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.
Share This Post with Your Friends ...
Poppers, Peace and a Bunch Of Nice Smallmouth
Welcome to another fly fishing adventure as today I do about 4-5 miles of the upper St Croix river here in northwest Wisconsin on a beautiful 70 degree day. The barometric pressure was down a bit and the smallmouth bass were up and chasing from the get go. To say it was a peaceful day […]
Dog Days Of Summer and Big Smallmouth Bass
I won’t say I am ever disappointed to land big smallmouth bass on the fly …. ever! However, I left home on this day with dreams and thoughts of a big musky, very big in fact. I have caught several musky over 40 inches in my fly fishing career and, in fact, landed my best […]
Fly Fishing With The Preacher
Welcome back to another fly fishing adventure with myself and in today’s video … my preacher and new friend, Nathaniel Melton. It is always a good thing to be able to help out a new fly person and in this case, Nathaniel is not only an avid fisherman and outdoorsman … but a good athlete, […]
Low Water, Upstream Wind And A 20 Inch Smallmouth Bass
Greetings and welcome back to another fly fishing adventure. Today’s video will give some insight into how to handle low, clear water … in addition to an upstream wind that made navigating my float boat pretty tough. It took me about a half hour to find a pattern that worked and as you will see […]