This came in the mail a while back. I know the physical stamp is a novelty but one I dig even though my first one was of a Chinook Salmon. Tomorrow begins the Catch and Release season for trout on all S.E. Minnesota creeks, this is an essential piece of gear to carry with you (license and stamp). Keep in mind the fees (license and stamp) we pay go to support our DNR staff who do more with less and have done an excellent job with our fisheries. It is important to ensure they continue to be well funded and although this is not a big place for politics I know I would pay way more than 10 dollars for this thing. Virtually priceless to have the resource I have around me. 4/1 remember to pause and enjoy it (between hook-sets)…

I love thinking about bugs and flies, on my mind as of late are the BWO’s that I’m sure I’m missing while stuck at work during the height of the day. One pattern that looks the part, easy to tie and gets great results down here is the standard WD-40 pattern. I like it for a couple reasons, the slim body, the wood duck feathers and it’s an easy, speedy tie that anyone can master quickly. With that said my box has plenty of WD-40′s in it, I’ve stuck with a #16 because it is the most representative of the full mature Baetis nymph. Thinking about bugs and flies I began to think about a WD-40 Brassie pattern that I’ve put together here, later I found that others have had the same revelation.

The WD-Brassie (W.F.F. Variant)

• Hook: 1x Short Scud #16
• Thread: Olive 70 Denier UTC
• Tail: Lt. Olive Woodduck
• Body: Hot Yellow SM Ultra Wire
• Thorax: Black Mink Fur
• Wing-Case: Lt. Olive Woodduck

Things to note: to get a truly seamless body with the wire and to get the correct proportions, tie in the SM Ultra Wire near the hook eye and have it mirror the curve of the hook along the side facing you (not on top) and secure it back to the hook barb. When tying in the woodduck tail DO NOT clip the excess wooduck free (this will result in a bump making the wire wraps one too thick at the tail), rather wrap your thread over the woodduck to the point where you begin the thorax and wing-case. Leave it sticking out here and wrap the ultra wire forward, by keeping everything even up the length of the body the wire has a seamless resting spot with no bumps from materials that were tied in and cut free and you can use the woodduck from the tail to make the wing-case without tying more in. Using Mink fur was an experiment, I see future potential. The guard hairs are excellent but this was a challenge to dub with for the first time. I like the color contrast and I think the Hot Yellow will set the trout off, alot of our Baetis nymphs are either a darker olive/black or the light, almost translucent olive color. I’m thinking that the sun hitting the wire will appear like one of the translucent olive colored nymphs.

Slide Show

The Peacock and Partridge pattern that Tim Barker a.k.a. Planet Trout introduced me to a year ago turned into a spring/summer staple and for weeks I fished it hard. The #16 with the Hot Yellow Wire proved to be the most effective. I fished it deep as a trailing nymph , as a solo wet fly and even as a dry fly (as long as the floatant kept it riding high). This fly just rocks and I had to tie another dozen for the coming months, I remember it being particularly effective on the rise by allowing the fly to sink then simply high sticking a run, fish would bolt from the depths to grab this bad boy within inches of the surface. For this round I tied half exactly as last year and half with Orange dyed peacock herl.

I also sat down to work on an emerger pattern for the coming BWO hatches. I turned to Charlie Cravens Mole Fly pattern for inspiration. I played with some material substitutions such as CDC Puffs instead of the regular CDC feather that Charlie uses. I can trim some of the CDC out on-stream if need be so for the time being I put an entire Puff on each fly then played around with some beaver dubbing along with a couple other options, some I tied with dry fly dubbing and others with Hare’s Mask to see which perform better than others. I plan to fish these trailing a standard dry fly, hopefully the CDC Puff will achieve the effect I was hoping for, something like a Klinkhammer type dry fly. The trout will let me know how I did.

Slide Show

I don’t even know where to begin with the 18th. First off I left my camera at home which would have normally soured my mood but on a day when most of the trout bearing water in S.E. Minnesota was blown and brown Heath and I managed to find gin freakin’ clear flows so I couldn’t be upset, I was content to fish and borrow my friends camera from time to time. I took an initial water temp of ~47°F at about 11:15am on arrival. We were looking for BWO’s hoping that a handful of the fourth instar nymphs would hatch, we hiked downstream and planned to fish back up once the water temp had risen a couple degrees. I fished a #8 Tan Hairball in a couple spots heading downstream but came up empty handed. Once downstream a mile or so we hung on a run swarming with midge in the air. I took a handful on a #20 Jujubee Midge, we swapped fish back and forth.

