Winter Semester: Fly Tying Classes

 

Winter Semester: Fly Tying Courses and Classes

Basic Fly Tying- THE course for Beginners! Learn the basic fundamentals of fly tying with a night spent on each, Wet Flies, Nymphs, Streamers and Dry Flies. Geared towards trout flies but the skills and concepts can be used on any types of flies. A 4 week course, 2 hours each class, one night per week for 4 weeks. Course include all hooks and materials and step-by-step patterns sheets and recipes for each fly tied. You need to bring your vise and basic tools.

Group Size: 6 students | Instructor: Ryan Ratliff- January  Pat Kelly- February

Cost: $195.00 | Location: Mad River Outfitters

January Course- starts Wednesday, January 10th- Click Here

February Course- starts Wednesday, February 7th- Click Here

Intermediate Fly Tying- Takes over where the Beginner Class leaves off. More intermediate advanced patterns and concepts will be covered: Material blending, articulation, hollow tying techniques. Understanding silhouettes and shapes. Like like patterns/impressionistic. Match the hatch "Big Bugs. Classes include all hooks and materials, you need to bring your vise and basic tools.

Group Size: 6 students | Instructor: Ryan Ratliff- March
Cost: $195.00 | Location: Mad River Outfitters


March Course- starts Wednesday, March 13th- Click Here

Introducing: Saturday Sessions

Morning Coffee? Donuts? Fly Tying.....count me in!

Saturday Sessions are specialty fly tying classes geared towards intermediate and advanced tyers. These will be held on select Saturday mornings during Winter Semester at the shop from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Participants will need to bring their vise and basic tools and all hooks and materials for the classes will be provided. Class dates and registration for 2024 classes are listed below and on the Calendar Page of our website. 

Topics for 2024 Winter Semester:

Women's Beginner Class- with Katie Johnstone
Pike/Musky Flies- with Pat Kelly
Steelhead Flies- with Ryan Ratliff
Saltwater Flies- with Brian Flechsig
Bass Flies- with Pat Kelly
Carp Flies- with Brian Flechsig
Women's Fly Tying- with Katie Johnstone

Click Here for dates, times and topics!

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

www.madriveroutfitters.com

20 years ago......

 

2023 marks 20 years since we filmed the Walkers Cay Chronicles at the Wilds here in Ohio. Hard to believe! 

Flip and Brian recently sat down around the campfire and shared some of the "trials and tribulations" of the filming with their good friend Johnny Lucier. Some pretty funny stories and some serious history here.

Have a watch above and as always.....Thanks for being here!

 833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

Staff Holiday Gear Gift Guide

MRO Staff Holiday Gear Gift Guide!

Well it’s that time of year again and Christmas is fast approaching. Shopping for the fly angler in your life can be a little overwhelming as there are so many different things to choose from. So to help give you some ideas, we asked everyone at the shop to name one of their favorite pieces of gear and how it helps them make the most of their time on the water. Here is what everyone came up with!

Pat: Fishpond Dakota Rod & Reel Case

For me, success on the water begins and ends with good organization. The Dakota Rod/Reel Case from Fishpond allows me to carry all the rods, reels, and spools I need. Whether guiding day to day or on a week long fishing excursion, this bag has been one of my most used and trusted pieces of gear for 15 years. I can’t imagine doing what I do without it! Check it out here.

Ryan: Tenkara USA Rhodo Rod

Some of my favorite places to fish are also not the easiest to get too. The Rhodo from the folks at Tenkara USA allows me to pack a rod into those hard to get to spots without worry. This rod is a ton of fun, whether targeting big panfish on flies or introducing a first timer to fly fishing. Check it out here.

Andy: Loon Trout Pliers

I chose the Loon Trout Pliers because they are small and well built. These pliers will cut small trout material as well as larger braid and bite tippet. The wide opening jaws make it easy to crimp barbs as well as some light rigging. The main selling point for me was the price, a great pair of pliers that don't break the bank. Check out the Loon Trout Pliers here.

