Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, Vermilion County, Illinois
 

Damn but it's hot around here. It was 96F real temp
yesterday and according to the radio a Misery Index
(I don't know what that is and I ain't gonna look it
up) well over 100.

Sounds like a good time to go stand waist deep in a
cool stream and wave a stick around.

I like the way the memories of a stream come back a
footstep at a time. Wading up the stream I remember
how difficult it is to get around this tree and how
I have to cross to the other side now before I get
stuck and have to backtrack. I don't like it when my
memory fails me, as in "I know I fished that riffle
before, but how in the hell did I ever get over there ?"

I'm a cautious wader, many years of fishing alone in
remote spots has made me that way. But I'm willing to
break the cardinal rule of wading on this hot day and
wade in deep enough to soak the cojones. Ahhhhhhhh.

That was pretty much the point of the whole exercise, I
had the fly rod along for appearances sake and I enjoyed
the casting. I like my Sage LL 4wt. It's light enough
for a bluegill to be fun and heavy enough to put a little
muscle on a smallmouth. I caught a few of each on a white
popping bug, probably could have caught more smallmouth
if I'd drug a wooly bugger through some of the deeper
holes but I was more into fishing than catching.

Pics on abpf.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
...

Is it much of a river? Does it flow into Ohio?

My Uncle Paul and I canoed on the Vermillion River in Ohio many years ago.
Seemed to be a tough run with little water and lots of shallow riffles, lots
of deep undercuts, and a few big quiet pools.


--
Bob La Londe
http://www.YumaBassMan.com

Bob La Londe wrote:

Is it much of a river? Does it flow into Ohio?

Yeah, it's a river and it's the nicest in this part
of the state. The Middle Fork flows into the Vermilion
and the Vermilion flows into the Wabash over in Indiana.
The Wabash becomes the Illinois-Indiana border just
south of I70 and then flows into the Ohio where Illinois,
Indiana and Kentucky meet.

The Middle Fork is the only federally designated Wild
and Scenic River in Illinois. It doesn't compare favorably
with other Wild and Scenics I'm familiar with, like the
Current in Missouri, but for Illinois I guess it's the
best we've got.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Jesus Ken, what the hell you doing in Illinois? Besides sweating your
ass off. I thought you were in the Carolina's. LOL

I should mention that there is a couple Vermilion Rivers in Illinois.
The other runs to the Illinois river near Starved Rock and has class
II/III rapids at times with guides running rafts, canoes, and kayaks.

If your not opposed to it, floating grasshoppers on the Sugar and
Kickapoo creeks over in Logan county in late summer can produce a few
smallies, catfish and the occasional hybrid striper. The closer you get
to where it joins the Salt creek over by Mason county the more hybrids
you will find. Some of those are tackle busters. These are, just your
average mud bank creeks with some gravel riffles. The Sugar is
shallower than the Kickapoo or Salt and still within it's original
banks, not just a ditch.

Carlos

Carlos wrote:
Jesus Ken, what the hell you doing in Illinois?

The usual things, you know, volunteer work for
the Champaign County Republican Party, witnessing
door-to-door for the 700 Club, running our local
chapter of the Rush Limbaugh Fan Club and writing
romantic sonnets in iambic pentameter.

Besides sweating your
ass off.

That too, a *WHOLE LOT* of that too.

I thought you were in the Carolina's. LOL

A week in the spring and a week in the fall, good
Lord willin' and the creek don't rise. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

snip

The usual things, you know, volunteer work for
the Champaign County Republican Party, witnessing
door-to-door for the 700 Club, running our local
chapter of the Rush Limbaugh Fan Club and writing
romantic sonnets in iambic pentameter.


That should fill up a day...........................
Ken,you post has helped convince me to do something that has been on my mind
lately.We have several streams in the Nashville area where wading and
fishing ( I hear) is pretty awesome.One in particular is 5 minutes from the
house and has produced a lot of nice large and smallmouth every year. I
drive by it every day I head to the "big water",but now I am going to get a
little wet and have some fun.Thanks.
(but not with a fly rod) :)
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
...
Carlos wrote:
Jesus Ken, what the hell you doing in Illinois?



Besides sweating your ass off.

That too, a *WHOLE LOT* of that too.

I thought you were in the Carolina's. LOL

A week in the spring and a week in the fall, good
Lord willin' and the creek don't rise. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

Bass_Mr. wrote:
Ken,you post has helped convince me to do something that has been on my mind
lately.We have several streams in the Nashville area where wading and
fishing ( I hear) is pretty awesome.One in particular is 5 minutes from the
house and has produced a lot of nice large and smallmouth every year. I
drive by it every day I head to the "big water",but now I am going to get a
little wet and have some fun.Thanks.
(but not with a fly rod) :)

You're quite welcome. It's my preferred way to fish. Even
when I have the canoe I don't fish from it much, I just
use it to get from wading spot to wading spot on the river.

If you're new to wading remember to wear good shoes, if
not wading boots then high-top tennis shoes. I've seen too
many feet that looked like bloody hamburger after someone
decided to wade in Teva sandals. And I wear quick-dry
nylon pants, not shorts. I don't know about the waters
around Nashville, but we have leeches up here. The first
time you step out of the river and see 16 leeches on your
legs you'll never wade in shorts again. Gaaaaaaack, I get
the willies just thinking about it.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Now you went and did it!

