Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
I grew up fishing the Elk River and New River for smallmouth bass and catching a walleye was always a pleasant surprise on the rare occasion I happen to do so.
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I grew up fishing the Elk River and New River for smallmouth bass and catching a walleye was always a pleasant surprise on the rare occasion I happen to do so.
After a very wet summer so far, my days on the water fishing have been impacted.
The statement puts me at the risk of sounding like the old men at the barbershop complaining about the weather and how it is not fit outside for outdoor adventures. I used to think of them as tired, lazy complainers who should just go fishing or hunting no matter what the weather conditions might be.
I have often said to my family and buddies just the opposite — there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. If it is raining, put on a raincoat. If it is hot, drink water and wear performance clothing to protect you from the sun and to help cool you with fabrics designed for moisture-wicking and breathability in mind.
If you wait for the perfect weather day to go fishing, most recently especially, you may be waiting awhile or find yourself stuck inside handling one of life’s responsibilities when the weather does turn for the best.
With the old men in the barbershop in mind, and without even consulting the weather forecast, I set a date to go fishing no matter the conditions. One of the species I have been targeting lately is walleyes.
I grew up fishing the Elk River and New River for smallmouth bass, and catching a walleye was always a pleasant surprise on the rare occasion I happened to do so. There were others in the community who specialized in targeting and catching walleyes, so I looked up to those anglers, and their words still come through clearly in my mind.
The date on the calendar marked “fishing the lake” finally came, and I was more than ready. I had planned correctly to spend an afternoon until well in the evening fishing, which included taking along enough water and a meal for dinner so that hunger wouldn’t creep in and cause an early departure.
It was humid and warm when I throttled the boat to the fishing grounds. Like many summer days, the late-afternoon hours are some of the warmest hours of the day and fishing can be slow, and it was exactly that — slow. But with the anticipation of the evening sun sinking slowly and the light and temperature dropping, I was there and prepared for the bite.
After a couple of hours of watching pleasure boaters whiz by having a blast enjoying summer, I got my first strike. Fishing deep and slow is a technique that, for me, has a steep learning curve. Maybe that is another draw for me — trying something strange and new.
I spent most of my fishing career either wading or floating our creeks and rivers for trout and smallmouth bass. Both kinds of fishing are very active — casting and retrieving baits or flies in a state of constant movement. Most of the fishing occurs in the upper part of the water column.
Lake fishing for summertime walleyes is much different, at least in the way I am most successful. Doing so requires patience and moving slowly in the deep, dark, cooler waters.
As the sun started its descent, the fishing action picked up dramatically. My efforts were rewarded and maybe, just maybe, I have started down the path of becoming an angler who not only fishes for walleyes but also catches them regularly.
I am looking forward to getting my hair cut at the barbershop soon — I’ll try not to sound like the old men of my youth when asked if I have been fishing lately. And I will not even mention the weather.
Chris Ellis is a veteran of the outdoors industry. His book “Hunting, Fishing and Family from The Hills of West Virginia” is available at www.wvbookco.com. Contact him at chris@elliscom.net.
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