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ohio fly fishing

Fishing Reports- 4/7/17

* 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.



* Thought we’d start off with a “superstar kid” this week:

“Dear MRO,
Haven’t fished in Ohio in way too long. However, I was in Colorado over spring break and thought I’d send in a quick email. My dad and I fished the Uncompahgre River in southwest Colorado for a day and a half. Caught 7 cutthroat, 2 rainbows and a cutbow in total. Almost all of them on midges. Super clear water meant a little bit of sight fishing too. Stalked a cutty for a while in a calm pool, till I stripped a streamer right by the log he was under. Watched him come out and eat it, and landed my first ever cutthroat. All in all, it was an awesome time!- Thanks,
Ann Heuerman”

Thanks as always Ann! Hope to see you soon and keep up the good work!!


Warm Water
Not too many reports this week with the cold and rain. We’re hoping to get some reports and pics going. Send them in! Let’s get this started!!!

Next week looks great for pond fishing and even some local stream pre-spawn Smallies.  Key in on the shallower ponds and smaller creeks.  Fish streamers in both and you will be rewarded.  

Mad River

The Mad is currently high and off colored, as you’d expect.  This is actually one of the only times in the past year that the river has not dropped back down quickly.  The big news this week continues to be Hendrickson.  Pat was out on a streamer trip a few days and they were coming off thick….like super thick.


If you are looking to take advantage of the dry fly bite look at Sunday afternoon being your closest opportunity.  With the forecast dry fly fishing should continue to be great through the next week.  As for flies make sure you have Adams, Parachute Adams, Henny Sparkle Dun, Bears Para Henny, Becks Henny, Mr Rapidan (for HiVis), Irresistible all in size 14-16.

Guide’s Choice? Beck’s Hendrickson



If there is nothing hatching nymphing will be the ticket.  The Hendrickson nymph will be your top choice.  Other nymphs to fish are Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ear, Prince, Caddis, Copper Johns, Trophy Nymphs and soft hackles.


The big talk in the shop and with calls today has been streamer fishing.  The main question has been when will the stream drop back down?  Should be in play tomorrow, but you are looking for flows under 240cfs at Urbana.  This weekend has the making to be a great opportunity for streamers throughout the river.  The most productive flies have been Galloups Stacked Blonde, Bottoms Up, Dungeons, and Peanuts.  We have a big shipment of new streamers here in the shop.  We are working to get them online, but stop by and take a look. 


Clearfork River

As for most of the other streams in the state the Clear fork is high and muddy.  Fishing streamers can be very productive though and should be.  Look for the streamer bite to be best late Sunday and into the early part of next week.  As the stream clears keep your dry fly rod and flies handy.  Again nymphing will be the most productive until you see fish starting to rise, then switch over to the dry.  Make sure you are getting permission if you are fishing on the private water in the upper river.  

As for the lower below the dam the streamer bite should continue well into next week and with a good mix bag of fish species.  Make sure you are using your big rods, sink tips, and articulated Kelly Galloup flies.  As for nymphs the usual Pheasant Tails, Copper Johns, Trophy Nymphs, Hare’s Ear, Prince, Caddis, soft hackles and the must have Hendrickson nymph.  Your dry fly box should be filled with Adams, Parachute Adams, Henny Sparkle Dun, Bears Para Henny, Becks Henny, Mr Rapidan (for HiVis), Elk Hair Caddis and Irresistible all in size 14-16. 

Clear Creek
Clear Creek is dropping well, but still high and muddy.  Look for the creek to fish maybe by Sunday for the streamer bite.  Into next week as the stream settles out look for the midge hatch to continue as well as a few Hendrickson.  Nymphing will be the most productive until the stream clears.  Nymph with your usual trout nymphs: Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ear, Prince, Caddis and soft hackles.  Make sure to have a good variety of sizes and colors.  


As for dries you will need Parachute Adams, Elk Hair Caddis and a lot of Hendrickson.  Keep some streamers handy for early in the week:  Wooly Buggers, Clousers, Black Nose Dace, Matuka, Zonkers, and Trick-or-Treats are the way to go.  




Erie Steelhead
This season has been unique to say it politely!  Fall started out with low to no water, “winter” ice lasted maybe a week combined, Spring started warm and now very wet.  The good thing has been the amount of fish from mid December till now.  All of the streams have plenty of fish and they are well distributed.  The only issue right now is high water.  We are not saying that you cannot catch fish in high water though.  These high conditions just cause for very dangerous wading and visibility to almost zero.  We do not suggest anyone to cross the streams in flows like we currently have.  If you do just want to get out and enjoy the good predicted weather this weekend though simply take caution.  Use a wading staff and keep close to the shore and out of the main current.  The best fishing conditions will be later in the week and into next weekend.  

As for the predicted forecast next week looks fantastic.  If you are planning on fishing for steelhead this spring you need to be looking at the next few weeks.  There is not/little rain in the forecast so the current levels will be dropping quickly and fish will start to be looking for gravel.  We are not saying that the season is over, but this is the time to get your sick days and guide trips lined up.  Make sure those fly boxes are fully stocked and the gas tank full.  As soon as these flows come down you have the best chance at having some of the best fishing days of the season.  With all this being said we will need to see significant rain and temps out of the 70’s to keep the season going good into May.   

Gear:  If you are new to this game, then a 10′ 6-8wt is what we prefer for nymphing. Indicators/floats/bobbers what every you want to call them with a double fly rigs underneath will keep you in the numbers game.  Indicator lines are going to make things much easier for you. As for swinging a switch rod in the 6-8wt class is preferred.  Give us a call to help sort all of this out!  

Flies: Eggs Eggs Eggs!  Glo Bugs and Otters Eggs are the go to, but Scrambled Eggs, Cyclops, and Crystal Meth are always good to have in the box.  Trout Beads are something we also carry giving us the ability to switch out hooks if needed.  Start with bigger and brighter eggs then move to more pastel colors and smaller paterns as the visibility clears.  For swinging any streamer can work, but we prefer to swing Senyo’s A.I. and Flow Ryders or Dolly Llamas in higher water.  Once the streams start to clear we will swing Buggers, Skiddish Smolts, Zonkers, and single hooked streamers. 



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

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

Fishing Reports 1/20/17

* 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.




* This is starting to become a broken record for the weekend, but after our low water summer and fall we are not complaining!  The weather this week and into the weekend makes us think this is a March report not a mid-January report.  With that being said there are a few people messing around with shallow ponds and even catching Bluegills on poppers!  This will not last long, but makes for good stories and bragging rights on the first topwater fish of the year.  Get outside and take advantage of this weather while it is here. 


Mad River

Streamers Streamers Streamers!  We have some great conditions for fishing streamers this weekend.  The flows are high, but falling fast.  If you are wading then focus on the upper stretches.  On foot you will be looking at Sunday before levels are safe to wade.  Fishing streamers is our preferred method, but big buggy nymphs will get the job done too.  

Certain flies have been consistent from week to week this winter.  Patterns in the Nymph category include the Guide Choice Hare’s Ear, Prince Nymph, Copper Johns, Jimmy Legs and don’t overlook the San Juan.  The Conehead Mudler is used as a nymph here around the shop too.  And of course, as Brian always says around here: “Don’t EVER fish the Mad River without Cranefly Larva in your fly box”. 

As for streamers supply yourself with a good mix of colors and rotate through them as needed. Pick up any Galloup pattern that is big and articulated.  Dungeons, Barely Legals (take a look at the new Fish-Scull version), Bottoms Up, Cougars, Lil Swimmers, Game Changers and Totally Articulateds will produce.  Make sure to have your sink-tip lines and 6-8wts! 

Clearfork River

It is muddy and high on both ends…Things do not look good for next week either.  Take advantage of the good weather this weekend and maybe think about a quick trip north for steelhead Sunday afternoon.