Katie: FisheWear Kaleido King Dry Bag Backpack

The FisheWear Dry Bag Backpack is my go to whether I am personal fishing or guiding for Smallmouth. The straps on this pack are heavy duty and have a lot of padding. This helps for those long days walking the river chasing Smallmouth. When I am guiding out of my raft, it fits perfectly under my seat and holds the gear and fly boxes that I need for the day. It's a very functional bag, with the bonus of having a fun fish pattern! Check out the bag here.

Steve: Sage Spectrum LT

The Sage Spectrum LT is my reel of choice for any situation. This reel is amazingly durable because of its machined aluminum frame, so I have complete confidence in its performance for years to come. If you are looking for a workhorse reel with a fantastic design, look no further than the Sage Spectrum LT. Check it out here.

Paul: Echo Boost Fresh

The reason I picked the Echo Boost Fresh is because I have the capability of throwing smaller dry flies while also having the capability of fishing with larger terrestrials. I like a rod that can do several tasks on the water. Its overall look is amazing and you get a high performance rod without breaking the bank! Check out the Echo Boost Fresh here.

Ben: Fishpond Thunderhead Submersible Sling Pack

For me, the top priority when it comes to solo fishing trips is maximizing my mobility on the water as well as accessibility to all my gear. This pack is the best that I have used for both of those priorities. The Thunderhead Submersible Sling Pack has excellent capacity, is lightweight, and totally waterproof. This is THE bag for day trips. Check it out here.

Sam: Simms Pro Nippers

The Simms Pro Nippers feel great in the hand, stay super sharp, have a magnetic fly threader and a built in split shot pincher. These are my most used piece of equipment on the water second only to my rod and reel. I just wish I got them sooner! Check it out here. 

Mad River Outfitters

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

We Have BIG News...

 

Mad River Outfitters has become a place that fly anglers around the world call their home base for everything fly fishing. From learning the basics of the sport, to buying their favorite fishing flies and so much more.

Over 27 years ago Brian Flechsig took a risk and started a family owned fly shop named after his favorite local river in Central Ohio. From that point on the Mad River Outfitters team has made it their goal to welcome the world to the fly fishing sport.

So to celebrate our 27th-and-a-half birthday, we’ve decided to re-introduce Mad River Outfitters to the world and in-particular the world of fly fishing again. 

MEET THE NEW MAD RIVER OUTFITTERS

So let’s talk about why we decided to give MRO a face lift.

The MRO Angler has been around since the beginning itself, back in 1994. His giant reel that tied in the ‘O’ on Outfitters and his left hand cast and right hand retrieve were all quirks that represented the ‘classiness’ of the fly fishing sport. We’ve always felt the logo reminded us of late 19th Century fly fishing or the classic American drama, A River Runs Through It (1992).

Mad River Outfitters Website in 1999 (left) our website today (right)

Since the early nineties, we at Mad River Outfitters feel the fly fishing sport has evolved in so many ways. The sport of fly fishing is far more than fishing for trout in small streams and is now obsessively practiced across the world. We felt it was time to bring our logo into the 21st Century.

We wanted something that evolved our brand, not revolutionized it. Something that held on to the classiness of the sport of fly fishing and emphasized the sportiness of it as well.

SO WE HIT THE DRAWING BOARD...

Some of the many iterations of what would eventually help develop the new Mad River Outfitters logo & watermark.

We wanted our new watermark (i.e., the text portion of the logo) to represent the sportiness of fly fishing, but also to retain the comforts of the sport, it’s classiness, it’s old school late 19th Century feel. We also wanted it to feel like you were out in nature or at a National Park.

THE MRO ANGLER’S NEW DO

Retro MRO Angler (left) and the new MRO Angler (right)

The Mad River Outfitters Angler has become as significant as the words on our logo over the years. Seeing him instantly reminds you of who we are. So we wanted to give him a setting to fish in and to finally change his right hand to a left hand retrieve.

