tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42628183298151883902011-12-19T15:06:18.816-08:00This is the site for Angling Consulting Services (ACS). ACS is owned and operated by Jerry Darkes a fly fishing product sales representative, guide, instructor, and writer. He is usually seen on the water with his yellow lab Aspen - the REAL fish dog.Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.comBlogger3081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-7698997414363513282011-12-19T14:47:00.000-08:002011-12-19T15:06:18.823-08:00

Here are a few color variations of my new favorite pattern, The Niagara Intruder. I learned this fly from Canadian Niagara River guide, Paul Castellano a few weeks ago while spending a day on the water with him. We caught lakers, browns, and steelhead on this pattern, both stripping and swinging. The fly is quick to tie, durable, and will catch just about anything- perfect for guide work!The

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-87452237957799180022011-12-15T13:33:00.000-08:002011-12-15T13:44:53.839-08:00

My good buddy, Ted Kellogg from Ashton, ID has been doing unique fish (and waterfowl) paintings/carvings for a number of years. I got an early Christmas present from him when this Atlantic salmon showed up at my door. He works on cedar planking and adds eye, mandible, fins, and tail separately. Ted's work is amazing- individual painted scales & spots, great color blending, with just enough added

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-43372393105219608622011-12-07T07:46:00.001-08:002011-12-07T07:58:37.362-08:00

Lake-run brown trout are found across much of the Great Lakes and often take a back seat to steelhead, the glamour fish. After spawning, browns will begin to feed heavily and quickly regain the weight and fight they lost during spawning. This fish, and a number of others, crushed a swung fly in the lower Niagara River while I fished with Paul Castellano. A good test for Scott's new L2H 12'6" 7-wt

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-68237695898113231762011-12-07T07:12:00.000-08:002011-12-07T07:28:27.846-08:00

Meet Paul Castellano, a guide on the Canadian side of the Niagara River and maybe the only guide in the area who encourages fly fishing. I just returned from fishing with Paul and we did everything from swing flies, to fish indicators, to strip streamers in the Niagara and Lake Ontario for steelhead, browns, and lake trout. Here Paul holds up a mega-sized larry (lake trout) that smashed his

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-92022702243335105982011-11-27T17:27:00.000-08:002011-12-07T07:34:33.987-08:00

Got a grab from a late-season smallie while swinging an olive strip leech. The warm weather has brought water temps in the low 50's during the day, plenty warm for smallmouth to stay active. Not the target species on this day, but welcome any time.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-57598513319284944152011-11-27T17:17:00.000-08:002011-11-27T17:27:36.103-08:00

Did a little post-Turkey Day river walking with a couple of my neighbors. Didn't find the pack of chromers we hoped for, but managed to get a few nice fish checking out some new water. Here Mr. V goes mano a mano with good-sized Chagrin River buck that grabbed a pink egg. The fish was successfully landed and released.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-88359465383223215862011-11-18T08:05:00.000-08:002011-11-18T08:16:08.373-08:00

OK, we've all been there, grabbing gear in a dark garage and packing it in the car for a 5:00 AM departure to the river the next morning. But when you get there something isn't quite right when you go to wader up. Damn shoe isn't fitting right. Upon closer inspection, this is what you see. Your buds get a big laugh and you get a sore right toe, plus end up walking around in circles all day.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-24322929506539459022011-11-16T06:53:00.000-08:002011-11-16T07:08:12.844-08:00

Capt. Austin Aducci wrapped up his season on the south end of Lake MI and the Kankakee River in Illinois and headed east to sample some Lake Erie steelhead. He was able to team up with Fishdog friend, Jeff Liskay, for some clear water fishing on PA's Elk Creek. Austin and Jeff found fish willing to grab black stone nymphs fished in fast water pockets. Looks like the guys were having a little fun!

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-56275750478945641362011-11-15T09:22:00.000-08:002011-11-15T09:36:04.705-08:00

Canadian fly gal, April Vokey, gives a quick fly tying lesson after her presentation at last Saturday's Fly the Alley event. Bringing beginners into fly fishing, especially young beginners, was a goal of the event and a number of youngsters were there with their parents. As with all outdoor activities, youth particpation is critical for them to continue. Positive role models are important to

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-54091410584342541522011-11-10T04:45:00.000-08:002011-11-10T04:59:47.264-08:00

Just a reminder that the Fly the Alley event will be at the Geneva State Park Lodge in Geneva, OH, this Saturday, November 12, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. The best things about NE Ohio will be featured at the event- fly fishing for steelhead and Ohio wines! Very special guest April Vokey, will be joined by local experts- Jeff Liskay, Greg Senyo, and Will Turek, giving presentations on fly fishing for

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-29533010894819903092011-10-24T06:09:00.000-07:002011-10-24T09:05:23.451-07:00

Scientific Anglers new Textured Titan Taper line has proved to be one of the biggest surprises of new gear for the coming year. The line has proved itself to be extremely versatile. I have been using it as a multi-tip streamer line with great results. The 6-wt. Titan weighs in at 210 gr. I have been adding either 12 ft. of T-10 to get deeper or a 120 gr. clear, slow sink Spey tip to fish just

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-50035171543571834842011-10-24T05:55:00.000-07:002011-10-24T06:51:25.461-07:00

