# First time out with the fly rod in a while and my first walleye on the fly



## LearningtoFly (Apr 2, 2011)

Since steelhead season ended I've been using only conventional tackle and decided it was time to knock the dust off my fly rod again. I headed to the Grand River to an area that I wasn't very familiar with. Given the low water I had to travel some miles to find holes deep enough to hold fish but when I found deep, moving water I found plenty of fish eager to take a fly. I caught a bunch of smallmouth, several over 14" with the biggest going 16", and rockbass up to 9". The most unexpected catch was what I thought at first to be a long, thin, weak fighting smallie. Of course when I was met by a mouth full of teeth when I tried to lip the fish it was obviously no smallie! All fish took a white and yellow clouser. I'm not sure the picture does the walleye justice; he was close to 18".


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

Very Nice. I've only ever gotten one eye on the fly around 10in, wanted to change that this year but so far not any luck. Nice smallies too.


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## fishmerf (Mar 28, 2008)

Sounds like a great day. Those are some very nice smallies. Walleye in the fly- very cool! Congrats on a great day.


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## jhammer (Jun 13, 2011)

Nice fish! Seeing Walleye on the fly is very awesome! I've caught a few up by Bluegrass Island on the Maumee. It seems that they love Clousers.


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## BassAddict83 (Sep 21, 2010)

Beautiful fish! Love the close up pic of the walleye. Sounds like you had a pretty good time!


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## tjc7t7 (Aug 16, 2009)

learning to fly that was a great catch on the fly! I was the guy in the blue car starting out the same time you were. I got to enjoy a first also, my first carp on the fly and almost a perch i had it right to my feet before it got off but it was still a nice suprise! All my fish were caught on a olive woolybugger.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

Ill be out there tomorrow. walleye in the grand this time of the year?


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## fontinalis (Mar 29, 2011)

Patricio said:


> Ill be out there tomorrow. walleye in the grand this time of the year?


I have come to realize that any fish can turn up in any body of water at any time, they are funny like that.
I haven't caught a walleye yet, plenty of saugeye but no purebreeds.


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## LearningtoFly (Apr 2, 2011)

Thanks for the kind words guys.

I actually hooked another walleye about a month ago on May 23rd a few miles down river from where that fish was caught. The previous fish was smaller, approximately 12", and hooked on a twister tail in a deep tailout. That fish got away before I got a photo but I got a good look at it. Of course the water was quite a bit cooler a month ago...

One of the things I love most about the Grand is the variety; you never know what you might find on the end of your line.

I hope to make it out there again tomorrow.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

well they run the river in spring. can be had at the big hole next to the gulf course.this must have been a straggler. usually they push back out by now.


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