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Angling Publications - Index

Angling Publications - april2008 - Index

than some Lake Michigan tributaries, but can
be found in several small parks downstream
of Highway 43 and off Taylor Drive.
Perhaps the best fishing, however, is to be
found in the roughly seven-mile stretch flowing
through the River Wildlife Club preserve
and Black Wolf Run golf course, owned and
managed by the Kohler Company. In this
beautiful setting the river meanders through
the golf course and woods with oxbow twists
and turns offering enticing opportunities for
the fly fisher. Other than the occasional errant
golf ball and angler, this private water is
well worth the price of admission (check the
website at www.destinationkohler.com for
more information on seasonal passes, accommodations,
and directions).
Seasons & Tactics
From late summer until late spring, fly fishers
will find various runs of salmon, steelhead,
and lake-run brown trout coursing through
the Sheboygan River system. Steelhead of
several strains—Skamania, Chambers Creek,
and Ganaraska—can be found in fishable
numbers as early as late August/early September,
with the best fishing typically peaking
in October/November and then again in
58
March/April for the spring spawn. Lake-run
browns also enter the river in late September/
early October, with some of the best fishing
typically lasting through November. Just this
past fall, accomplished Great Lakes angler
James Linehan enjoyed spectacular fishing
for enormous steelhead and lake-run brown
trout exceeding 20 pounds that many anglers
fly half-way across the world to pursue.
Of course, all tributary fishing is highly
dependant on water levels and clarity. With
several silt-laden feeder streams in this lower
river basin, the Sheboygan is prone to dirty
water, and conditions can change quickly
due to rain or snow melt. It always pays
to check local conditions first with a local
fly shop, or on the USGS water data site at
www.waterdata.usgs.gov
My favorite time to pursue these migratory
fish is the late fall, when aggressive Chambers
Creek steelhead and lake-run brown trout
of Patagonian proportions can be caught
on streamers and leech patterns using traditional
down-and-across swinging techniques,
whether single-handed or with a Spey rod. This
fishing is usually most productive when water
temperatures remain above 38 to 40 degrees
F. Once the water falls below these levels,
high-stick indicator nymphing techniques
are more productive using a nymph-to-egg
rig fished slow and deep. Another trick for
transitional fish is to rig a streamer with an
egg dropper 12 to 18 inches off the bend.
Stripped or dead-drifted, fish will often
swing on the streamer and then eat the egg.
Quality fishing on the Sheboygan continues
well into the winter months, depending
on water levels and temperatures. Local
expert, T. J. Roy, fishing manager at Orvis
Chicago, notes that if you can put up with
the bitter cold and ice-clogged guides, fishing
on this and many Lake Michigan tributaries
in the dead of winter can be quite productive
and a lot less crowded.
During the spring spawning season tactics
vary from sight-fishing, to fish on redds, to
blind-fishing the dark water immediately behind
or in the vicinity of redds. Most anglers
at this time of year utilize the indicator nymphing
technique with a floating line and an
egg and/or nymph combination drifted close
to the bottom. It’s also possible, though not as
pleasant, to use the “chuck & duck” approach
with a straight, narrow-diameter running line
affixed with split shot or a slinky to carry the
flies really deep. At the height of the spawn
PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER RIGHT: CHRIS GERONO, JAMES LINEHAM (2)