Lower Illinois Report

[BAFly]

I've always wanted to have a "Home Water" that I could fly fish. I'd tried the LIR years ago but not very productive. Well all that's changed.

I've fished it 4 times in the last week. Mostly around the Watts area. I catch lots of fish every time I go.

Last Monday night 10/5/10 I fished in the evening and right at dark I landed a 17' rainbow on a #16 Zebra Midge. Beautiful fish. Most of the fish I catch are 12"-14", but a few are larger. My largest this year is 18". I catch most of them on either a #16 Zebra Midge with a nickel bead head, or a blood red midge (don't know it's name) with a red bead head #16 also. Yesterday downstream from watts, they were hitting my flo orange indicator, so I tried a Stimulator with orange body... nothing. Then a grasshopper with flo orange belly... nothing. Then I used a flo orange egg with a Zebra Midge trailing. Almost every cast they were hitting the egg but I could not land them. They could come off before I could get them in. Many times I would foul hook them. This was all in the swift ripple. When I got down to calmer water, I caught them on a #18 red san juan worm with a zebra midge trailer. Zebra Midge is the go to fly for me down there.

Anyone else have a go to fly on the LIR?

Anyone know where I can catch bigger fish on the LIR?

[On The Fly 6]

I've always wanted to have a "Home Water" that I could fly fish. I'd tried the LIR years ago but not very productive. Well all that's changed.

I've fished it 4 times in the last week. Mostly around the Watts area. I catch lots of fish every time I go.

Last Monday night 10/5/10 I fished in the evening and right at dark I landed a 17' rainbow on a #16 Zebra Midge. Beautiful fish. Most of the fish I catch are 12"-14", but a few are larger. My largest this year is 18". I catch most of them on either a #16 Zebra Midge with a nickel bead head, or a blood red midge (don't know it's name) with a red bead head #16 also. Yesterday downstream from watts, they were hitting my flo orange indicator, so I tried a Stimulator with orange body... nothing. Then a grasshopper with flo orange belly... nothing. Then I used a flo orange egg with a Zebra Midge trailing. Almost every cast they were hitting the egg but I could not land them. They could come off before I could get them in. Many times I would foul hook them. This was all in the swift ripple. When I got down to calmer water, I caught them on a #18 red san juan worm with a zebra midge trailer. Zebra Midge is the go to fly for me down there.

Anyone else have a go to fly on the LIR?

Anyone know where I can catch bigger fish on the LIR?

Ive caught my biggest fish at the T&M sand and gravel access points. Red Midges seem to work really well anywhere on the river. Good report, I hope to catch some tomorrow!