Me and Cap’n Nate have been running around in the warm weather, mostly chasing bass up and down the local watersheds, in ponds, in Lake Erie.
In the Cuyahoga River Valley, bluegills are spawning. Lilacs and locust are blossoming. Iris and phlox are up, trout lily and trillium are gone. Wood ducks have babies. Spiny soft-shell turtles are hanging out on the muddy banks.
On the Rocky River, water snakes are on the hunt. Carp and river chub are schooling up and spawning. Smallmouth bass are holing up on spawning beds, chasing after baby Canada Geese.
Last week, we stumbled onto a school of hundreds of carp in a single pool, and couldn’t convince a single one to bite. Ran a fly in front of a bunch of spotted gar and couldn’t get a take. Went to the bait shop, put nightcrawlers on our six weights, and still couldn’t get anywhere.
Heading out to the Lake Erie islands (Middle Bass) this weekend for a shot at some smallmouth in shallow, clear water. There’s a party town, flats — it’s kind of the Key West of Canada. Stay tuned for more photos.
-MS