Clear Creek
Clear Creek is very high and muddy.  This will last for quite some time looking at next week forecast.
Erie Steelhead
Look at hitting a smaller stream Sunday.  Everything is high right now and off color.  I you do not want to change your fishing plans keep an eye on the gauges.  As usual this time of the year the window is going to be small, but there are plenty of fish.  If you have a two-handed rod this weekend will be your time to swing.  

Looking into next week there is going to be a mix of conditions.  Lots of rain is in the forecast followed by snow.  We will keep you updated as things change.  Flies continue to be consistent: EGGS EGGS EGGS and a few buggers and Zonkers…not much more needs to be added…but if you like a little variety in your fly box have a good mix of nymphs.  Steelhead Stones, Bloody Mary, Sparkle Maggots, Guides Choice Hares Ear, and Steak N Eggs will set you on the right path.  Make sure you have a good mix of colors of eggs and dont forget the Trout Beads.  With the higher off-colored water the larger Globugs and Bead in bright colors are our go to flies.   

As for those wanting to swing up a fresh bright fish fill you box with A.I. Intruders, Dolly Llama, Flow Rider, Hare Leech, Skiddish Smolts will get the job done.  Load up your Skagit heads, MOW tips, and 12-15lb tippet.  We don’t get the gift of this type of weather and conditions often so get out there and send us those Chrome pictures!

Here’s a few from guide trips last Sunday before the water came up:

Our good friend and frequent guide client Quentin Baker- rumor has it he’s joining Josh and Jerry in Alaska this Summer?


  And of course Ed Bailey with a nice one as well!

Interested in a guide trip this coming Spring 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
Fly Shop, Guides, Trips, Classes, Schools and more!

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

Fishing Reports- 12/31/16

* 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.


From all of us at Mad River Outfitters!

We’d like to wish you and your’s a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

Thanks again for all that you do for us. We wouldn’t be here without YOU!

Be safe and we’ll look forward to seeing you all in 2017. Gonna be a GREAT year!

Brian, Andy, Pat, Linda, Ryan, Kevin, Judy, Dick, Roger, Cristina, Josh and Rogue

News


* Tons of stuff to be reported after the 1st of the year. Be sure that you are signed-up for E-News to stay informed. You can find a link to regsiter along the right of the top bar on our website.


* Gearing up for Spring trip season: 


Things get started in two weeks with Pat Kelly heading up the annual trip to the Amazon for Peacock Bass. He has a group of 11 anglers along with him and will have full pics and hopefully some good video upon return. Stay tuned and check out the details on the trip HERE. 2018 dates should be announced shortly.


Then, in February, Brian will be headed to Andros Island for bonefish. This will be our 19th year at the Andros Island Bonefish Club and as usual, we can’t wait to get there. A great escape from the Winter in the North and not to mention some of the best Bonefishing on the Planet! Some spots still open if interested…check it out HERE.


Already time to start thinking about Spring Steelhead as well! In addition to guide trips locally, we will be running our bi-annual trip to the Muskegon River Lodge in Michigan. Luxury accomodations and gourmet food right on the banks of the “Mighty Mo”. You’ll walk right out the front door and onto the jet sleds of the guides. This trip is limited to only 4 anglers so don’t delay! Check out the details HERE.


Find all of our Great Fly Fishing Trips on our Mad River Travel Page.


* New to the Shop! Hatch Outdoors- you know the reels but have you seen the Nippers and Pliers? Holy Crap! Check out Hatch products HERE.


* Winter/Spring Classes and Events are up on the Calendar page.


* The Fly Fishing Film Tour returns to Columbus! The event is scheduled for Thursday, March 9th and full details and tickets should be available on the website by mid January.


* Proud to announce new sponsorships for the Midwest Fly Fishing Schools. Full details will be announced after the 1st of the year as well as dates of all schools for 2016. In the meantime, we’d like to thank Scientific Anglers, Scott Fly Rods, TFO and Patagonia for their support. It’s an honor to have companies like these believing in what you do and willing to lend their blessings.


* Be sure to mark your calendars for the Columbus Fishing Expo coming up on February 10-12th, 2017. Mad River Outfitters has tripled the booth size and will be a “Fly Fishing Feature” to the show this year. Brian will be doing daily seminars on the “Hawg Trough” and Jerry Darkes, Jeff Liskay and Donnie Knight will also be doing seminars as well. We will be joined in the booth by Scientific Anglers, Korkers Footwear, Smithfly, Patagonia and more. Check out the details on the show HERE.






Mad River

There have been many people in the shop heading to and from the Mad this week.  The bump in water was a welcome sight, but as usual it did not last long.  There were a few people who did find some success fishing streamers, but it really only lasted a few days.  We are still hoping for a good streamer push but not looking good at this point.

With the stream back down and clear the usual winter nymphing has and will be the key into the weekend.  Most people have been focusing on the lower river.  Do not over look the upper and tributaries when the water does come up again.  

Right now your winter trout fishing is pretty consistent across the state.  Indicator/bobber, a shot or two, big nymph, and then a smaller soft-hackle or lighter weighted nymph.  Flies of choice: Guides Choice Hare’s Ear, Cranefly Larva, Jimmy Legs, Copper John, Psycho Prince, Flashabou Caddis, and Soft-Hackles in various colors.  

Streamers with the low clear water is usually not very productive, but never hurts to give it a try if clouds move in or with the rain on Monday and Tuesday.  

If things change during the week we’ll try to update as best we can. Thanks a ton for reading this year and also for your contributions and pics. We are very proud of the community of anglers that have joined together to help us with this Blog. Keep up the good work!!!!

Clearfork River

We havent heard much from reports this past week, but the few people who have checked-in have been doing well.  Down in the park they have just slowed letting water out from below Pleasant Hill Lake so the streamer fishing should still hang on through the weekend.  The upper river is clearing and should fish well with nymphs, but is on the low side.  

If you are wanting to fish streamers take a look at our Modern Streamer page and pull out the Rio Streamer Tip fly line.  Make sure you have a few different colored streamers in your box to switch around.  Nymphing below the dam is also very effective.  Right now your winter trout fishing is pretty consistent across the state.  Indicator/bobber, a shot or two, big nymph, and then a smaller soft-hackle or lighter weighted nymph.  Flies of choice: Guides Choice Hare’s Ear, Cranefly Larva, Jimmy Legs, Copper John, Psycho Prince, Flashabou Caddis, and Soft-Hackles in various colors.  As for streamers Dungeons, Peanuts, Barely Legals, Clousers, Silk Kittys, Boogieman, Zoo Cougar…man they are all good!  Just have a good selection.

Thanks again for reading this year and for your generous contributions and photos. We really appreciate all that you do to help us with this Blog!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!


Clear Creek
The rain did the stream well.  There was a lot of water push through the creek the past couple of weeks.  The small amount of rain last Friday and Saturday did color up the stream, but it has finally cleared out.  Conditions are perfect going into the weekend with streamers and nymphs doing the trick.  


Focus on the slower water close to faster runs.  Right now your winter trout fishing is pretty consistent across the state.  Indicator/bobber, a shot or two, big nymph, and then a smaller soft-hackle or lighter weighted nymph.  Flies of choice: Guides Choice Hare’s Ear, Cranefly Larva, Jimmy Legs, Copper John, Psycho Prince, Flashabou Caddis, and Soft-Hackles in various colors.  Streamers consists of your traditional trout stuff like Black Nose Dace, Muddler Minows, buggers, Clousers, Zoo Cougers, Cactus Wooly, Butt Monkeys, Barely Legals and on and on!  


Cover some water and enjoy the scenery!  


Thanks again for all the contributions and photo submissions this year. We really appreciate when folks help us out with this Blog. We hope that you all have a great New Years and look forward to hearing about your Ohio fishing adventures in 2017!!
Erie Steelhead

The melt and rain over the last week was much needed.  Although the Western streams are on the low side they are not clear.  The Vermilion is still pretty cloudy and will not be fishing for a bit here altough it would probably be a good idea to swing a few flies down low. It’s time for this stream to come on strong…we just haven’t heard much as of yet.