At ~1pm the BWO’s began hatching, we spied two larger trout taking surface flies. I tied on a #18 BWO dry fly and took aim, the third or fourth cast and the larger of the two fish struck, I set the hook too fast, anxious. I got another attempt at the same fish even after it tasted just the slightest amount of hook. The second strike came and the hook bent (what I get for using a 2X Fine Dry Fly Hook) the fish got off within a second of being hooked. I was sure my chance had been blown but he surfaced again just moments later. Mind you we are standing less than twenty feet from this fish and it kept coming back for more, the power of the hatch. The third time it struck I lost the hook set again, I shouldn’t have used the same fly. I should have swapped it out after the hook bent rather than bend it back with my forceps but eager to get the trout before it took off for the depths I had to keep going and it cost me the final chance. I should have been happy enough being able to try but unfortunately I got frustrated and allowed my mood to slip, this normally doesn’t happen when I’m trouting. The rest of the day was a half-assed botched attempt at casting combined with poor fly selection, I just wasn’t trying. Sershen fishing a #18 Bead Head Nymph pattern crushed trout after trout. That’s about all I have to say about this one.

• AT: ~8:30am DT: 3:20pm
• AAT: ~30°F  DAT: ~39°F
• WT: 9am 39.5°F, 11:26am ~42°F, 2:09pm    ~46°F, 3:20pm ~46°F
• S. Winds 10-12mph
• Clear Water on Arrival
• Midge in the Snow on Arrival #20-24

March 11th was removal day on Trash Creek. I arrived early, took my usual water assessment, geared up then got out the 50gal trash bag I brought with for the day. My plan was to hike downstream from my access point, spend the cooler morning hours leisurely fishing upstream while collecting various human debris I found along the way then dump it off around noon at the truck. Dragging around a trash bag is kind of a pain but I would set it aside, fish a run for twenty minutes or so then retrieve it to move further upstream. Water temps were cooler than I’ve seen as of late for 9am, the fish were sluggish and slow to strike. I fished a #8 Brown SMB and a #8 Tan Hairball with minimal success in the morning, landed a few browns under 12inches, that was about it. At 10:30am the trout began rising to midge, I would note I saw more subsurface rising today than ever before, the hump of each brown just barley splitting the surface as they ate. I fished to risers for an hour or so, got a bunch to hand then split for more trash removal. Note: I specifically let my dry fly sink when casting to these fish, it was so evident they were not taking surface flies, a slimmed dryfly presented just under the surface worked very well.

The rest of the day was pretty much a swap between a #20 Jujubee Midge Adult and a #8 SMB. I’d fish the midge when trout were rising agressivly enough to make it worth my time to swap flies, the rest of the time I targeted specific spots with the SMB and did pretty well. Nothing over 13inches but I hooked into two 12inch fish that faught like they were 20inches long with an attitude, a pretty good time there. Made it quite aways upstream, took water temps throughout the day and spied rocks for bugs. Baetis may be coming sooner than later, this weeks warm weather may cause the full on melt but provided minimal flooding occurs the invertebrates look good for this spring. BWO’s, Dark Hendricksons, Light Hendricksons then the Gray Caddis. Get your dry flies ready, they are coming.

Slide Show

• AT: ~8:45am DT: ~2:37pm
• AAT: ~32°F  DAT: ~39°F
• WT: 9am ~42°F, 11am 43.8°F, 12:53pm 44.2°F, 2:37pm 46.5°F
• Steady N. Wind 11-14mph
• Clear Water on Arrival
• Midge in the Snow on Arrival #24

Typical late winter season day here. Earlier arrival time, midge hanging around but no rising trout. A bit colder out but I knew it would warm up. I slapped on a #8 Hairball and set loose on the first deep run, from there I moved upstream sending my fly through every fishy lie I could spy. If it looked good it got a pass. Consider this, every larger fish I hooked into was taken in water less than 2ft deep some less than 6inches. Longer hiking distance, maybe five miles travelled. I landed a few fish on a #20 Smethurst’s Under-Feather Midge but snagged it twice, the only fish picking it off were 5inch dinkers so I dropped it and continued fishing the #8 Hairball upstream. I managed my first Rosey Cheeked Creek Chub of the year, it faught like a 12inch brown. Just after 11am I hooked and landed a 15 and 1/2in Brown, that felt good. I continued upstream and spent close to an hour  hiking through the snow. Snow pack amounts show 12inches yet to melt off.

