Sugar Creek: Looking for Pools

I made my first trip to Sugar Creek, a well-regarded smallmouth river. I had studied Google Earth and figured out a route to the water between the two state parks that encompass it. My target was an old covered bridge.

I found the bridge. According to the map, it was not on state park land, but, if not, it was still too close. Being a Sunday on a three-day weekend the campgrounds--in park and out--were packed, and there was a steady stream of canoes on the river. I drove to another crossing and covered bridge and the situation was the same. Furthermore, the "access" sites at the bridges catered to the canoe concession and allowed only 30 minute parking unless you had a permit from the park. I didn't want to mess with a permit.

So I drove through the Indiana countryside searching for access. There are worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon than driving country roads on a warm, golden Autumn day.

I passed an entrance to Shades State Park and kept going. The road narrowed and entered deep woods, then curved sharply downward to the river. There was yet another covered bridge there, though the road no longer crossed it. I pulled off, followed a lane, and found a parking area that allowed non-permit parking. It was a bit of a hike down to the bridge and the river, but I headed down to see what I had found.

The bridge, built in 1878, was beautiful.

So was the view of the river it afforded. The best thing: not a canoe in sight. I wouldn't see any all day.

I walked back to the car, geared up, and walked down to the river. There was a private campground along the river but it was virtually empty, and the store/office was closed. So I cut across a campsite to get to the water. (Later in the evening a few campers would show up, and I found out who owns the campground and got a phone number. I would like to pitch a tent in this site and stay awhile.)

The river here is gorgeous.

I started fishing under the bridge and worked my way slowly downstream.

The lack of canoe traffic was good news and bad news. The bad news was that there were no bends and deep pools along this stretch of river, and the cooler weather we've been having might have put the fish deep.

But there were still some lovely runs and a lot of pocket water that could have--should have--held some fish.

I found a few, but they were babies.

I had a fine afternoon, though, fishing my way slowly downstream working the runs and looking for deep pools.

I didn't find any deep pools in the river, but I gradually discovered deep pools of shade to explore with the streamer.

There was still a lot of river downstream to explore, but it was time to head back.

I worked my way slowly back upstream.

I finished by covering the water under the bridge again.

A woman in the bridge called down to say she had just seen fish holding where I was fishing, but I saw no sign of them. Maybe I need to be more stealthy.

I'll try that next time, and then I'll hike upstream from the bridge to see whether I can find some deep pools up there.