Illinois River Fly Fishing

A river runs through it as well

Fly fishing is a pursuit that conjures up many images in anglers' heads. For many, fly fishing exists in areas with sweeping mountain ranges and native trout or subtropical beaches for bonefish and tarpon. The truth, however, is that fly fishing exists anywhere there is water, and the Illinois River, last we checked, is full of water.

Joking aside, the Illinois River is an incredible river system with forks, runs, and bends that hold fish that fly anglers would be ecstatic to catch.

Why Fly fish the Illinois River?

Fly fishing is a hands-on style. There's nothing wrong with "soaking a bait" and taking in the sights and sounds of the river while fishing in a more traditional method. But fly fishing requires a level of focus and dedication that appeals to the curious and the active—traits that I fully encompass. I believe “overactive” was the report I received from my grade school teachers, but that’s for another story.

Fly fishing is an excellent way to pick a waterway apart and target fish. There is never a guarantee that fish will cooperate, but the focus on targeting eddies and undercuts along the banks increases the odds that you can draw a strike from a fish. Any angler knows finding the right lure is a challenge when fishing. Will they hit a silver spoon, or should you throw a purple ribbon tail worm? Fly fishing is much the same; seasoned anglers, regardless of the style of fishing, know to focus on the time of year, the water conditions, and the forage or types of food the fish are feeding on. Fly anglers take this a step further and purchase or tie their flies to resemble whatever is in the water. Early in the spring, as the first stoneflies and Hendrickson's emerge, bass and bluegills will devour these diminutive flies and fly patterns on the surface of the river, making for some incredible top water "slurps." As the summer progresses, minnow and crayfish patterns can entice larger bass and even pike.

Fly gear by it’s nature requires a fair amount of finesse, the long whispy rods and super light leader line allow anglers to place flies gently in front of fish. The trade off is the low drag setting and incredible flexibility of the gear means there is a lot of playing required to tire out and ultimately land a fish. There are few techniques where you can have drag screaming and rods doubled over when battling a one pound panfish. Fly fishing is one of them.

Fish to Catch on a Fly

It would be impossible to list every possible fly and even every possible species to catch on the Illinois River. This is a quick glimpse at some common species, and ways that fly anglers can target them.

⦁ Bass

Both Largemouth and Smallmouth bass can be targeted on the Illinois River. While both species are lumped under bass for this article, they are different in their habitat and in how they can be fished.

Largemouth bass are plentiful and common on the river and its many offshoots. Their ability to tolerate a wide temperature range and tendency to eat anything that will fit in their bucket mouths make them a great species to fish for with flies. Top water flies like gurglers and poppers draw fantastic strikes from bass even in deeper runs of the river. If the water is rough or the wind has picked up, clousers and minnow imitations that are fished under the surface are often the ticket.

Smallmouth bass often inhabit rockier and cooler sections of the river, often in the tailwaters of the dams, Like the Peoria Dam. Top water and subsurface flies will work well for river smallmouth, but the perfect fly, especially in the spring, is a crawfish pattern. These flies are designed to sit on the bottom more like a traditional jig and are deadly when hopped along the current.

⦁ Bluegill

The almighty sunfish or bluegill is far too often relegated to a children's species. These bait-stealing fish make excellent targets for fly fishermen, too. Since these fish will strike insects on the surface with no hesitation, basic nymphs and dry flies produce the most exciting catches, especially early in the day when fish are most often near the surface. As fish move to better cover in the afternoon, a wet fly like the squirmy worm or soft hackle will continue the bluegill bite until your arms get sore.

⦁ Walleye

Walleye are certainly not the fish anglers think of when fly fishing, and in reality most fly fisherman don’t think of walleye as a fly target either. However, with the advances in sinking lines and crazy anglers walleye are absolutely a fish that can be caught or fly gear. River walleye are a bit easier for fly anglers to target as they have more defined areas that they will swim in. Clouser flies and subsurface flies like leech imitations fished with sinking line to get closer to the bottom are great walleye flies. If fishing these flies or crawfish patterns you may even pick up a sauger, though this walleye-like fish is a bit less common of fly.

⦁ Carp

Carp are the "It" fish for many freshwater fly anglers. Sure, most traditional anglers in America can't stand the bottom feeders, but they hold a special place in the hearts of anglers who do catch them. Carp are phenomenal fighters who can tear line off a real faster than most fish in the river, paired with the sizes they can grow to (the state record is 51 pounds!). A big carp is a marathon of a fight. When foraging in the shallows, carp make great sight fishing targets. Baits resembling insect larvae living in the mud are great choices; interestingly, flies that imitate plants like seed pods or riverbank grapes will work well when timed with the season.

⦁ Pike

One of the top predators in the Illinois River is the northern pike. With filet knife-sharp teeth, a torpedo-shaped body, and an attitude to match the pike, it can be a mean fish to catch. All the better to try and target these brutes on the fly. For starters, pike fly fishing requires a heavier leader line than fishing any of the other species listed. That means a heavy fluorocarbon or light wire leader for most of the river. Pike will eat anything, and the larger the meal, the better. Large 6-8 inch streamers are a popular pike option, especially early in the spring when the fish will be cruising and looking for a big meal. Later in the season, a top water fly in a mouse or frog pattern worked fast and can be the ticket with some surface explosions that will leave you dreaming about pike for days to come.

A Quick Word about Fly Gear

The cost of getting into fly fishing can be a limiting factor for anyone. Luckily, the reality is that fly fishing, like traditional angling, can be practiced with very minimal gear to start. Many companies offer setups for under 100 dollars; Pflueger makes a starter rod and reel kit for under sixty. A 5 to 6-weight rod will provide enough finesse to fish for bluegills and enough backbone for bass and pike. As your interest in fly fishing progresses, you can always purchase additional gear to target certain species, much the way that you would pick up a bait caster for fishing crankbaits in addition to your rod for catfish.

All of the fly styles mentioned above can certainly be tied by the angler, but they are all available for purchase from your local shop or online. The bonus of heading to the nearest shop is that the employees and other shoppers will have some insight into what patterns and colors are working best given the conditions on the river. If you are near Chillicothe, Illinois try Carl's Bait and Tackle

The Illinois river isn’t a one size fits all fishery. Anglers looking to fish from the river banks, by kayak, or motorboat are all at home on the river. By that same ticket conventional and fly anglers can utilize the river in the same way. Picking apart the banks, finding slow runs and timing their fishing with the changing weather. Fly anglers don’t have to relegate themselves to mountain passes or sandbars, the challenge, the excitement and the reward of fly fishing can be had on the waters of the Illinois River just as well.

I hope you enjoyed this article about Fly Fishing on the Illinois River. We hope to see you Fly fishing this awesome river in the near future! Sign up for our upcoming newsletters below and until next time, We hope to meet you out on the water!