Between last weeks gale-force winds and the remnants of a nasty late-summer algae bloom, Lake Erie water condtions have been terrible. Yesterday's forecast was for calm and sunny, so Jeff Liskay and I set off to search for some decent water to pitch streamers in the surf. We hit a number of tributary mouths on the east of the lake with good results. Sun and good surf fishing rarely go hand in

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-7131241361798547242011-10-16T08:33:00.000-07:002011-10-16T08:45:02.471-07:00

Traverse City, MI, area guide & friend, Russ Maddin introduced me to one of his favorite patterns to target large, migratory predators along the Great Lakes shorelines. The Flash Deceiver is a creation of saltwater angler, Mark Sedotti. Russ adds his own twist moving the barbell eyes far forward on the hook eye to get a bit more motion out to of the fly. This pattern is a great addition to any

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-72933619225490819452011-10-14T04:29:00.001-07:002011-10-14T18:45:46.054-07:00

It's going to be April in November..........along with a group of the top anglers and guides from Steelhead Alley. Just a reminder about the Fly the Alley expo being put on by the Ohio Wine Producers at the Geneva State Park Lodge on November 12. The event is to highlight the fly fishing and vinticulture of northeast Ohio's wine country.April Vokey will be a featured guest along with local pro

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-65195619328740604692011-09-29T10:09:00.000-07:002011-09-29T11:34:27.836-07:00

Attempts were made to stock Pacific salmon in the Great Lakes at various times starting in the late 1800's. The present salmon fishery in the Great Lakes started in Michigan's Platte River in 1966 when coho were introduced as a predatory species in hopes of the exploding alewive population. Chinook salmon were introduced a year later and the rest, as they say, is history. Here is a group of fish

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-22961636793245369882011-09-29T09:54:00.000-07:002011-09-29T10:09:21.273-07:00

Here is a magnificent Lake Superior steelhead caught by Capt. Leo Wright while on a recent exploration of the Michigan shoreline. This surf cruising chromer smashed a streamer just outside a small rivermouth and put up a memorable, acrobatic battle before being released. All across the Great Lakes, even the smallest tribs will attract fish in the Fall.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-87864539096249764372011-09-29T09:43:00.000-07:002011-09-29T09:53:59.135-07:00

Had a chance to spend a couple days with good friend. Capt. Brad Petzke of Rivers North Fly Fishing in the Marquette, MI, area and sample some of the fall fishing. We fished rivermouth and harbor areas and had a lot of fun with Lake Superior coho. This is just another of the many fly fishing opportunities found throughout the Great Lakes.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-2247589297261645182011-09-16T05:40:00.000-07:002011-09-16T06:03:52.515-07:00

Here is a variation of my (not so)famous Meat Wagon streamer that I have been tying and fishing this summer. This version is a bit simpler and quicker to tie, and easier to cast on lighter rods as the sheep hair really reduces in size when wet. The result is less weight and air resistance, making it easier to cast, still great movement and life in the water. Give it a try!MW II StreamerHook: Your

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-46938666498496135722011-09-08T15:57:00.000-07:002011-09-08T16:12:22.862-07:00

Looks like king salmon are on the feed and Platte Bay is the place to be! Michigan guide, Kelly Neuman, shows a just caught this evening big silver king that hit a Glow Pig streamer. There is a pretty narrow window for getting kings on flies in the lakes and timing is everything for success. When you are on the water almost everyday like Kelly, the odds swing in your favor.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-44980254452853800642011-09-08T05:11:00.000-07:002011-09-08T05:25:31.030-07:00

Western Michigan is experiencing its best run of salmon in many years. All of the rivers are filling with fish with more on the way. MI guides, Capt. Jon Ray and Russ Maddin took a morning recently to wade and throw flies in Lake Michigan's Platte Bay. Lake kings may be the hardest Great Lakes fish to consistently take on a fly. The change in the weather had kings ready to grab and Russ hooked

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-13684571159322869322011-08-30T07:29:00.000-07:002011-09-08T05:11:22.994-07:00

Had a chance to do a float with good dog friends, Mike Schultz of Schultz Outfitters and Florida Keys guide and Ross/SA pro, Capt. Bruce Chard. Schultzy put Chard and myself on an unending supply of river smallmouhth who were on a late-season feeding binge. In spite of over 20 years of chasing the big 3 down in the Keys, Chard had never caught a smallmouth on a fly. Here was his first connection-

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-9817389708552195182011-08-27T08:12:00.000-07:002011-09-08T05:02:01.318-07:00

My good friend Martin Bawden of the Flymen Fishing Company received two "Best of Show" awards at the recent International Fly Tackle Dealer Show. The first, for the Best Fly Tying Material and Equipment went to the new Sculpin Helmut that was rleased at the show. This weighted head brings a whole new dimension to tying creepy, crawly, bottom hugging patterns. Sculpin, gobies, madtoms, and even

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-818622173470771992011-08-24T05:04:00.000-07:002011-08-24T05:23:56.381-07:00

Dog friend Spey junkie and Patagonia Fishing Ambassador, Jeff Liskay, does an evaluation of Scott's new L2H, 11'6" 8-wt. switch rod. The L2H rods feature an innovative blank technology that helps to reduce torque. This give a smooth transfer of power and increased stability when change of direction is made. Components are top grade with Super-grade cork, TiCh reel seat and TiCh stripping guides

