Fishing Right
If Paul Simon is right and there are 50 ways to leave your lover, than there are probably at least that many ways to lose a steelhead. Each one carries a lesson with it. Some are small, and some are large.Today I lost the only fish I hooked and the experience reminded me why I fish.After a long meeting out at Holden Arboretum, this afternoon I decided to visit the Grand River -- Ohio's largest steelhead river. Rarely does the Grand fish well in the fall, but the unseasonably warm and unusually dry fall has made the Grand pretty much the only river worth fishing of l

Of Magic Flies and Psychos
Every fly fisherman dreams of the hot fly that works like magic when drifted through a run. The search for the elusive magic fly is one reason why there are so many different fly patterns in the world. Although we know there is not such thing as a fly that works all the time, that doesn’t me we don’t keep searching.

Rivers of a Lost Coast
Wondering how Gramps did on the Russian River back in the day. Great clip from the Rivers of a Lost Coast documentary. Will our rivers ever come back?

This Is November?
November in Northeast Ohio marks the beginning of Elephant Season. That is the season of the year when a large gray cloud (of elephantine proportions)settles over Lake Erie and its coast and rarely disappears for four plus months.Not this year.We've instead been graced with dark blue skies and bright sunshine. This morning there is not a cloud to be seen as I look out the south facing window. The forecast calls for more of the same the next few days. Complaining about such glorious fall days would be ridiculous, so I wont'. But where is the rain?Weather.com promises there may be some moisture late next week. But a closer look reveals that the chance of ra

Swinging for Steel
There are many ways to hook a Great Lakes steelhead on a fly. Some ways are more effective than others -- depending on the water conditions. But the most exhilarating way to hook a steelhead is on a swing. Swinging large streamers, tied to imitate bait fish, is a relatively simple fish