LET’S TALK COLOR

We knew from the get-go that we couldn’t stray away from our original green. It’s been ingrained in our brand for decades now. So we decided to give it an honorary name of it’s own: ‘94 Green. To compliment our old school color scheme, we wanted to give our new logo some utility, so we added three new flavors to the mix: Deep Green, Fly Line Green and Bone White.

‘94 Green on Bone White, some of our new colors.

One thing that was difficult about our Retro Logo was its modularity (or lack thereof). It was horizontal, we couldn’t use it in square or even circular formats. So we put a lot of thought into that element with our new logo design.

Our new Mad River Outfitters badge (above) and some of the many new variations (below)

We’re super excited about our refresh for our 27th-and-a-half Birthday (and a little bit nervous). But after a lot of work, thought and intentionality, we think we’ve finally landed on something that can only help solidify Mad River Outfitters’ mark on the sport of fly fishing, even more.

We also can’t wait to show you just how much more we have in store... Stay tuned.

We couldn’t leave out our favorite game fish!

Since ‘94 (above) and our full logo (below)  

Homage to Brian & Flip (above) and the Mad River Hatter (Below)

Mad River Women (above) and Mad River Musky (below)

Mad River Outfitters

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

New this Winter: Virtual Fly Tying Classes!

 

We are excited to offer virtual fly tying classes for the winter of 2022! The classes will be held over Zoom on Tuesday evenings from 6:00pm - 7:30pm, EST. Classes will kick off in February and run until the end of March.

Full material kits are included with the cost of the class. These are full retail packs of materials and not just "sample" packs. This will allow you to tie the fly during class and many more! Click here to learn more about our virtual fly tying classes or see below for individual class pages.

Virtual Fly Tying Class Overview:

February 1, 2022: Bulkhead Deceiver with Pat Kelly
6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
This class is sold out.

February 15, 2022: Basic Scandi Fly with Ryan Ratliff
6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
This class is a basic introduction to a classic style Steelhead and Salmon swinging pattern.
Learn More

March 1, 2022: Wooly Bugger with Katie Johnstone

6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
This class is intended for beginner fly tiers. Katie will teach two different Wooly Bugger patterns as well as tying techniques.
Learn More

March 15, 2022: The Gilmer with Ryan Ratliff
6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
The Gilmer is a fly designed by Ryan Ratliff. It is a Bluegill imitation and is a killer pattern to use for fish that are keying in on young of the year Bluegill.
Learn More

March 29, 2022: Guide Swim Fly with Pat Kelly
6:00pm - 7:30pm EST
Pat will teach one of his go-to guide flies for Smallmouth Bass. He will also show a variety of ways this fly can be tied.
Learn More

Click here to visit our Virtual Fly Tying Class page.

Mad River Outfitters

833 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

New Q&A | Cleaning Rod Handles, Hopper Dropper Explained and More!

In this Fly Fishing Q&A video, Brian breaks down how to clean the sweat and grime off of your fly fishing rod handle using Murphy's Oil Soap. A guest chimed in that his rod handle was covered with sweat and grease over the years, so Brian showed him the oil soap and it worked like a charm!

A couple other viewers asked about tippet materials and hopper dropper rigs, Brian gives his opinion on the hopper dropper with additional variations. Breaking down tippet, flies and length. Watch all the way through as this is an informative fly fishing video you're not going to want to miss!



The hopper dropper is highly effective and utilizing it is a must. However, there are plenty of variations, alternatives and things you can change that can greatly impact your effectiveness on the water.

Do you have a fly fishing question that you'd like answered? Send it over to admin@madriveroutfitters.com if we answer your question, we'll send you a free hat and fly box! Big thanks to everyone who submitted questions this time around, this video was a blast to make!