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-81163451805260431922011-08-23T07:20:00.000-07:002011-08-23T07:35:08.982-07:00

Patagonia opened a new chapter in wading technology with the first public showing of the River Crampon and the Rock Grip Aluminum Bar Wading Shoe at the International Fly Tackle Dealer Show. Both items were the brainchild of Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard. In fact, the original River Crampon prototypes were built in the Tin Shed in Ventura, CA, where Chouinard built climbing pitons.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-1868841169899878622011-08-22T18:14:00.001-07:002011-08-23T07:20:44.994-07:00

This is the first of a series of posts highlighting new products from the just-finished International Fly Tackle Dealer Show in New Orleans. Top fly fishing manufacturers were on hand to showcase new products for the 2012 season. Scientific Anglers introduced a number of new lines into their Mastery Textured series. Textured lines feature a dimpled finish that reduces friction and

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-90354625556813291792011-08-09T08:22:00.000-07:002011-08-09T08:28:47.026-07:00

Dr. Jamie Mathias holds a fresh silver char/dolly just in to feast on sockeye eggs. Most of the ones we caught were in this size rnge and they hit beads, swung streamers, and even dry flies. The arrival of sockeye salmon in the Naknek lake tributaries starts a feeding spree for all species present. Bears also timed their arrival to coincide with the sockeye.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-23767707789915323382011-08-09T08:01:00.000-07:002011-08-09T08:20:49.742-07:00

All of the fish species on my Alaska adventure were fun to catch, but perhaps the one(s) I found most interesting were the char and dolly varden. Depending on who you talk to: 1) they are the same fish, 2) small ones are dollies, big ones are char, 3) dollies spend their whole life in freshwater, char drop into the ocean and then follow the salmon in. Regardless, they are amazingly strong

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-81056870834180401092011-08-06T06:42:00.000-07:002011-08-06T06:57:40.916-07:00

Pike are well distributed at lower elevations throughout the sub-Arctic areas of the north to the Great Lakes. At Naknek River Camp, several sloughs just off the main river and close to camp provided good pike action for a quick fix before breakfast or after dinner. A big, bright streamer got vicious hits from pike of all sizes. Don't forget the bite guard as these toothy critters will easily

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-16507402688956199022011-08-06T06:28:00.001-07:002011-08-06T06:40:34.944-07:00

Another fish unique to the far north is the Arctic char. This relative of the brook trout spends time in larger bodies of water and then follows salmon in to their spawning areas to feast on eggs dropped by salmon. Char then spawn after the salmon are gone. Like steelhead, char are a bright silver when they first enter tributaries and then they color up as spawning approaches. Here is a chunky

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-32452122077268908452011-08-06T06:16:00.000-07:002011-08-06T06:27:30.287-07:00

Grayling are another "must catch" species for any angler making their first visit to the far north. They rise readily to dry flies often coming right out of the water when they hit. A big specimen is 20" long and we managed to get several in that size while fishing one of the tributaries to Naknek Lake. No photograph can do justice to the array of colors that grayling show. They are an assortment

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-1552970367931661352011-08-03T07:39:00.000-07:002011-08-03T07:48:40.982-07:00

Part of the week at Naknek River Camp includes a trip to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park to view brown bears up close and personal. The trip is done by the camp's motor launch, so you can travel in weather that grounds float planes. Brooks Falls is where many of the photos and movies of bears catching salmon are made. Thousands of sockeye salmon ascend the Brooks River from Naknek Lake to

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-33684639020223390162011-08-01T10:50:00.000-07:002011-08-01T11:00:19.289-07:00

Just returned from hosting a trip for Mad River Outfitters to Johnson's Naknek River Camp near King Salmon, Alaska. What a week! Caught 5 species of salmon- pink, sockeye, chum, silver, king, plus rainbows, grayling, char, and pike.The folks at Naknek River Camp did a great job keeping everyone on fish and well fed. Accomadations are pretty simple, but you are in close access to some of the best

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-87333208186300292032011-07-21T17:17:00.000-07:002011-07-21T17:51:00.578-07:00

I received this photo from Capt. Brian Mezaros of Great Lakes Fly Fishing. It is a tiger musky taken by one of his clients on a recent guide trip on Lake St. Clair. Although most tigers are hatchery bred by crossing a musky with a northern pike, they do occasionally occur in nature. As Lake St. Clair does not recieve any musky stockings, we can assume that this is a natural hybrid.There is plenty

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-68880261533544532062011-07-17T11:04:00.000-07:002011-07-17T11:20:56.757-07:00

The on-going fly fishing tour of the Great Lakes continues. My most recent stop was with Capt. Leo Wright on the northern tip of Michigan's lower peninsula. Capt. Leo has just relocated up north and is offering a variety of fly fishing outings to anglers. From his base he can quickly access the prime waters of both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. One of his his specialties is shallow water sight

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-88609449273076354132011-07-17T10:41:00.000-07:002011-07-17T11:03:47.488-07:00

Had a chance recently to host Ohio's recently retired Senator George Voinovich and his son along with Western Reserve Land Conservancy VP, Leah Whidden and family for a morning at Sunnybrook Trout Club near Castalia, OH. Senator V is a long-time fly fisher and helped to establish Ohio's steelhead trout program back when he was governor. The Western Reserve land Conservancy is heavily involved in

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-77389700190675975472011-07-04T05:11:00.000-07:002011-07-04T05:19:41.949-07:00

Had a chance to get up to Chequamegon Bay and spend a day with Capt. Roger Lapenter. This little corner off Lake Superior has some of the hottest smallmouth action anyhwere. Despite recent rain and wind that discolored the water, we were able to pull some big smallies out of pretty skinny water. Much of the action was top water, which made it even better!

