Steelhead are starting to thin out on the West side with the smallmouth taking their place
while some East side tribs are still going strong. The Grand is fishing extremely well with many fresh and older fish in the system and the Conneaut is holding plenty of fish but getting low and clear making the catching tough. I expect the Grand and Connie to get at least one more push of steelhead while the smallmouth have been trickling in and the fishing for these bruisers will only get better over the next couple of days.

Chagrin: 179 cfs Stick to the lower river as the new arrivals will not travek far upstream while this also gives you a good shot at the dropbacks.

Grand: 604 cfs with 3 feet of vis. The Grand is loaded with fish and catch rates are better than they have been all year. Also the smallies are filtering in providing a good chance at 4# plus bronzebacks.

Conneaut: Plenty of fish but getting low and clear making catching tough. Should bet one more good push of chromers before it starts winding down on this trib plus it is on of the better rivers for lake run smallies.

Vermilion: 47 cfs low clear but good numbers of fish. Also good smallie catches being reported.

Rocky: 135 cfs getting on the low and clear side. Still a few steel around but thinning out while other options on the rock right now include smallmouth, and carp. Both excellent fly rod fish.



Best colors on the rivers have been olive, white, and gray for streamers. Yellow, peach, and cream in egg patterns, Nymphs that have been working well include pheasant tails, princes, copper johns, caddis larva, and golden stones.

We had a wonderful group of fisherman and fisherwomen (is that right) on the river yesterday, most first time steelheaders. All in all we had a pretty successful day, i think everybody hooked a fish, if only briefly, only two people fell in the water getting completely soaking wet, nobody hooked themselves, only their wading boots and we had a wonderful cookout that included BBQ ribs, BBQ chicken, coleslaw, beans, watermelon, shrimp cocktail, smoked salmon, and cookies, all homemade. The top rod award has to go to Jane who in two previous trips with us manage to hook around 12 fish but had yet to bring one to the net. In the morning she managed three hookups, one with a fresh double digit male that jumped three times and fought for a long time only to come off inches from the net. In the afternoon however she was two for two with one large drop back hen around 12#s that put up an incredible fight. Jane congratulations and i am glad i got to see you bring that first one to the net.

Chagrin: 226 cfs with around 3 feet of vis and clearing. The Chagrin is holding decent numbers of fish with the smallmouth bite improving daily.

Conneaut: East side trib in great shape and giving up some large chrome. The biggest topping 14#s. Smallmouth bite on lower Connie is heating up.

Grand River: 1180 cfs and dropping. No recent reports on this river but we will try it tommorrow and let you know. It should be holding plenty of fish based on how many have been in the tribs.

Vermilion: Steelheads are still around in this west side in very good numbers. The smallmouth run in the V is worth trying if you haven't done so.

Rocky: 226 cfs and pretty clear with enough steel to keep targeting them and get an early jump on the smallies.

Over all the spring season steelhead has been very good and will start to wind down in the next week as overall numbers present will be lower but there will be plenty to fish for on the east side tribs. Remember that the lower stretches will hold more fish, some very big, as the late arrivals typically do not travel as far upstream. Also the lake run smallies will be present over the next month and provide an excellent chance at 5# plus bronzebacks. I personally like to fish streamers this time of year as steelhead and smallmouth both pound baitfish patterns in the late spring, black, and olive in the mornings and switch to white later as the sun comes out. Also early mornings are usually best for steel as the water begins to clear and warm and the sun puts them in hiding. Smallmouth seem to bite well all day but mornings and evenings are best.

CREAM SUCKER SPAWN WAS ON FIRE YESTERDAY...

They said it couldn't be done but TJ managed an Ohio steelhead on a dry fly this evening from a pod of fish rolling in a deep hole just before dark. The most impressive thing about the catch was the fact that he didn't pull the fly away as the take seemed to be in super slow motion. It was a small fish as steelhead go, around five pounds but might be the catch of the year.

Not to be outdone Justin managed a super charged chromer on the swing that cartwheeled all over the hole before being brought to the net.

On to the river reports...

Rain has all the rivers way blown out for now so stay tuned and we will let you now when things will be fishing.....

