since then but with the warmer temps they have surely been hatching sporadically. Might not see much with the cool down this weekend but worth having a Blue Dun dry in size 16 and some BWOs 18-20 just in case.

Otherwise, it will probably be a nymph and streamer game this weekend. The lower river should still be good to great streamer water so have the articulated junk along if you head that direction. For sure you want to have some Hendrickson nymphs along with you and the fish should be focusing on these. A #14 Pheasant Tail or the standard Hendrickson nymph that we sell are must haves for the next few weeks. If that doesn’t do it, try a San Juan Worm or Cranefly Larva…..they always work this time of year.

If the warmer temps come back next week, “Hendrickson Watch” will be back on. If we do see them in the month of March, it will be the 1st time we can remember this happening in about 12-15 years or so. Just like old times!

Let us know how you do out there!

Clearfork River

The Clearfork is in good shape and should fish well this weekend. The upper is right about normal flows and they did drop the lower down this afternoon. It might even be a bit on the low side..

Not too many reports the past few days but would be looking for some dry fly activity up there. Have some midges and some 18-20 BWOs just in case. Otherwise, standard nymphs like Princes and Pheasant Tails 14-16 should be the hot ticket. Still decent enough water for streamer fishing in the upper as well. This stretch of water has been fishing extremely well and surely worth stripping an articulated fly through there and see what happens.

Let us know how you do if you get out……should be good!

Clear Creek
Clear Creek is also looking good for the weekend. Water is back down to fishable levels. Still enough to toss a streamer through the deeper holes and hunt for a larger fish.

Again, have some dry flies along just in case although the temps this weekend might prohibit bugs from hatching….we’ll see. Regardless, have some midges, some BWO types, 18-20 in the event of rising fish. Otherwise, stick with nymphs below an indicator. Pheasant Tails or Hendrickson style nymphs will be the best bet although flies like Copper Johns, Princes and others will work well too. If dead drifting isn’t doing it, try swinging a soft hackle. This is a great tactic down there (and anywhere). Start with green and if that doesn’t do it switch to a yellow or orange.

Get out there and let us know how you do! We need some pics from Clear Creek for the collection! Send us a pic this week from Clear Creek and we’ll send you an MRO Hat! How about that?

Erie Steelhead
Unlike last weekend, this weekend is “game-on”.


The streams are just coming into shape the past two days and all indications point towards a banner weekend for steelhead anglers along the Lake Erie shorelines. Good reports the past few days….mostly from the feeders to the Grand. Here is an e-mail we got from our good friend and customer Dan Dunkley:


Hello all.


I just wanted to let you know how this past Wednesday turned out for us steelheading.


I took my brother and son in law up to our comfortable spot on the Rocky but as expected the water wasn’t cooperating, fortunately I took Ryan’s strong suggestion and headed to a tributary off the Grand that I knew of.


I’m glad we did.


Our best day to date.  We landed 19 steelhead between the three of us.  It was my son-in-law’s first time and he ended up landing the most of us all-9 total, his first and largest and freshest was 28″.


Because of Ryan and Andy’s encouragement, I got out of my fishing comfort zone and explored and it sure paid off.


Thanks again to all the folks at Mad River Outfitters for all the knowledge, encouragement and time you spend with us.  It is greatly appreciated.


To a great spring season.


Dan Dunkley


The Vermilion has come down to fishable levels but it is still really muddy. Might think more along the lines of late tomorrow or Sunday for the V. Might be good swinging water though if you have the 2-hand and some big flashy flies.


The Rocky and Chagrin are looking good and should fish very well this weekend. Conneaut and the Ash are actually perfect right now but will start to get a little low as the weekend progresses. If you hit the Ash and it’s too low, head over to Connie.


The Grand is still too high and muddy but as you have read here and in previous reports, the tribs to the Grand have been pretty good. They have saved the day for quite a few folks this past week.