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-24119700577182846752011-06-24T08:57:00.000-07:002011-06-24T09:02:40.989-07:00

In spite of ongoing weather issues, fly fishing around the Great Lakes has been very productive. A recent Lake St. Clair adventure with Capt. Brian Mezaros of Great Lakes Fly Fishing produced numerous smallmouth bass and a nice northern pike as a bonus. High winds limited our fishing areas, but Capt. B was able to produce plenty of fish.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-51971679747190827822011-06-17T14:12:00.000-07:002011-06-17T14:22:13.619-07:00

Carping activity will move into high gear across the Great Lakes area over the next few weeks as the fish complete spwning activities and begin to feed regularly again. Carp are one of the hardest fish to fool consistently with a fly. They provide great sport to a growing segment fly fishers who target them as they cruise the shallows looking for food. Nick Pionessa of The Oak Orchard Fly Shop

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-2741974015514104552011-06-17T14:01:00.000-07:002011-06-17T14:12:10.355-07:00

You can find fish cruising the mouths of tributaries entering the Great Lakes all year long. Species may vary depending on the time of year, but nearly all will hit a fly. The best time to fish these places is at sunrise as these shallows have had a chance to settle out from the previous days activity. A stealthy approach and a baitfish pattern on a floating line can get surprising results.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-41466434939311971302011-06-11T09:05:00.000-07:002011-06-11T09:11:53.423-07:00

Here are some additional pattern variations incorporating Fish Skulls. The top three are based on my Meat Wagon streamer, while the bottom two are classic Deep Minnows incorporating Skulls instead of the usual barbell eyes. On-water research is proving successful, but plenty more testing to do!

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-55999737687313981532011-06-08T09:29:00.000-07:002011-06-08T09:53:56.641-07:00

Smallmouth bass are in full-tilt spawn mode across much of the Great Lakes region right now. Depending on location, smallies may spawn in anywhere from 2 feet to as much as 12-15 feet in depth. Beds will be fanned out by males so that a layer of clean gravel is uncovered to hold the eggs until they hatch. The males stay with the nest and keep the eggs clean of silt and sediment. After hatching,

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-8751565602469674492011-06-08T09:19:00.004-07:002011-06-08T09:27:44.269-07:00

Long thought of as strictly the realm of gear & bait anglers, the Great Lakes provide world-class fly fishing opportunites for a variety of both warm- and cold-water species. With thousands of miles of shoreline available there is plenty of room for everyone to chose and use the method of their choice. Lot's more on Great Lakes fly fishing to follow.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-30178374546904107772011-06-08T09:19:00.003-07:002011-06-08T09:19:20.282-07:00

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-29158815802925420492011-06-08T09:19:00.001-07:002011-06-08T09:19:19.220-07:00

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-31040640916293141322011-06-04T08:41:00.003-07:002011-06-04T08:53:37.118-07:00

Just returned from a trip doing "research" for my upcoming book on Great Lakes fly fishing. Finally got a chance to fish in Wisconsin's Door County, one of the prettiest areas in the Lakes. We found the smallmouth just moving up to spawn and had great success wading shallow areas. One technique that worked well was to look for larger rocks in deeper areas just off the shallows and fish to them.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-55534204508307615602011-06-04T08:27:00.000-07:002011-06-04T08:40:41.476-07:00

Here are a couple new patterns I tied up recently for Lake Erie and beyond. These utilize the Fish Skulls from Flymen Fishing Company. Fish Skulls are proving to be a great addtion to nearly any streamer pattern. They are much more versatile than beads or cones, having easily added eyes and with their keel-like shape, can also make the fly ride with the hook inverted.These sculpin/crayfish/goby

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-17020192304876419252011-05-24T08:34:00.000-07:002011-05-24T08:43:51.660-07:00

Spring has been grudgingly making its way through the southern Great Lakes. Rain and clouds are still almost a daily occurence. Things still seem to be running about 10 days behind schedule.Here Tom Fabbro of The Backpacker's Shop shows a chunky, pre-spawn Presque Isle (Lake Erie) smallmouth caught while on a kayak expedition. Presque Isle, right outside of Erie, PA, is a top fly fishing area for

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-55134509831209114212011-05-09T12:52:00.000-07:002011-05-09T13:01:54.616-07:00

My daughter Leah and Aspen the Fishdog take a break during Conneaut Clean Up activities to enjoy the sunshine and wildflowers along the bank. Volunteers from The Friends of Conneaut Creek, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders all lent a hand in this years work. A special thanks to everyone who participated and to local landowner Andy Cary, who provide

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-91787189882794793632011-05-09T12:46:00.000-07:002011-05-09T12:52:38.668-07:00

About 30 volunteers braved the nicest day of the year (up to that point) last Saturday for the annual Conneaut Creek Clean Up. A dozen or so areas were covered from the PA state line down into the Town of Conneaut. Here Phil Hillman of the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Jeff Liskay from the Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders are assisted as they haul a load of trash up a hillside.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-81602778104804610372011-05-06T10:58:00.000-07:002011-05-06T11:03:45.957-07:00

