Erie Steelhead Flies As we stated in our article on Pacific Steelhead flies, the steelhead fisheries of the Great Lakes region has developed differently. First off the Erie steelhead has only been around a little over a hundred years. First planted in the 1880's, the steelhead nearly died off in the 1950's due to pollution in Lake Erie. But since the 1980's, intense stocking efforts by Ontario, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have been the reason for this area being nicknamed Steelhead Alley. Erie steelheaders use a wide array flies in their pursuit of this most worthy game fish. One can classify them broadly in the same way trout angler's classify flies. In general the Erie steelheader carries a variety of streamers, egg patterns, and nymphs.

Three Main Trout Senses Trout have amazing powers of smell. For humans, trying to understand smell underwater is rather difficult since we can't do it. However, trout have no difficulty smelling underwater, so it is worth an anglers time to make sure that they aren't introducing foreign smells into a trout stream (which can warn a trout to a lurking danger such as a fisherman.) When fly fishing for trout, do your best to avoid any artificial smells that are completely foreign to a trout stream. Avoiding these smells, though, of often easier said than done, as the sources of these smells can come from many sources. Fly line cleaners, fly floatants, epoxies and glue can all contribute alien smells to a trout stream. Other things such as aftershave, deodorant and even the smell of your clothing can all tip off a trout that an angler is near.

De-Mystifying Fly Fishing Fly fishing indeed is beautiful to watch. After all these years I still enjoy watching a caster that is genuinely skilled. I also enjoy watching fly fishers with unorthodox techniques. Some people haven't read all the books or taken lessons, but instead have learned their skills on the water, and some people have truly unique, yet effective habits. Anyway this article is to de-mystify fly fishing for those of you that want to learn, this is a starting point from which your new passion will take off. (OK I am hoping) Two Basic Types of Fly Fishing I remember a fly fishing friend said to me “Looks like good dry water, right downstream,” as we were floating down the Deschutes River. A fly fishing novice looking downstream said questionning. “Dry water?”

Fall Turnover
A strange thing happens on our lakes and big ponds this time of year. You hear a lot about the fall turnover and how it affects fishing. Be prepared and....

Upper Midwest’s Best Amateur Bass Anglers Set to Tackle the Alexandria Chain September 13-15th.
96 anglers will arrive in the Alexandria, MN area on September 10th to practice and prepare for the ESPN Federation Nation Northern Divisional Tournament. The actual competition occurs over a three day period of September 13-15. Weigh-ins for the event will b.