A variety of techniques have been working. Folks have been swinging and stripping flies as well as dead drifting nymphs and eggs. Hot nymphs have been the Brer Possum, Bloody Marys and Black Stones. With the off colored water we have also had some success on the Steelhead Candy. Bright colored Scrambled Eggs have been hot this week but we might see a trend towards the more neutral colors like Oregon Cheese or the Peachy Cream. Guide Josh McQueen swears by that Peachy Cream version…..better get to them before he does.



We do have guides out all weekend and we’ll check in 1st of the week. Send reports and pics!!!! Always helps.



Mad River Outfitters
Fly Shop, Guides, Schools and more!

813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
614-451-0363

Fishing Reports- 2/16/16

* 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. Please, just because we don’t update as often as we like, it doesn’t mean that we don’t care.

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 call us if you need any further information or a more up-to-date report. 614-451-0363
Mad River

Mad River Map– seems to be un-available on ODNR at the moment


Pretty much in “Winter Mode” here for a bit with the cold and snow. The river is in good shape and has been fishing decent….problem is that it’s just been too damn cold the past week or so to get out there. The snow on the ground is also making it challenging to get around.


It does look like we are going to get a bit of a warm-up later in the week. This will most likely raise the river due to runoff so we could be looking at a good streamer weekend for those looking to get out.


We have had some good reports of the Winter Black Stoneflies out and about. Pretty much right on time. As always, have some #14 Black Stonefly nymphs with you if you get out. 


We’ll keep an eye out over the weekend and try to let you know here. Meanwhile, stay tuned and make sure that you are signed-up for our E-News….some big announcements coming!


**Special THANKS to all who joined us for the “Anti-Super Bowl Party” with special guest Kelly Galloup. We had a blast and learned a ton!!!

Clearfork River

Good friend and customer Mike Letizia sent us this photo of a nice brown out of the Upper Clearfork last week before the cold set in.
As you can imagine, things are pretty much in “Winter Mode” up on the Clearfork as well. Although there is some open water, especially on the lower stretch, it’s just a challenge getting around both in and out of the water.

Before the cold snap we did have some good to excellent reports as you can see in the picture above. The Upper Clearfork continues to impress and let’s hope this continues into the season.

We are expecting a warm-up this weekend and that could change things and get us back out on the water. We’ll try to let you know as we do.

**Special THANKS to all who joined us for the “Anti-Super Bowl Party” with special guest Kelly Galloup. We had a blast and learned a ton!!!

Clear Creek
Clear Creek is pretty well locked-up right now and not much fishing going on. We did get eyes on it yesterday and probably won’t think about fishing until we get a warm -up. Hopefully this weekend will change things for the better but we’ll surely see the water rise with runoff.

As always, we’ll try to let you know as we do.

**Special THANKS to all who joined us for the “Anti-Super Bowl Party” with special guest Kelly Galloup. We had a blast and learned a ton!!!

Erie Steelhead
“Big-time” Winter all along Steelhead Alley. Lots of ice and snow are making it pretty much impossible to fish for the time being. They have been getting pounded with snow and frigid temps.


Although there is a bit of open water, not too many reports the past few days. We can tell you that the weekend prior, we did have some EXCELLENT reports and a mess of fish caught all through the system. The fish are there, and more to come, just a bit tough getting to them right now.


Let’s hope with the warm-up expected this weekend things open up a bit and we can think about steelhead again early next week. We’ll try to let you know as we do.


**Special THANKS to all who joined us for the “Anti-Super Bowl Party” with special guest Kelly Galloup. We had a blast and learned a ton!!!



Mad River Outfitters
Fly Shop, Guides, Schools and more!

813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
www.madriveroutfitters.com
614-451-0363

Fishing Reports- 1/25/16

* 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. Please, just because we don’t update as often as we like, it doesn’t mean that we don’t care.

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 call us if you need any further information or a more up-to-date report. 614-451-0363


Mad River


The Mad is a bit low and super clear……we are definitely in “Winter Mode” here for the foreseeable future. Not alot of reports this past week.

