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Ohio Steelhead Reports

Fishing Reports- 4/27/18

* 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.

Warmwater

Pre-Spawn Smallmouth Fishing has been really picking up the past week or so. Pat and Josh have been running trips and doing well!

The small cold front coming in this weekend will be short lived only making us more enjoy the weather next week.  Local water conditions continue to be high/stained on the bigger systems with clear to clearing water on the smaller streams.  Water temps vary by watershed, but we are at that perfect time when things are around the 50 degree mark.  As long as we keep the daily lows out of the 30’s we should be good for a fantastic pre-spawn bite.  The ponds have been producing well for those targeting the warmest parts of the day.  

We are starting to hear reports of some crappies and panfish being caught closer to shore, but still suspended off of drops.  Bass will start to poke into the shallow bays and norther reaches of the lakes and ponds also.  Many of the local ponds have been having good midge hatches and the bait fish and panfish have taken notice.  With this activity expect a few predatory fish to be waiting for an unaware meal.  

Tactics for the next few weeks will focus on water temps.  We always preach having a water thermometer so you know where to expect fish to be holding and what fly to choose.  In streams and lakes a sinking line or sinking tip is a good choice as usual.  A Rio Streamer Tip or SA Titan Clear Tip are main stays for us in the shop.  Match this with a few neutrally buoyant flies of various colors and your set.  We are fishing Game Changers, Lil’ Swimmers, BangTails, Stacked Blonde, Articulated Fathead, Woolhead Scuplin, Swimmy Jimmy, Murdich Minnow, and Zoo Cougars to name a few.  These flies will slowly float or suspend on the pause. 

Allowing your fly to pause causes all of the natural materials to “breath” and move very naturally. This is one of the key differences we have verses someone who fishes soft plastics or stick baits with conventional tackle.  

Long-time customer and frequent “Guide Tripper” Don Gregory was out on a trip with Josh on Wednesday and got this beast!

And another “regular”, Alex Vaughan was out with guide Pat Kelly on Sunday


Click Here for information on booking an Ohio Smallmouth Trip


Forecast:
The small cold front this weekend will slow the pond fishing down a little, but next week looks great.  Seek out those shallow bays with dark bottoms and some structure and you will find fish. 

The smaller streams will be very productive this week and into next weekend.  Get out there and scout your usual stretch this weekend so you are ready for later in the week.  Look for…well we should say HOPE for… the Scioto and the Olentangy to start to clear and continue to drop to wading levels.  Start your focus below the dams and work your way down until you find fish. Look for a nice mixed bag of fish to be in these locations also. 

Mad River


Hendrickson! Hendrickson! Hendrickson! has been the talk for the past few weeks around the shop.  With the unusual weather the past few months the hatches have been very sporadic. It is extremely hard to say what the status of the hatch is. It is very likely that they have been hatching here-and-there and we may not see a “big push” this year. Just seems to be the way the season is going.


There have been bugs hatching in almost every part of the river, but no large hatches until this past week.  Our good friend Jacob called in explaining a very strong hatch in the upper river with fish consistently rising to them.  A few folks out today when the sun was shining in the same areas and didn’t see much at all. Very strange Henny season!


Individuals swinging soft hackles and nymphing have been catching fish also.  These tactics are great choices while you wait for mayflies to hatch.  With the higher flows and overcast days earlier this week the streamer fishing has continued to be great.  

Good friend and great customer Mike Canter with a nice streamer eater from today!



Brian was out teaching the On Water Seminar last Sunday and found plenty of Sulphur nymphs while sampling so make sure you have your boxes ready for this upcoming hatch as well. He did not find the numbers of Hendrickson nymphs that he suspected which leads us to believe that the hatch is going to be mostly found in the upper river and may well be in the later stages at this point. 


A few shots from the On-River Seminar last Sunday:






Forecast:  
We will continue to see Hendricksons next week throughout the river and expect to see and hear many people catching fish, but it appears that we may not see the “explosive peak” like we are used to.  It seems like the weather is changing but we are still a little hesitant as we have been let down many times so far this year.  Continue to have plenty of Hendrickson Parachutes, thorax, and Sparkle Duns.  Also make sure to have Rusty Spinners as you do not want to be caught without them in a Spinner fall! Also take a look at your Light Cahill, Caddis, and Sulphur box and be prepared.  


This is a great time of the year to swing soft hackles that specifically represent the active bugs in the water.  Nymphing as always is a great choice.  Pheasant tails are a good choice along with Hendrickson Nymphs and Hares Ear.  Caddis in all stages will produce well also.  Flashabou Caddis, Holy Grail, Swinks Core Caddis, Shop Dip, Nitro Caddis, and Peacock Hares Ear are a good choice for those.  If you tie take a look at Brian’s video on the Hendrickson nymph and the other variations.  Also Ryan’s Jig style Trophy Nymph is very productive and can be tied lighter colors for the Sulphur variation.  



Click Here to check out our early season Hatch Matching flies


Clearfork River
Clearfork Map

Not much to report as most in that area are focusing on Steelhead.  The stream has been high, but fishing well for those who know the area.  Streamer fishing this spring continues to be great during those windows of stained water.  We have not had any reports of Hendrickson as expected with the higher water levels and temps. There are surely some bugs hatching here and there and we would expect that this will pick up dramatically in the coming week.


The lower river has been producing well for those streamer fishing and nymphing.  Along with trout there have been plenty of Saugeye being caught also.  As the weather starts to stabilize look for great dry fly fishing in the upper river and a mixed bag to continue to be great in the lower river.  




Forecast:  
There is a cold front and some rain heading in this weekend.  Look for this to help out the streamer fishing, but continue to put off the Hendrickson hatch.  By mid week expect ideal dry fly conditions on both sections of the river.  If you want to take advantage of the Spring dry fly action make sure to have plenty of Hendrickson Parachutes, thorax, and Sparkle Duns.  Also make sure to have Rusty Spinners as you do not want to be caught without them in a Spinner fall!  Also take a look at your Light Cahill, Caddis, and Sulphur box and be prepared.  This is a great time of the year to swing soft hackles that specifically represent the active bugs in the water.  Nymphing as always is a great choice.  Pheasant tails are a good choice along with Hendrickson Nymphs and Hares Ear.  Caddis in all stages will produce well also.  Flashabou Caddis, Holy Grail, Swinks Core Caddis, Shop Dip, Nitro Caddis, and Peacock Hares Ear are a good choice for those.  If you tie take a look at Brian’s video on the Hendrickson nymph and the other variations.  Also Ryan’s Jig style Trophy Nymph is very productive and can be tied lighter colors for the Sulphur variation.  


As the water temps start to raise fishing for warm water fish in the lower sections can be very good.  Match that with camping in the State Park and you have a great way to spend a Spring weekend.  Target these fish with various articulated streamers line the Barely Legal, Mini Dungeon, Wooly Buggers, Zoo Cougar, Near Nuff Sculpin and others.  We are at least a month out from popper season though.  






Clear Creek

Clear Creek Map

The little creek has had a couple hard flushes over the past few weeks.  There have been a few trees moved around and newly added.  Before the high water Ryan was out with Will his son doing some sampling.  There were plenty of Hendrickson nymphs, Caddis, and Sulphurs.  We have seen a few Hendricksons this week so far.  We would expect that the dry fly fishing really picks up next week and could be a mixed bag with Hendricksons and Caddis leading the charge.


Nymphing the typical Pheasant Tails and Hares Ear will always produce.  Also fishing a small streamer like a Wooly Bugger in size 10 is a good choice to cover water looking for fish. These fish are small and not heavily stocked, but if you are in the Hocking Hills area it is worth a few hours of time.  