The Connie and Ash are on the low side, but fishing well.  The Grand will also be a long time out as it is still high and off color.  The Rocky and Chagrin should also fish well this weekend. Folks that have been out have been doing pretty well and we typically see a nice push of fresh fish right about this time of year.


This is your weekend to get out and do some Winter Steelheading.  With the day temps above freezing and not much snow predicted everything looks to be lining up right to start out the new year with some Steel.  


There is some rain in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday this will most likely bump the streams and color things up.  If you like to swing flies for Steelhead then that small window should treat you well.  Sink tips and big contrasting colored streamers can do the trick on your single hand rod.  Make sure you are fishing close to the bottom and swinging steady and slow.  This is a great time to pull out the Skagit head and either MOW or straight “T” material and your switch rod also.  It is a small window, but is a great opportunity give your Indicator rod a break.  


As for flies the usual winter setup will put numbers in the net.  Indicator/bobber, shot, bugger or zonker in white, olive, or black then followed by an Glo-bug, Trout Bead, or Sucker Spawn.  If you do happen to find some clear water then you might swap out the bugger for a heavy nymph like a Steelhead Candy, Great Lakes Caddis, Jimmy Legs, or Guides Choice.  If you want to swing then the A.I., Flow Rider, Hare Leech, or Dolly Llama is a good choice.  Don’t over look some of your large trout streamers also.  If you are hitting the vice before you head out tie up lots of buggers, eggs, and give some swinging flies a try especially patters that are sparse, but large using Finn Raccoon, Arctic Fox, and Bucktail.  


If you are planning on heading make sure to check out our Steelhead Central page for maps, tips, and gear.  

Congrats to Jacob Jesionek who got his 1st ever this week on an MRO Guide trip with Josh McQueen

Same for his buddy Brendan Nenni. 1st ever! Thanks guys for the booking and glad we could help!!


Thanks again to all of our friends who contribute reports and pics to this Blog. We truly appreciate your willingness to help with these reports. We couldn’t do it without YOU!!!

Happy New Year again to all and here’s to a FANTASTIC 2017! We can’t wait!!!!!!



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

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

Fishing Reports- 12/20/16

* 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.




Mad River

Fishing on the Mad has been fairly good despite the cold conditions and low clear water. Definitely winter fishing mode for the past week but that seems to be changing a bit here the past few days.  Indicators and nymphs have been the numbers game.  Looking for the slower deeper water has been key.  Once you find these locations thoroughly covering every inch with good long drifts is the key.  The stockers from earlier this fall have spread out a little and are starting to mix in with the older resident fish.  Most fish have been giving looks to the usual Cranefly Larva, Trophy Nymphs, and Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear.  Behind these flies we like to fish a Soft Hackle, unweighted Pheasant Tail, or Caddis.
  
With the bump in water from the rain and melt the streamer fishing has been good.  This was the biggest push of water we have had in a long time!  Finally the leaves have pushed out. These flows did not stick around for long as the river has fallen just about as fast as it came up. We need the ground to thaw out and decent rain everyother day or so to get things back to normal and fire up the streamer bite again. We are already back into nymphing mode.
  
Looking into the weekend…Back to the typical nymphing game.  With the daily highs at just about or over freezing watch for ice in the guides.  The key this time of year is to limit the amount of stripping in of the fly line and keeping your guides coated with Loon’s Stanley’s Ice Off Paste.  A couple techniques we like to use are long nymphing rods and either water loading or single-hand spey casts.  The long rods keep as much line off the water as possible and allow for longer drifts and line control.  The spey-type casts minimize line stripping and easily cast the indicators, meat and lead.  Also do not overlook the use of Tenkara in the cold weather.  There are no guides, reel, or thick fly line to ice up.  Some lines are better than others, but a light coating of Ice Off on any line will make things work best for you.  

A few reports from the past few weeks:

“Hi all!- I thought I would share my experience yesterday (12/5) fishing off of the Route 36 bridge between 12 and 4pm. Water, as you well know, is very low and clear. I started off fishing up river with olive and natural colored rattlesnake streamers. No luck with those, so I moved to an olive Galloup’s Boogieman. Picked up my first fish off the front side of a log jam. Later in the day, just before the rain hit, I picked up my second fish in the middle of a large pool. Technique used was a jerk-strip retrieve.

Overall I was pleased with two fish considering how the conditions have been. Like you, I am still hoping for a “fall” streamer season. Pics are attached. On a side note, the Hydros SL reel I bought from you on Black Friday worked great. Thanks again!”- Chuck Ewing

This next report from over month ago and we neglected to get it up. We owe Matthew a hat! It’s on it’s way man!!! We’ll also send one along for your gal!!!


“Fished the Mad for the first time ever on November 5th. Nymphing was very productive, caught several trout and was very impressed with the area. All the fish we caught were the newly stocked ones, but did have a holdover on that got the best of me and got off. My fiancé caught her first trout on a fly, needless to say she is hooked. Can’t wait to get back out there.”- Matthew Thomas

Clearfork River

Not many reports as of late from up that way with the low, clear and cold temps, but we have heard word of fish being caught.  They are letting water out as we type so the streamer game below the dam is the key right now.  We usually start with shad colored flies and the typical streamer setup, then move to Yellow and on and on through our Galloup streamer box.  If the upper is your game focus on the typical winter water tails and bellies of pools or deep runs close to pools are key.  The same rigs as for the Mad- Indicators, Guide’s Choice Hare’s Ear, double stones, and alike will get the job done.  

From the other reports…Here is the key to winter fishing: 
Looking into the weekend…Back to the typical nymphing game.  With the daily highs at just about or over freezing watch for ice in the guides.  The key this time of year is to limit the amount of stripping in of the fly line and keeping your guides coated with Loon’s Stanley’s Ice Off Paste.  A couple techniques we like to use are long nymphing rods and either water loading or single-hand spey casts.  The long rods keep as much line off the water as possible and allow for longer drifts and line control.  The spey-type casts minimize line stripping and easily cast the indicators, meat and lead.  Also do not overlook the use of Tenkara in the cold weather.  There are no guides, reel, or thick fly line to ice up.  Some lines are better than others, but a light coating of Ice Off on any line will make things work best for you.  


Clear Creek
About the same issues as the past few weeks…or months.  Low and clear before this past rain and melt event.  Hare’s Ear, Pheasant Tails and Soft Hackles are the flies to tie on first.  The streamer fishing is good as long as the temps down in the valley stay above freezing.  Look at Zonkers, buggers, and such on the small size for the most numbers.  

This rain and melt really shot the stream up.  Cresting over 1700cfs and raising over 4′ is a big deal for this little stream.  It needed a good flush!  Look at the water color to start clearing as we get later into the week, but it will fish with streamers now.  

As stated in the Mad River writeup…this will be the key for the rest of the winter:
Looking into the weekend…Back to the typical nymphing game.  With the daily highs at just about or over freezing watch for ice in the guides.  The key this time of year is to limit the amount of stripping in of the fly line and keeping your guides coated with Loon’s Stanley’s Ice Off Paste.  A couple techniques we like to use are long nymphing rods and either water loading or single-hand spey casts.  The long rods keep as much line off the water as possible and allow for longer drifts and line control.  The spey-type casts minimize line stripping and easily cast the indicators, meat and lead.  Also do not overlook the use of Tenkara in the cold weather.  There are no guides, reel, or thick fly line to ice up.  Some lines are better than others, but a light coating of Ice Off on any line will make things work best for you.  
Erie Steelhead
12/21/16 Emergency Update- Seems that we were a bit too optimistic and the temps fell a bit more than expected last night. Most streams are iced up pretty good today or slush at best. The Chagrin is in the best shape but we don’t think the slush will come off at all today. Maybe later this afternoon but if you are driving any distance at all, probably not worth it. We’ve got scouts out today and should get a better report up later today. 

