Metro fishing provides easy access to millions, respites for traveling business people or those visiting family. And a nice affirmation that society has learned to live next water without spoiling it. A lesson that began in the sixties is paying fruition to those of us that like to escape the office early for an afternoon of fly fishing.
One of the lesser known fly fishing hot spots is in
Cleveland
Ohio. Or more perfectly the ‘
North
Coast’, the shoreline of Lake Erie that separates the
US from
Canada, sports plenty of game fish. With a smorgasbord of species like walleye, fresh drum, channel cats, carp, yellow perch, and the bug three of white bass, smallmouth, and steelhead. Combine that with tons of easy access and opportunities for the boatless and you have metro haven that relatively unpressured.
The area has plenty of boat launches, fish holding structure and artificial reefs. There are plenty of fish holding breaks 12-18 feet deep and if you have depth finders and GPS you can save these localities to re-visit them time and again,
Walleye provide the best early season action as water warms up above forty degrees. Typically then can hang in 10-12 feet of water in pre-spawn mode amid river mouths and scattered through nearby shorelines. As water hits fifty degrees and above samllmouths and white bass also work the shorelines. Clousers are always good choice weighted eyes and sinking lines help get the fly down and keep it down.
As summer warms water, white bass become the predominant target. They will push baitfish to the surface. Seagulls help by swarming to these areas, given those in power boats a signal where to go.
As autumn nears, attention goes back to the walleye. However gear anglers dominate, making it hard for the fly anglers, but the same techniques and locations that work in the spring also work in autumn. Working edges of gear chuckers allows plenty of opportunity without causing frication.
This is big gear water nine or ten weight rods are favored, but you can use smaller rods in a pinch. Float tubes also are a nice thing to have, but waders and bank fisherman also have success.