Big thanks to Jimi, Clint and Jared!

Jim Heilman - J&S Custom Crafted Lures

We love to team up with and support local artists, fly tiers and anglers in Columbus, Ohio to bring you unique gifts, tools, flies and more. We recently had local craftsman Jim Heilman in the shop for a brief interview and video about his unique hand carved, copper cut mayfly figurines. We like to bring attention to the folks that deserve it for the unique things they bring to our industry and over the next month and a half we're going to be bringing you unique gift ideas that are perfect for every angler this holiday season.

Without further ado, we'd like to introduce to you, Jim Heilman.

So, who are you and what do you do?
I grew up on a farm in western Ohio. My love of the outdoors began at an early age. Two of my earliest memories are going fishing with my dad (cane pole and can of worms) and whittling willow wood with my grandfather. Over the years, fishing and wood carving developed into life-long interests that merged together when I retired.

After retirement, my wife, Sue, and I began a small business named J & S Custom Crafted Lures, LLC. My focus is hand making old-fashioned inspired wood fishing lures and also a limited number of decorative fish. I love sitting at my work bench carving and painting my creations.



What did you look to for inspiration for items you produce?​
Anything that lives in the water fascinates me. I enjoy the challenge of capturing the beautiful colors of Ohio fish. I marvel at the old time lure makers and fly tiers. I consider them very skilled artists in their own right. My own artistic style is very simple and straight forward.

I have been a customer of Mad River Outfitters for over 20 years. Because of Brian and his staff, my interest in fly fishing, fly tying, and especially mayflies, has grown strong. As a wood carver and fly fisherman I wanted to find a way to celebrate the importance of mayflies in the method of the fishing I enjoy so much. After much deliberation, I came up with a design for a large mayfly sculpture made of wood and copper.

Learn more about Jim, his process and this unique gift in the video we shot with him, here:

---

Purchase your Mayfly Carving here, available in two different designs.

Sandwich Cricket: Fly Tying Tutorial

We brought in Jerry Darkes on the YouTube Channel to give you a brief tutorial on how to tie the Sandwich Cricket.



Sandwich Beetle by Jerry Darkes

Materials • Hook: TMC 5212 size #10
• Thread: UTC 70D, black
• Underbody: Dry fly dubbing in black
• Foam: 2mm foam sheeting, black with a brighter color such as orange or yellow. Glue together as a single sheet using a spray adhesive. Cut into strips between 1/8”–¼” (4mm-5mm) wide.
• Legs: Montana Fly Company Barred Sexi Floss- medium size, in olive, tan, or brown.

Tying Steps
1. Start the thread and lay a thread base on the hook shank. Take the thread to the bend of the hook.
2. Lay a length previously prepared foam strip over the top of the hook with the back end extending slightly past the bend of the hook.
3. Make few wraps over the foam, then gradually increase pressure while making more wraps to hook the foam on top of the shank. Be sure to keep the foam strip on top of the shank.
4. Finger dub several inches of body dubbing on to the thread.
5. Dubbing completed.
6. Lift up the foam and start wrapping the body.
7. Wrap the body to just behind the eye of the hook, then pull down the foam strip and secure to the top of the hook with additional thread wraps.
8. Trim off the foam sticking out to the front leaving a short length extending past the hook eye.
9. Completed body.
10. Cut a 2” length of the medium Barred Sexi Floss. Double that over and cut to a 1” length. Tie this in the middle on one side of the body.
11. Tie in the other 1” Barred Sexi Floss on the other side of the body.
12. Trim each side to 4 or 5 barred sections in length.
13. Take the thread to the front of the body, tie off and cut the thread. Restart the thread where the back part of the foam is tied down.
14. Repeat the same procedure for prepping and tying in the rear legs as in front. Tie in one side. 15. Then tie in the opposite side.
16. Trim the legs to length then whip finish and cut the thread.
17. Put a touch of glue at each point where the legs are tied down.
18. The finished Sandwich Cricket. The bright foam on the top allows the fly to be easily seen on the water.

