This past year saw the most rain on record, streams were constantly blown out, dams came down, and the fishing was lousy as a result of the constant high and muddy water. Steelhead fishing was marginal. Smallmouth fishing was lousy. The Gates Mills Dam came down opening up over 8 miles of new water for steelhead to continue to migrate upstream into the South Chagrin Reservation. Now I can fish for steelhead within 5 minutes of my house!
The Gates Mills Dam underwater moments before it collapsed.
Despite a busy schedule with school, work, bachelor parties, weddings, and an amazing 2 week Italian Honeymoon I managed to spend as much time as I could on the water. I made several trips to fish in Pennsylvania. I fished for trout on the Little J, Spruce Creek, and Spring Creek, brook trout in small mountain streams, and steelhead on Elk Creek. I caught steelhead swinging large 4” streamers and indicator fishing too. I caught trout on dry flies, nymphs and streamers. I caught largemouth and smallmouth on poppers and streamers, and carp too. I caught several large trout, two that were notably 20” or more, a 20” brown from Spring Creek in January and a 21” rainbow from Spruce Creek in May. I think the highlight of my year was an 8” brook trout. Despite its small size, the brook trout was a native and wild fish with spectacular colors of orange, white, blue, red, green and yellow. It was truly the most beautiful fish I have ever caught.
20" Brown
21" Rainbow
Beautiful Mountain Brook Trout
Between Mother Nature and my schedule I didn’t get to fish as much as I would have liked. I made the best of it when I could get out by seeking out places that were fishing when the streams around me were not. When the streams near me were frozen solid, I hit limestoners in Central PA that had water temps in the low 40s and were fishing well. I fished ponds for bass and blue gill because the rivers were blown out. In May when Penns Creek was blown out, I hit the Little J instead. The J was high, borderline unfishable, but it fished. This year was all about adapting to high water conditions or seeking out alternative places to fish so that I could fish when I had the time.
At the end of 2011 I had planned to fish for Steelhead after exams but the steelhead streams blew out the day of my last exam. I got out once when the streams dropped into shape before they blew out again, but the water was cold and I got skunked. I also planned a trip to Central PA for winter break, but so far the streams there have been blown out too.
A Beautiful day to get skunked... 50 degrees on December 26th?
I had a good start to 2012. Applying the lessons I learned last year, I sought out a new stream today because everything around here was blown. There is a small stream stocked by a local TU chapter that I had heard about but never fished. I jumped in the car made and the drive to check out this new stream. It was a nice place; the stream is urban but runs through a wooded park. I think I’ll fish there again. I forgot to take a stream shot, but I did get a couple of photos of the one trout I caught. It was tough going, I battled high winds to get a good drift and I lost of ton of flies to the numerous log jams in this stream. I think I spent more time re-rigging than I did fishing.
First fish of 2012 in the bag!
Raibow on a white streamer
2012 has great promise on the fishing front. I have made plans to go the Yellowstone area and fish in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana this coming summer I continue to monitor Central PA and hope to have a window to head out for a couple of days later this week.