Forecast:
A small cold front is moving in for this weekend, but everything will rebound by next week.  Look for mid week to be ideal dry fly weather and hopefully a good push of Smallmouth Bass.





Erie Steelhead

Gauge Links and Maps



STEEL has been the other big topic in the shop over the past month.  Every tributary has plenty of fish in every stage of the run.  With the low temps and high water this season the fish are still fighting hard and kicking away strong on the release.  Fish have been actively spawning for the past month and the rain has continued to bring in fresh fish.  


If you have not made it out yet…


STOP READING and head north (well maybe stop by the shop or place an online order first). 

Jim Bagnoli out with MRO guide Josh McQueen on 4/26/18- they caught fish ALL DAY LONG!



Lake run Smallmouth Bass have started showing up also.  These are the early fish and with the cold water temps they are not consistently chasing streamers yet.  Most of these fish have come from swinging streamers or slowly fishing crawfish patterns.  Suckers are also in the systems in large numbers.  These fish are usually found in the slack water areas adjacent to fast water.  Nymphing with double egg rigs have been the most productive.  Egg patterns to be well stocked on are Glo Bugs, Scrambled eggs, Otters eggs, Cyclops, and Sucker Spawn.  As the water clears and drops swapping out an egg for a nymph is a good choice.  Swinging streamers has also been very productive.  Flow Ryders, A.I., and Sili-Leg Intruder, Skiddish Smolt, Woolhead Sculpin and Wooly Buggers are the flies to have.  If you tie flies take a look at Ryan’s Sunken Fox on our YouTube page.  This has been a hot fly in the clearing water conditions.  


Forecast:
We need some rain to help keep water temps and levels in perfect shape.  Looking at mid week temps there will be a lot of fish pushing to the gravel to spawn.  If the extended forecast holds then cooler temps and rain will come in later in the week keeping the fish happy.  The guess as of right now is that we still have a couple weeks of fishing left before the water temps get too warm.  We will keep you update as things start to change.  Feel free to give us a call or shoot an email for up to date conditions.  



Click Here to check out the details and pricing on our Steelhead Alley Guide Service

Here’s Greg Shoup who was out with Josh on 4/23. We usually see a nice push of big Manistee fish right around 4/20 each year and 2018 did not disappoint!!!

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- 11/10/17

* 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.



Early Holiday News hit inboxes last night. Didn’t get it? Click Here to read.



Cool Kid Alert!

Young Roberto Noden and his father booked a 1-Day Private School through the Midwest Fly Fishing Schools back in June. Brian was their instructor and they had a blast!!! He’s been applying his skills on Ohio Trout ever since. We couldn’t be more proud. 

Now, he and his father are booked to go steelheading on December 2nd and also to do a float on the Mad on December 16th. Surely you’ll be seeing more of this kid….he’s a fishing machine!

Roberto Noden and friend with a nice Rainbow on Apple Creek near Wooster.

Roberto holding a nice little Upper Clearfork Brown


We love to get feedback from MWFFS alumni…..especially the youngsters. We love working with kids and are delighted when they get hooked on the sport like Roberto has!



Warmwater

The local streams are currently pretty high and in general the Bass fishing is about done.  Not that it can’t be done, but there will be very limited fishing opportunities from here on out.  

Fishing the very small window of the warmest day time temps and targeting winter holding area will produce for those who know their local river well.  This time of the year is not a numbers game, but that one or two fish you do come in contact with will be very nice.  Also do not be surprised by a by catch of Saugeye and Hybrid Stipers.  With the water temps in the 40’s though your best bet will be to target Crappies and Panfish.  This time of the year we like to borrow some tactics from the conventional fishing side the “Float n Fly Rig.”  Fishing a float/bobber/indicator (whatever you want to call it) with a heavy minnow pattern like a Clouser and trail it with a smaller lightly weighted fly like a Crappie Special, Little Devil, or Wooly Worm is a great setup.  Target structure on drop offs either from shore or by boat.  
Pike fishing continues to be great for our clients and once the leaves flush out the fishing will get even better.  Depending on the weather Pike fishing can be great all winter as long as you are prepared to switch tactics.  Good thing we know all the details and have the rigs to guide you in the right direction.  Musky trips have also been picking up being that we have the right water flows and the leaves are starting to push out.  Make sure to give us a call as our schedules are booking up fast!

Our good friend and GREAT customer Scott Smallwood was out with Josh the other day. Pike fishing continues to be good and Josh will be splitting his time between the boat for pike and waders for steelhead for the next month or so.


Mad River


The rain has been very helpful flushing out the leaves and lingering vegetation buildup.  The river is currently slightly higher than normal for this year which is a welcome sight after the past few months of extremely low conditions.  Also a bump in flows help to disperse the stocked trout (or feeding of the resident trout as we like to call it).  

Streamer fishing has been great with this high water, but as usual these levels do not last more than a day or so.  The next week or so is going to be tough though with the leaves dropping.

Currently nymphing is your go to tactic.  For this we like to fish long rods, indicators, and two flies.  We have multiple options for great nymphing sticks.  Take a look at the Sage ESN, Redington Hydrogen, and the new Peiroway Renegade 9’6″ 5wt to name a few.  Tight line, High Stick, or Euro style tactics are very productive and now is a great time to do some reading up and give it a try.  Take a look at the book “Dynamic Nymphing” by George Daniels and other topic related books on our site. http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/c-172-trout-steelhead-and-general-fly-fishing-technique.aspx   

The forecast looks good for a few chances of rain.  If we do actually get more rain this will help keep the levels slightly elevated compared to normal.  Once the leaves come down, we anticipate good to excellent trout fishing on the Mad.

Flies to have going into late fall will be nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guides Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear.  During the “leaf hatch” we typically like to focus on bright, attractor style nymphs as well as opposed to the more natural colors. 
***Public Service Announcement***
Right now the trout are staging or are currently in spawn mode.  Obviously these fish need to be left alone as they typically do not feed.  This time of the year though is a great time to observe and get to see some nice quality fish.  Also refraining from wading in areas that are “fanned out” for spawning Redds is advised.  Natural reproduction is limited in Ohio streams because of our high clay and other sediment levels when the water does come up, but doing everything we can not to add to those problems is highly advised. 

Clearfork River

Clearfork Map

Like on the Mad the rain has been very helpful flushing out the leaves and lingering vegetation buildup.  The river is currently slightly higher than normal for this year which is a welcome sight after the past few months of extremely low conditions.  Also a bump in flows help to disperse the stocked trout (or feeding of the resident trout as we like to call it).  Streamer fishing has been great with this high water, but as usual these levels do not last more than a few days.  Either above Pleasant Hill or below nymphing is your go to tactic for most conditions here on out.  For this we like to fish long rods, indicators, and two flies.  We have multiple options for great nymphing sticks.  Take a look at the Sage ESN, Redington Hydrogen, and the new Peiroway Renegade 9’6″ 5wt to name a few.  Tightly line, High Stick, or Euro style tactics are very productive and now is a great time to do some reading up and give it a try.  Take a look at the book “Dynamic Nymphing” by George Daniels and other topic related books on our site.   


The forecast looks good for a few chances of rain.  If we do actually get more rain this will help keep the levels slightly elevated compared to normal.  




Flies to have going into late fall will be nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guides Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear. Once the leaves clear out, and assuming we get some more rain, the streamer fishing should really pick-up as well.

***Public Service Announcement***
Right now the trout are staging or are currently in spawn mode.  Obviously these fish need to be left alone as they do not feed.  This time of the year though is a great time to observe and get to see some nice quality fish.  Also refraining from wading in areas that are “fanned out” for spawing Redds is advised.  Natural reproduction is limited in Ohio streams because of our high clay and other sediment levels when the water does come up, but doing everything we can not to add to those problems is highly advised.  



