Fishing Report: Olentangy River 8/22-8/23/15: Consolation Carp and Tough Fishing

Time:  10AM to 1130AM Saturday, 1130 AM-4 PM Sunday
Air Temp:  low 80s
Weather Conditions:  Sunny, intermittent clouds
Wind:  Saturday:  Fairly gusty wind out of the south, Sunday, calm
Clarity:  Approx 2 ft
Approx CFS: 47
Rig(s):  Orvis Helios 905-4 mid flex 5 wt, Hardy Demon 5000, Sci anglers Master Textured GPX WFF, Orvis Clearwater 704-4 mid flex 4 wt, Orvis Battenkill III, Rio Grand 4wt
Leader:  25-15-1x Fluoro.  Approx 9.5 feet
Flies Used:  Barry's Carp Bitter (Tan and olive), Whit's near buff crayfish, Articulated Complex Twist Cray (personal design), Galloup's Barely Legal grey over white
Hot Flies:  Barry's Carp Bitters in Olive delivered on both days, and took a big carp on the 4 wt

The Olentangy seems to be getting sluggish for some reason.  I know the Corps of Engineers has not released new water into the system in quite some time, and we have not had significant rain, so perhaps that has something to do with it.

I went out Saturday for a quick hit, and to check water conditions.  Grabbed one fly box, some tools, my net and rod and headed out.

I was there to fish quick, so I waded fast and began working my normal bass spots, covering a lot of water quickly.  This spot is typically a guaranteed place to nail one of the 3 most common bass in this stretch, but I came up empty

I found a run with a lot of feeding fish, carp and suckers, but they ignored my fly on every cast

Hitting a flat, I saw a few carp tailing away near the shore, so I laid a few shots on them.

They were good shots, allowing me to drag the fly into their mud puffs.  Never connected.  The sun had not yet exposed some of the better lies, and I would see long shadows dart in and out of the shady areas, but did not have enough sight time to lay a good shot, so I sat on the bank, and waited for the sun.

Once I had enough light, I saw a great carp at the head of the pool, looking nice and happy, I made the cast...and it was not good, behind the fish, there was no way he would see it.  As it landed, I realized just how badly I fucked that cast up.

Immediately behind the lead fish that I saw, was a stack of ten fish right behind a rock lip that I DIDN'T see.  My fly landed dead center in this pile, and they scattered like I had just thrown a grenade at them.

I just dropped the rod, flipped my hat off in disgust, and cursed extensively pacing around on a gravel bar.  I had effectively blown the entire flat with one cast.  I thought my day was pretty much over at this point.  

I decided to hit one more spot, which is about the size of a dinner table, but I have thus far pulled seven different species out of.  I needed to redeem myself, and if I was going to do it, this was the spot.  The secret honey hole discovered by my wife had to come through.

I shortened up to just five feet of line out of the tip, and began my routine of pitching the fly into the falls, letting the undertow pull it to the bottom, then slowly crawling the fly down stream, still replaying the epic fail I had just committed in my head (protip:  don't do this, it makes you fish like shit)

After who knows how many casts and a lot of frustration, I felt a tap, and scissor set as hard as the little 4 wt would let me.  The line immediately began frantically ripping up stream to the falls, and a wide broadside flash let me know I had connected with a really nice carp.  The rod doubled over all the way through the handle and the reel started screaming.  There is probably no better sound on the planet than the sound of a click pawl reel's drag buzzing like a circular saw.  I worked him out of a rock pile, and he found the current.  I chased him down stream, palming the reel the whole way trying to keep him from emptying the spool, which I admit, had an embarrassing short amount of backing on, because, you know, who the hell takes a 4 wt dry fly rig for PA out carp fishing.  Oh thats right, I do.

Laying hard on him with some side pressure but letting him run around and tire, after a lengthy and precarious battle (mostly for me, not him) he finally turned on his side and showed me his spirit was broken.  I choked up on the rod, and went for the net, which he was none too please with and took off.  I awkwardly pinned the line agains the mid section of the rod and let him play out his final lunge for the current.  Luckily, it was a weak one and I didn't end up with a shattered rod in my hands (pro tip #2, don't try to land a fish by grabbing able the handle.  You know those youtube vids you see of rods getting snapped?  9 times out of 10, they are doing exactly what I had just done).

I got him on a rock flat and slid half of him in the net, because that is all that would fit.  What a battle, one I'm sure will occupy a prime spot on my "things to talk about when bullshitting with buddies about fly fishing" list.