12/20/16- Lots of slush and Ice recently but fishing really heating up here the past few days…  This rain gave some much needed flush of the ice, but with the cold night temps flows will start to lock up in the slower water but the main flows should be fishable for the foreseeable future.  The weather looks good for the next week or so…minus enough rain.  The highs should keep things good in the middle of the day so there is really no need to get out at first light…unless you are trying to get the prime water through the weekend.  

The Chagrin and Rocky are fishing good with some color to the water, but that should settle out as we get later into the week.  The Grand is a week out or so while the Ash and Connie will be fishing well by Thurday or Friday.  Fish are all in winter mode.  Look for the tails of pools, deep runs, and holding water.  Eggs are the flies right now with a Bugger or Zonker to help get everything down.  This time of the year a 10′ rod or switch is really helpful to keep everything drifting nicely and ice free.  These rods keep as much line off the water as possible and also provide more line control and reach.  Stanley’s Ice Off Paste, gloves, layers, and spey casting or water loading are the keys to success all winter long.  Try to keep from getting your reels wet and stripping too much line through the guides as this will ice them up quickly. Also remember that felt and snow or ice don’t mix well so make sure to install those spikes in your felt and rubber soles.  

There is some good looking weather in the forecast and plenty of fish around. Should be a decent week and weekend of steelhead fishing here in Ohio. We do have guides out this week and will keep you updated as to river conditions if things change. 

Send us reports and pics and if you need an up-to-the-minute report, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Here’s a few shots from the past few weeks:

John Updyke was out with our good friend Bob Wing and got this Ohio Beauty!

Ray and crew came out on their yearly Guided Trip- this year with guides Ryan and Patrick. This day will always be remembered by the clients and guides as the “Snow Bowl”

MRO Guide and Fly Tying Manager Ryan Ratliff claims this is the only “selfie” he has ever taken but he couldn’t resist. Pretty much sums up the “Steelhead Snow Bowl” on December 9th

Lunch!

Pretty much sums up the past few weeks but luckily things are opening up here! (Nothing can stop an MRO guide though from “scouting conditions”)

Proof that if you are persistent enough, even ice doesn’t stop the fishing! 




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

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

Fishing Reports- 12/2/16

* 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.


In the News


Special THANKS to all who participated in the “Black Friday” through “Cyber Monday” promotions. We had our biggest Holiday Weekend by far in our 22 + year history. We truly appreciate the support!

* Just another reminder that we are OPEN Sundays from Noon- 5:00 p.m. now through Chrstmas. We will also be running “Sunday Specials” which will be available in the shop or the online store. Watch Facebook and here on the Blog for the details each week.

* Should be posted shortly but we ARE participating in the Orvis promo this month- buy a Helios 2 rod and get a FREE Hydros SL fly reel. We should have the details on the website within the next day or so but if you just can’t wait…give us a call. We’ll get you the FREE reel with the purchase.

* Also a reminder as you shop this Holiday Season- Mad River Outfitters will always meet or beat any price that you find out there and ALL competitors coupons always welcome! Any questions don’t hesitate to give us a call.

* Brian has a few spots OPEN on the Bonefish Trip in February- 

You get to Andros Island and we’ll do the rest! Our 18th season at the Andros Island Bonefish Club.

Click Here for details and pricing on this trip

Here’s a quick video teaser on the trip as well:



* Linda wanted us to also remind you to tell the gals-
“Ladies Night” is coming up on Tuesday! 5-9 p.m.

Click Here for the details


Mad River

Not alot exciting to report. We have pretty much been writing this same report for almost 6 months now. It’s just a bit colder now.

The intermittent rains have not done much for the Mad. The drought is taking it’s toll and fishing continues to be tough. We desperately need a few solid days of rain before anything is really going to change.

That being said, we have had a few folks out catching some fish. Most fish have been the smaller fish from the Spring or Fall stocking but a handful of nicer fish. Most have been on nymphs or small streamers.

The good news is that the leaves are not hindering fishing like they were during November. That’s a plus.

The fish are eating tons and tons of midge larva right now. If you just want to catch a few fish, #16-20 red or natural midge larva patterns will do the trick. If you are looking for a larger fish, go with something bigger like a Cranefly Larva or a Bitch Creek, Big Nasty etc. A rig that has been producing fish the past few weeks is a Cranefly Larva with a #14-16 Green Soft Hackle behind it. Try putting some Frog’s Fanny on the soft hackle. It will get their attention.

A few folks catching some fish on smaller streamers in the shallow water but it does seem as if we are getting screwed out of our Fall Streamer season. A big push of water and that could change in a heartbeat, but as of now, nothing to report.

Here’s an e-mail that we got from our new friend from Colorado:

“Just wanted to say thank you to Brian (if I remember right), who helped me at the shop there on Saturday. He told me to fish the Mad river where the river runs under the 55 bridge near Urbana. I went downstream from there and caught a few small browns using the flies he sold me there in the shop. I fished a green soft hackle below a crane fly using an indicator rig and all the fish hit the green soft hackle. I saw a few bigger fish (in the 10 lb range) swimming in some of the deeper holes but I wasn’t sure if they were browns. They looked more like carp to me but I wasn’t sure if carp are even in the system there. One big fish did flash after I hooked a smaller trout and it looked like a big brown to me. Just thought I would give you a quick report and say thanks for making my visit from Colorado a good one.” – Jeff Marlo

Clearfork River

The lower stretch of the Clearfork did fish fairly well over the weekend. We did hear some reports of both nymphs and streamers producing some decent fish. Also egg patterns did the trick for several.


They were releasing some water to bring Pleasant Hill Lake to “Winter Pool’ but that seems to have slowed as the week has gone on and it is looking pretty low as we speak. Still better than Summer flows but not what it was last weekend and earlier in the week.


The Upper river is still very low and most reports have fishing as challenging. As most elsewhere in the state, we are in dire need of water. Not that you can’t go catch a fish or two but we just haven’t had any reports of anything other than recent stockers being caught in the upper.


Go fish and prove us wrong and if you do….send a pic!


Hopefully we get some rain here and can get some trout fishing in on the Clearfork before the end of the year.


Clear Creek
Clear Creek is of course also low and clear but fishing has been ok. We have had a few anglers down there this week and they are catching trout. Nothing to write home about but they are there and willing to eat. You just need to be a bit stealthy!

Most reports have fish eating nymphs. No reports of any surface activity and the water is a bit too low to really concentrate on streamer fishing. If you did, you might throw smaller more traditional stuff on longer leaders.

The leaves are pretty well down and not as much a problem as in November but we still need to get the water up to push them all the way out of the system.

If you get out there, let us know how you do.

Erie Steelhead
The big news this week has been Steelhead fishing in Ohio! It has come a bit late but it does seem like thiings are busting wide open, especially here this week. We have had tons of good to excellent reports and several anglers reporting 20+ fish days. A few guide trips this week did VERY well. Pretty much everyone reporting that the best fishing is from the Chagrin and East.

Happy angler on a guide trip 11/3016 with Josh McQueen

The Vermilion right now is in the same shape that it has been in all season. Virtually a trickle and super clear. Nothing to report in the West as of yet but a good push of water could change this in a heartbeat. It just hasn’t rained at all West of Cleveland.

The Rocky has some fish in it for sure but is on the low side right now.

The Chagrin is looking good and has been fishing good to excellent. Guide trip there this week did extremely well and they found fish throughout the system.

The Grand is a bit up today but should fish well this weekend. Most reports have the largest population of fish downstream of Painesville but with this second push of water this week they should be fairly well spread out.

The Ashtabula and Conneaut are also a bit up but should shape up nice for the weekend. They both have lenty of fish throughout and all phases of fish from fresh to post spawn. The further East you go the more you get a mix of the Manistee and Pa fish and it shows in these two right now. 