Clear Creek

Clear Creek Map

Like most every stream in the state the past rain event brought the creek up and flushed out the thick leaves.  Flows are at a great level currently providing higher than normal flows.  Despite the higher flows conditions are great and look good into this coming week.  Like the other trout streams in the state nymphing will be the key for numbers.  If you prefer the streamer game then Clear Creek offers great small streamer fishing throughout the winter.  Rigs for nymphing will include long rods, indicators, and two flies.  
  
The forecast looks good for a few chances of rain.  If we do actually get more rain this will continue to help keep the levels slightly elevated and should help flush the leaves.

Flies to have going into late fall will be nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guides Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear.
Streamer fishing will require a different rig.  Most of the time we will pull out or 5-6wt rods and short streamer tip line or use our aggressive tapers and weighted streamers.  With a sinking line a short leader is all that is needed.  If you do not like to build your own then take a look at the Rio Big Nasty Leaders and cut the butt section back 2 feet.  A floating line will require a 7 1/2′ to 9′ leader.  Streamers to stock up on are Mini Dungeons, Barely Legals, Wooly Buggers, Autumn Splendor, Clousers, Trick or Treats, Orange Blossoms, Cougars, Wooly Sculpins, Cactus Wooly, and Near Nuff Sculpin to name a few. 


Erie Steelhead

Gauge Links and Maps

“Steelhead Alley Double” for Don Belock and Joe Anclien yesterday. They were out with MRO Guide Josh McQueen and had an excellent day of Ohio Steelheading!


We have finally gotten the BIG push of water we have needed to continue the flushing out process of the leaves.  With this rain we have also continued to have a great number of fish flood the Lake Erie Tributaries.  Looking into the weekend we expect to have great fishing despite the cold temperatures.  The end of the weekend and into next week will warm back up and provide great opportunities to catch your first steelie of the season.  There is a slight chance of rain in the forecast so lets hope that every few days we a little water to keep the stream levels right.  
Indicator/bobber fishing and swinging have been the most productive the past week.  You will want to be prepared for just about any situation this time of the year as the weather can change very quickly.  Ideal conditions for us are flows with stain that keeps the fish comfortably on the feed and move.  The typical Indicator rig for us is either an Air Lock or Thingamabobber float on a custom build leader tied to our 7-8wt Scientific Anglers Anadro or Rio Trout Steelhead line.  

Our go to rods are 10′ single handers or a switch rod in the 6-8wt range.  On this rig we will usually fish tandem fly rigs of two eggs, an egg and a nymph or a Wooly Bugger and an egg. Actual patterns for this type of fishing will include various colors of Wooly Buggers, Glo Bugs, Crystal Meth and Scrambled Egg also in various colors, Bloody Mary nymphs, Steelhead Candy, Chicken Littles, Steelhead and Wiggle Stones.  Tippet sizes will range from 0x-2x fluorocarbon.  
The typical rig for swinging flies will consist of a switch rod in the 10’6″-11’9″ 6-8wt range.  The new Jerry French Pieroway Renegade rods are the big talk in the shop as they are effortless to cast and light weight making them a dream to fish all day.  We have a great assortment of rods in the shop to meet your specific needs so make sure to stop by or shoot us a call.  Matching your switch rod with the right line can be intimidating if you do not have the proper guidance so make sure to give us a call!  For swinging flies either a Skagit or Scandi line with a sink tip that meets your needs will get the job done.  Add a short piece of 12-20lb tippet and a Flow Ryder, A.I Intruder or others and you will be ready to find those “grabby” fish fresh out of the “Big Lake.”  

We are continuing to book guide trips daily so make sure to contact us with a couple of your date options!


Click Here to check out the details and pricing on our Steelhead Alley Guide Service


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- 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 2/3/17

* 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.


* Find us at the “Greater Cincinnati Fly Fishing Show” on Saturday! Brian and Roger will be manning the booth and have a ton of great deals on Rods, Reels and a variety of other gear. If you are at the show, be sure to stop by the booth and shop around! 


Click Here for more details on the show!


* Also a reminder that next weekend is the “Columbus Fishing Expo” in the Bricker Building at the Ohio Expo Center. MRO will have a HUGE presence this year and will be showcasing Scientific Anglers, Korkers, Smithfly and more. Also on hand in the booth will be local angling celebrities like Jerry Darkes, Jeff Lisky, Donnie Knight, Josh McQueen, Ethan Smith and more. 


Of course, don’t miss Brian Flechsig’s presentations on the “Hawg Trough”-


2:00 p.m. Friday
Noon- Saturday
Noon- Sunday


(Nice to see the Fly Fishing Program get some decent time slots for a change)


Click Here for more details on the Expo!


* For the weekend look for typical winter conditions…below freezing night temps and hovering around freezing for the day time highs.  Looking at the flows around the state most streams are clear with a few on the low side.  There are been people fishing around and having success.  Also there have been a large bump in fly tying materials going out the door.  If the cold is not for you then it is a great time to fill your fly boxes or try tying some new patterns.  



Mad River

The Mad is currently very clear with stable conditions for the past week.  Nymphing has been the ticket as usual this time of the year.  The typical nymphs are our go to choices: Guide’s Choice Hares Ear, Cranefly Larva, Trophy Nymphs, Copper Johns, Double Stones, Zud Bug, Phlamin Pheasants.  Do not overlook some of the non-typcials from your steelhead box also: Formally Known as Prince, Flashabou Caddis, Great Lakes Caddis, Psycho Prince, and Steelhead Candy.  These heavier nymphs will help get your rig down and we usually trail an unweighted nymph in a different color.  Trailing nymphs that are usually on our guide rigs are non beaded pheasant tails, Hares Ear, San Juan, Prince, Sunk Spinners, and Soft Hackles.  Pull out the 10′ 3-5wts, Air Lock Indicators, a few shot, tippet rings, Stanleys Ice Off Paste and add your double nymph rig and head out.  

No sign of any winter stoneflies yet but surely time to start fishing the nymphs. A #12 or #14 Black Copper John works just fine and is all you need. Also time to start tying some Hendrickson Nymphs as they will begin to get active and be on the menu here starting in March.

There is some rain in the forecast for early next week.  This could fire up the Streamer bite. Shoot us a call if you need a mid winter streamer fix and we will keep you updated on conditions.  

Our buddy Cody Darling sent this report last week:

“Caught two brown trout while streamer fishing the mad on Saturday, after visiting the shop on Friday and talking to Andy and Ryan they helped me pick out streamers that would catch fish. The water had a slight tint and was perfect for streamer fishing. Thanks for the help!”- 
Cody Darling

Thanks Cody! Keep up the good work.

Clearfork River

There have not been too many reports from the Clear Fork way, but the conditions do look promising for the weekend.  The Upper Clear Fork is low with fish in typical wintering areas. Nymphs also are the ticket here.  The typical nymphs are our go to choices: Guide’s Choice Hares Ear, Cranefly Larva, Trophy Nymphs, Copper Johns, Double Stones, Zud Bug, Phlamin Pheasants.  Do not overlook some of the non-typcials from your steelhead box also: Formally Known as Prince, Flashabou Caddis, Great Lakes Caddis, Psycho Prince, and Steelhead Candy.  These heavier nymphs will help get your rig down and we usually trail an unweighted nymph in a different color.  Trailing nymphs that are usually on our guide rigs are non beaded pheasant tails, Hares Ear, San Juan, Prince, Sunk Spinners, and Soft Hackles.  Pull out the 10′ 3-5wts, Air Lock Indicators, a few shot, tippet rings, Stanleys Ice Off Paste and add your double nymph rig and head out.  