A few folks that we know have been out fishing and actually, most have been reporting good to excellent fishing! The Upper River, as well as Mac-O-Chee has been producing some surprising numbers of fish, especially for this time of year. Most reports have had fish taking smaller nymphs. Midge Larva, small Copper Johns and the like have been doing well. No reports of Winter Stoneflies yet but surely time to be fishing the nymphs. Be sure to have some size 14 black nymphs….a Copper John works great for these bugs. Would be a top pick for nymphing, especially in the upper river.

Streamer fishing has been ok although the fish are not as inclined to move too far with the colder water. Small streamers have seemed to be producing a bit better with the clear water. Hopefully we can get some precip here in the next few weeks and change this up a bit.

Many folks have been calling and/or e-mailing about the brook trout in the last post. A few more caught in the past week as well. The answer to the question is No…the state is not stocking these. They are escapees from the Zanesfield Rod and Gun Club located up near the headwaters in Bellefontaine. They are actually quite common in the upper part of the river, as are rainbows. We don’t see too many down where Ben caught his but it obviously happens.

Keep your eyes on the forecast and over the next few weeks, if you see a 45+ for the temps and calling for sun, it can be a great time to catch fish on dry midges. Something we always look forward to this time of year.


Clearfork River


The Clearfork is getting some pretty good rim-ice, especially in the upper. Not many reports this week as to be expected.

If you were to go, probably best to think about the lower stretch although it is pretty low and clear. Just be careful getting down into the park as the road can be treacherous if there is any snow or ice. Search out the deeper, greener water and could do ok.

Nymphs will be the hot ticket although still waiting for a monster on a large streamer  in the lower. It’s going to happen…just a matter of time. Same thing here as well like the Mad….if you see a nice warm, sunny day in the forecast, you could have a banner day with Midge dries. Always a winter highlight!!!

If you get out, send us some pics and reports! 


Clear Creek


Clear Creek is pretty well iced-up and looks like it will be for some time. No real reason to head that way unless you are looking for a nice winter hike. Great place for that!
We’ll try to let you know as things change.
Erie Steelhead
Not alot going on right now on the steelhead front. With the weather, most streams are pretty well locked-up and looks like they’ll be that way here for a bit. Not uncommon for this time of year. There are a few spots open and fishable, but not too many folks getting out as you can understand.

We are busy tying flies and stocking the boxes for when things open up and we get back to fishing. Guides are primed and ready and trips are booking for March and April. Let us know if you want to get in on the action!

In the meantime…

If you happen to be in the Cleveland area this weekend. stop by and say hello! Brian and steelhead guide Josh McQueen will be manning the booth at the Northern Ohio Fly Fishing Expo in Brecksville. Also on-hand will be our good friend and partner Captain Brian Meszaros so a great chance to learn more about what we do with him up on Lake St. Clair.

Click Here to learn more about the show this weekend.

Let’s hope the weather works out and we don’t get “snowed out” like we did in Louisville last weekend!
Of course, as things change on the Steelhead front, we’ll let you know!!!



Mad River Outfitters
Fly Shop, Guides, Schools and more!

813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
www.madriveroutfitters.com
614-451-0363

Fishing Reports- 11/25/15

* 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. Please, just because we don’t update as often as we like, it doesn’t mean that we don’t care.

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 call us if you need any further information or a more up-to-date report. 614-451-0363

Mad River

USGS Gauge- Urbana

USGS Gauge- St. Paris Pike

Mad River Map

Glad to be up and running again with our Fishing Reports. As you have probably read, we were unable to update due to the website being modified this Fall. We have now moved everything over to this Blog and we hope that you will sign-up to follow us here. You’ll then be notified every time we update. Please also click the link back to the old reports page as we will be keeping the history there as a fishing reports “archive”……oh……and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at MRO!! Be sure to stop in this weekend for “Black Friday” weekend and if not, hit the website for “Cyber Monday/21st Anniversary”.