Elk Creek of course has tons of fish in it but has also been very crowded. Certainly can catch some fish if you are willing to fight the crowds.

Egg patterns have been the hot ticket this week for sure. If the water has been stained we have been doing well on Steelhead Orange and Bright Pink and as the water clears switching to Cheese and lighter, more subdued colors. A few fish taken on nymphs of course but the bulk has been on eggs. Also a few reports of fish slamming swung flies and streamers which makes sense with all the bright fish we have seen this week.

All in all, seems like December is going to be a great month for steelheading here in Ohio.

Send us reports and pics and if you need an up-to-the-minute report, don’t hesitate to give us a call.


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

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

Fishing Reports- 11/23/16

* 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.


In the News


From all of us at Mad River Outfitters!

We are Thankful that you are all friends, customers, and part of the Mad River Outfitters Community.

We hope that you have a wonderful day and we hope to hear from you on this exciting weekend coming up!

Brian, Andy, Pat, Linda, Ryan, Kevin, Judy, Roger, Josh, Cristina, Dick and Rogue


* Somewhat of an abbreviated report here as we are all heading out the door to get the festivities started. We’ll try to get more reports up over the weekend.

* Just a reminder that we will be OPEN Sundays through Christmas- Noon- 5 p.m.- rumor has it that we will be running some “Sunday Specials” so please stay tuned.

* Special congrats to Richard Miller from Iowa Falls, Iowa. He was on our Michigan Steelhead Trip last week and scored this BEAST:


Steve and the boys at the Muskegon River Lodge did claim that this was the largest steelhead they had seen in 2016! Glad Richard was able to make the trip!!!

Warmwater

* It does seem that the warmwater bite has slowed down a bit and it’s finally time to turn our attention towards Trout and Steelhead.

* We’d love for you to prove us wrong though! Any pics or reports of largemouth, smallmouth or any noteworthy warmwater fish…please send them along.

* Pat has been out chasing Musky a bit but the low water has definitely been a hindrance. He did have a trip last week and had some follows and an eat but no pics yet. We are still looking for this fishing to really turn on here. Stay tuned.



Mad River

Pretty much the same old report. Low water making fishing challenging to say the least. 

At least the leaves are pretty much down and that should help things, but we are in DIRE need of rain!

The fish that have been caught have been on nymphs. Either try really small, midge type stuff or go big with attractor types and craneflies. No reports of any dry fly activity the past week or so although a warm sunny day could see some midge activity. Especially in the Upper River.

We are still holding out hope that the rain gods will deliver a “Fall Streamer Season” but nothing to report yet.

We do have some folks headed that way this Holiday Weekend and we’ll hopefully have something more exciting to report.

Clearfork River

At least a glimmer of hope on the Clearfork.


They are lowering Pleasant Hill reservoir to winter pool and have been releasing some water out of the dam. The fishing has picked up a bit and the lower stretch is the place to be. The Upper is still pretty low and clear.


Quite a few folks fishing up in the park this week and we have heard of some nice fish being caught. Most reports have been on nymphs and streamers although one angler we spoke to was killing them on egg patterns. No pics though! If you make it up there, we’d love to have some Clearfork pics to share with folks. It’s been a while.

Hopefully we’ll get some precip here and get both stretches cranking. We are still hoping the best trout fishing of the Fall is yet to come!


Clear Creek
Although Clear Creek is still very low and clear, we have had some good reports the past week or so. It may be the best trout fishing in the state right now! Hard to believe but folks are catching some fish.
Nymph fishing has been the way to go. Fishing slow and deep with a variety of flies. Not much dry fly activity at all and still a bit too low to really think about hard-core streamer fishing.

* Please note that the Park will be CLOSED to fishing this coming Monday- Wednesday due to the special “Metro Park Deer Hunt”.

Our buddy Rus Barnes sent this pic and note this week:
MRO,

I fished Clear Creek on Friday (11/18) and took 9 trout using dry flies and nymphs. Missed many more.  Was a beautiful day to be on the water. Water is very clear as you can see in the picture.  Trout were all in the 9 to 10 inch range. Talked to 2 other fly fishermen having similar luck. Enjoy the pic.
Rus Barnes
Erie Steelhead
Once again, we are looking for the weekend to be busy up on Steelhead Alley.

As you all know, the water is horribly low. We did get a slight bump the past few days but it really didn’t amount to much of anything to talk about. We are still in DIRE need of rain throughout the region.

The good news is that the leaves are pretty much down and less of a problem, the past few days especially. The water, or at least what water is there, is starting to “Green Up” a bit which is always a good sign. We have been finding some fish, and decent fish, but working hard to do so. Most fish are being caught under an indicator on the staple eggs and nymphs.

Hopefully this weekend will bring some rain and better reports. We ARE still holding out hope that December is going to be “Steehead Month” around here.

If you get out this weekend, let us know how you are doing. In the meantime, here’s a pic of Josh with client Chris Denman on a guide trip yesterday:



Thanks for all the calls this week by the way….and the business. We really appreciate the trust you all put in MRO and MRO’s guides. As always, if we haven’t put a report up here, FEEL FREE to give us a call. We are always happy to share what we know. (Feedback helps too…let us know how you are doing).



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

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

Fishing Reports- Weekend Update

Quite a bit of feedback this weekend….and with FREE MRO hats on the line we thought we’d better update.
“Hey boys, Large mouth and crappie still biting on Landen  lake and surrounding ponds.  These beauties liked  an olive woolly buggger.  Heading to steelhead ally the week of Thanksgiving for my first try chasing chrome. I hope conditions approve some before then. Planning  to hit the mad on my way up, praying for RAIN, RAIN RAIN.” – Bryan O’Maley


**Thanks as always Brian and thanks for including your address in the e-mail. We’ll get your MRO lid out early this week.

* Kevin Lang was out today with MRO guide Josh McQueen and scored big! Ohio Pike continues to be HOT. Stop in the shop Kevin and we’ll get you that FREE hat we promised.

* Our great friend (24 years?) Mike “Bo” Bowman was out for smallmouth in Central Ohio today and did very well. He doesn’t know it but we have access to his phone so we stole this pic (no..we wouldn’t). Regardless, he’s due an MRO Lid. Stop in the shop Bo and pick one out…we know you’ll be in tomorrow!


“Fished about hour in shallow, deep, fast and slow…..then I found them… it was game on thereafter..” -Bo
* No word from Pat on the Musky excursion on Friday. For those of you who know him, that’s not a surprise. He doesn’t kiss and tell all that much. Hopefully we can get this Musky bite going here in Ohio and really crank things into high gear on the toothy critters. He’ll be in the shop tomorrow so watch Social Media in case he has something to report.

And on the Steelhead Front-

* As we stated in Friday’s report, a ton of folks were heading up to the Alley this weekend. Even with the fairly dire conditions right now, a few have reported some decent fish. Hopefully we’ll have some more to report via Social Media early in the week but here is what we have as of Sunday night.


“Thought I would send you guys a pick of my first Steelhead. caught this beautiful Hen today.  Thanks for the help with the gear.”- Bob Wing

* Our pleasure Bob and congrats on your 1st. Welcome to Fly Fishing in Ohio. Stop in this week and pick out a FREE MRO Hat. It’s the least we can do…..appreciate the recent support.

* MRO Guide Patrick Campbell was also out the other day and got this beauty. He did although say that he hadn’t seen fishing this slow in some time. Again, as stated in Friday’s report….WE NEED RAIN!


“She was so much fatter than this picture shows. Made a few nice jumps as well. Covered a lot of water and worked hard for this prize yesterday.”- Patrick Campbell
Thanks as always for reading and hopefully we can start writing some more positive reports. Keep the pics coming friends….the FREE Hat deal will run through Thanksgiving!!! Send to [email protected] and don’t forget to include your address.


