Tubulicious!

The Lake Erie tributary bite is on! All streams are finally holding decent numbers of fish and the catching has been great when water conditions are right.

This chromer hit a JD original pattern, the Boa Minnow in blue & white tied on a Eumer ballhead tube. One totally tubulicious fly dudes!

Perfect Water

High water from snow melt and rain on the Lake Erie tribs a few days earlier finally started to drop by Thanksgiving morning. Leah Darkes found the steelhead in a cooperative mood as the water was clearing. She does the grip-n-grin on a nice fish that hit an egg/nymph combo fished under an indictator while The Fish Dog looks on with approval. Leah landed several other fish before heading home for turkey dinner.

Turkey Day Steelhead

Leah Darkes And The Fish Dog experience some hot steelhead action on the annual Thanksgiving morning fishing trip with their old man, JD. Water temps were 35 degrees, so dead-drifting an egg/nymph combo was the technique of choice. Leah stayed toasty in Watermaster II waders and a LW R4 Jacket. As usual, The Fish Dog was wet wading in a smelly fur coat!

K9 Fish Finder!

The Fish Dog does a little underwater recon work!

Cold Weather & Hot Fishing

When water temps fall close to the freezing point, dead-drifting will be most productive for Ohio steelehead. An egg/nymph combo fished under an indicator is hard to beat. Steelhead will be found in deeper holding areas just on the edge of main current flows. Get a fly in front of them and they will eat it! Often peak activity will be "Banker's Hours" from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM- and just a slight rise in water temp will trigger action. Make sure you are dressed for the cold and your gear will function in sub-freezing air temeperatures. The Nautilus CCF reel is one of the best for cold weather. The fully-sealed drag system is impervious to any moisture and maintenace free.

This colorful male hit a purple Prince nymph.

November Chrome

After several high water episodes to flush out fallen leaves, steelhead have begun entering Ohio's Lake Erie tribs in increasing numbers. Fresh from the lake, this chrome hen hit a blue & white Ice Head Zonker on the swing. Look for Ohio steelheading to continuously improve through the winter and peak mid-March to mid-April. Swinging flies can be very effective in water temps down to 38 degrees or so.