Fly Fishing for Smallmouth on the Kankakee River w/Will Winans of Big River Fly Fishing – Kankakee, Illinois

There are some trips that don’t need very descriptive adjectives. For example:  Wild hibiscus grew on islands in the river.  As the current took our drift boat down the river we looked at one-hundred-year-old trees that grew out of stone cliffs.  In between casts, we watched hawks, bald eagles, and kingfishers along the shoreline throughout the day diving in the water for food. We fished in the sun, we fished in the rain and we took cover in the lightning. We caught a lot of smallmouth and the fish fought – hard.

After a quick instruction session, the trip starts on private land and winds westward through the Kankakee River State Park through deep pools and riffles that are perfectly navigated by Will in his drift boat allowing for instruction as needed.  Most of the day we alternated between hand tied streamers (tied by Will) and poppers – catching fish on both.  If you’ve never fly fished before from a drift boat it’s an amazing experience.  It gets to the point where there is one ideal spot after another and actually it’s difficult to pick and choose where to cast as the current takes you from one prime location to the next.

Perfect for the beginner, challenging for the expert, the amazing fly fishing you’ll get with Will along the Kankakee River will surprise even the most seasoned.  Just another experience close to your home, with a local guide, tying his own flies – exactly what we’re all about here at The Local Fisherman.