Chagrin: 440 cfs and dropping. About a foot of Vis. on the upper River this morning and should be close to 18" by afternoon and perfect by Sat. Morning. Lots of fish seen rolling in the deeper water.

Rocky: 504 cfs and Dropping. The Rocky will fish well all weekend being in prime condition
by Sat. Afternoon for flies.

Grand: 2080 cfs and dropping. To high and off color for now but the tribs are fishing better
than they have been.

Vermilion: 416 cfs and dropping and should fish very well on Sunday.

Elk: This PA trib is running clear and still holding fish but is off limits to fishing until
Sat the 18th at 8am due to trout season.

Conneaut: Still about a foot of Vis on the Conneaut and very high but it is dropping and should be in very good shape by Sat. Afternoon and Sunday.

Our rivers are coming into shape nicely and the forecast looks very good for another extended period of fishing on Steelhead alley. This last rain brought in a good run of fish and everyone i have talked too expects there to be great Steelheading well into May this year and i have to agree with them. Many people asks us at the shop how long the Steelhead are in the river and i think personally that most people hang up the rods way to early and are missing great opportunities at awesome fishing on the Lake Erie tribs. Starting in May their is always a good push of steel in the lower and Mid rivers plus phenomenal smallmouth fishing for fish coming in from the Lake that can top 6#'s. I remember last year on the Chagrin fishing for Smallmouth May 14th and saw more steel in the Chagrin than i had seen in 2 years and there was not one other person on the river, another example from last year is smallmouth fishing on the Conneaut May 28th the biggest Steelhead of the year came into the lower river and provided some of the most memorable fishing i have had in a long time for much bigger than average steelhead. On to the fishing report....

Conneaut: Running high with the recent rains but still has around a foot of Visibility and improving.

Chagrin: 912 cfs and dropping. The last few times the upper Chagrin had plenty of Visibility at 600 cfs while the lower was dirty and i expect it will fish @ 500cfs this time around up high.

Rocky: 925 cfs and dropping and should fish Saturday. The Rocky had plenty of fish before the rains and should have as many if not more when it comes down.

Grand: The Grand is up at 2640 cfs and just starting to come down so it will be at least until Tue. until it fishes. The tribs have been improving.

Vermilion: 1100 cfs and dropping. The V had the most fish of the West side streams and should get at least two more good pushes of fish this spring.

ELK: No fishing on Elk Creek until Sat. the 18th 8 am due to trout stockings.

Trout Stockings: Shadow Lake and Punderson have both been stocked w/ trout recently.

Hot Flies: Olive streamers have been fishing very well and Black as leeches are beginning to move around and prepare to spawn. With the stained water and bright sun white buggers should produce as well. Large egg patterns, scrambled eggs and glo bugs in Pink, Chartreuse, Orange, and yellow will all work and white crystal meth is hard to beat this time of year also.

The rain showed up big time on Steelhead alley last night and really has the rivers on the rise. The eastern third of the state did not get as much rain as everywhere else so look for the Conneaut and Grand Tribs to clear up first. The Chagrin Valley received over a half inch and is on the rise while the Rocky received about the same. The big winner was the Vermilion with the Mill Hollow rain Gauge showing an inch and a half of rain. We are going to have to let the rain move out and the rivers top off before we can begin to figure out when everything will fish but it looks like we are going to have great conditions again in a few days.

CONNEAUT: 2 FEET OF VIS ON THE CONNIE AND PLENTY OF FRESH AND OLDER FISH
ARE PRESENT IN THIS EAST SIDE TRIB.

GRAND: SEEMS TO HAVE PLENTY OF FRESH FISH BUT VIS IS STILL POOR, AROUND A FOOT AND STILL RUNNING DIRTY BROWN.

HOT PATTERNS: CADDIS LARVA HAVE COME INTO THERE OWN AND HAVE BEEN TAKING FISH CONSISTENTLY ON THE EAST SIDE AS WELL AS GOLDEN STONES AND PHEASANT TAILS. SUCKER SPAWN AND GLO BUGS HAVE ALSO BEEN FISHING WELL AS THE SPAWN IS ON AND PLENTY OF EGGS ARE WASHING DOWNSTREAM.

SUNSET ON THE CHAGRIN.

Drop Back Hen that fought like a son of a gun...

Two swings later and whamo... a chromer making her way upriver