# Little Creeks



## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I have a creek that runs through my property and into my neighbors and then into the Black River here in Southern Medina County. How big does a creek have to be to hold smallies and gills? I've caught chubs right behind my house on the section and its a very small part. It meets 2 other creeks the same size to form a really big creek. Down towards the end of my neighbors property this creek gets pretty big and has some good flow. I've never fished the larger section and was wondering what fish would be in some of the bigger holes. Some of the holes get up to 5 feet deep and 100 feet wide. Also some pretty long runs and some deep bends. (just as big as apple creek near grosjean park) 

Also would dry flies work best for any fish that swim this water? Just nymphs and whatever little thing that floats? I know theres some pretty big chubs up too 8'' in here. 

Any information would be helpful.


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

Where in medina? The west branch by medina lake is tiny and holds nice carp and smallies occasional crappie n gills


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

Spencer. Just before the East Branch and west branch connect into the eastfork. By Richman Farms.


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## copperdon (Jun 3, 2011)

> Also would dry flies work best for any fish that swim this water? Just nymphs and whatever little thing that floats? I know theres some pretty big chubs up too 8'' in here.
> 
> Read more: http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=1329157#ixzz1ghOS1abq


My gut instinct tells me that this time of year, you'd have better luck fishing wets and nymphs below the surface than dries on top, but anything is possible.

Any fly that resembles the aquatic or insect life of that stream stands a good chance of attracting whatever fish are in that stream.

Carp, smallies and chub _generally_ hit below the surface, but gills and shad will hit on top, as will smallies, although again, this time of year you might do better fishing wet stuff. 


Fishing a stream for other species besides trout is really no different than fishing for trout - if you can turn over some rocks and look for life - like stone flies, crayfish, or other nymphal insects, or look for minnows, or, look to see what insect life is on the surface or is flying around, and then match that, you can attract fish.

This time of year though, you need to get that fly down under the surface and as close as possible to where the fish are holding. With winter coming on, fish are trying to bulk up for the cold months ahead, and they expend as little energy as possible when feeding, so you might need to get that bait as close to the fish as possible, and when stripping or working the fly, you need to do this _*slower*_ than you would in the warmer months when the fish are genrally more aggressive.. 

Maybe a prince, or pheasant tail, or crayfish would produce. I'd start smaller, maybe in the 12 - 14 - 16 size range and adjust from there. 

If there are smallies in there, you might try a streamer pattern, like a clouser minnow or shiner pattern, but I'd strip it back fairly slowly. Keep it moving fast enough to avoid hanging up on the rap on the bottom, but slow enough so that the fish don't have to work as hard for it.

As far as dries go, if you see bugs flying around - which is not entirely impossible this time of year, throw a few caddis patterns and see if you can coax anything up. Don't rule out terrestrial, either. Crickets, spiders ad ants could prove successful. By and large, your chances of success with a dry will increase if you can hit the steam on sunny days as opposed to days that are windy and overcast... pretty tough this time of year, but not impossible.

Finding new streams is exciting for any flyfisherman, and while I personally prefer trout, I have absolutetly no complaints about catching other fish.
Anything that tugs back on my fly rod makes me happy.  

Have fun and good luck!


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I'm talking about fishing it next summer. Thanks for all the GREAT info though.


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## meisjedog (Oct 4, 2010)

Man I wish I had EWH running through my backyard!!!


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## copperdon (Jun 3, 2011)

LilSiman/Medina said:


> I'm talking about fishing it next summer. Thanks for all the GREAT info though.


A couple of my go-to dries would be an elk hair caddis, and a mosquito.

The elk hair seems to be a good fly that mimics several different caddis hatches that happen here in Ohio. And - LOL, we al know there's no shortages of mosquitos here, right? Gills love both.

As far as warm weather wets, Crayfish would be a good fly to try, assuming that the stream holds the little beasties naturally. Smallies can be voracious on crays. 