Check out this video from Brian Flechsig last year on using beetles and crickets for trout!

Fly Fishing Film Tour a HUGE Success!

The annual F3t, or Fly Fishing Film Tour was held here in Columbus back on Thursday, March 21st at Studio 35 Cinema here in Columbus.

Not only was it a ton of fun......but it was our best year ever!

Congrats again to the Central Ohio fly fishing community! Together we raised $6,860.00 for True North Veteran Support. We couldn't have done this without you....our friends and loyal supporters. 

Thanks again to the Central Ohio Fly Fishers and Madmen Chapter of TU for co-sponsoring this even with us. We appreciate your help and support.

Also a shout out to Studio 35 Cinema. You all really made us feel welcome and it seems that we have found a new home for the F3t in Columbus.

Be sure to check on our last Blog post for the list of folks and companies who donated raffle prizes as well. They also deserve our thanks and support!

Be sure to check out the great folks and great mission of True North Veteran Support- 

https://www.truenorthveteransupport.org/

We'll see you next year!

Mad River Outfitters/Midwest Fly Fishing Schools

Fly Shop, Fly Fishing Guides, Hosted Fly Fishing Travel, Schools, Classes and more!

813 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

614-451-0363

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

www.madriveroutfitters.com

Fishing Reports- 12/4/17

* Please remember to call us for more up-to-date or detailed information! These reports are not meant to be your one and only, daily source of information. They are typically general, even seasonal type reports and we currently don't have a set schedule as to when we update. Please, just because we don't update as often as we like, it doesn't mean that we don't care.

There are many different approaches you should take in order to get a good game plan for a trip or a day of fishing. Also remember that things change and these reports are what we know at the time of posting only. Keep in mind that we do express opinions and personal preferences from time-to-time which may be different from yours or what you may read elsewhere. Thanks for checking and don't forget to call us if you need any further information or a more up-to-date report. 614-451-0363

Thanks as always for reading our reports friends. As the weather gets more conducive we should be reporting more regularly....but we need your HELP!

Send any and all pics and reports to admin@madriveroutfitters and we'll do our best to get them up.

Big Night Coming Up!

Join Clothing and Gift Manager Linda Farner on Tuesday night!

Click Here for the details!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel?

The boys...and girls....have been hard at work the past month or so filming a new season of YouTube videos and we will begin posting them to the channel this week. 

We will be posting some Product Reviews, Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Tutorials as well as some full Fly Tying Videos of some of our favorite patterns.

Have an idea for a tutorial or a topic that you'd like to see us do or cover? Have a question on something that we could film the answer for?

Feel free to give us an idea and we'll see if we can't get your question/topic answered via video!

admin@madriveroutfitters.com

Click Here to check out our YouTube Channel

2018 1-Day and 2-Day Fly Fishing Schools Announced!

Click Here  to check out the "School Schedule" for 2018

Anybody up for some Bonefishing?

Join MRO host Pat Kelly at the Andros Island Bonefish Club in the Bahamas

February 17th- 24th, 2018

You get to the island and we'll do the rest!!!

Click Here  for the details and pricing

Warmwater

Everything local has remained high but dropping all week.  These streams are currently slightly stained or clear depending on which water way you are fishing.  Saugeye fishing continues to be the main species.  The ODNR stocks them in great numbers in reservoirs throughout the state.  These fish also find home in many of the local streams.  Sink tips fly lines with shad patterns is the usual routine, but most of your Smallmouth flies will do the trick.  The main objective here is to focus on patterns that give off plenty of vibration and have a lazy jigging motion.  Focus on hard bottom flats close to deep water during low light periods. This goes for both lakes and streams.  6-8wts with a sinking line like the Scientific Anglers Sonar series or Rio Streamer tip are your rigs of choice.  Flies will include Clousers, Mojo Minnows, Half and Halfs, Barely Legals, Mini and regular Dungeons, Meat Whistles, Whitlock's Deep Shad, Articulated Fat Head Minnow, Zoo Cougar, and other similar flies that push later and give off vibration.  If you tie your own flies make sure to add rattles, rubber legs, and Bucktail to your own versions of above.  