Here are the final entrants in the Blind Bugger Contest. It sounds easier than it is, give it a try sometime! Dan H was selected as the final winner of the contest and received a Scientific Anglers Textured GPX line for his hard work.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-44730701104954887902011-05-05T04:56:00.000-07:002011-05-05T05:06:39.080-07:00

Dog friend, Ken Beutel, works with blacked-out glasses in the Blind Bugger Contest prior to last nights showing of the Fly Fishing Film Tour. A double-dog woof of thanks goes out to everyone who helped make the event a success. The guys at The Backpacker's Shop handled ticket sales, fish buds Jeff Liskay and Will Turek helped organize the event, Dan Panek at The Links Golf Course was a great host

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-22365754411544347632011-05-04T05:15:00.000-07:002011-05-04T05:25:34.422-07:00

The Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders will team up with The Friends of Conneaut Creek and Ohio Division of Watercraft for the annual Conneaut Creek clean up this Saturday. This event has taken place for a number of years now and as well as spiffing up some of the more popular areas on the creek, has helped to build a stronger relationship with several of the landowners. Anyone who wants to help is

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-81052277880139447812011-05-01T07:07:00.000-07:002011-05-01T07:42:08.650-07:00

The Fly Fishing Film Tour makes it's only northern OH stop this Wednesday, May 4. The series of short films will be shown at the clubhouse of The Links Golf Course, 26111 John Rd., Olmsted Falls, OH, 44138. This location is 2 miles south of I-480 off Rt. 252 (Columbia Rd.).The evening kicks off with a series of casting games at 6:00 PM including distance backcasting, flygolf, and shoot-the-hoop.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-41552882801827501182011-04-28T06:24:00.000-07:002011-04-28T06:30:43.264-07:00

These lakers aren't trout and they aren't from LA. The annual run of Lake Erie smallmouth has started in the tributaries. These fish show up in most of the tribs and allow river anglers a shot at real trophy-sized bronzebacks. Matt Hines shows a big Elk Creek smallie that hammered a swung fly that was targeted for steelies. It's the best of both worlds when you can get big smallies and steelhead

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-65958311723643298132011-04-28T06:14:00.000-07:002011-04-28T06:23:29.783-07:00

A brief water window opened again yesterday and we were able to get April Vokey out to swing for Lake Erie steelies before she had to head home to BC. Here is our favorite Fly Gal with a fish that grabbed an olive-colored pattern swung on a short tip with a switch rod.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-18052454316889470422011-04-26T08:36:00.001-07:002011-04-26T08:56:19.597-07:00

British Columbia, Canada, fly gal, April Vokey, made a stop in town on her way back from a Belize trip and held a fly tying class at Chagrin River Outfitters. April showed a variety of materials and techniques used to construct the BC-style Intruder patterns that she fishes on her waters. Of particular interest was the use of Arctic fox and rhea feathers. The idea of this pattern, originated by

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-42942700424246670042011-04-24T06:58:00.000-07:002011-04-25T06:17:16.835-07:00

Despite the recent monsoons, Saturday was warm and sunny for the 2nd Grand River Castapalooza. High water didn't dampen anyone's enthusiasm. We had plenty of attendees who saw various presentations and received instruction on single-hand casting, Spey casting a fly tying. Here Scientific Anglers Pro, Jeff Liskay discusses Spey lines with a group of casters.A special "Thank You" goes out to Jeff,

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-64436809118822769232011-04-24T06:53:00.000-07:002011-04-24T06:58:18.664-07:00

A weather window opened briefly allowing Team Fishdog a day on the water before the Grand River Castaplooza. The boys found a few willing takers for swung flies like this chromer sporting a black and copper moustache

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-43667502925939641842011-04-24T06:43:00.000-07:002011-04-24T06:52:55.199-07:00

JD and the Fishdog took a timeout during a recent on-water adventure for a sit down photo. At 12 years old, Aspen is still going strong. JD is still in training.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-88969167254355537722011-04-19T04:49:00.000-07:002011-04-19T05:02:37.840-07:00

Warm water discharges around the Great Lakes continue to attract big fish as this mega-carp caught by Jeff Liskay shows. High winds had the shoreline flats off limits to sight fishing, so we went to plan B and fished the channel with sink-tips. This fish hit a size-6 brown Stonebugger.Just another of example of the super fly fishing available in and around the Great Lakes.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-41493067440654960552011-04-19T04:37:00.000-07:002011-04-19T04:49:38.188-07:00

Jeff and JD stayed around to fish a few hours on the St. Joe and found a few willing accomplices for their efforts. Leeper Park, right in downtown South Bend, was a great place to have a casting event and then fish afterwards. A cold, steady rain had the river empty of anglers, but the steelhead willing to hit.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-81913951508470010362011-04-18T08:56:00.000-07:002011-04-18T09:04:56.360-07:00

A hardy band of casters showed up on the St. Joe River in South Bend, IN, on Saturday morning for the first of this years Castapalooza events. Wind, rain, and cold were the order of the day. In spite of the elements, we were able to get guys to try their hands at Spey casting and more.The dog even had a great time!Jeff liskay and I also managed to hook a few steelhead after the event was over. A