Our buddy Phil Ritter just this morning on the Mad. Was caught on a size 16 Chartreuse Copper John. Measured at just under 18″. Beautiful Fall colors!

Although some folks have been getting out on the Mad and doing pretty well….it’s been a tough Fall, to say the least. As is the story everywhere in Ohio the river is super low and clear and has been for some time. We can only hope that this weather pattern changes and we get some water. The good news is that the leaves have pretty much cleared out and less of an issue like they have been for about a month. You still may have some issues on a windy day but much less from here on out.

Our Fall streamer season has been pretty non-existent. Yes, of course a few nice fish have been caught, but this has been in deeper holes in the lower river. If you want to fish streamers, you may consider going to a smaller, non-articulated fly. In these types of conditions the smaller stuff CAN work a bit better than the larger, “Kelly Style” flies, but of course you never know until you try.

We did have some decent Blue Winged Olive and Pseudo fishing during October, mostly in the upper river and it was technical stuff….but fun. From here on out if you do see any rising it will probably be to midges. Have some Griffith’s Gnats, Brian/Ryan and I.C.S.I. dries along just in case. Small midge larva bounced along the bottom will produce good number of fish all winter, the fishes bellies are full of them. Try a red midge larva and see what happens.

Other than that, nymphing will be the way to go for sure. Either go really small with the midges or go big with a Cranefly or big attractor type. Fish them slow under an indicator, be stealthy, and you can still catch fish.

Speaking of Indicators…have you seen the new Air Lock Indicators? Best we have found….hands down.

Thanks for reading and we’ll try to update again next week. Pray for rain!


Clearfork River

USGS- Upper Clearfork

USGS- Lower/Mohican State Park

Clearfork Map

Glad to be up and running again with our Fishing Reports. As you have probably read, we were unable to update due to the website being modified this Fall. We have now moved everything over to this Blog and we hope that you will sign-up to follow us here. You’ll then be notified every time we update. Please also click the link back to the old reports page as we will be keeping the history there as a fishing reports “archive”……oh……and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at MRO!! Be sure to stop in this weekend for “Black Friday” weekend and if not, hit the website for “Cyber Monday/21st Anniversary”.

The Clearfork has been the sleeper this Fall. Especially the past few weeks. We have seen some excellent fish caught in the upper stretch, mostly on nymphs, but some really excellent 16-19″ fish. The lower is yet to show us much like this but there are plenty of smaller fish swimming around and pretty eager to eat a fly.

As with the rest of Ohio, the Clearfork is super low but the fishing has remained decent. Most reports have been that small nymphs like Copper Johns, Prince Nymphs and Pheasant Tails have been working well. Also arm yourself with some midges if you go. There have been some reports of dry fly activity down in the park and the fish have been eating small midge dries on the surface.

Not much to report yet about streamer success but that should change here this week…especially if we get some water. There should be a bunch of bigger fish swimming around (if you know what happens this time of year) and they will jump on streamers. If the big stuff doesn’t produce with the low water, go to bucktails or muddlers and see what happens.

If we get some rain this weekend, it could REALLY turn on!



Clear Creek

USGS Gauge

Clear Creek Map

Glad to be up and running again with our Fishing Reports. As you have probably read, we were unable to update due to the website being modified this Fall. We have now moved everything over to this Blog and we hope that you will sign-up to follow us here. You’ll then be notified every time we update. Please also click the link back to the old reports page as we will be keeping the history there as a fishing reports “archive”……oh……and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at MRO!! Be sure to stop in this weekend for “Black Friday” weekend and if not, hit the website for “Cyber Monday/21st Anniversary”.

Looks like the flow gauge has not been working for a few days but trust us…the water is low! Pretty low even for this time of year. The temp gauge does seem to be accurate though. There are still quite a few leaves choking the system and we are of course in need of a blowout….let’s hope it happens soon!