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

Fishing Reports- 4/20/16

* 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 for all of the reports this past weekend friends! We are all helping to make these happen!
Mad River


4-22-16 Weekend Update- The rains didn’t budge the river. It’s looking GREAT for the weekend and looks like the weather will be spectacular.


Good reports of Hendricksons the past few days and they have been starting around 1:00 and lasting for about an hour. Earlier as we expected with the warm weather and later in the hatch. They have been best for sure from 36 upstream and will continue to move North as we go here.


The spinner falls have been happening around 7:45 or 8:00 although that could get later as well here the next few nights. Remember that the most concentrated feeding of the day will be on the spinners so don’t be afraid to stay late….and look up. 


Can’t wait to hear what the weekend brings!


4-20-16- The Mad is in absolutely gorgeous shape! Great flow and for most great fishing!


The Hendricksons have been a bit sporadic as expected. Some seeing good numbers and feeding fish and some not finding them at all. We can tell you that we have had a bunch of reports of folks fishing from 8 a.m. to Noon and wondering why they didn’t see bugs. Just to be clear, the Hendricksons are always an afternoon hatch and have been popping around 1:00- 1:30 the past few days. Earlier in the hatch they were coming off between 3 and 5 p.m. Not going to see them in the morning. We did get out over the weekend and saw decent spinner falls about 30-45 minutes before dark. The fish were feeding well. For those willing to stay late, the spinners appear to be the way to go right now.


It is likely that we will see the bugs slow-up here over the next week. They have been hatching now for almost a month, and sporadically. We have probably seen the best of it but who knows???? We have also seen some caddis flitting around in the late afternoons and evenings and you surely want to have some wet and dry in your box.


Thanks again for all of the reports and pics. Your “Fly Fish Ohio” stickers are on the way to you! Here are some of the highlights:


Bill Rice 4-19-16
“Fished the lower river yesterday from 1:00 p.m. to 7:30 yesterday. Water was clear although quite a bit of tree blossoms etc. in the drift. Modest numbers of insects noted, small stuff an occasional caddis. Did not see any Hendrickson duns, alhtough did see numerous shucks in the drift later in the day. No risers were noted, but fish were found in feeding lanes. Nymphs were the order of the day with most caught on my “go-to” Trophy Nymph.  I did land a 20″ fish in an unexpected spot (soft water near shallow riffle) where I had only caught small stuff in the past. I guess you have to be open minded about where these larger fish can be. All in all a good outing.”


Frequent Reporter Bill Rice and a beauty on a nymph!


Benjamin Soltis 4-17-16
“Fished from 0700 to 1100 this morning downstream from Lippincott Road. Caught 8 browns and 1 rainbow (see pic). All on nymphs (#14 frenchies and #14 pheasant tail soft hackles). Midges were around in the morning, no Hendricksons observed. After the sun got higher the bite slowed down.

I fished last Friday afternoon downstream of Dallas road until about 4:00 p.m. Water was high but clear. I nymphed up a couple small browns. Didn’t see any mayflies.”

Benjamin Soltis with a nice Mad River Rainbow from Sunday


Clay Sommerfelt- 4/17/16
“The river was absolutely gorgeous today, a little fast, but that didn’t seem to bother the fish’s appetite. Caught a few fish on some nymphs and dry flies. Overall the day was a success.”

Justin Shiflett- 4/15/16
“Picked up this guy on the lower river yesterday morning. Lunch at Crabill’s and dry fly fishing with a friend in the afternoon. Doesn’t get much better than that! Big thanks to some new friends I met on the river, Tim and Dan, for being net men and helping me with the grip and grin.”


Ann Heurman- 4/18/16
A couple friends and I went out to the upper Mad Sunday. Started with dries and got a few hits but nothing consistently and no fish. Switched around alot until I got a fish on the pink squirrel. We caught 4 total, all 4 on the the pink squirrel oddly enough. Including my first ever trout on the Mad! Great weather and great day to be out! Thanks for the reports, I love reading them”


Thank You Ann for following along and congrats on your 1st Mad River Brown!



***Again friends, alot of folks fishing the mornings and expecting to see Hendricksons. Not going to happen. They are a sun loving, afternoon hatch. If you are looking for dry fly fishing, no reason to get to the river before NOON! Also, since we are now pretty late in the hatch, it is very unlikely that you would find Hendricksons in the lower river. Hatches move up a river and more likely to find them in the upper reaches now. We will begin looking for Sulphers here in the lower river over the next few weeks while there still may be some Hennys hatching way up North.


Keep the reports coming friends. We’ll check-in with a “Weekend Update” on Friday.


****Please make note of the ODNR “Creel Survey” that is going on now…runs April 1st- November 1st. It is very important that we help these guys out by completing the Survey Cards and sending them in after outings. You can read more on our Blog from 4/2 and we’ll post it again periodically throughout the season.

The Survey cards are available in the shop and we can also send them out to you if you can’t make it in the shop. We’ll be happy to drop some in the mail to you free of charge. Once completed they are postage paid so all you have to do is drop them in the mail.

This is a great chance for those of us that fish the Mad to help the ODNR to help the river!

Clearfork River

4-22-16 Weekend Update- Not a budge here either so we are looking good for the weekend. Have had good to great reports of bugs, especially in the Upper River. Hendricksons, Caddis, Midges and even some terrestrial type stuff. Seems that they dry fly bite has really picked up and the streamer bite may slow down.

Not many reports at all from the lower stretch but it’s only been a few days fishable here so we’ll hope to get a first-hand report here from the weekend.

4-20-16- The Big News on the Clearfork is that they have finally dropped the water level on the lower stretch and it should be fishing well. Hard to say exactly what is happening down there as it has been a few weeks since anyone has fished there due to the high water. For sure the nymph fishing should be good to excellent. Probably a good idea to chuck a big streamer around as well. 

We would expect that there will be some Hendricksons hatching down there. Especially in the next few days. Also likely to see midges and caddis as well. Look for the caddis in the late afternoons and evenings. 

Just like on the Mad, the best fishing on both streches will be late afternoons and into the evenings. Keep your eyes out for Hendrickson spinners and caddis about an hour before dark. The river can come alive with risers!

Meanwhile, the Upper Clearfork continues to amaze! Here is a report from frequent contributor Bryan Clem:

“Fished the UCF yesterday and the water was terrific.  It was flowing hard, but was clear.  I was looking for a change of pace, so i was high-stick nymphing most of the day and picked up a few small fish on hare’s ear nymphs and midge larva.  The hendricksons really started coming off around 530, but i never saw any risers.  With no fish rising I figured i’d finish the day streamer fishing and I was not disappointed.”

Bryan Clem with yet another Clearfork beauty!
Sam Hojnacki- 4/18/16
“Howdy MRO- I spent the evening on the Upper Clearfork trying my luck. The river was in great shape. Started out with wet flies and caught a nice little brown (my 1st Ohio brown trout) on a beadhead pheasant tail. A little before 7 there were some risers, couldn’t tell exactly what they were rising to. I hooked one on a nondescript brown dry fly, but it got off. Attached is a picture of the nymph eating brown. It was a grand ol’ time. Thanks.”

Sam Hojnacki’s 1st Ohio Brown Trout- Congrats and Thanks for the report!


***Sam- when you see fish feeding but can’t see what they are feeding on…think either midges or emergers. If you can’t see any other bugs flying around (emerging)….think midges, especially on the Clearfork

Chris Schalz- 4/17/16
“Wish I could give you a good trout report from the upper fork but couldn’t get any to the net. Hit the water at around 9:30 a.m. with approx. 24 inches of clarity. Started with streamers, but as the sun got higher switched to tandem nymphs (PTs, hares ears, prince nymphs). Lost one shortly after an awkward hook set around 11 a.m. Switched back to big streamers pounding the banks and the bigger creek chubs were happy to whack them, but couldn’t get any browns to play. Saw the occasional mayfly, but no active hatches and no obvious feeding behavior between 9:30 and approx 2 p.m. Didn’t see anyone else bring any to the net during that time either.”