The water levels below the dam look good for some streamer fishing over the weekend.  Load your box with Kelly Galloup patterns in a good mix of colors and design.  You cannot go wrong with Dungeons, Barely Legals, Bottums Up, Cougars, and others.  Pull out the 6-8wts, sink tips, and stripping guards for some winter streamer excitement.  

A report from last week sent via e-mail:

“Hello MRO. I escaped to the outside for a few hours on the Upper Clearfork yesterday (1/29). I was well rewarded for dealing with cold and icy guides with a good fish, caught swinging a muddy buddy through the deep water.”-  Sam Hojnacki

Clear Creek
Clear Creek is running very low and clear.  Fish can still be taken, but the water may start to slush up in the mornings as the night temps push below freezing.  


Mostly like on the Mad nymphing will be the most productive, but do not forget your midge box. With the stable water levels and Sun forecasted this weekend you might get a small window to catch fish on dry midges.  Tenkara rods are great anywhere, but shine on Clear Creek and in the winter.  
Erie Steelhead
The steelhead streams look great at the time of this report!  From the Vermilion to the PA boarder there are fish in and well dispersed.  The grand is still high so stay away unless you are swinging big flies on heavy tips and know the water very well.  Many people have been planning to make it up to the Alley this weekend.  Look for typical winter conditions and indicator fishing eggs and nymphs.  There is no need to get out at first light with the night time temps being below freezing.  The 10am-3pm window is the most productive.  There is some rain coming in early next week so check in with us for up to date conditions if we don’t post. 

 We have a couple open spots in the guiding schedule so make sure you jump on those as they are filling fast!   

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- 11/11/16

* 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 again to Jeff Liskay for a GREAT “Switch and Spey” weekend a few weeks ago. He did a fantastic job and a good time was had by all. Also Thanks to Doug Scott from Patagonia who was on hand to help out as well and share some info about the great fly fishing related prodcuts from this great company. Seems we may have posted a Blog here where you can read a bit more about this great weekend but surely wanted to mention it here.

Keep your eyes on the website! Announced this week will be a “Swingin'” Alaska trip in September 2017 hosted by Jeff himself. He and a small group of lucky anglers will be holed up at Katmai Trophy Lodge on the Naknek and swinging flies for some of the baddest rainbow trout and arctic char on the planet! (look for pics soon too).

* The Louisiana Redfish Trip was off the charts this year. Brian and the gang had a blast and caught a ton…yes a ton….of giant redfish. He claims he’ll be writing something up here for the Blog this week and will get some of the photos up. The 2017 trip is already on the website and mostly full. If interested, don’t wait too long!

The 2016 Redfish Group at Woodland Plantation- A FANTASTIC group of guys!


* The guys and gals in the shop have been gearing up for the holidays and the store is looking good! Lots of new merchandise! If you’re in the area, stop by and say hello…you’ll be glad you did!

* If you are not on our e-mail list, you might want to sign-up. There will be some great promos, specials and events going on throughout the holidays. Hit the home page of our website and the link to sign-up is in the upper right.

* Linda Farner, our softgoods manager, is planning a “Ladies Night” coming up on Tuesday, December 5th. We should have details up on the website this coming week. Great chance for the gals to stop in and get some great deals for themselves or for gifts.

* We have started a new season of filming and will be posting new stuff on our YouTube Channel pretty regularly starting in a few weeks. We have posted a few teasers here recently but will get the good stuff up soon. Check out our YouTube channel HERE.
Warmwater

* Warmwater fishing throughout the state continues! Many folks still hitting the warmwater streams and doing well. Smallmouth, some white bass, a few stripers here and there. Even with all of the leaves in the water we are still hearing good to excellent reports from around Central Ohio.

* Musky fishing has been a bit tough but only due to the low water. Pat is still hoping for a good season, but gonna need some rain before it really kicks-in. He is out today on a guide trip down near the Ohio River but we have yet to hear how they did. Hopefully we’ll have something to report here shortly.

* Pike fishing HAS remained strong. Guide trips are going extremely well and both Pat and Josh have been getting folks into great fishing. 


“Had a great time on the water with our guide Pat. He went above and beyond the call to put us on fish. Was quite impressed with his wealth of knowledge and determination. Looking forward to booking again with Pat. Would give him an 11 on a scale of 1to 10
Thanks again”- Dan Germuska

Way to go Pat!!!- Continuing the tradition of EXCEEDING our customer’s expectations.
* Anybody out there still doing well on warmwater species? Let us know! Any good photos the next two weeks will get a FREE MRO Hat! Send the photo with your name and address and we’ll send you out a FREE Mad River Outfitters lid!!!!! (Warmwater species).

Mad River

Wow. Just as we have been saying all Summer, the Mad is horribly low. Again, not sure that we have seen anything like this in our 30+ years of fishing and guiding the river. 

Factor in the leaves that are now clogging the system and it is making fishing tough to impossible.

Yes, this is getting old, but we aren’t going to make up stories here just to get you out fishing. We desperately need the leaves off the trees and then a big push of water to clean them out. Until then, things will remain tough.

That being said, there have been a few folks out fishing and catching a few fish. Mostly on nymphs, as streamer fishing is next to impossible with the leaves. 

Dry fly fishing is challenging also with the leaves but we have still seen some small caddis and some #18-22 BWO types flitting around. Not much surface activity though but we did have a few fish caught on dries in the upper river this week.

If you go, make sure it’s not too windy.

Once the leaves fall, let’s hope we get a gullywasher to get our Fall Streamer season kicked-in. 

Clearfork River

Same story here….although maybe even worse. 


Both stretches of the Clearfork are horribly low and the leaves are making fishing virtually impossible. Not that you couldn’t go and catch a fish or two, as some have, but we simply cannot write a glowing report.


The leaves will come down. Hopefully another week and we’ll be in the clear. But then, we need a really good push of water to get the Fall season going.


Until then.


Clear Creek
A few folks have ventured down to Clear Creek the past week and done o.k. but it’s the same story. Low, clear, and choked with leaves. The fish that have been caught have been on small dries on the surface.

We have felt like a broken record here this season but it really has been horribly dry. WE NEED RAIN!!!!!!!

Erie Steelhead
Gonna be a busy weekend on “Steelhead Alley”. We have had tons of folks through the shop and on the phone the past 3 or 4 days who are heading up tonight and tomorrow in search of steel. We hope to have some good reports here but as we have been telling folks, it’s gonna be tough!

The big news is the leaves. With the water being so low, most streams are literally choked with leaves which makes the fishing challenging to say the least. Again, not that you can’t go catch a few steelhead, but tough conditions at best.

As Jerry Darkes always says: “Once the leaves are off the trees and the water ‘greens-up’, that’s when steelhead season starts”. 

Right now, the Vermilion is simply too low to fish. It’s crazy how low it is. Much lower and it may just dry right up. No biggie though as it’s still a bit early to be finding a bunch of fish that far
West anyways.

The Rocky and Chagrin did come up on Wednesday, which helped, but they are back down to very low and clear again right now. The Grand the same story although it might be a “best bet” for the weekend. Many times, being the largest trib, the leaf problem is not as dramatic as some of the smaller tribs.

The Ashtabula and Conneaut are also “best bets” for the weekend. Although low, clear and choked with leaves, they have still be producing a few fish. Conneaut in particular has a bit better flows than the rest right now.

We have been telling folks all week to “Head East”.

Elk Creek over in PA, along with the mile creeks do have a mess of steelhead in them but  combine the leaves with the low clear water and mix in about a million anglers lining the banks…you get the picture.

All this being said, we have had some guide trips out as well as a few scouting missions that proved pretty successful. There are certainly some fish, and some nice Manistee fish, showing up in the system. 

Let’s get this water “Greened-Up”, get a few days of good rain, and we’ll be in business.

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).

