Middlef ieldPOST Volume 8 ~ Issue 11
January 22, 2014
www.middlefieldpost.com
Neighborly News From Around the Corner
By Patrick Robinson
Plain Country Inside
Local School News Pages 13,16
Middlefield Village Page 5
Out ‘N’ About Pages 10-11
n Ohio, as the crimson reds, vibrant yellows and fiery oranges of fall turn to the drab grays and browns of winter, many fishermen hang up their rods and settle in for the cold season ahead. Now I agree, there is nothing like a day on a Lake Erie tributary in late October or early November when the colors are like the most beautiful tapestry you have ever seen! Those days are hard to beat and many consider it the pinnacle, if not the closing of their season. But, don’t be so quick to think that the onset of cold weather is the close of anything, especially fishing for Lake Erie Steelhead. Snow, flow ice, and shale cliffs adorned with magnificent ice formations…that is what “White Hot Steel” is made of. For some, those kinds of things are the call for a fire blazing and crackling in the confines of a natural stone fireplace with a nice elk or moose mount hanging overhead. I am no different except that a winter Steelhead excursion is always a precursor to the fire! A number of years ago when I started to fly fish, I quickly found that fishing in the winter was a great thing, and you didn’t even need an ice shanty to do it. I also figured that many an outdoorsman would settle for a soft chair, a cup of joe, and a nice fire over standing in a river waving a stick, which meant the river would be all mine! There are many things that I like about fishing the winter season. One is the ease at which wildlife stands out when contrasted against a fresh snow. If you think Cardinals are beautiful birds, you should see them when they are all fluffed out in their winter wear contrasted by a white blanket! It’s simply spectacular! How about the beautiful silence that is found on a still winter morning? Everything you hear echoes through the woods, from a lone Canadian goose in the distance to the irate calls of crows scolding a Great Horned Owl as they give chase, every sound resonates the greatness of God’s creation. And what makes all of that so cool and
John Oros, operations director at Geauga Park District. Post Photo/Patrick Robinson brings it all together is the sweet sound of running water. The bubbling, gurgling sound that comes from a nice riffle as it races past your boots or a nearby rock. Mix that with the whistling sound of a fly rod in motion, and you now know the song that is sung in my ear on a day in pursuit of “White Hot Steel.” Not convinced that this opportunity is worth your while? Oh, I understand your hesitation! But, one experience with Steelhead in this winter setting and it will be forever burned into your heart and mind as a great way to get out and with the bonus of getting fish. I had one such day a couple of years ago. A friend of mine, John Oros had expressed interest in experiencing the fun that could be had when you combine Steelhead with a fly rod and that was like saying sick ‘em to a dog. I mean, what kind of fanatical fly fisherman could pass that up? With little
hesitation I put plans in motion for us to hit the river. After some discussion, John and I decided that the nearest tributary would be the target and that we would try to hit it at first light before work for a couple hours. He had never fly fished for Steelhead before, so I took some time to teach him a few important yet basic skills. We only had a few hours due to the fact we would need to head for work sometime in the morning hours, so we moved as quickly as we could. I wasted no time and selected a nice run that I knew typically held fish and went headlong into putting my friend on something he would remember for a lifetime. It would be the perfect spot. No challenging presentations, no tricky casting techniques, it was as easy a presentation as you could get. Did I put him on fish? Absolutely! Did I give him something he would remember for life? You Continued on page 2
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s you can see, The Middlefield Post now has a new fresh look and exciting updated features to help us move forward. We have a new, brighter masthead and are now publishing every other week to meet advertising and editorial demands. Plain Country will be in every other issue and Plain Pages will be in the body of the Middlefield Post in alternating issues. To help us celebrate this new beginning, visit our updated website, www. middlefieldpost.com and look for all of the local news, upcoming events, and photos of past events, and best of all - search the website to find - a special hidden phrase to win a dinner for two valued at $30 from Dutch Country Restaurant. Submit your entries by email to editor@middlefieldpost.com, by mail to The
Middlefield Post, P.O. Box 626, Middlefield, OH 44062 or by calling the office at 440632-0782. To be eligible to win, you must submit your full name, phone number and the special hidden phrase from our website. (one entry per person) Your name will be entered into a drawing. The winner will be announced in the Feb. 5 issue of the
Middlefield Post. All entries must be submitted by Wed. Jan. 29. Start 2014 off right with the Middlefield Post, so you can stay informed about all the terrific things happening in our community.