Luckily I had brought the tripod today, and was able to snap some shots with potentially the most fun fish of the year.

4 wts and Click Pawls are not recommended carp gear...but its fun as hell

Happily covered in carp slime, and shaking from adrenaline, I hung it up for the day, blasted this photo out to some friends and headed home.

Sunday, I decided we should start later to have more sun.  I thought we were going to do really well, but it was tough all day.  Hardly any aggressive bass, and laid up carp completely ignoring flies, or keyed in on something VERY specific.  I actually dapped a fly to a fish and he never even budged.  It was so rough I couldn't even spook a fish.  They just didn't give two shits that I was there at all.

My brother in law finally managed to catch his first river fish on the fly, and I nailed a few smallmouth, but had to work my ass off for them.

I got to test out my Articulated Complex Twist Cray, a fly I designed last winter, and had actually forgotten about.  I was very happy with the results.  It swims great, looks super buggy in the water, and dives for the bottom just like the real ones.  A smallie came out of the rocks and crushed it as it dove over a ledge.

He wasn't huge, but was one of only 4 fish on the day between three people., so i will take it.

Here's to hoping something changes and heats the bite back up on the O soon, I've gotten negative reports from others recently as well, but fall is coming, and it should be killer.

Fly Fishing the Mad River

The Mad River:  Bellefontaine/Urbana/Springfield

***I will say, this is all my opinion, but it is based off of years fishing this river.  This is just simple advice to get a leg up on The Mad***

One of two true trout streams in Ohio, The Mad River is technically a Spring Creek, but if you are expecting one of those picturesque Driftless Region style creeks, you might be in for a shock.  This is not your typical trout stream.  

The Mad is often referred to by anglers with a string of expletives.  They don't call it "The Maddening River" for no reason.  That said, it is probably the ultimate test of a trout angler.  It has 3 distinct sections, they all fish differently, and it is unpredictable.  If you can find success on The Mad, you can be confident that you can kick the shit out of pretty much any trout river in the country.  Hell,  western rivers, and true eastern trout streams will seem like child's play.

There is no river that I know of that can test you as an angler like The Mad, but that said, if you stick with it, learn it, and are willing to have a fluid game plan on any given day, you can connect with some serious fish.  It's covered with tree canopy, runs straight and flat for long sections, it's narrow, gets a ton of boat traffic in the warm months, and does not have huge predictable hatches.

There are Browns in the 12-2 foot+ range, and Smallies (primarily in the lower stretch).  You may bump into the occasional rainbow or brokie in the upper stretch.

A few great things about this river:  It never freezes, which means the season is 365 days a year, and it drains crazy fast after getting a shot of water, much quicker than other area rivers.

What should I throw?:

Subsurface is generally the name of the game, either nymphs or streamers.  In the summer, the Brown Drake hatch is solid, but lasts about 7 days in a good year.  For dries, there are light hatches of Sulphurs, Cahills, March Browns, Drakes, Caddis, and Tricos, BUT the hatches generally are not widespread, and you kind of have to get lucky to hit one.  Terrestrials do well in the summer months when nothing distinct is coming off

Dries:  Don't bother.  Just kidding.  There are solid hatches, and they are all the typical Eastern fare.  Think PA hatches, but on a much smaller scale.  

Nymphs:  Pheasant Tails, Midges, Caddis, and Mayfly nymphs in the 12-18 range typically do well.  SOFT HACKLES.  Often overlooked, big Cranefly larvae produce most of the year.  In fact if you had to pick a dropper fly to run under a big foam beetle, a Cranefly is the one to start with.  

Streamers:  This is the bread and butter of most Mad fishermen I know.  You won't get numbers, but you will get quality.  When I say streamers, I don't mean woolly buggers (though they work) I mean no bullshit, huge, kick ass streamers.  The mad runs fast, and since your target window is typically small, getting the fly down fast is the most important thing.  Sink tips with weighted flies on super short leaders work best.  

How to fish it:

This is a tricky subject.  There is not one right way, one correct rod etc.  Here is what I do:  I carry two rods, a 4 wt and 8wt.  I almost always start with the big boy rod and keep the 4 on standby in case a hatch comes off, or I'm not getting any love on streamers and need to switch to nymphs.  I will focus primarily on streamers, as nymph fishing/dry fly fishing this river is about the same as any other (though I will say I am fond of 2 fly rigs).