Ken, I very seldom reply to the news group. I try to read the entries daily,
but seldom have anything to contribute. But this time you hit nerve too
close to home. Some of you may know ..... I live in central Illinois ......
just thirty minutes west of Kickapoo State Park.

From early childhood I've had the pleasure of enjoying the same adventures
as you have ..... waist deep on a ninety plus degree afternoon in the Middle
Fork or Salt fork of the Vermilion River. I must at this point mention that
a portion of the Middle Fork River from The Kickapoo State Park north, for
perhaps fifteen or twenty miles ....... accessible only by canoe has been
designated but the State of Illinois as a scenic natural wild life area. My
oldest son and I have spent many, many wonderful hours in those cool waters.
Yes, I've been over on the other side of the state line wading the Sugar
Creek ..... But there's yet another smaller creek over on this side that
flows into the Salt fork that should not be overlooked. It's called Stony
Creek ..... A fabulous crystal clear "smallie" body of water, with pools up
to eight or ten feet deep. Smiling, I must admit my son and I have also
"toted" fly rods more or less for appearances. Usually we'd fish for and
hour or so, then find a big rock where we could sit, dangle our feet in the
cool water, and solve the problems of the world.

My son now lives in central Tennessee ...... I haven't been out to the creek
in years, and I miss those pilgrimages. At my age, I don't think it's
really a good idea to wade alone with or without waders..

Memories, memories.

Thanks Ken.


"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
...
Damn but it's hot around here. It was 96F real temp
yesterday and according to the radio a Misery Index
(I don't know what that is and I ain't gonna look it
up) well over 100.

Sounds like a good time to go stand waist deep in a
cool stream and wave a stick around.

I like the way the memories of a stream come back a
footstep at a time. Wading up the stream I remember
how difficult it is to get around this tree and how
I have to cross to the other side now before I get
stuck and have to backtrack. I don't like it when my
memory fails me, as in "I know I fished that riffle
before, but how in the hell did I ever get over there ?"

I'm a cautious wader, many years of fishing alone in
remote spots has made me that way. But I'm willing to
break the cardinal rule of wading on this hot day and
wade in deep enough to soak the cojones. Ahhhhhhhh.

That was pretty much the point of the whole exercise, I
had the fly rod along for appearances sake and I enjoyed
the casting. I like my Sage LL 4wt. It's light enough
for a bluegill to be fun and heavy enough to put a little
muscle on a smallmouth. I caught a few of each on a white
popping bug, probably could have caught more smallmouth
if I'd drug a wooly bugger through some of the deeper
holes but I was more into fishing than catching.

Pics on abpf.

--
Ken Fortenberry

I missed the chance to participate on some of those outings. But that's
alright, and that makes two of the Norton clan here in Tenn. So when can we
expect a third to make a quorum? Hehehe.....................

--
David Norton

"Papa John" wrote in message
...
Now you went and did it!

Ken, I very seldom reply to the news group. I try to read the entries
daily, but seldom have anything to contribute. But this time you hit nerve
too close to home. Some of you may know ..... I live in central Illinois
...... just thirty minutes west of Kickapoo State Park.

From early childhood I've had the pleasure of enjoying the same adventures
as you have ..... waist deep on a ninety plus degree afternoon in the
Middle Fork or Salt fork of the Vermilion River. I must at this point
mention that a portion of the Middle Fork River from The Kickapoo State
Park north, for perhaps fifteen or twenty miles ....... accessible only by
canoe has been designated but the State of Illinois as a scenic natural
wild life area. My oldest son and I have spent many, many wonderful hours
in those cool waters. Yes, I've been over on the other side of the state
line wading the Sugar Creek ..... But there's yet another smaller creek
over on this side that flows into the Salt fork that should not be
overlooked. It's called Stony Creek ..... A fabulous crystal clear
"smallie" body of water, with pools up to eight or ten feet deep. Smiling,
I must admit my son and I have also "toted" fly rods more or less for
appearances. Usually we'd fish for and hour or so, then find a big rock
where we could sit, dangle our feet in the cool water, and solve the
problems of the world.

My son now lives in central Tennessee ...... I haven't been out to the
creek in years, and I miss those pilgrimages. At my age, I don't think
it's really a good idea to wade alone with or without waders..

Memories, memories.

Thanks Ken.


"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
...
Damn but it's hot around here. It was 96F real temp
yesterday and according to the radio a Misery Index
(I don't know what that is and I ain't gonna look it
up) well over 100.

Sounds like a good time to go stand waist deep in a
cool stream and wave a stick around.

I like the way the memories of a stream come back a
footstep at a time. Wading up the stream I remember
how difficult it is to get around this tree and how
I have to cross to the other side now before I get
stuck and have to backtrack. I don't like it when my
memory fails me, as in "I know I fished that riffle
before, but how in the hell did I ever get over there ?"

I'm a cautious wader, many years of fishing alone in
remote spots has made me that way. But I'm willing to
break the cardinal rule of wading on this hot day and
wade in deep enough to soak the cojones. Ahhhhhhhh.

That was pretty much the point of the whole exercise, I
had the fly rod along for appearances sake and I enjoyed
the casting. I like my Sage LL 4wt. It's light enough
for a bluegill to be fun and heavy enough to put a little
muscle on a smallmouth. I caught a few of each on a white
popping bug, probably could have caught more smallmouth
if I'd drug a wooly bugger through some of the deeper
holes but I was more into fishing than catching.

Pics on abpf.

--
Ken Fortenberry