My son the "trout bum"

It was bound to happen... Nick has officially become a trout bum. It started a couple years ago, when he began tying his own flies. He was then charmed by a few select fly fishing related outdoor shows, which led him to the computer. The Internet is chock full of resources for a young man to use... Reading up on techniques, tips... Watching videos on YouTube and fly fishing sites to learn even more. Some afternoon, long ago, "A River Runs Through It" was on cable, and that was it. After watching that movie about 47 times, he made the decision. Trout bum.

In our fishing exploits, we've shared many things. Big bass, crappie, perch, walleye, smallies... in rivers, lakes, Lake Erie. Even steelhead through the ice. Great experiences all. But this fly fishing thing has got him by the throat, I'm afraid. LOL. After one of our many seminars, the one I mention was about crappie fishing and was held at the now-closed "Portage County Outdoors" shop. After the seminar, the owners of the tackle business presented Nick with an Orvis Clearwater 5wt rod and reel combo as a thank you. They really ignited a fire in him for fly fishing and he's really taken it to heart. Thanks guys. I wish things could have worked out with your shop.

Nick started concentrating more and more on the fly rod, bringing it along on crappie trips, just so he could throw poppers for them and hungry bluegills. He was practicing his casting after school in the street in front of our house, and he was getting good at it. The whole time, still on the computer, checking blogs and websites, looking for new tips to try. We even took in some seminars on steelhead fishing with the guys at Chagrin River Outfitters. He still wants to hook into a steelhead, but both time and river flows have been against us. So, after doing some research, we decided to head the other way.

There's a quality brown trout fishery in central Ohio. The Clear Fork River in Mohican State Park is one of a few Ohio rivers that holds browns. We made our first trip there last week so Nick could catch his first brown  trout.  What a beautiful area, especially in the Fall. The waters were gin clear and Nick caught fish, just not trout. Creek chubs and a gnarly looking hognosed sucker were the only things that fell to his stone fly that day. 

So, that brings us to yesterday. After consulting with several folks "in the know" about fishing the Clear Fork on Ohio game Fishing, we made a return trip.

We fished a beautiful stretch of water near Bellville, Ohio. It wasn't long until Nick was getting fish. Chubs again. But we did notice some were coming up and hitting the surface. The water was so clear, we could see them and tell they were trout. It was just a matter of time before Nick would get one on. His first brown was small, only about 7 or 8 inches, but I know he was happy to catch it, and I know I was happy to be there to share the experience with him. Having a teenage son sometimes presents challenges, but the time we spend together on the water is, hopefully, building memories we'll both carry forever.

Many trout fell for Nick's #14 stone fly pattern, and he ended up with 18 for the day. The fish weren't big, but the memories we built together were huge, and that's really what it's all about. Nick is now and forever, officially a trout bum.

If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me through email at cbachtel@wkyc.com. Thanks for reading and I'll see you out there in the woods or on the water.