Here’s a few pics from the past week:



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

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

Fishing Reports- 10/21/16

* 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.

* Finally getting a bit of rain here in Ohio. In some places this will be a game changer. Some places not. Hopefully we can keep it coming and get this Fall season kicked into high gear.


* Brian and Company are headed to New Orleans in the morning for our annual Fall Redfish Trip. They’ll be chasing bull reds around the Louisiana Marshes through Thursday. He’ll surely check-in with updates so stay tuned on Social Media.



* This week we topped over 70,000 “Likes” on Facebook. If you don’t follow along there…..think about joining a pretty big club? We’d love to have you as one of our official friends! Thanks for the Likes!




Warmwater

* Warmwater fishing was still going strong earlier this week but that will most likely begin to taper off a bit here. Maybe a few weeks left we’ll see. Regardless, no question that the leaves will begin to be a factor as well.

* Pike fishing continues to be HOT. Both Pat and Josh have been killing it on guide trips. Hop over to Facebook or Twitter for pics from recent trips. Josh was quoted recently that this has been one of the best Fall seasons he has ever seen here in Ohio.

Meanwhile, here’s our favorite young angler with a pike of his own-

Guys,
Ethan totally agrees with Pat and Josh! Now is the time to target pike on the fly in Ohio! He took this one on a bucktail Game Changer that he tied! Proud dad here! Thanks for the loads of sound advice and encouragement! 
Best wishes, 
Steve Hall

* Musky fishing has been heating up as well and Pat does have some trips on the books. Past few days have been rained out but we should see good Musky activity from now through the Winter.  




Mad River

The Mad has come up a bit with the rains the past two days but not really what we needed. The weekend should bring fishable water levels with just a touch of stain. Will most likely be back down to low status by Sunday.

The big problem the next 2-3 weeks will be the leaves. Pretty much going to limit us to nymph fishing. Streamer fishing will be challenging at best, as you will be snagging leaves on each cast. Large nymphs like Craneflies, Big Nasties, Jimmy Legs, Bitch Creeks etc. are really your best bet right now. Fish them deep as you can in the deepest holes. Also typically want to have some San Juan Worms this time of year. They typically do well when the leaves are falling for some reason. Maybe they just stand out?

Not much to report on the dry fly front other that some tiny BWO’s and Pseudocloens but the fish really haven’t been feeding much on them. Combine that with the leaves and again, best to stick to nymphs.

Hopefully we can get some more water in the river in time for the leaves to disappear and we can get to streamer fishing! There are plenty of big fish in the river and they need catching.

In the meantime, be sure to mark your Calendar for next Saturday, October 29th. There is a public forum entitled “The Mad River: Finding Common Ground II” Anyone interested in the Mad River Watershed is invited to attend. It will be held at the Gloria Theater in downtown Urbana.

You can find some information on the Madmen TU website HERE.

Let us know how you do this weekend and here’s a quick note that we got from good friend and contributor Jose Olivas:

“Went fishing in the Lower Mad and this happened:

Then went to the Upper Mad chub fishing and this happened:



Clearfork River

A slight bump in flows the past few days but still not really enough to get things cranking. The lower temps and change in weather will surely help things along though.


If you were to fish the Clearfork, surely it would be on the upper. The lower is still not much more than a trickle. Same story here though with the leaves. They are gonna be a major bummer the next 2-3 weeks or so. On a windy day, they could be a deal breaker.


Stick with nymphs and for now, the larger the better! 


Here’s a quick report and pic from friend and customer Brian Urias:


“Was fishing with a buddy and he caught 2 browns and i lost one. We were fishing very hard from friday through saturday. Using, Tricos, Pheasant tails, hares ears, and mainly caddis larvae. But then my buddy got the idea to put a wax worm on a size 14 scud hook and it surprisingly did the trick.I’ll send a photo of the one of guys he caught”- Brian Urias





Clear Creek
Clear Creek is up and muddy as we speak. Looks like it may crest here and may be fishable Sunday? We’ll try to keep an eye on it and let you know with an update here….or call the shop.

Ryan has been fishing a bit down there and is struggling. He’s not finding many holdover fish which is not a great sign. With the Summer that we had, it’s not overly surprising. Hard to say.

With the change in the weather and a bit of water hopefully we can get some quality time on the stream and learn different.

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

Erie Steelhead
Finally, some rain that actually brings hope of Steelhead!

Here is what we know as of Friday night-

The Vermilion is coming up and pretty well blown out. Hard to say at this point when it will fish. We haven’t heard of many fish in the river yet though which is common. May be a few weeks yet and a few more pushes of water before we start thinking about fishing her.

The Rocky and Chagrin are blown out and will probably be the 1st of the week before we think about fishing. Once they do drop though there should be some fish around.

The Grand has also shot up and is a bit high. Hoping we can get out there on Sunday for the Class with Jeff. We just spoke to him and if not, the group will head over to the Conneaut.

The Ashtabula and Conneaut are both up and muddy right now but if they crest this evening, these two could be the HOT ticket in Ohio for the weekend….especially come Sunday.

Elk and the PA tribs are a bit blown today but should come down and fish this weekend. Most reports should have fish spread throughout PA with this water. It’s game on over there but will also be a zoo. 

As with anywhere else in the state right now, leaves will be a problem. Mostly stick to nymph fishing and you should be fine. The streamer bite can be good to great though this time of year if you get a break from the leaves.

Once the leaves are gone though, we should see the water “green up”….and that’s when things really kick-in around here.

Several of our guides have been communicating with Charter Captains out on the lake and they are doing VERY well at the mouths of the creeks. Seems that fish are stacked-up out there and ready to run. More so than in years past. This is good news for the season and this push of water should kick things off here in Ohio.

In the meantime, we are looking forward to our visit from Jeff LIskay this weekend. Should have some reports and pics up on Social Media as it happens. Thrilled to offer this level of instructor to our clients!



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

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

Fishing Reports- 4/28/16

* 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 again MRO for donating the Scott G2 at the F3t (Fly Fishing Film Tour back in March) – I put it to good use this weekend”- Brian Reed
Mad River


5/2/16 Update- The Mad did get a bump in flows but not as much as you would think. The Upper river is looking pretty fishable and the lower river is a bit up and off color today but will make for great streamer water the next few days.


Did have a few reports this morning of fantastic dry fly fishing yesterday and an excellent Hendrickson spinner fall last night right before dark in the upper parts of the river. Some reported catching fish on Hendricksons and some on Caddis. Both anglers reported fish rising everywhere!!!


We’ll get those reports and pics up later in the week. In the meantime, streamer anglers should call in sick today or tomorrow!


4/28/16- The Mad is looking good for the weekend and has been fishing good to excellent this week. The off-and-on rains this past week have not really had much of an impact and what is predicted tonight won’t hurt at all…will probably help. It’s been a mixed bag of bugs and techniques this week with a little bit of everything working.


Still have decent reports of Hendricksons coming from the upper parts of the river. They have been hatching typically between 1 and 3 p.m. and the spinners have been falling right before dark. A few anglers doing especially well on the spinner falls. Also a few outrageous reports on anglers swinging soft hackle type emerger patterns. If we stated publically how they did we would for sure be called liars so we won’t. There have also been good reports of caddisflies flitting around in the afternoons and evenings as well as some of the “red butt” ants we typically get this time of year. Although dry fly fishing has been good to incredible for some, others have struggled with finding bugs and with finding fish rising to them. Not surprising with the up-and-down weather we have been having. Also, as we stated last week, we are still hearing of folks getting on the river at 8:00 a.m. and fishing till noon and wondering why they aren’t seeing Hendricksons (see our last report).


With May coming in like a lion next week we will surely be on Sulpher watch!!!! Might also start seeing some March Browns here before long as well. Keep your eyes out.


