Bourbon, Flies, and Lies: January 2021

Sunday, January 10, 2021

Coyote Ugly River

Today I went and fished high on a tributary of Lake Erie that I will call Coyote Ugly! She had been coming down fast like all others and finally by my estimate was fish-able. I found her to have 18”-22” of solid visibility. Now you could see farther than that, but it would be a stretch to say it was consistent. All of the smaller drainage streams that flow into her all made lil rock and shale jetties out into the river and these made great casting perches.

I would fish my Scott L2H1157/4 loaded with the SA Freightliner 440 grain floating with a 9'10” section of T14 (138.25 grain tip), and using my carrot cake tube fly. I would swing every holding lie and resting lie I could find. When the golden moment would happen it would not last long. I was fishing an island split and hooked the steelhead in the heavy deep current on the outside of the seam. With one head shake “and not setting the hook properly it came unbuttoned”. I had to much belly out in the current and the fish hit it the exact moment it hit the water. I was like your not supposed to be there I yelled out loud! That would be the only fish I would hook. I had some great casting opportunities today.

The weather was blue bird skies “yuk”. I walked only about 2.5 miles today and felt every step on the way back. I do want to say thank you to all the local deer that make the paths for me to walk along the river “ you rock”!

Saturday, January 9, 2021

O Fork you have changed!

Well I headed south at 0830 for the Mohican State Park down in Loudonville, Ohio.

Shes been running to hard to fish from January 2^nd to January 6^th and I wanted to pay her a visit. I knew it would be busy, but I wanted to show up after the sun got above the trees down in the gorge to begin to warm the air. I ate breakfast at subway down in Butler, Ohio. I needed fuel and was awarded fuel at the alarming cost of 2.35 a gallon! I continued into the park. I saw a lot of people about hiking and new fly fisherman. I walked to the dam and fished my way down through the park to about a mile below the covered bridge.

The water was murky green. It had about 14”-16” of good visibility. The flow was good for wading, but with the Fork and those darn basketball sized slick as heck boulders you needed to take your time. I hooked plenty of plant growth. This creek is not what she used to be, but it was good to get out and not be at work. I used the tried and true #8 Olive Wollybugger and used a 80.5 grain tip that was 5.75' long of T14 with the custom 6wt switch. The line I am throwing is a 375 grain max short with a 20ft head https://www.rioproducts.com/products/skagit-max. With no grabs that I could tell I would wrap up at 1400. I drove to the upper and found her a beautiful emerald green with zero anglers. I noticed new no trespassing signs in the upper with that being said please if you go there respect the sings. Enjoy the photos. I will be headed north to steelhead fish Sunday.