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-31703349533872316642011-04-14T18:31:00.000-07:002011-04-14T19:06:00.516-07:00

Things can happen quickly as Spring progresses. Any flows entering the Great Lakes are attracting all kinds fish. Capt. Austin Aducci of Grab Your Fly Charters is having some hot action on Great Lakes Golden Bones (aka Carp) on the south end of Lake MI.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-91658451512932832692011-04-14T08:26:00.000-07:002011-04-14T08:43:20.361-07:00

JD hoists another super-sized, knuckle-busting freshwater drum taken with Scientific Anglers and Scott Rod Pro Capt. Brian Mezaros. This is just a sign that the action is really beginning to heat up across the southern Great Lakes with a wide variety of species including pike, smallmouth, white bass, and walleye coming into the mix along with drum.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-50953224879665596202011-04-13T15:44:00.000-07:002011-04-13T15:50:37.428-07:00

Capt. Brad Petzke holds a solid Lake Superior wild steelhead from an unnamed tributary on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Steelies are taking the front seat right now all across the Great Lakes region. Nice hat, too! That's the new Scott digital camo.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-33130125117440842032011-04-13T13:40:00.000-07:002011-04-14T08:53:40.070-07:00

JD did a quick Lake Erie shakedown trip with Scientific Anglers Pro Staff Guide Capt. Brian Mezaros and the guys found a group of super-sized freshwater drum feeding in shallow water. Several days of NE winds had the nearshore water muddied up, but held warmer water temp on a sunny day and allowed a closer-than-normal approach to these usually skittish fish in 2'-3' of water.JD's Arctic Wiggler

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-84555741107551275932011-04-11T15:19:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:29:23.298-07:00

My buddy, Ted K. is retired from the Forest Service and lives in Ashton, ID. A true Renaissance Man, he is can do just about anything. He does fish carvings and paintings on cedar planking that are fabulous. Here is a steelhead that I got from him. length on this piece is 23 inches. Note the unique fins and jaw mandible. All painting is very detailed. Ted can do pretty much any fish that swims.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-32108455249308072192011-04-11T06:35:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:04:23.333-07:00

I will be holding two Castapalooza events this month. The Castapalooza is a celebration of all things fly fishing, but concentrates on rods, lines and casting. There will also be fly tying demos and the chance for anglers of all ages and skill levels to try out gear and receive instruction. These events are free and open to the public!Scientific Anglers and Scott Fly Rods are the main supporters

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-2161084775491392582011-04-02T06:58:00.000-07:002011-04-02T07:06:17.359-07:00

This spring entering Conneaut Creek and flowing over step-like layers of shale, froze when overnight temperatures dropped into the teens. Winter is slooowly releasing its hold on NE Ohio, but not without a fight.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-86148974975190263172011-04-02T06:47:00.000-07:002011-04-02T06:57:02.061-07:00

With temperatures continuing below freezing at night and warming up just enough during the day to get some ground melt started, some interesting ice formations can be found along Lake Erie's steelhead streams. Here is a interesting group of icicles I saw along Conneaut Creek.To give an idea of size scale, the distance from the base of the cliff to the tree line is 30-35 feet.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-19223224151261373582011-03-29T04:49:00.000-07:002011-03-29T05:00:04.901-07:00

The recent extended high water period and cold temperatures have kept the steelhead scattered in all the Ohio tributaries. There are some big fish around as this 30+ inch fish shows, but finding concentrations of fish has been a challenge. With snow in the forecast again for the end of the week, fishing could be continue to be a matter of covering water and finding the fish that are willing to

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-84644578891411825212011-03-22T06:24:00.000-07:002011-03-22T06:34:29.093-07:00

Here is another Lake Michigan brown trout that hit a stripped fly. In this case it was an olive/orange version of JD's Arctic Wiggler tube fly. Possibly eaten as a perch or goby? Warm water discharges around the Great Lakes are attracting baitfish that attract feeding brown trout, salmon, and other predators. Some of these areas are easily reached by foot, others need to be accessed by boat. They

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-31162686717330445022011-03-17T19:56:00.000-07:002011-03-21T19:18:18.205-07:00

Capt. Austin Aducci shows a silvery southern Lake Michigan brown trout he caught on a stripped baitfish pattern. Capt. Austin is blazing a fly fishing trail along the northern Indiana shoreline that features a variety of cold and warm water species. Angling opportunities start at ice out and continue until freeze up. Just another example of concentrating on a close-to-home fishery and learning

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-69587473722849553192011-03-16T11:28:00.000-07:002011-03-16T11:39:32.258-07:00

My buddy George drilled out some Flymen Fishing Company Fish Skulls so that they could be slid over Eumer small plastic tubing. Here are the first Fish Skull tubes that I tied while at a tying demo last night.Hope to give them a try out real soon and will report back to you!