Meanwhile- thanks as always to our “staff of reporters” out there. We really appreciate and so do the 500+ people that read this Blog every day.


Tim Greiner- 4/22/16-


“Hey MRO- got out this morning and had a pretty good 3 hours. Moved around 10 fish and landed 5. Nothing that would frighten children but I did land one at 17″ which is my personal best on the Mad. All on streamers, violent hits. Many thanks for all the help in learning ohio on the fly!”



Congrats Tim! Personal best on the Mad!

Clay Sommerfelt- 4/24/16- 


“My friends at MRO- Once again the river was in excellent shape this weekend. I was happy to get out and spend some quality time with my Dad. We had a total of 4 browns on the day but probably could have had more if there was no plans later in the day. Fish were rising, ALOT!!! The fly that seemed to primarily work was an Adams size 14-16. And before I forget, I forgot my waders at home and just decided to wing it in my shorts and sperrys…..Not the smartest choice. Anyways, thanks again for all you guys do. You’re the best!


Hey Clay….don’t forget your waders next time!!!



NOTICE:


The Madmen Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be holding their Annual Membership Meeting on Saturday April 30, 2016 at the Champaign County Historical Museum. The museum is located at 809 East Lawn Ave, Urbana, OH 43078. The meeting will be from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.


The doors open at 9:00 AM for registration, sign-up for activities and raffle ticket sales. The meeting will then proceed to start at 9:30 AM.



Schedule will be posted once it is finalized


Click Here for more information!


Clearfork River

5/2/16 Update- The Clearfork did shoot up pretty well with the rains and may be out for a few days. The Upper may fish with streamers tomorrow or late tomorrow but the lower is headed straight up and not sure where it will crest.

We’ll keep our eyes on things and let you know later in the week how it’s looking.

4/2/816- Not as many reports this week from the Clearfork. Seems that the up-and-down weather has kept the crowds away. Hoping we hear some good reports from the weekend though as it looks to be good. Maybe some rain on Saturday but the fish won’t get any wetter.

Did have a few folks cover the lower stretch pretty well and they did ok. Nothing to write home about but they were mostly dry fly fishing. We are still waiting for a report of a monster on a streamer down in the park here. Somebody needs to do this!!!! They said they saw a mixed bag of bugs including a few Hendricksons, midges, caddisflies and terrestrials. Most of the fish caught were on small dries. They have raised the lower water a bit here the past couple of days but it is still fishable and not really enough rain in the forecast to expect them to raise it any more for the weekend.

The Upper is in fine shape for the weekend and has, just like the Mad, been a mixed bag of bugs and techniques. A couple of days this week did see good Hendrickson hatches but the past few have been slim. Hard to say whether the hatch is winding down or not. Hopefully we’ll learn more this weekend. The good news is that the Caddis have come on pretty strong. Have some caddis larva and soft hackles for below the surface and Elk Hairs or Galloup’s Butch Caddis for the surface. Ants have also been doing pretty well and by far our favorite pattern is Galloup’s Ant Acid. Killer Fly!

Always a good bet to chuck a big streamer around too as you have seen so far this Spring. Some hogs have been caught and released as you have seen. Try the big stuff 1st and if that doesn’t do it, go with a sculpin or bugger pattern. White Wooly Buggers have always been a favorite  on the CF, especially as the season progresses.

Get out there and let us know how you are doing!!!

Clear Creek
5/2/16- Clear Creek has shot up with the rains and it’s gonna be a few days before we get back out there. Sunday was a great day for most that we have seen and good fishing should pick right back up once the water drops. Tomorrow and mid-week could be good to excellent streamer fishing for those willing to brave the higher water.

We’ll check in later in the week and let you know how things are looking.


4/28/16- Clear Creek did bump up just a pinch with the rains but is right back down to “low and clear”. We could actually use a bit of rain here. Despite that, anglers have been doing pretty well especially on the surface. Not a ton of activity, but just enough to be fun!!! Still a few Hendricksons around as well as Caddis and Terrestrials. Ants in particular have been good and of course we wouldn’t go down there without Galloup’s Ant Acid (one of the best dry flies of all-time). If the dry fly game isn’t working for you, try nymphs and soft hackles in the deeper holes and slots and you should pick up fish.

Got this note this week via e-mail (best way to report) fro Patrick Haren-

“I’m not sure this is the best way to submit a report but I figured it would get the information across. Overall it was a beautiful day before the storms rolled in. Clear Creek was still low and clear but managed to catch fish. They were all in deeper runs and an olive dubbing soft hackle seemed to be what they wanted. Some rising fish but not many. Thanks- Patrick”

Probably the “Prettiest” Trout Water in Ohio! Clear Creek

****Patrick- olive or green bodied soft hackle type flies are a must for the Clear Creek. If you had to pick only 1 fly for this creek….you nailed it. Thanks for the report and you can keep them coming to [email protected].

Erie Steelhead
5/2/16- All steelhead/smallmouth streams shot straight up with the rains and most not crested yet. We’ll keep our eyes on things and let you know. 

The BIG QUESTION is whether this rain will bring fresh steelhead into the streams or whether it will be mostly smallmouth. The Calendar says steelhead, 2016 season says smallmouth.

We’ll get on the water asap and let you know what we find. We do have guide trips booked for tomorrow and mid week and they are fully planning on smallmouth fishing….but you never know. We have caught steelhead in June many-a-season.

Stay tuned!!

4/28/16- A challenging week here of steelhead fishing and for most, it’s pretty much over. Unless we get a push of water with a side of cold front, we may not see any more fresh fish.

Don’t get us wrong, you can still get out and find some fish, but they are mostly pretty spawned out and eager to get back to the lake.

The big news is that the smallmouth fishing is picking up and should be on fire the next 3-4 weeks and even more! Pretty cool fishing right now when you can pull a smallmouth out of one hole and a steelhead out of the next!!!

NGSKI (that’s all he signed as) sent us this report this week-

“Fishing the Grand this weekend was tuff to manage to catch some steelhead. Had to move around from one spot to another. Spots below Helen Park all the way down to Rec park in Painesville.”

“NGSKI” this week on the Grand

MRO Guide Patrick Campbell sent us this note after a “decent” guide trip over the weekend-

“We’re getting a nice early push of LR smallies and it should only get better with the next few rain events. I have had clients catching them on all of the tribs and have specifically been targeting them with streamers fished deep. The V and the Rocky have been great this week. Water temps are still a bit cool for the aggressive streamer bite, but it’s coming.

I’d say we can start running smallmouth trips NOW with the rains coming later this week. Hopefully they will stay around through June. Just like the steelhead this year though, they may depart a little earlier as well.

As for steelhead, the water temps everywhere are right at 60….so it’s pretty much time to shut that down. There are fish in the lower river systems but the upper parts are definitely thinning out, and quickly. As you saw from yesterday’s guide trip, the fish are getting pretty beat up. Time to give them a break so we can ensure they return next season.”

Guides have been doing very well on Smallies here the past week or more!


Connor Kannaly with a nice one on a guide trip with Josh McQueen last weekend!



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- 3/23/16

* 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 for all of the reports and pics this week friends. Although we can’t use or reference all, they are appreciated. Keep them coming!***
Mad River


3-25-16- Weekend update- The rain last night did bring the river up a bit but it should be looking perfect for the weekend. For those looking to throw streamers, the lower river should be in fantastic shape for this….especially tomorrow. With the front and the chill in the air we probably won’t see bugs for a few days but sounds like Sunday will be a sparkler so maybe a chance. Otherwise, we’ll be back on “Henny Watch” 1st of the week.


***Thanks again for all of the pics and reports friends. We’ll do our best to get them up here and on Social next week. Great to see the sense of community this Blog is creating!!!!


