Fly fishing for smallmouth takes me to places that are special… are unlike other spots here in Indiana; Sugar Creek in North Central Indiana is just one of those places, in fact, it is THE place if you are looking for a beautiful place to find nice smallies. Such was the case just recently as my friend Frank and I journeyed a couple hours north to Crawfordsville to float the waters of Sugar Creek.
After unloading my camper at Shades State Park and stowing away some gear we moved upstream and started floating back down stream. Here is the part where I make a couple of excuses; anytime it is June and the weather is perfect, 72’ with no humidity…the weather is a factor. We were experiencing some awesome weather, a Canadian High pressure had moved in and frankly had put the fish down on the streambeds, on their bellies. If you combine that with the most crystal clear water we had ever experienced…you have the potential for tough fishing. Such was indeed the case. As you watch you will see that I do catch lots of fish the first morning out, but not any big fish, those big-shouldered bruisers in the 16-20 inch range that make the rod bend so nicely.
It is however hard to fish SC and not enjoy the time out in one of, if not the most gorgeous place in Indiana. I caught myself casting and watching the cliffs up ahead of me for eagles, etc… Once again I get a lot of questions on where to put in on the creek, if you have your own water mode of transportation, then there are any number of access points. If you need a ride or a rental, then contact the good folks at Clements Canoes and they can hook you up. Clements is located on the eastern edge of Shades State Park. And one quick word about Shades…it is a great place to stay. No electricity, but a nice shower facility. If you camp, be prepared for the marauding creatures at night…specifically, the raccoons. They climbed all over my vehicle and even were up in our boats on top of the rig! They are truly a nuisance.
So, hope you like this video and “Part 2″, a shorter version that will soon follow. If you have any questions you can contact me at flyfishingwithjeff@gmail.com; I will be happy to answer as many questions as I can.
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