Approximate arrival onstream: 9:00am. 100% clean and clear flows containing the same spooky trout, same as the last time I was here just less than a week ago. I wanted another crack at the fish in this stream, this time I came armed with another brain to bounce ideas off. The word for the day would be drift, proper drift. We started by tempting a smaller pod of trout holding in a shallower (3ft) run, using smaller lightly weighted scuds nothing would take, line and flies sent dozens of fish, fish dawning the best camouflage imaginable scrambling for cover. A recurring theme today was the super camo these fish were sporting, if you saw one be sure there were twenty you didn’t. It would serve me better to just trust that something might hold fish and rather than have to peer in, just make my presentation to where the fish may be holding. We hung on a super deep hole for a while after seeing the shadows below, the fish were again lethargic. I was hoping that due to the overnight low in the region dipping to only 43 degrees that the fish would perhaps be more actively feeding but this was not our observation. Takes were super subtle and several fish were hooked but lost due to this fact. The correct amount of weight and drift were the key to taking these fish, with a super deep (10+ft) dive in a short distance you have to weight heavy and let it go hoping your line may bounce, pull, stop, anything to indicate a fish. Sershen took a 13in Brown with a #14 Pink Scud but after close to an hour I had lost three takes and landed nothing, par for the course for me I suppose.

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Fished two Iowa trout streams solo this day. First spot was the “for-sure” since I had seen it and knew where to put my flies I was confident I could take a few. I was wrong. The “put-and-take” fishery looked as if it had been taken. I spied the occasional Brown but only found one spot with even a marginal number of Rainbow trout. I tried switching between nymphs and streamers to tempt these fish with little to show for it. Conditions on the first stream were as expected, slightly stained but looking good with maybe a bit more flow than the last time I had been here. I fished it up stream as the morning progressed. The sun cresting over the bluffs made it enjoyable and although few fish were caught here I did stop at a shallow riffle and found not one Giant Water Bug but one on almost every rock I turned over, interesting. I am curious do these things have an “emergence” period? Are they just prevalent on this stream? I know if I was a trout and spied one of those things headed my way I’d be all over it. Read the rest of this entry »

Worked on a few new patterns while the house was empty. I call these the Heron Scuds, I am predicting they are promptly crushed upon presentation to trout in gin clear water conditions. Using one of a few feathers I have found while stalking trout, from one of natures greatest trout stalkers, I made a fishy lookin’ morsel. Scuds and Sowbugs are among the more prevalent food source in our waters, it only makes sense to tie them up and fish them. The Maccaffertium Nymph (March Brown) could be a bit more accurate but this nymph is hard to imitate with its wide flat body. I attempted with turkey feathers to form the majority of the body including the long bright tails these nymphs have. I tied the underbelly with a cream antron dubbing because these nymphs have a drastically different colored underbelly and I think imitating this will serve to help trigger takes. I should note that Brian fishing the Truckee turned me onto this approach to tying stoneflies which I adapted for this purpose. Here’s to January and the potential it holds, you know where I’ll be. Read the rest of this entry »

The dogs did well in South Dakota and returned with a few feathers for me. Good thing I like tying Pheasant Tail Nymphs. After my dog shattered her back right leg we were worried she would have problems hunting. A year and a month after the accident she got to hunt for days the way she is supposed to, she even retrieved several of the birds. I am planning to join and bring her myself next year.

Sunday Liz and I put one of three off season months down and began the second with a short hike, the dog and a few plastic bags in tow. The short and skinny? Combine several birds and perhaps take them all with a single stone. Get the dog out, spend time with the girl, be near trout and clean up a section of water that needs regular attention as it is visited and abused frequently.

The water looked great, crystal clear with flows that looked ever so slightly higher than a month ago at the close of the season. The south eastern corner of Minnesota saw little rain in September but with the onset of fall Rochester, MN recorded the second highest rainfall total on record for the month of October and Fillmore County received over 8 inches of rain. The trout were looking good today, I spied several holding in very shallow areas enjoying the sun. It won’t be long before they head for the deep holes to hold up during the coldest months. Lots of activity on stream today with the warmer air temp up around 55 degrees the bugs (mainly midge) were hanging around causing the occasional rise. I neglected to temp the water but I can tell you it was chilly as I fished out a few beer cans. Good day to be out, see the fish and pick up a bit of human waste.

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