With the cooler temps this week though we have seen the fish moving into their winter hangouts. It doesn’t take long in this small stream to find the fish….look for deeper, darker runs and pools and they will be there. Also look for rock slabs, boulders and wood. Working these areas with nymphs will not disappoint but don’t overlook a small streamer if the leaves are not presenting a problem. Standard nymphs like Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears and Copper Johns have been working but lean towards the smaller…#16-18 variety.

There has been a good midge hatch during the warmth of the sunny afternoons and we have had some reports of fish rising to them. A few decent fish caught on dry flies the past few weeks. Overcast days have been seeing some Blue Winged Olives, size 20-22 but they will surely subside as the temps cool further here. We should see the midge activity continue though so have some Griffit’s Gnats, Brian/Ryans and such as well as some midge larva for below the surface. Red midge larva, Brassies and Disco Midges will catch fish all winter.

Thanks for reading and we’ll stay in touch!

Erie Steelhead

Gauge Links and Maps

Glad to be up and running again with our Fishing Reports. As you have probably read, we were unable to update due to the website being modified this Fall. We have now moved everything over to this Blog and we hope that you will sign-up to follow us here. You’ll then be notified every time we update. Please also click the link back to the old reports page as we will be keeping the history there as a fishing reports “archive”……oh……and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at MRO!! Be sure to stop in this weekend for “Black Friday” weekend and if not, hit the website for “Cyber Monday/21st Anniversary”.

Ron Martino with his 1st Ohio Steelhead…and on the swing! Guide trip with Josh on Monday 11/23


Unfortunately, for our belated 1st report of the season, there is not a ton to report. With the low water and un-seasonably warm Fall we have had, it has been a tough start to the season. Don’t get us wrong, we ARE catching some fish, but not in the numbers we are used to and we are having to work/walk a little extra this year. The good news now is that the leaves are pretty well out of the system with the exception of the smaller streams like the Ashtabula and the Vermilion which are still in desperate need of a blowout. The water is also starting to “green-up” for the winter and that’s always a good sign. The East side of Cleveland did get some snow the past few nights, and that may help a little…..but boy….do we need rain.

The hot spots have surely been the Grand and the Chagrin although reports have the fish mostly still down towards the mouths and have not moved much past Painesville or above Daniels. We have been doing pretty well on the Grand the past week but the problem is the crowds. Josh had to get on the water at 5:30 a.m. the other day just to hold a spot for his clients. When we have gotten water, the Conneaut has actually been on fire, but then right back down to mediocre with the water levels. The Rocky has been sporadic and for most has been a disappointment although we did get some reports of decent catches there the past few days, including a few big browns. The Vermilion is pretty much flowing upstream….you could walk across it and not get wet!

The PA streams of course have fish in them and folks are catching a few but it’s tough….and top that off with the crowds it makes for a questionable outing at best. Some decent fishing up in New York and the Catt but they are also in need of rain in a big way.

Our guides are reporting that they have been doing surprisingly well swinging baitfish patterns on the Grand. Also drifting some smaller Emerald Shiner type patters under an indicator with some success. The Skiddish Smolt pattern and the Ice Man Minnow in the Olive/Yellow color have both been top choices. Small white wooly buggers have also been producing fish…..stripped or swung with warmer temps and drifted in colder. A few folks reporting that nymphs have done pretty well. Of course our favorite Brer Possum, Bloody Marys and the Fly Formerly Known as Prince always do well for us. All of our guides are saying that streamers and nymphs are far out performing egg patterns right now but that should change here with the weather and as we get more fish in the system.

Thanks for reading and be sure to click on the “Steelhead Central” page to view the gauge heights, view maps and for some links to “Cool Steelhead Stuff” on our web page.



Mad River Outfitters
Fly Shop, Guides, Schools and more!

813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214
www.madriveroutfitters.com
614-451-0363