I took my son fly fishing for bluegill for the first time yesterday at a local park. This is a old quarry mine in Berea, OH called Coe Lake around 20-30 acres. Most of the lake is shallow 2-8 feet with thick vegetation with some spots getting down to 20-30 feet. The city has built a pier that reachs 200 feet into the water with a nice drop off, from 3 feet to 12 feet or so off south side of it. I love to fish this lake from my canoe and it has nice populations of crappie, bass, catfish and of course blue gill. I did not bring my camera but I will next time and post some pictures of both the fish and the fantastic view.
I have fished with him since he was old enough to hold a rod. I never pushed him into flyfishing. He was always a worm soaker. This year he started to show an instrest in fly fishing and I decided it was the right time. He will be turning 13 in August. After a short time he was able to cast about fifteen feet and hooked into some nice green sunfish. I was able to walk around the lake showing him the nests and explaining to him what was happening. I could not have asked for a better situation to show him what I know of fly fishing for bluegill.
FO,
WELCOME! I was born in Berea back in 1946…lived on Clark St & fished Coe Lake as a kid.
Check out a couple of my posts in “fishing reports” with pics of some nice 'gills.
BTW, “ohiofly” (aka David Snyder) is a good buddy & lives in Berea…my bet is that you already know Dave.
Look forward to your posts.
Mike
David;
Being a “Good Buddy” of ohiotuber is not the best of introductions!!:mrgreen: He is a known “Vice Thief” and poacher of Salt Water Blue Gills!! Not to mention that he’s Irish!!:rolleyes:
Welcome aboard reguardless and I bet I get a call from Mikey within the next 1/2 hour!!
If I hadn’t fallen asleep in my recliner, you WOULD have gotten a call you ol’ goat!!! That’s ok…I’m plannin’ on making your life miserable tonight. Bein’ a good buddy of mine is a blessing…Beelzebub/Lucifer/Satan is scared to death of me, & rightly so!!! As my bride Colleen says, I’m her ticket to Heaven.
Mikey
Thanks for the welcome. I was born in Parma, OH but moved to Robstown, TX, just outside of Corpus Cristi when I was two. I have lived in Berea now for seven years or so. I have been reading this site for several years and decided it was time to join. I love FOAL.
After an excrutiatingly long week with a business trip to Boston tomorrow (leaving here at 5 a.m.), it is a thorough joy to read Tuber and Hise going at it like the old days. I’ve been smiling for 15 minutes, so much so my cheeks hurt! JGW
Thanks for joining up. I am right up Rocky River Drive from you. I have never fished Coe Lake but I have the Rocky River. The steelhead fishing is top notch as I’m sure you know. Going to try real hard for some carp this summer aka (summer steelhead) perhaps we could meet up and back up each others fishing tails.
I think 13 is a great age (I teach in a middle school, where we have a enthusiastic fly fishing club), and what could be better than blue gills for making a first outing perfect?
Its great to take your son fishing. I did way back in the 1980’s and now get to fish with not only my son but my grandson and granddaughter too.
Jack , don’t forget that Mikey is not confined to merely the occasional vise thievery He also used some of those dastardlty elicit magic lepracaun black arts to scoff off with a very nice fly rod the rest of us were coveting a while back. Oh yes his devious ways have spread from pole to pole and back again. If it weren’t for that heavenly peanut butter fudge the neighbouring villagers would have grabbed their pitchforks and their fiery brands then headed for the Island nation of Ohio for retribution long since.
That’s ok…I’m plannin’ on making your life miserable tonight. Bein’ a good buddy of mine is a blessing…Beelzebub/Lucifer/Satan is scared to death of me, & rightly so!!! As my bride Colleen says, I’m her ticket to Heaven.