3-23-16- BREAKING NEWS! Hendricksons on the water yesterday!!! 

Good numbers of bugs spotted yesterday around 3:00 p.m. and fish were responding in a big way. Quite a few folks reported good to excellent dry fly activity for a few hours. No reports of spinner falls yet, but it’s already time to be thinking of evening fishing. Although it’s hard to say what will happen with the cooler temps and precip expected the next few days, it’s safe to say that Spring is here….and it’s early. (It’s been many years since we have seen Hendricksons in March).

The upper river is in perfect shape for dries and nymphs and the lower river still has enough flows for larger nymphs and streamers. We are expecting a front to move through tomorrow with quite a bit of precip so we’ll see what happens over the next few days. May put the kabosh on the bugs for a few days at least. We’ll try to update on Friday for the weekend but for sure…word of the day….Hennies.

Shop rat and guide Ryan Ratliff was out on the Mad yesterday with young Jack Tjarden and his father and wrote up this little blurb:


Happy Jack on a guide trip with Ryan!

Eigth grader Jack Tjarden made the most of his Spring Break this week by giving his skills a little boost on the Mad.  It was a cold windy start, but Jack soon had his mending, roll casting and even the single-hand spey stuff perfected by the time the midges were coming off thick.  After seeing a few fish rising to midges we pulled out the Tenkara rod and Jack fell in love with the simplicity and ease of casting.  As the day was starting to come to an end we found some more consistent rising fish.  At closer inspection there was a good Hendrickson hatch starting.  Jack was quickly introduced to the selectivity of the Mad’s inhabitants!  Combine selectivity, complex current seems and 30mph winds things got pretty challenging…well down right frustrating!  After watching many beautiful takes only to find too much slack in the line or a gust blew some line into the brush Jack finally had a fish to hand!  His dad had to drag him off the water or he would have stayed there all week…  Great time out with a young man who has a love for the outdoors and is a natural at the spey style casting!  It is good to see our next generation with a love for fly fishing!- Ryan 

Also got this note from Arthur Wolf:


“Thanks guys for all your help. Pulled this brown out of the Mad River on Friday. It’s my 2nd trout on a fly!!”

Clearfork River

3-25-16- Weekend Update- The Upper did come up enough to give us that streamer water we were looking for. Get out there!!! They did raise the lower a bit as well so it should fish well. Keep your eyes on the gage though as they might open her up a bit more tonight or tomorrow. Regardless, looks like a great weekend of fishing ahead. Keep your eyes out for bugs!!! Should be some BWO types and Hennies popping soon.

Thanks again for all of the pics and reports friends. We’ll do our best to get them up here and on Social next week. Great to see the sense of community this Blog is creating!!!!

3-23-16- The upper Clearfork is looking pretty good as we speak, maybe getting a touch on the low side. The lower is…well….pretty low. We could use this rain that looks like is going to hit tomorrow and into Friday. The lower stretch especially needs a bump.

Once again though the upper has been producing some fantastic fishing. Those willing to chuck big streamers have been rewarded big. Once again, Josh Snyder sent us these photos from Sunday:
“Got out on the UCF this morning to toss some meat.  Fish were eager to chase!  They wanted it as fast as I could jerk-strip it.  Number of decent fish to the bank, including these two!” – Josh Snyder
No word on any bugs yet…and probably not going to happen this weekend, but with Hennies popping on the Mad the past few days they can’t be far behind on the Clearfork. Keep and eye out for Caddis as well and surely arm yourself with some caddis larva patterns. They will be key food along with the #12-16 mayfly nymphs.


Let us know if you get out!

Clear Creek
3-25-16- Weekend Update- The Creek is in good shape….just enough bump in flows that you might consider throwing some streamers. We did have some good to great reports the past few days and seems that the season is starting off great down there. We did get some hats and stickers out to those that have contributed and we’ll get the rest out 1st of the week.

***Thanks again for all of the pics and reports friends. We’ll do our best to get them up here and on Social next week. Great to see the sense of community this Blog is creating!!!!

3-23-16- Clear Creek is looking good right now and fishing has been surprisingly decent. We’ll see what the rains the next few days do for the weekend but we are hopeful we can get out.

The big story here is our friends Elliot Cantwell and Justin Shiflett.
Last week we challenged folks to get out on Clear Creek and send us some reports/pics. Well….Elliot and Justin did! We’ll let them take over here:
“Saw your report on clear creek and thought I would send you a report. Fished the last three days with good results, numerous fish per day with a few bigger than average. Nymphed consistently and caught most fish on a 16 grey hare’s ear, bed head hare’s ear, or dark grey scud pattern. Fish were in deeper holes half the time but picked up the fish above ( one of the nicest) in a thigh high run. Black caddis coming of sporadically Monday but no rising fish. Thanks for being an awesome shop, ordered from you guys a couple times. Hard to find in Ohio”

And yet another report from today:

“Today resulted much of the same as last week, some bwo coming off and a few winter stonefly but no rising fish. The drop and water temps seemed to slow things back down. Grey hares ear and scud patterns took most fish. Here’s some pics, will be out tmrw let you know if anything changes”- Elliot Cantwell

And from Justin:



“Since my bracket was busted, I decided to go try my luck for the first time at Clear Creek. Threw some streamers around looking for larger fish, but no luck. Caught plenty of the smaller guys on smaller streamers and nymphs. Decided to snap a few photos to share because, well, who doesn’t love a free hat? Thanks for pushing me to try a new spot.”- Justin Shiflett


Thanks Elliot and Justin for taking us up on the challenge and delivering. Free hats and new MRO/Ohio stickers are on the way to you guys. We really appreciate the participation and support.
Erie Steelhead
3-25-16- Weekend Update- 


The V did shoot up overnight but has crested and will probably fish well tomorrow and for sure on Sunday. It will be a little dirty but probably good swinging water. This water should have brought some really nice fish in. We look for the V to be hot here for a few weeks.


The Rocky and Chagrin are pretty high and off color but should be fishable for the weekend. They have both been fishing pretty well this week and should continue and maybe even get better.


The Grand did come up to where it might not be the best choice for a few days. We’ll have to see what happens overnight and get some eyes on it. As soon as it does start to drop to safe levels….get out there…..she’s packed with large, fresh fish. This weekend though if the main stem is too much, try the tribs.


The Ashtabula and Conneaut didn’t get much. The Ash is a bit low but may still be worth trying. The Conneaut has been good but it’s pretty clear. As the weekend rolls on it may get tougher as the water drops. For sure lighter tippets and more subdued colors are on the menu. Could have used a push of water but we’ll see what we hear over the weekend.


****Thanks again for all of the pics and reports friends. We’ll do our best to get them up here and on Social next week. Great to see the sense of community this Blog is creating!!!!


3-23-16- As we speak right now, we have several guides out on the water today having “Epic” days…to say the least. For those of you that follow us on Facespace or Google or Twittergram etc. you know what we mean. 


Here’s just a taste of the day that Stephen Was had today:



Hopefully we can get Stephen to write something up about his legendary experience with MRO guide Josh McQueen today.

As you can see, Ohio Steelhead fishing is absolutely on fire. It seems that the past few days things have just lit up…and lit up chrome….even despite the mostly low and clear creeks. We are finding large numbers of large fish in the streams. Some drop backs but plenty of fresh fish as well.

The problem is, the waters are mostly getting pretty low and we are hoping for the rains tomorrow and Friday to freshen things up a bit. Depending on how much rain we get, the weekend and 1st of the week could again provide Epic fishing.

Most fish have been caught on small nymphs and egg patterns. The more subdued colors have been working better than the bright stuff…especially in clearer water. Black Stones, Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails and the like have been good and we have had to go to 3X and even 4X tippet to get takes. That should change with a bit of rain here. If all goes well, we should be back to swinging some big and bright stuff for at least a few days.