***Thanks for the report Chris. As stated above for the Mad, if you only fished until 2:00 p.m., you probaby missed the fun! The Hennys have been popping up there around 2:30 – 3:00 and lasting for about an hour. Although the dry fly fishing has not been stellar, just as we stated above for the Mad, it is definitely a late afternoon to evening game right now. Better luck next time and keep fishing.

Keep the reports coming friends. We are shipping stickers today!!!!

Clear Creek
4-22-16 Weekend Update- Same story here. Should be a great weekend and with the trees and flowers in full bloom this will be the place to be this weekend….no matter how the fishing is. We are expecting a strong Hendrickson hatch down here but you may need to go a bit upstream to find them. Nymphs and streamers in the lower parts of the creek and caddis throughout. Have heard of some ants and beetles starting to produce a few fish on the surface as well.

Let us know how you do this weekend!

4-20-16- The Clear Creek fished pretty well over the weekend. A good mix of dry fly activity, nymph fishing and streamer fishing was reported. There seems to be a pretty good mix of bugs but the Hendricksons and Caddis are what the fish seem to be focused on. The water is in good shape right now and with this rain coming in the next few days, it should make for a great weekend of nymph and streamer fishing.

Our good friend Elliot Cantwell sent this report and pics:

“Fished at varying times of the day the past few days, Sunday evening bwo and caddis hatching with few fish rising. Monday and Tuesday I saw not hatches and caught all fish on caddis and hares ear nymphs. Lots of ants, beetles, and moths around. An attractor pattern as an indicator is a good bet, a few fish Tuesday morning took the attractor.”


Beautiful Clear Creek in South Central Ohio

Nice Brown from Clear Creek courtesy of Elliot Cantwell
Erie Steelhead
4-22-16 Weekend Update- Despite the low and clear water, things did seem to pick up the past few days. We have seen some fresher fish around and catches were better later in the week than earlier. Regardless, with as low and clear as the tribs are getting, it will still remain pretty tough until we get some more water. Best we can hope for is a little cold snap and some rain to keep things going another few weeks?

The Grand has been the hot ticket the past few days and this is where most of the guides in the region are hanging out. At least those looking for steelhead. It is starting to get on the low side though and may get tougher as the weekend goes. Still fish to be caught though.

We have had guides out on the West side the past few days searching for smallmouth….and they are finding them!! Mostly in the lower parts of the rivers but it won’t be long before they are throughout the system. Seems right now that the further West you are, the more smallmouth you’ll find and the further East you go the bettter chance of steelhead. We’ll hope to get some good reports/pics from the weekend and let you know early next week. We do have guides on the water looking for steelhead this weekend so watch Social Media for updates. In the meantime, here’s guide Pat Kelly with a pig smallmouth from earlier today:



4-20-16- As good as we expected the fishing to be last weekend and the past few days…..it seems that mother nature has thrown us a curve here…….in the form of heat.

Although there are fish in the streams, most appear to be drop backs and are headed back to the lake. Guide trips over the weekend were pretty tough with only a handful of fish to the net. They were making a beeline to lake Erie. Seems that the water warmed up to the point that they want out. 

The big news is that the Grand is fishable and does have plenty of fish in it. If you were to go the next few days, that’s the place to be. Although, most of the fish we are seeing and hearing of are definitely drop backs. Also hearing of quite a few walleye and smallmouth so we may well be nearing the end. Hard to believe.

If we happen to get a good push of water with the rain expected, along with some cooler temps, things might pick back up again, but right now it’s not looking great.

All of the other streams outside of the Grand are getting very low and very clear. Probably going to get very tough here until we get some rain, clouds and cooler temps.

The good news is that we are starting to see….and catch…..some of the Lake Run Smallies. The V was full of them a few days ago. More smallmouth than steelhead, especially down low. Anyone interested in booking a smallmouth trip let us know, it seems they have arrived.

Here is a report from guide friend Troy Shirley from Avon Lake, Ohio:

“So us up here at Backpackers shop guides are seeing a decline in steelhead. Unless you want to rake the beds. Unfortunately a lot of fish pushed out, but fresh fish came low, really low. Dropbacks even started pushing out. We did also have a small first push of smallies, but nothing to write home about yet. As for the Grand, there is still a healthy bit of dropback steelies and lake run walleye to Bates Rd.”

Friend and customer Kevin Lang out with MRO Guide Josh on the V the other day. Lots of Smallies!


Guide Patrick Campbell still finding fish but mostly dropbacks. We didn’t get the push of chrome that we expected with the last high water event. Hard to say what the next few weeks will bring?


Get out there and let us know how you are doing! Send a pic and a report and we’ll send you out one of the new MRO “Fly Fish Ohio” stickers!!!!!


We’ll let you know what we do and always feel free to call the shop for an “up-to-the-minute” report!

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

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

Fishing Reports- 4/8/16

* 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


After a banner weekend with the higher flows, things have slowed up this week. Pretty much expected with the gray, rains and cooler temps.


No reports of bugs this week and probably not going to be a weekend to look for dry fly fishing ahead anyways. Best we can hope now will be that things stabilize next week and we get some warmth and sun. We can tell you, that the 1st few days that we do get warm sunshine could be the best dry fly days of the year. Those who love fishing the Hendricksons should be watching the weather reports religiously and planning sick days!!!


The good news is that the river is in good shape for the weekend. Bad news is that they are calling for 1-2″ of snow overnight and it’s going to be cold. If you do get out, it’s going to be a nymph and streamer game for sure.


Pat Kelly is floating the river today with clients and we’ll hopefully get some pics at some point. Keep your eyes on Social Media today and tomorrow for updates.


Here’s a few pics from last weekend’s “streamer silliness”:


Frequent contributor and friend Bryan Clem was out with Josh and Jeff doing some filming for some upcoming promos you will see on YouTube.

MRO Guide Josh McQueen-  Dirty Water + Pike Flies = Giant Brown Trout in Ohio

Later in the week, Facebook contributor Jerry Rodgers sent us this report:

“Hit the mad yesterday (4/5/16) in the afternoon. was quite a few fish feeding on or just below the surface. I was unable to convince any to strike. Threw pheasant tail (12 -n- 14) a cdc student (18) parachute adams (14 -n- 16) even tried a san juan worm and wooly buggers…..the chubs loved what I was tossing the trout not so much…”

****Please make note of the ODNR “Creel Survey” that is going on now…runs April 1st- November 1st. It is very important that we help these guys out by completing the Survey Cards and sending them in after outings. You can read more on our Blog from 4/2 and we’ll post it again periodically throughout the season.

The Survey cards are available in the shop and we can also send them out to you if you can’t make it in the shop. We’ll be happy to drop some in the mail to you free of charge. Once completed they are postage paid so all you have to do is drop them in the mail.

This is a great chance for those of us that fish the Mad to help the ODNR to help the river!

Clearfork River

The Clearfork has been up this week so not many reports but it looks like it could be a good weekend…..and a streamer weekend. If you have been keeping up, you know that the streamer fishing on the Upper stretch has been nothing short of fantastic!

The Upper is high and dirty right now but dropping and should be perfect conditions for throwing the big stuff. Black articulated flies like the Peanut Envy, Sex Dungeon or Articulated Fathead have been working extremely well. If black doesn’t do it, go to white. If that doesn’t do it, try olive, then yellow. Fish hard and you should be rewarded.

The lower is still pretty high and not too wadeable but that might change over the weekend. Of course, they are expecting more snow in this area than down here in Columbus so it might not be the best of conditions here for a few days. We’ll keep our eyes on it over the weekend and let you know.

****Send us a report and a pic from the Clearfork this week and we’ll get you out a FREE MRO Hat and the new MRO/Ohio sticker!!! Be sure to send along your address and we’ll get them right out as a thanks for contributing to the MRO Fishing Reports.