Streamers:  

Rod:  6-8 wt tip flex 8-9 ft

Reel:  Anything will work

Line:  Aggressive tapers, intermediate tips and sink tips are a big plus (Rio Outbound Short, SA Magnum Taper, Rio Smallmouth etc)

Leader:  On a floating line, 8-9 foot leader, a 5 foot butt in the 25 lb class and a few feet of 10-15 lb.  On sink tips:  Just run 3-5 feet of 10-15 lb off the line and call it a day.  Short is good, it gets the fly down.  I am a big fan of Fluorocarbon

Flies:  Big shit.  carry natural and attractor colors.  Olive, tan, white, yellow, black, and crayfish orange.  Carry a lot of them, to fish this river correctly, you need to be willing to lose flies.

TIPS:

• If you don't have a sink tip, go buy one.  If you can't buy a new line, get a 10 foot sinking Poly Leader. You'll thank me
• The best streamer sections have dynamic bottom topography and wooded cover.  Look for those, pick prime lies, and fish them.  
• Be willing to change flies often and in the same hole.  If you find a spot that looks like the perfect home for the Mayor of Brown Town, throw 3-4 different flies through it before moving on.  
• Unless you are independently wealthy, learn to tie big streamers.  They charge a mint for those Galloup contraptions with the funny names, and you have to be willing to part with a half dozen or more big flies in a single wade to be effective.  Tying these are probably the only flies where tying actually saves you money.  Plus you can customize your patterns, particularly weight.
• Casting across and ripping the fly back to you works most of the time, but don't forget the swing.  
• Vary retrieve speed and presentation before swapping flies.  I go slow, fast smooth, jerk strip, and if the lie permits, swing, before I cut it off and tie on a different one.  
• You're going to get skunked.  Don't get fed up.  Come back and try new shit.  Fish different conditions.  The Mad is work
• I used to fish a 5 or 6, but the 8 is just plain better for this kind of fishing.  I use the exact same rod and reel I use for bonefish.  Don't laugh, it works.  Less casting, more fishing.  My buddy fishes a 6, and I'd wager I put twice as many retrieves on a hole in the same amount of time as he does with his 6.  Plus when the big slob slams your fly, you can muscle him out of the wood piles easier, but make no mistake, a 2 foot trout will still bend that thing to the handle.
• Team your meat.  Use a small flashy single hook streamer and tie a big nasty fly on a foot of tipped of the bend of the first fly. 
• Summer streamer fishing is pretty much not worth it.  Go fish warm water and save the trout for fall, winter and early spring

Nymphs/Dries

Rod:  Here's where there is some debate among people I know who fish this river.  Whats the best length?  Personally I prefer something in the 7-7.5 foot range in a 4 or 5 wt.  Some fish this river with a 9 footer, but I think it's too much stick for how wide the river is.  If you are high sticking 3 fly rigs all day it is ok, but you can fish more effectively with the shorter stick.  I use anything from a 2/3 wt to a 5, my go to is a 7 foot 4.

Reel:  Anything, literally, as long as it spins

Line:  Any WFF or DT trout line.  I'm a fan of Scientific Angler GPX taper or Rio's Gold, Grand, or Perception

Leader: 7-9 foot tapered 3x-5x.  I prefer 4x, and will only go lighter than 5x on tiny flies

Flies:  The standards all produce (natural and attractor), but some special ones:  Cranefly Larva work all the time, Ants and Beetles are the best dry terrestrials.  There is a solid Trico hatch as well.  Soft hackles are probably my favorite nymphs on this river.

TIPS

• There is rarely a distinct widespread high density hatch.  Soft hackles are great generalist imitators, and can be drifted, stripped, or swung.
• In the same vein, team your flies.  It makes prospecting easier.  Ones you stick a few keep in mind what fly is getting hit most, then focus on that pattern.  
• Teamwork makes the dream work.  Cut your prospecting time in half.  If the name of the game is streamers, have one angler go with an attractor and one a natural colored fly, or large and small, or opposite colors.  You can do the same with nymphs and dries. Have one run a caddis one run a pheasant tail, or run them at different depths, or one run an attractor team and one a naturals team.

Final thoughts:

There is no body of water I can think of that has made me a better angler than The Mad.  It is hard work, and you have to have patience, but it can pay off big.  Here's a 22" from a winter outing.  Ate a 6 inch long olive articulated streamer I call The White Trash Burrito that I tied specifically with The Mad in mind.

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