2026 Season Kickoff: Reflection and Upcoming Events
The addiction to this life passion seems to deepen very year.
A Heartfelt Thank you and Happy New Year! I want to extend a special thank you to all the clients, friends, and family who continue to make this dream a reality. I hope as you read this, you were able to relax, join in laughter with friends and family, and overall daydream about 2026 fishing season. As I write this report, we settled into our “usual” weather pattern in southwestern Ohio’s 50 -degree warmer afternoons to crisp 20-degree mornings with the occasional chance of snow. The excitement for spring is already building.
Join us at the upcoming Buckeye United Fly Fishing show on Feb 7th in Cincinnati at the Oasis Center. I will have a special guest Thomas Nugent (ol’ pal from the fly shop days) join me at a booth. Thomas will showcase his rod building skills and Five River Metroparks fly fishing opportunities ,while I will market the guiding service. Stop by the booth to talk shop or just say hi.
Winter Travels: North Carolina Gold and the Mad River
While on break, I had the opportunity to fish with Father Greg around Hendersonville, North Carolina. Though not my father by blood, he is a man I look up to deeply-a true mentor whose wisdom and advice, both on and off the river, have been invaluable to me. The trout fishing was spectacular with fish actively taking a midge pattern on the surface. A phenomenal job to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for actively making fly fishing a mountain culture through active management of the Public Mountain Trout Waters. As a former biologist, I respect and appreciate the hardwork that goes into managing our natural areas. I believe we were on the North Mills river in Piscah National Forest. Connect with Greg on a upcoming fishing trip to Asheville, NC or checkout his beautiful custom-tied flies at website Morrett Fly Fishing.
I’ve been incredibly blessed in my new career at the University of Dayton; one of the greatest perks is the extended holiday break- a luxury my old retail days certainly did not afford! I spent the break extensively scouting old stretches of the Mad River, while taking my son out to a private stretch of trout stream to keep his multi-month trout streak alive. The Mad River is fishing beautifully but technically. On those unseasonably warm 50-degree days, I’ve been able to fish dries exclusively. In the colder days, nymphing under an attractor pattern is “the juice”. While flows were low for a few weeks, recent rains have added some much-needed depth. The water remains gin clear, so I am targeting areas of structure, shadows, and pockets of deeper runs. If we get any slight bump in flow due to rains, I would tie on a smaller rabbit tail or matuka streamer. The river levels for larger streamers could be targeted in the lower sections or on a larger amount of rainfall. I do like black in the morning and slowing work olive and white throughout the day. Regardless of the rig, remember the golden rule of winter nymphing: Weight and Depth. Fish are lying low on the colder days and the nymph need to bounce off the rocks.
Here is a little midge kit I bring on these colder days.
- Nymphs: Zebra Midges in red, black, and orange, rainbow warriors, any frenchie pattern
- Emergers: RS2 for an emerger or tailing double rig fly
- Dry: Black Trico patterns or Griffith’s Gnat.
Good luck in 2026
-Parker