San Juan worms, in either bright red or chartruse green could also prove effective. I would tie two versions, one with a bead head to get it down towards the bottom, and another without a bead head but tied with a bit of wrapped wire underneath the thread to give it enough weight to sink - but slower than the version with the actual bead. 
Smallies, gills, shad, all dig this pattern -and while I've never caught a carp on a san juan, I'd think it would be good to try.


A few other ideas would be poppers - small ones for a small stream - like a wounded minnow, small frog or a sneaky pete. I've never fished sneaky pete's on smaller streams, but I've crushed my shair of nice smallies (and really nice gills and LM too!) on the Hoga in the slower back water using this pattern. 

*Sneaky Pete:*









*San Juan Worm (bead head)*










*Elk Hair Caddis:*










*Mosquito:*









*Crayfish:*









*Floating Minnow:*


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

Alright i'll give it a try and will definatly have a report by next summer!


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## copperdon (Jun 3, 2011)

LilSiman/Medina said:


> Alright i'll give it a try and will definatly have a report by next summer!


Siman... can I ask why you want to wait until next summer? I mean, you don't have to answer, I'm just curious. I know everyone is busy with the Holidays coming on and all, but if you are waiting because you don't think fiosh would be biting, then I'd encourage you to try. You might be pleasantly surprised.

If the stream is at a good level, water clarity fair and isn't iced over, you just might be able to hit a few now.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, wets become more popular than dries do with the colder months, but I've seen top water hatches on streams all the way through December, if the conditions are right. Last December, I was fishing two weeks before Christmas on the Clearfork at Mohican and I caught 4 nice browns (throwing an olive caddis dry) and 2 very healthy smallmouths (on a small (#10) clouser). 

My bet is that you could also probably pick up a few now on that stream of yours using small stone flies, copper johns, maybe a san juan worm or crayfish...and maybe even small dries as mentioned previously. it doesn't have to be June to catch stream fish.

So what's stoppin ya? LOL... I'm just foolin' with ya. You don't have to answer.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

Well Im getting a new fly fishing pole for christmas and the one I have now is curently unlined and I have used all my flies and I won't have anything to throw till christmas. But Christmas day... I will go at em' with your advice. 

And its gun season right now, no way.


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## ChromeBone (Oct 3, 2011)

I just got home from creek hour half north of me, it was snowing. I guess that made the fish very ANGRY, because when they hit they slammed it. Nothing better then catching trout in the snow, Screw summer


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## fontinalis (Mar 29, 2011)

LilSiman/Medina said:


> Well Im getting a new *fly fishing pole* for christmas and the one I have now is curently unlined and I have used all my flies and I won't have anything to throw till christmas. But Christmas day... I will go at em' with your advice.
> 
> And its gun season right now, no way.


Poles are for bait, flys are cast with rods.


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## jhammer (Jun 13, 2011)

If it's open water, go for it when you can! I caught some bass and a bluegill a couple of days ago. I've caught many warmwater fish in cold water. Even cats, drum, and carp right after ice-out. If there's no ice, I'm going fishing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. :F

As for small creeks holding smallies, etc., I've caught many smallies in small creeks. Especially if they have a rocky/pebbly bottom and holes 2.5-3 feet and over. Many smallie creeks I've fished had chubs. You're bound to find some crappie mixed in too.

A lot of fish like finesse this time of year too.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

Alright thanks for all the info! This should be fun if its open on break.


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## Patricio (Feb 2, 2007)

sounds like a pickerel stream! creek chubbs, bass and various other things. the larger area sounds like a river really.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I'd definitely fish it! I live close to the Hocking River, and my buddy and I fish a creek that is (let me see if I get this right) a tributary of a tributary of the Hocking. In some places it's ankle deep, in some places it's chest deep or deeper. It has a great population of smallies and spotted bass. I have only fly fished it a few times but it's a ton of fun. I have seen bass as big as maybe 15-16" or so come out of it, so the fish size can surprise you in small streams. Wooly buggers, small streamers, anything that looks like a crawdad, they will all work!


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