The Vermilion has really turned on and is getting pretty clear. A bit of rain will do this creek wonders and it should fish well moving forward. The Chagrin and Rocky are getting a little low. Don’t get us wrong, you can still go catch some fish, but this rain will help alot. Conneaut is on the low side and super clear, but folks have been doing very well but reports of the fish being a bit spooky. A bit of rain and it will turn on again big time! The Ashtabula is just too low right now and not really conducive to fishing until we get some more water.

The big news is that the Grand has come fishable in the past few days. It has been the hot ticket as you would expect. We really haven’t been on the main stem at all this spring but we know that the feeders have been full of fish. Hopefully this rain won’t completely shut it down for weeks again and we can get right back out there. Fishing the Grand River in the Spring is such a treat!

We’ll keep a close watch on the rain coming in and try to get a report up for the weekend. In the meantime, we’ll hope to get a story out of Stephen Was about his day today.

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

813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363


Fishing Reports- 3/16/16

* 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


Since our last report…the river started to come down and then pretty much each day or so we have been getting a blast of rain. The upper river is getting close and may wind up fishing well tomorrow. The lower river maybe the same but it will surely be streamer water.


If things stabilize here for a few days, combined with the weather we have been experiencing, it could be a good to great weekend of fishing. Have seen some bugs too! Scroll back to the last updates from the 10th and 11th! Haven’t heard much since then but of course not many folks fishing with the high water.


We’ll get a report up on Friday for the weekend and in the meantime, if you get out, drop us a line.

Clearfork River

The Clearfork is still pretty well blown out and it may be a day or so more on the upper and hard to say for the lower. If we don’t get much more rain, they may drop the lower to fishable levels but right now it is out of the question.

If you are a good wader, the upper could be great streamer water the next few days. If you have been keeping track of reports and pictures, you well know it’s worth doing.

Should be seeing some bugs around up there as well as soon as the water stabilizes. 

We’ll get a report up for the weekend and if you do get out, let us know how you do!!!

Clear Creek
Clear Creek is also blown and will be another day or so before we can get back out there. Can’t wait though! With these warm temps we should start seeing some good bugs and surface activity.

We’ll get a report up for the weekend but if you do get out there before we do, let us know how things look.

Erie Steelhead
Up and down. Up and down. Haven’t been able to catch a break since the original blowout on Thursday night.


The V is still up and of course muddy. So are the Rocky and Chagrin and of course the Grand is out of the question. Looks like the V, Rocky and Chagrin should be coming into fishable shape on Friday and into the weekend. We’ll keep our eyes on it and let you know on Friday. We did have quite a few folks over the weekend go up to find the high and dirty water and they were able to find fishable water and fish in the tribs to the Grand.


We can’t mention who sent this photo on Saturday. Hop on over to Facebook or Google + and read the hilarious post from Saturday afternoon.



The Ashtabula and Conneuat are actually looking good today and should be fishing well. Hoping to get some photos/reports from there today. Send us a note or shots if you have been out.


We’ll keep our eyes on things and be sure to get a report up on Friday with the weekend prognosis and let us know if anyone interested in a guide trip anytime soon. We do have guides available and ready to fish!!



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

813 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

Fishing Reports- 12/23/15

* 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

Bill Rice got this beauty last night on an Olive Wooly Bugger. Also caught a nice 18″ on his favorite….the Trophy Nymph.
Just a quick update here as we know folks have been calling and asking all day…..

The Mad did get a slight bump in flows but not really much to get too excited about. At least not for the streamer anglers out there who are chomping at the bit. The previous report still pretty much stands at this point although we are supposed to get another shot of rain tonight so stay tuned…things could change pretty quickly here. 

Did have some friends out today and they did well on small nymphs and of course you see that Bill had a good/great day yesterday.
If we don’t report tomorrow then nothing has changed…and again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all out there reading. Thanks for helping to make the 2015 season our best on record!!!

12/24/15- Update

Of course, as soon as we wrote the report last night it started raining and we DID finally get that push of water that we needed. The river is up pretty good and it should be game-on.

The upper parts of the river should fish tomorrow and the lower should come into shape on Saturday.

We’ll get a report up on Saturday to let you know what we hear and see.


Clearfork River

USGS- Upper Clearfork

USGS- Lower/Mohican State Park

Clearfork Map


“Facebook Reporter” Eric Roth sent us some photos from the Upper Clearfork today. He said this push of water really turned things on. This is one of many nice fish to hand today.

The Clearfork definitely got the better of this precip in comparison with the Mad. The Upper fished very well today and we had many reports of the streamer bite being hot. Didn’t really seem to matter the color or size either but big articulated flies were rocking them. Black did seem to do well today with the overcast skies.

The lower did get a nice bump today also and should be looking good for tomorrow and into the weekend. This could be the weekend we have been waiting for up there. We did have a guide out on the water today but haven’t heard the report yet. Maybe his cell phone isn’t working?

There is of course more rain supposedly heading our way so we’ll see what happens overnight.
If we don’t report tomorrow then nothing has changed…and again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all out there reading. Thanks for helping to make the 2015 season our best on record!!!

12/24/15 Update- 

The rain last night did hit the Clearfork pretty well and again, we have good water. The Upper came up again but should be fishing well this afternoon and into tomorrow. The lower is holding steady at where it was but likely that it will rise in the next few hours? If you are heading towards the park check the gauge 1st and if it does rise more today you might be better off in the Upper.

We’ll update on Saturday when we get back in the shop and let you know what we hear and see.


Clear Creek

USGS Gauge

Clear Creek Map

Clear Creek is up and muddy right now. Probably about a foot to foot and a half up so it is out of the equation for a few days. Did get some reports today from the past few and fishing has been pretty slow down there. Hopefully this water will help.

We’ll try to get a report up as things change but if we don’t…Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all out there reading. Thanks for helping to make the 2015 season our best on record!!!



Erie Steelhead

Gauge Links and Maps

Some good news for a change for Steelhead Anglers! Rain…and quite a bit of it….in spots.

Here is what we know at this point but keep in mind that we have more rain coming tonight.

The Vermilion didn’t really budge. It’s still not on the radar at this point and although we continue to scout it periodically, we are not seeing many if any fish on most outings. 

The Rocky came up nice but is dropping right back down. As we speak now it will fish tomorrow and will be right back down and low again. The Chargin about the same. It’s a bit higher and more off color than the Rocky but it is fishable and should be nice and “swingable” tomorrow.

The Grand and Conneaut are both blown and will be for a few days here. Good news is that it could be a banner weekend for both. This could be the weekend we have been dreaming of all Fall!!!

We didnn’t get eyes on the Ashtabula today but from the looks of conditions out East it is probably out for at least a day or more. 

Again keep in mind that there is more precip headed our way so things could change yet again tomorrow. We’ll try to get a quick update posted before we leave tomorrow. We will be in the shop until at least 6:00 p.m. tomorrow night and remember that Gift Certificates can be e-mailed for last minute stocking stuffers!

12/24/15 Update-

Rains last night did affect most streams and again, once we get back out there, the last week of the year will probably be the best fishing of the season!!!

The Vermilion did come up a bit but still below normal flows. Nothing to get excited about yet but a step in the right direction.

The Rocky and Chagrin did bump up again last night but are coming back down today. They should be in fishable shape tomorrow and look great for Saturday.

Pretty much the same for Conneuat although it didn’t bump up last night so the rains were more concentrated around Cleveland. It is coming down and may fish tomorrow and for sure on Saturday.

Steelhead anglers in the region have gotten the best Christmas gift ever……water!!!!

We’ll check-in on Saturday.



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

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