Here are a few pointers that will help you extend your local winter fishing options here locally.  With the water temps in the low 40's your best bet will be to target Crappies and Panfish.  This time of the year we like to borrow some tactics from the conventional fishing side the "Float n Fly Rig."  Fishing a float/bobber/indicator (whatever you want to call it) with a heavy minnow pattern like a Clouser and trail it with a smaller lightly weighted fly like a Crappie Special, Little Devil, or Wooly Worm is a great setup.  Target structure on drop offs either from shore or by boat.  

Although Pike get a slight backseat during Steelhead season there will continue to be opportunities but the forecast will put a damper on things.  Also Pat has been kicking off his Musky season with some great success.  If you are interested in booking any of these trips make sure to call the shop with a few dates as there are a few dates still available this year.  

Forecast: Early week will be your best bet as there is a severe cold front heading our way. There will be some rain followed by near freezing high temps.  This will probably "close the door" for a few day if not totally for fly gear.  If you have some time off stop by the shop and pick up some Loon's Stanley Ice Off Paste and we will talk about options. 

Mad River

USGS Gauge- Urbana

USGS Gauge- St. Paris Pike

Mad River Map

Fishing continues to be good.  As usual water conditions have been very clear.  Although the streamer fishing has been good most have been focusing on nymphing tactics.  For this we like to fish long rods, indicators, and two flies.  The Rio Indicator leaders really help you cast these rigs.  The main go to nymphing sticks are the Sage ESN, Redington Hydrogen, TFO BVK and the new Pieroway Renegade 9'6" 5wt to name a few.  Tight line, High Stick, or Euro style tactics are also very productive. Grab a Rio Euro Nymph or Indicator leader, Euro Nymph line for that style or the Trout/Steelhead line for indicator/bobber fishing.  If you want to build your own leaders then add some Amnesia, Maxima Chameleon, Rio Two Tone Indicator tippet and a pack of tippet rings to your cart.  Don't forget the Fluorocarbon tippet also.

Flies to have going into late fall will be nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guides Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear.  As we move into winter conditions have some Phlamin Pheasants, Steelhead Candy, Formerly Known as Prince, Shop Dips, and Chicken Hawks to name a few.

Streamer fishing into the winter will consist of timing flows that are on the fall.  This window is very small, but well worth the wait.  These big pushes of water help clear out the remaining leaves and flush out the dying off vegetation.  Without the crops in the fields look for the water to take a bit longer to clear out, but that just means a few more hours for us streamer junkies.  When the conditions hover around freezing ice in the guides is just something that we deal with.  Stanley's Ice off Paste helps along with tapping the grip of the rod to shake off the excess water.  

Rigs for streamer fishing consist of 6-8wts and Rio Streamer tip line.  Fill your fly boxes with a vast array of fly colors and designs.  Galloup's Dungeons, Bottoms Up, and Atriculated Fatheads flies are a good start.  Also take a look at Kelly Galloup's book Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout to help you sort things out.  As always shoot us a call if you want a guided streamer trip.  We run these all winter and typically produce some of our biggest fish of the year.  

Adding some spey casts to your arsenal can help keep the ice in the guides to a minimum.  This is specifically helpful when nymphing.  Also bring along your tenkara rods as this is a great option for the winter.    

Forecast:  The rain might mess things up for a few hours, but will open the door for some great streamer water midweek.  After that look for the flows to drop down and we will return to nymphing tactics.  There is a BIG cold front heading in and it will start to look like winter.  Grad some Ice off Paste and your Tenkara Rod to keep the ice under control.

