Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, Vermilion County, Illinois

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.

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.

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.

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

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, 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.