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-78933323514886143162011-03-14T19:03:00.000-07:002011-03-14T19:35:42.556-07:00

Got a chance to spend a cold day on the Muskegon with "The Flashmaster", Kevin Feenstra, and Tim Pommer, a product developer from Scientific Anglers. My feet were toasty warm in Patagonia's Rio Gallegos Waders with the wool-lined bootie while the other guys wore boot foots. I was fishing Scott Rod's newest two-hander, the 12'6", 7-wt. A3, a super casting and fishing tool. We used a new Spey line

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-45060687886799491612011-03-04T13:38:00.000-08:002011-03-04T13:52:57.585-08:00

Mother Nature did something that man could not decide to do. Last Monday, February 28, at 9:04 AM the dam on the Chagrin River in Gates Mills, OH blew out. The concrete structure was over 100 years old, serving no use purpose anymore. A quick melt of 16 inches of snow by 3 or so inches of rain raised water levels to a point where the dam could no longer contain the flow.Luckily there were no

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-31557903181308841022011-02-22T09:29:00.000-08:002011-02-22T09:39:13.254-08:00

Dog friend, Paul Hansen, from near Minneapolis, MN, likes to spend a balmy February day chasing smllmouth on the upper Mississippi River. A warmwater discharge from a power plant keeps the river at a tolerable temeprature for some winter time warm water action.Here one of Paul's fishing buds holds up a nice Mississippi red eye that was caught and released last week.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-27842436292323472282011-02-14T12:31:00.000-08:002011-02-14T12:35:39.688-08:00

Plenty of color and creativity going on in the fly tying world these days. Here is a table full of streamer patterns tied up by the gang from Schultz Outfitters at a recent tying expo.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-63664273544391565872011-02-14T12:24:00.000-08:002011-02-14T12:29:16.460-08:00

The weather has finally started to break here and all the critters are starting to get active again. Had this group of deer come out of the woods and into the front yard for a while today.They then went down the sidewalk crossed another street and moved into the next patch of woods.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-14759366213211024852011-02-08T06:26:00.000-08:002011-02-08T06:32:19.075-08:00

Lake Erie is around 95% ice covered right now. Only the extreme northeast portion ice free. Migrating waterfowl are attracted to any openwater along the lake shore. Here is a mixture of diving ducks in full winter colors- canvasbacks, redheads, goldeneye, bufflehead, greater and lesser scaup are all in the group. This group was seen just east of downtown Cleveland while fishing the CEI (Cleveland

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-44880808251676700182011-02-03T15:33:00.000-08:002011-02-03T15:47:38.296-08:00

Here are some interesting facts about the Great Lakes:20% of all the freshwater on earth is in the Great LakesThere are over 11,000 miles of shoreline in the Great LakesThe shoreline of Michigan is 3,228 miles, longer than any other state except AlaskaThe Great lakes provide drinking water to over 40 million peopleThis list could go on and on and one more things is for sure- the Lakes have barely

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-64313850250401998272011-01-31T16:10:00.000-08:002011-01-31T16:22:46.001-08:00

At the recent Huron River (MI) Fly Tyer's Symposium, Capt. Brian Mezaros of Great Lakes Fly Fishing tied up a few patterns for late-season musky fishing on Lake St. Clair. Using the quarter for size comparison, you can see that Capt. B's "Imperchinator" is a giant pattern. By tieing it on a tube, hook size and length does not limit the size of the fly. It is also tied with non-water absorbing

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-11721369986120698382011-01-30T15:13:00.000-08:002011-01-31T16:09:43.173-08:00

Mid-winter is prime time for fly tying. There are tying expo's and shows all across the country that allow us to share our skills, get idea's from other tiers, buy materials, and work on filling our fly boxes. One of the newer item's on the market is The Fish Skull from Flymen Fishing Company. These weighted heads are added to the fly after it is tied and then secured in position. They provide

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-59310521896799139292011-01-28T10:06:00.000-08:002011-01-28T10:18:08.929-08:00

The alewife is an invasive species that entered the Great Lakes 50 or so years ago. The sheer volume of them led to die offs that left millions of alewives rotting on beaches. This led to the introduction of Pacific salmon species in the mid-1960's in an atttempt to control the alewives. The Pacific salmon did their job and helped create a boom in the Great Lakes sport fishery. Alewives are

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-29790371920698196102011-01-28T09:02:00.000-08:002011-01-28T10:05:37.303-08:00

There are warm water discharges all across the Great Lakes region that attract both fish and fisherman in the middle of winter. Anything from carp to coho may end up grabbing a fly. When the air temperature is in the teens, the water temp is in the mid 40's, and the snow is falling, it gets a bit spooky looking.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-81093583190156042222011-01-04T05:32:00.000-08:002011-01-04T10:00:59.330-08:00

Here is a Salmon River steelie caught during typical upper New York state winter weather- snow and cold. Team Fishdog, along with Patrick Ross (The Angler's Lodge, 315-298-6028) caught an assortment of steelhead and brown trout swinging and dead-drifting assorted patterns.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-56071231037929380742010-12-30T09:28:00.000-08:002010-12-30T09:50:17.909-08:00

Here is the Lucky Leech tube fly, a true guide pattern. Quick and easy to tie, you can't really fish it wrong, and will catch pretty much anything depending on the color. Here is the recipe:Tube: Inch and half length of Eumer small tubing, heated on both ends.Wing: Rabbit strip 3"-5" long in your favorite color, mix in some of your favorite flash material- mine is CascadeCrest Krinkle Mirror

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-5761932032135730562010-12-30T09:20:00.000-08:002010-12-30T15:12:26.361-08:00

The recent warm spell has anglers out on the water all over the Great Lakes area. Here Patrick Ross, owner of The Angler's Lodge in Altmar, NY (315-298-6028) swings a run on the Salmon River for an end-of-the-year steelhead. Pat hosted JD, and dog-friends Wael Dardir and Jeff Liskay for a close up look at the river. Stay posted for final results!

