Any time you can get on Sugar Creek is a great time. I have long spun yarns about how good the fishing is and can be…however the yarns are mostly accurate. The fishing is special as is the beauty of the creek. Even on the first Saturday in August, while one has to deal with many canoers, kayakers and tubers…the fishing was still spectacular.
Once again I was out on a day with my father, Ivan. If you haven’t noticed my buddy Frank along for a while…it is with good reason. He is about a month out from a very serious heart condition and truthfully I am eager for him to once again be back fly fishing; and let me assure you, he is eager and chomping at the bit to once again hold a fly rod.
On this day I would do about 4-5 miles of Sugar Creek and wind up at Deers Mill, the east border of Shades State Park. As I have said before, if you are looking for a way to fish the creek, stop in on the good folks at Clement’s Canoes and rent a canoe or kayak or have them portage you up the creek a few miles.
The water this first Saturday of August was perfect…flowing at around 270 cfs; enough flow that there wasn’t a lot of portaging and not so much as to have water clarity issues. If you haven’t fished or been on Sugar Creek then you need to know that it rises quickly and can get out of control anywhere from 500 cfs up…honestly, the fishing can be a question mark past this level as it starts to become stained.
I could only venture a guess but let’s just say that there wasn’t much down time on my four hour journey as the smallies had me busy most of the way. I was using my 6 weight outfit with a type one sink tip line and a couple of self-tied baitfish patterns. The fish did their part as they were very aggressive and it made for one incredible day.
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It is OK to brag about your catch, but not so to keep the fish out of thewater for so long, try to hold your breath for that long and see what happens.
Hector,
That sounds like a ‘Texas-Comment’…I can assure you that I don’t brag so long as to endanger what I feel like is the most precious of our native fish species…I will be sure and help Steve as much as possible in the future? Enjoy Indiana while you are here….
Jeff