Good friend and great customer Bob Wing with a fish taken on a Galloup's Mini-Dungeon last Sunday on a float trip with MRO Guide Josh McQueen. We turned him onto that fly last week and then he sent us these pics and note from yesterday:

"That fly is KILLER.Thanks for turning me onto it"- Bob Wing

Galloup's Mini-Dungeon- our #1 selling fly- available in 5 colors- Click Here

Clearfork River

USGS- Upper Clearfork

USGS- Lower/Mohican State Park

Clearfork Map

Like on the Mad, fishing has been good the past week.  Most people have been nymphing and having good success.   For this we like to fish long rods, indicators, and two flies.  The Rio Indicator leaders really help you cast these rigs.  The main go to nymphing sticks are the Sage ESN, Redington Hydrogen, TFO BVK and the new Pieroway Renegade 9'6" 5wt to name a few.  Grab a Rio Euro Nymph or Indicator leader, Euro Nymph line for that style or the Trout/Steelhead line for indicator/bobber fishing.  If you want to build your own leaders then add some Amnesia, Maxima Chameleon, Rio Two Tone Indicator tippet and a pack of tippet rings to your cart.  Don't forget the Fluorocarbon tippet also.

Flies to have going into late fall will be nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guides Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear.  This time of the year do not overlook adding a Conehead Muddler, Autumn Splinder, or Clouser as a heavy "nymph" also.  As we move into winter conditions have some Phlamin Pheasants, Steelhead Candy, Formally Known as Prince, Shop Dips, and Chicken Hawks to name a few.

Streamer fishing into the winter will consist of timing flows that are on the fall.  The Clear Fork offers some unique opportunities with the more Spring Creek feel above the dam and a Tailwater below.  This provides us with extended streamer water once the upper settles as the lower river usually continues to be high as they stabilize the lake levels.   Also without the crops in the fields look for the water to take a bit longer to clear out.  Rigs for streamer fishing consist of 6-8wts and Rio Streamer tip line.  Fill your fly boxes with a vast array of fly colors and designs like Dungeons, Bottoms Up, and Articulated Fatheads.  Also take a look at Kelly Galloup's book Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout to help you sort things out.  As always shoot us a call if you want a guided streamer trip.  

Forecast:  The rain might mess things up for a few hours, but will open the door for some great streamer water midweek.  After that look for the flows to drop down and we will return to nymphing tactics.  There is a BIG cold front heading in and it will start to look like winter.  Grad some Ice off Paste and your Tenkara Rod to keep the ice under control.

Clear Creek

USGS Gauge

Clear Creek Map

Fishing has continued to be great this past week.  Most of the stocked fish are now well dispersed and starting to act a little more like wild trout.  Like the other trout streams nymphing will be the key for numbers.  If you prefer the streamer game then Clear Creek offers great small streamer fishing throughout the winter.  Also do not overlook your Tenkara Rods as either a backup or main tactic.  

Rigs for nymphing will consist of 3-5wt 9-10' + rods.  These rods provide great control, feel, and reach.  Although this creek is not very big a long rod allows for the best presentation and longer drifts.  Use a Rio Indicator Leader when float/bobber/indicator fishing or a Rio Euro Nymph leader when using Tightline tactics.  Streamer rods for this situation will be fast 4wts or 5-6wts.  An aggressive Scientific Anglers MPX or Rio Grand a 9' leader and a weighted streamer will set you on the right path.  As for Tenkara we really like the TFO Cutthroat, Tenkara USA Rhodo, Amago or Iwana for this creek.  Match those rods with either the Level Line 3.5/2.5 or the Tapered Nylon leader by Tenkara USA and you are ready to go.  