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-54951964564801017942010-12-24T06:45:00.000-08:002010-12-24T06:53:10.683-08:00

JD got an invite from Dog Friend Jay Reda (upper right), host of NE Ohio's Inside the Great Outdoors radio show for a snowy day goose hunt. Here are the results of yesterday morning's adventure in Geauga County with Jay, buddy Chris, and gang. Jay's hunting buddies, Grizz and Bruin, were kept happy and busy retreiving geese.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-64015784109056640862010-12-07T15:06:00.000-08:002010-12-07T15:16:03.221-08:00

Late-season duck hunting can take a lot of work, first to locate an area that is holding birds, then to be prepared for the conditions. Hunting on a day like this, when wind chills were below zero, requires dressing properly for comfort and safety. The reward can be be a trio of prime birds like this black duck and two mallards.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-64903821031929726152010-12-07T14:56:00.000-08:002010-12-07T15:18:55.413-08:00

With the cold and snow across the region, fishing has pretty much shut down for the time being. Good time to switch gears and try for some waterfowl. Although most of Sandusky Bay is frozen, there are scattered open patches of water that will attract puddle ducks and geese. A few decoys are all that is needed to attract birds under these conditions. Just be sure to dress warm so you can wait them

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-79549476549350942922010-11-26T05:22:00.000-08:002010-11-26T05:38:26.992-08:00

The fly fishing community as a whole and the Midwest area, in particular, lost a great friend recently with the passing of Tom Helgeson on November 12, 2010. Tom was Editor-In-Chief of Midwest Fly Fishing magazine, a wonderful publication that focused on fly fishing throughout the Midwest and Great Lakes area. Tom also ran the Great Waters Fly Fishing Expos in Chicago and Minneapolis.Helgeson was

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-64553231556895982242010-11-14T06:08:00.000-08:002010-11-14T06:27:42.575-08:00

JD is on a search for fly fishing guides working ON the Great Lakes. Recently he was able to hook up with Capt. Austin Adduci of Grab Your Fly Charters. Capt. Austin works the south end of Lake MI and does a season-long program that covers both warm water and cold water. He starts at ice-out in the spring and can work until freeze up. One of the unique species he targets is late-season lake trout

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-23928237197704671882010-11-03T16:15:00.000-07:002010-11-03T16:25:45.713-07:00

This just-from-the-lake chromer has all the characteristics of a wild fish- lean, mean, and clean. All the fins are sharp and crisp with no deformities. Stream-born steelhead are available in all the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie, where several Ontario and New York tributaries support substantial natural reproduction.This fish taped 28 inches and found its way into Ohio's Grand River where it

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-4893625896596484682010-11-03T16:09:00.000-07:002010-11-03T16:13:23.707-07:00

Here is the moon rise over the breakwall at Kewaunee, WI, harbor from a recent stop there. It was too windy to fish, so did a little tourist stuff instead.

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-23761711469006246832010-11-03T15:58:00.000-07:002010-11-03T16:07:13.927-07:00

Got a chance to fish with dog friend, Dave Pinchcowski near his home base in Milwaukee, WI. The WI shoreline of Lake Michigan has turned into brown trout mecca. When baitfish are not available, the browns will munch on gobies. This fish hit a classic Feenstra Emulator sculpin pattern while swinging a two-hander in a power plant discharge

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-28897842381281659532010-10-20T04:31:00.000-07:002010-10-20T04:52:30.098-07:00

JD took an evening's worth of R n R to do a bit of product testing at the mouth of the Chagrin River. Here is a lake-fresh male steelhead that hit a new pattern he and Jeff Liskay have been throwing in river mouth and breakwall areas. Tied on the Eumer Jighead tube with a healthy amount of Cascade/Crest Krinkle Mirror Flash, the "Flash and Fall" pattern is proving productive. You can see the size

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-248983743827780522010-09-29T05:52:00.000-07:002010-09-29T05:59:40.017-07:00

Eumer has introduced a new tube into the North American market. The Eumer jighead tube has a keel-style design with the weight of the tube centered on the bottom. The fly will then ride and move similar to a pattern with weighted barbell eyes. The advantages of the tube pattern are the ability to interchange hook sizes and styles, replace a damaged hook without trashing the fly, and being able to

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-78209515082492722742010-09-28T13:09:00.000-07:002010-09-28T13:32:05.582-07:00

Muskegon River guide, Kevin Feenstra has had more influence on the use of streamer patterns for Great Lakes steelhead than any other single angler. His flies and tactics also produce fish beyond our region and he is gaining a wide reputation.Kevin recently released a DVD Searching For Steelhead. In this production he takes the viewer through the how's and why's of swinging flies, gives fly

Aspen - the Fishdoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09599491028286424654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4262818329815188390.post-90201702651308070252010-09-28T12:30:00.000-07:002010-09-28T12:40:30.448-07:00

Dog friend, Wael Dardir hoists his first Atlantic salmon from the St. Marys River Rapids. Despite howling wind, four inches of rain, and dropping temps, Team Fish Dog prevailed- we have the technology. 50 Mph winds made swinging flies impossible, so the boys nymphed 'em up with green caddis and black stones under indicators.Scott's 11 foot, 8-wt. A3 switch has proved to be a great multi-purpose

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