We’ll be posting the new MRO/Ohio stickers for all to see in the next reports coming up next week. Stay tuned…it’s a pretty cool sticker.


Clear Creek
The Clear Creek really didn’t budge this week much with all the rains….and that could be one of the answers to the question below. It does seem that the fishing did slow with the gray skies and cooler temps though. Not as many glowing reports this week as in the past few.
We did get this note from frequent contributor Elliot Cantwell:
“Fished for a few hours the last few days, saw two hendricksons before the rain started in. A few fish each day nothing like previos weeks. Olive caddis pupa and gold bead hares ear took all the fish.
Also there is this brown slime coating all the runs and rocks. I’m trying to figure out what it is. Any idea? It is completely smothering the stream bead in riffles and runs. I don’t know if this is common for this creek( this my first spring on it) but this won’t bode well for spring hatches, also should I have seen the hat you sent in the mail by now?”




MRO Responses:

Elliot,

Ryan Ratliff here in the shop who is our Clear Creek “guy” is checking into this. We have calls into the park manager and also to the EPA.

Our best guess is that this is pretty normal algae that bloomed during the warmer weather and has now died off due to the cold water temps (thus the brown color now). Combine that with the fact that the stream did not blow out with the rains and we might have our answer.

Ryan also said that he would get eyes on the stream tomorrow and get a better diagnosis.

We’ll let you know what we come up with. BTW….your Hat and MRO/Ohio sticker are on the way to you today! Thanks a ton as always for submitting reports and pics. Keep them coming!!!!
Erie Steelhead
After a few weeks here of good to fantastic steelhead fishing, it looks like we’ll be out of the game here for a few days.

Most streams have blown out with the precip and are just now cresting and starting to head in a positive direction. Regardless, it will be a few days here……

The V, Rocky, Chagrin and Conneaut are all blown out and we really won’t think of fishing until Sunday or Monday at this point. The Ashtabula and tribs to the Grand might be in play for tomorrow and Sunday and that’s really about it. Add to that, they are expecing MORE snow tonight and tomorrow and that may change things for the worse.

For those that have guide trips booked, no worries, we will get you out though as our guides have a few “tricks” up their sleeves as you have seen in reports from the past few weeks during high water situations.

The good news is that this push of water should bring us yet another push of fresh fish, giving us a fantastic mix of fresh fish, drop backs and spawning fish. We have had many folks asking if we thought the season was over and the answer is absolutely “No”. Especially with the “Winter Like” weather, we have WEEKS of good steelhead fishing ahead.

We’ll let you know as things change and we are back out on the main rivers. In the meantime, here’s a few highlights since the last report:

Good friend and great customer Chris Blau was out on a guide trip this past Sunday with guide Patrick Campbell- 
“Brian,
You were right, I’m glad I called and got a trip booked. Patrick [Campbell] was a great guide and had us on fish most of the day. It was a slow start given the white out snow conditions the night before and freezing temperatures. I think final count was 8 in the net. Missed enough that I’m ready to go again.
Awesome trip!”- Chris Blau

MRO Guide Josh McQueen did a little fishing/scouting on his own this week and got this to the net! One of the cool things about steelhead fishing in Ohio this time of year is that you never know quite what will hit your fly. Sometimes the “by-species” can be just as much fun as the “target-species”


We’ll let you know what we do and always feel free to call the shop for an “up-to-the-minute” report!

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

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

Fishing Reports for 3/4/16

* 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


Looking good for the weekend friends! Although still a bit chilly, and some precip in the forecast for tomorrow, still should make for a good to great weekend of trout fishing.


The Upper River is in good shape and nice and clear. The lower river is in great shape as well and still has enough water flushing that the streamer bit should be good. 


Doubtful for tomorrow but some sunshine Sunday/Monday/Tuesday combined with the increasing temps may bring some dry fly fishing? Especially in the upper river. For sure have some BWO types and some dry midges along just in case. Otherwise, your standard, table fare nymphs will be the way to go. Black stones #12-14 have still been producing as well as #14-18 nymphs that imitate the upcoming mayfly hatches.


In the lower river sling some meat and see what happens. Could be another big fish weekend? May also try some Cranefly larva fished deep and slow through the greener holes. It’s time again for them to start producing fish here. Attractor nymphs like Big Nasties and Bitch Creeks could also be a good idea.


Please note that the river has been pretty crowded on the weekends. Also remember that the Mad River is….and is surrounded by private property. We have heard some horror stories of folks walking through farmers fields (stay in the river corridor at all times) and also a few bad apples being pretty disrespectful in other ways to anglers out looking to enjoy themselves. Respect is always the best avenue….it’s only fishing. 


If you get out let us know how you do and we’ll try to do the same early next week.

Clearfork River

Both stretches of the Clearfork looking good for the weekend. The lower is right about as high as we might deem safe so that makes for some good streamer water. It’s about time somebody reports a hog from the lower river. Throw some big streamers through those deep holes below the covered bridge and see what happens?

Otherwise, probably going to be a nymphing game this weekend. Black Stones, Pheasant Tails, Green Caddis larva and the like should all produce fish. As the temperature warms and the water drops a bit more you might also keep your eyes out for surface activity. Most likely it will be on midges and you don’t want to head that direction without them.

Had a few reports the past couple of days of folks doing very well on San Juan Worms in particular. Although they always work, thought we’d mention it in case they were onto something which they claim they were.

If you get out, let us know how you do!

Clear Creek
Clear Creek has come into good shape and looking good for the weekend. Should be decent fishing. Mostly a nymphing game but just like our other two trout streams, be on the lookout for any dry fly activity. It could happen especially if we get the temps predicted for early next week. Probably still midge activity but you might be lucky and see a few early BWO’s.

Did have reports from a few folks that the streamer fishing down there has been good to excellent the past few days. That may taper off a bit as the water drops and clears but surely be prepared. If the big stuff doesn’t work try some smaller flies like Wooly Buggers or Muddler Minnows. Be sure to let them swing in the current at the end of your retrieve also!

We have really been impressed with the reports from Clear Creek this Fall and Winter. Looking for a good to excellent season on this wonderful creek.

If you get out, try to let us know how you do! It always helps!

Erie Steelhead
Wow….thanks for the calls and the visits! We have been absolutely swamped the past two days with eager steelhead anglers. If we didn’t get to your phone call……keep trying…..we’ll get to it eventually. E-orders too…thanks! You can tell that steelhead are on the move, we’re gonna have to stay late on Friday night to fill fly orders!


All reports have most of the creeks pretty full of bright and fiesty steelhead. It should be a great weekend for those of you that can get out…and we hope that you can. We do have guides heading out so we should have some photo evidence for you next week. Feel free to send us photos! We love to see that the equipment and flies you are ordering are working!


The Vermilion has dropped to just perfect levels. Problem is that is is still pretty dirty and may not be great yet for a few days. If you are willing to experiment, it could be a good to great idea to swing some big bright stuff and see what you come up with. If not, you might want to wait until Monday or Tuesday and see how she looks.


The Rocky and Chagrin are both coming into shape as we speak and should be good to excellent the next few days. May try swinging or stripping some flies tomorrow as they may still have some color but otherwise, the traditional eggs and nymphs will be the ticket. 


The Grand is still a few days at least from fishable. If things go our way though, we might get some lines wet mid to late next week. We are hoping to with as well as it fished in the Fall.


Ashtabula and Conneaut have both been fishing the past few days and the reports we are hearing is that fishing has been excellent. Fish are on the move so fish all of the likely holding areas. Egg patterns have been the weapon of choice but always have some nymphs with you as well. Brer Possums, Black Stones, Bloody Marys, Chicken Littles etc. They’ll all catch fish! Drop a nymph below and egg, crimp on some shot, lash an indicator to that leader and go fish!!!!!


Exciting times to be a fly fisher in Ohio! We love this time of year.


Keep us informed and we’ll try to do the same. With the weather and temps predicted early next week it’s truly “game-on”.



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

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