Flies to have going into late fall will be nymphs like Double Stones, Cranefly Larva, Guides Choice Hares Ear, Trophy Nymphs, Psycho Prince and your typical trout nymphs like the Prince, Copper John, and Hares Ear.  Streamer fishing will require Mini Dungeons, Barely Legals, Wooly Buggers, Autumn Splendor, Clousers, Trick or Treats, Orange Blossoms, Cougars, Wooly Sculpins, Cactus Wooly, and Near Nuff Sculpin to name a few. 

Forecast:  Early this week will be tough because of the rain.  There is a BIG cold front that will bring in winter conditions.  Once the conditions stable nymphing will be your best bet, but swinging a small streamer can produce a few fish. 

Erie Steelhead

Gauge Links and Maps

Midwest Fly Fishing School Alumn Roberto Noden and his father were out with Josh on Saturday. You can also find a short video of Roberto with Josh on Facebook and Instagram from Saturday.

Conditions have been very tough this past week.  Little to no rain has caused the tribs to be low and clear. With the high angling pressure and low water successful fisherman were forced to cover lots of water.  There have been fish being caught for those putting in the time.  Indicator fishing has produced the most success, but those that have been stripping streamers and swinging at the right times were not left out.  

You will want to be prepared for just about any situation this time of the year as the weather can change very quickly.  Ideal conditions for us are flows with stain that keeps the fish comfortably on the feed and move.  The typical Indicator rig for us is either an Air Lock or Thingamabobber float on a custom build leader tied to our 7-8wt Scientific Anglers Anadro or Rio Trout Steelhead line.  These lines offer you the best line control and short roll casting ease.  

Our go to rods are 10' single handers or a switch rod in the 6-8wt range.  On this rig we will usually fish tandem fly rigs of two eggs, an egg and a nymph or a Wooly Bugger and an egg. Actual patterns for this type of fishing will include various colors of Wooly Buggers, Glo Bugs, Crystal Meth and Scrambled Egg also in various colors, Bloody Mary nymphs, Steelhead Candy, Chicken Littles, Steelhead and Wiggle Stones.  Tippet sizes will range from 0x-3x fluorocarbon.  

The typical rig for swinging flies will consist of a switch rod in the 10'6"-11'9" 6-8wt range.  The new Jerry French Pieroway Renegade rods are the big talk in the shop as they are effortless to cast and light weight making them a dream to fish all day.  We have a great assortment of rods in the shop to meet your specific needs so make sure to stop by or shoot us a call.  Matching your switch rod with the right line can be intimidating if you do not have the proper guidance so make sure to give us a call!  For swinging flies either a Skagit or Scandi line with a sink tip that meets your needs will get the job done.  Add a short piece of 12-20lb tippet and a Flow Ryder, A.I Intruder or others and you will be ready to find those "grabby" fish fresh out of the "Big Lake."  

As conditions hover around or below the freezing point learning some spey casts with mid to long belly lines keep the ice in the guides to a minimum.  These casts can be done with any fishing tactic not just swinging.  Keep in mind that swinging flies can be done at any flow or condition, but a couple grabs will be a great day this time of the year.  

Forecast:  The rain early in the week will be a welcomed sight.  As usual this time of the year rain brings a cold front though.  Look for temps at or below freezing for the next couple weeks.  Without ice on Lake Erie also look for pop up snow showers.  Mid to late week should produce good fishing conditions as long as you are prepared for the cold.  No rush to get out at first light though.  Keep an eye on your water temps knowing that a change of 2-3 degrees can turn on the fish.  Stanley's Ice Off Paste, Rio's Switch or Trout Steelhead line, SA's Anadro will be your go to choices.  

Click Here to check out the details and pricing on our Steelhead Alley Guide Service

Mad River Outfitters/Mad River Travel/Midwest Fly Fishing Schools

Fly Shop, Guides, Trips, Classes, Schools and more!

813 Bethel Rd.

Columbus, Ohio 43214

www.madriveroutfitters.com
www.midwestflyfishingschools.com

614-451-0363