MAKING LEMONADE- THE FLY FISHING VERSION

 

 

My parents settled in North West Ohio.  Good schools, close to Lake Erie, good standard of living, and located nowhere near any good trout fishing.  The Western Edge of Steelhead Alley is over an hour away, smallies of the Huron River about an hour, the Ausable River four hours.  Now once a kid gas grown up these are not huge drive times and don't tax allowances much.  Still nowhere close for a quick trip to the river. 

 

The Maumee River is world famous its Spring Walleye Run-  people fight for prime fishing spots to throw Carolina Rigged floating heads for these tasty treats.  You quickly learn how to throw your line so you don't tangle your line much with our fellow fisherman.  Parking spaces along the road are as much in demand as those on the water.  When you are driving up to the river looking for a place to fish and park you might be lucky enough to spot the camo wearing DNR looking for people who are snagging.   

 

Trout bum paradise, fly fisherman paradise hardly.  But for those willing to fish outside the box- they fish for smallies, walleye, carp, catfish and even gar: the lemonade of the fly fishing world. 

 

Especially for catfish yes catfish.  These fish pull hard, their trade mark rolling on the line leaves your tippet slimy and identifies the fish well before you can see throw the muddy rivers of the Maumee.  As the summer progresses they become easier to catch moving up the water column for minnows and bugs.  But most times especially during the Dog Day's of summer they are tight to the bottom.

 

Enter the Turkey Dinner.  The Turkey Dinner everything that makes Thanksgiving so good in one bite. A wiggling mess of movement.  Maybe a crawfish, maybe a bug, either way something good.  Use a loop knot to attach the fly to a long, heavy, flat (untapered) leader and whatever sinking tip is needed to get the fly down.  Fish it deep and slowly on a drift.  And wait for the catfish to hammer down on it when they bite on the fly. 

 

Ladies and Gentleman, make lemonade.  Fish hard, fish often.