Southern Indiana blessed with many rivers

The southeast portion of Indiana is blessed with numerous rivers worthy of fishermen's praise. Trying to narrow the choice of which of these southern Indiana rivers to explore can be a daunting task. So last weekend, I did the only logical thing, I fished three of them.

I joined up with good friends Dean and Ben Shadley at the Shadley family home just outside of Rushville early Saturday afternoon. The father-and-son tandem have long been recognized as astute Indiana fly fishermen and I figured it was high time I took up their offer to explore a few of their favorite waters.

Our two-day river exploration extravaganza began with a Saturday evening wade trip on the Flat Rock. I must admit, I wasn't that impressed by this river. It was narrow and a little off color. The bottom was strewn with boulders, making wading tough. The fishing didn't excite either, with only a handful of little fish coming to hand. The Shadley's claim the bite was simply off, and judging from their reverence for the place, I believe the Flat Rock deserves another shot.

Nothing puts a tough fishing trip behind you like a good meal and a few spirits shared amongst friends. Upon our return, Mrs. Shadley began to fill the table with fresh-from-the-garden corn and beans, accompanying the main dish; wild boar Dean had shot down in Texas. The boar was actually excellent. Good enough to jump boar hunting up my list of "have-to" hunts, quite a few places.

Early the following morning, we set out for the second leg of our adventure. The West Fork of the Whitewater blew away my expectations. The river runs fast. Crystal clear water rushes past over sand and stone at a rate (I was told) faster than any other river in the state. The fishing was decent, but with temperatures hovering in the mid-90 we couldn't blame the swimmers and paddlers that kept coming by and spooking the fish.

The little village of Metamora was a very interesting place. I am constantly amazed by the great places in Indiana I stumble upon. The history of the area, which is evident in old brick buildings and log cabins, was amazing. The Hav-a-bite diner served up some good fried chicken with outstanding sweet tea. After the meal I parted ways with the Shadley's and began the roughly 100-mile drive home.

As I was nearing the Driftwood River, I decided there was no reason to end this fishing trip with a few hours of day light left. I restrung my rod and waded out into the water below Lowell Bridge. The Driftwood is wide and powerful at this point, but not deep. As the sun faded in the west, smallmouth began to pound my streamer. In just over an hour of fishing, I landed a dozen or so fish. A couple were pushing 14-inches, but most were in the 10-inch range.

Rivers in Indiana are completely underutilized when it comes to fishing. The smallmouth that swim in the moving waters of southern Indiana are exciting strikers and tough fighters. If you have yet to explore wade fishing for smallmouth, give anyone of these three rivers a try and I believe you'll find yourself enjoying it. Spinning gear or fly fishing equipment will get the job done. Keep in mind that these fish grow very slowly. There's nothing wrong with taking home enough fish for a meal, but please don't abuse the resource.

See you down the trail …

Brandon is an outdoor writer for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by e-mail at driftwoodoutdoors@yahoo.com ... to read more of Brandon's stories, visit his Web site at www.driftwoodoutdoors.org

Fishing Report

* Lake Monroe: The water level has finally receded. Bass fishing has been real good on main lake points using jigs and crankbaits. Concentrate in 8-12 ft of water. Crappie continue to be good in the creek areas.

* Patoka Lake: Stripers are spotty at best. Little bass are being caught but the big ones are in hiding. Catfish seem to be the best bite.

* Lake Lemon: Bass fishing has been great on swimbaits and topwaters near grass and lily pads. Catfish on shiners in 6-10 ft. off the creek channel.

* East Fork: Catfishing is good. Fish below Williams dam for big cats. Hindostan Falls is always a great place to see what's biting.

* West Fork: Catfishing is good at Gosport using chub minnows. Fish are getting into deeper holes. Bass can be caught along the shoreline with spinners.