Anglers, we're blessed

Often forgotten in our collective angling memory is how blessed we are to live in Northeast Ohio.

I was reminded of that this past week as I headed up a somewhat-but-not-always-annual Lake County Steelhead Fishing Camp for outdoors writers.

This activity brings in a small cadre of outdoor writers to sample the steelhead fishing we have in good 'ol Northeast Ohio.

Producing the event is the Lake County Visitors Bureau and Lake Metroparks.

Not to give too much away since I'll be writing an outdoors story on the subject, I do want to point out a few things.

All of the participants were gushing with praise over the steelhead fishing. From Mill Creek to the Ashtabula River, (where steelhead aren't even stocked) the trout fishing was awesome.

The camp's participants enjoyed great weather and even better fishing. They all caught as many steelhead as they wanted to catch.

The thing is, our fishing from the mighty Lake Erie to small farm ponds and small streams is the best anywhere in the state.

That includes our steelhead fisheries, which is easily and without blushing a world-class fisheries.

We often forget this as well pick away at this or that short-coming of the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Thing is, we have it all here from great walleye and perch fishing to outstanding angling for muskies, bass of both stripes, trout, panfish, saugeye, catfish - you name it.

But sometimes it's just plain nice to hear it from writers who do not call Northeast Ohio their home. They are (rightfully) jealous of what we have here.

- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
jfrischkorn@news-herald.com