Fished along Francois Seguin trade route and then to the Fuego River!

 So, I thought fall was here and summer was gone! Most steelhead fisherman do not like blue bird skies and 70 degrees! This normally tends to lean towards a mediocre day on the river at best. 

I fished in the upper 10 miles of a larger tributary of Lake Erie today.  

I had never been here before and thank you to my fish nerd friend I headed out. I overslept but you know what its way early in the season and there would be most likely no fish up in the section yet. 

I walked down the goat path, and I could here the water of her still running a little hard. It was tough conditions for bobbers but swinging flies it what was on the menu today. I strapped my Scott L2H1157 with 8 feet of T-14 for 112 grains accompanied by SA Freightliner 440 (22 foot head). 

I crossed the top of a large run and asked the fellow angler if he mind, and he said no problem. 

I pressed on as my wading staff wobbled lol, I thought hmm I am not mid-thigh, yet I got this!

Arriving at the river I  saw two people up stream and two downstream. The two upstream talked so loud I though they where on a zoom call lol. 

I would end up casting cackhanded here on this section of river. The topography of the rive here was sand, small cobbles, and large rock.

There were two small boulder fields here that I thought for sure had the potential for holding a fish. 

I did not let the number of people worry me today and paid them no more mind because I knew there would be people.

I also knew I would be headed to a river later where I would not see another angler for miles!

It was time to depart this river having worked these runs for two hours with no joy. I was super content with this. 

Thenm it was off to get to my haven of solitude. Here I would only be accompanied by deer, crows, turkeys, muskrats, and a few exercising bipeds!

For three years they have spawned in the same place on this river and one day I cant wait to see what makes these redds. I wont fish for them, I just want to see them.

I cover about 2 miles of river. She was the lowest I have ever seen her. I could fish the holes swinging better than I have ever had a chance. The areas I was fishing was normally inaccessible by swinging flies. 

This is where a little magic happens! I would hook my first adult steelhead today. Notice I did not say land. lol… He or she took a swung purple haze intruder.   

hook it fishing the hang down. I watched my line ungulate back and forth in the current. Then is snapped straight out from the guides.  I thought o shirt it’s a fish. I was as shocked as it was when it realized that this purple thing has a hook in it. 

It gave me the old washing machine trick in the deep pool I was swinging through then pop goes the weasel.  

The gradient on the hole I was swinging through was more like a shoot and the fish ran up into the slack water before I could turn him. I became unbuttoned and I continued to swing the rest of the long pool.

With no more love I took the long but happy 2 mile walk back to the vehicle.