Cleveland… yes… Cleveland…
Let me start off by saying Cleveland gets a bad rap. Undeservingly so, and… I potentially participated in that valuation, but only once. I’m sincerely sorry Clevelanders… It will never happen again…
As some of you know, Meg is originally from the Eastside of Cleveland. And, after a few months of dating, Meg ‘suggested’ we drive to Cleveland to meet her family. My first thought was… ‘Cleveland ??!’. Throughout work and personal travel, I had been to almost every major city in the U.S.; not Cleveland.
My initial impressions, without ever visiting the city, were of rain, snow, sleet and extremely dark clouded days with nothing to do but hang out with the people I had yet to meet and who would eventually become my In-Laws. It’s not like me to judge somewhere or something of which I have no knowledge, but stereotypical preconceived thoughts went through my head.
When Meg and I (pre-Trigger) first arrived in Cleveland, I was impressed with the number of fishable rivers in close proximity providing phenomenal Steelhead fishing: one of my favorite fish to catch. Those rivers also provided the perfect reason to leave the In-Laws’ house for a significant amount of time; then and now. It’s not that I don’t get along with my In-Laws (yes, they read this Blog), I’ll just say we all have a limited amount of time before the nostalgic visits wear thin. Thank goodness for the fishing…
I normally choose to fish over Thanksgiving: two birds, one stone. When we visit, I fish early in the morning and throughout the majority of the day. Add in a few hours of evening pleasantries, and I’ve fulfilled my spousal obligations in Cleveland for the year.
Why we chose to drive from the Keys to Cleveland now…
There are two Steelhead runs: one from October through December and the other immediately following in January through late April. The runs usually cross over and can add to your success rate if you’re willing to bear the fridged conditions. Forget about the snow you’re hiking through; you may also have to contend with sheets of ice floating down river potentially headed precariously in your direction.
Typical Steelhead weather around Thanksgiving:
After years of unbearable cold at a level that will literally freeze the line on your reel at times, I chose to fish in April for once. The weather was warm and included a decent forecast.
Ohio represents a large portion of what is referred to as ‘Steelhead Alley’.
Steelhead Alley Map:
(Map provided by https://turtledove.fandom.com/wiki/Lake_Erie)
There are 14 Rivers and/or Creeks on this map. And trust me, not all potential areas are listed; not to mention the numerous creeks that feed into the main rivers. Finding access to the feeder creeks requires Google Earth, persistence and a lot of driving. However, scouting the main rivers for perspective, takes much less effort. From the Vermilion on the west side to the Cattaraugus in NY, we’re only talking about 200 miles or 3 hours by car if you’re driving the speed limit. So, regardless of the potential crowds on any given day, you have more options available than in most other regions throughout the U.S. Preparing for your trip and aligning with fishable water is critical.
There are numerous fishing forums and groups in every part of the country. Inevitably, someone will post to the group and ask, ‘is the water fishable before I drive 5 hours to get there tomorrow?’. I’m not knocking the question… Most of these sites were set up to help anglers be more successful, share information and occasionally provide bragging rights including a picture of their catch. Some fishermen will blur out sections of their pictures to disguise any potentially distinguishable geographical features, bridges, etc. so someone doesn’t recognize their ‘secret’ spot. Secret spots are rarely that. I can’t count the number of times I’ve hiked into an area and found anglers in ‘my’ spot… All I can say is, get up earlier and be the first to arrive.
Before we began the 21-hour drive to Cleveland, I wanted to ensure the rivers would be fishable.
It’s pretty simple to Google the current water levels on any given river. But, does the information offered provide enough reliable data to commit to fishing on any given day? Most graphs only tell you the current levels. Which is, for the most part, worthless. In other words, just because you know the level, doesn’t mean the river is fishable that day.
The most important data point is the average river level compared to the current flow. This is especially critical when traveling to rivers you’ve only read about and done basic research before your trip. Almost every river, creek and stream have this information available. First of all, you have to know where these graphs exist. More importantly, know the best and fastest way to access and correctly interpret the data.
This is a great link to access river levels and patterns. Just change the location as applicable:
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=04209000&legacy=1
The graphs below are available on https://chagrinriveroutfitters.com/gauges/index.html. Chagrin River Outfitters did a great job consolidating and displaying updated information on their site for the most popular rivers in their area. I can’t guarantee they are pulling the data from the site I mentioned, but regardless, it’s extremely helpful and appreciated.
These charts, and in one case, provide an 87-year-old average flow indicated by the triangles. When a graph spikes too high, the water is not fishable. This system isn’t perfect but, in my opinion, it’s better than trusting a person you have never met, well-meaning or not, on a fishing forum.
Sometimes I forget not everyone has the same information. I also forget, intentionally, that I’m old and have been fishing most of my life and been fortunate to have met people who have shared what they know. I tend to make the assumption everything is obvious; it’s not. I’ve learned most of what I know from somewhere. Maybe trial and error, or someone was kind enough to pass on the information they learned down to me.
Fly shops and guides on every river spend the vast majority of their time and effort trying to figure out the best, most applicable fly for the conditions as well as doing everything possible to catch their clients’ fish on guided trips. I would highly recommend at least giving fly fishing a try. I fly fish and also use conventional tackle depending on the situation. Even if you don’t fly fish, when traveling to a new river, visit a local fly shop upon your arrival, buy something, it doesn’t need to be expensive, and ask for advice. It’s a small price to pay for local knowledge.
The last major consideration in my opinion is the river bottom structure and water clarity at that moment. For example, the Chagrin and Rocky Rivers have slate bottoms and will clear much faster than the Grand River that consists of mud and clay in some of the lower sections. More on that later…
Chagrin River: Day 1/ Fishing Fiasco
We packed up the car, dog and fishing gear and started our 21-hour trip to the Eastside of Cleveland. Before our departure, as always, I organized the appropriate tackle, waders, GoPro accessories, etc.
We arrived late Saturday night. I repacked the car that night to leave before first light Sunday morning. I thought I had everything I needed for the first morning of fishing. When I arrived at the river I realized, although I had my GoPro accessory kit, I had left the actual GoPro in my backpack at my In-Laws from the night before. After all my planning, 21 hours of driving and upon my arrival at one of my favorite rivers, I realized I left one of the most important things behind.
Thus the fiasco….
It all worked out and you can bet I won’t make that mistake again. Next post… Day 2: The Rocky River…