The first fish were rising as early as 10am and continued on and off through out the day. I stopped twice to pick a couple fish off but I didn’t fish to every rise, I waited and fished only to the fish that were consistantly rising. The rest of the day I tossed the Hairball. There is something about looking at water, knowing the fish is there 10inches down and the cast, executed properly completes the equation resulting in the strike. This occured a handful of times, fish all the way to the head of the riffle, if your not snagging flies on the rocks in the head your not fishing up far enough. I ended the day with another long hike, upstream stopped in three spots for 15minutes each, saw a bit of new water then turned to hike close to 2miles back out. Again the arrival and departure water temps were taken in the same riffle close to point where I accessed the stream. A good day with a handful of larger hard fighting browns, fishing in the sun, with a handful of dry flies mixed in. Couldn’t ask for more, well maybe no wind but either way this was a solid day.

Slide Show

Once a year when Fish and Wildlife is taught at Winona Senior High I make it a point to arrange a class regarding trout in the Driftless Area. It’s a bit disappointing to speak with so many kids that have no idea where they live or what kind of resource is available to them, that is a big reason why I speak with these kids. Those in Fish and Wildlife have already shown an interest in the outdoors and all that comes with it, I hope to maybe get one or two to become anglers and better yet life-long anglers that know the value of the resource and become advocates for its future. Kind of idealistic but I’m only trying to “hook” one or two.

In previous years I presented a lecture on trout in the Driftless Area of S.E. Minnesota, covering the Driftless Area, its geology which creates the conditions that produce abundant clean clear water that wild trout thrive in. Moving to the history of trout here and the specie we have today then to biology and finally a brief discussion on angling with an emphasis on fly angling because that’s what I know. I demonstrated tying flies, I brought in live macro-invertebrates to give some perspective to how the fly angler relates his fly selection to what nature has to offer. Anyways, I’ve made you bored and most of the kids by this point. Although they did wake up a bit when we moved away from the power point and more to tying.

This year I tried something a bit different. I contacted Sershen and asked for his assistance and a bunch of fly rods. I changed the class from Driftless Area Trout to Driftless Area Fly Fishing, again because that is what I know. I never was much for a spinning rod or frankly fishing before I touched a 9ft stick with a trout on the other end. The power point was kept to a minimum of 10 minutes explaining the basics. We watched a handful of 3-5minute videos to show what it is like out on our streams and to further help explain how fly angling is approached on a Driftless Area stream. The last portion of the class was dedicated to explaining the gear we use, flies, net, tippet, fly rod, reel and so on. We rushed through most of this so the kids that were interested could have an opportunity to let out a bit of line on the auditorium floor (we took turns after a demonstration was completed). The thought here was that maybe by presenting the fun side, the hands on side of this lifestyle (to me that’s what it is) that maybe one or two would take hold and maybe want to go fishing. So what did I learn? I’m still learning and have a long ways to go, that and I should bring the live bugs back, I love the bugs.

Thanks to Heath Sershen for his time, support and rods. Thanks to Brian Sather for allowing me the opportunity to speak with the class.

Slide Show

• AT: 8:46am, DT: 3:50pm
• AAT: ~36°F, DAT: ~37°F
• WT: 8:46am 42°F, 11am 44°F, 3:50pm 46°F
• Wind Nil until 2pm
• Clear Water on Arrival
• Midge in the Snow on Arrival

I planned to assess the water where I parked then hike downstream but after taking initial water temps and checking the rocks, the trout rising at ~9am were too much for me to walk away. I told myself one or two then downstream, a dozen or so later and it was 10am. I was fishing a longer (11ft) leader and had some trouble getting it to open up completely with the slight breeze coming at me. I moved maybe 6ft in the first two hours, thinking to the recent reading regarding the speed of sound through water. Trout less than twenty feet away and my clunky boots grinding the gravel. The midge in the morning were larger,  #20′s with a few #22′s mixed in. As the day would have it the trout did not stop rising.

I fished the first two hours in the same spot in just my long sleeve shirt with the net handy quickly landing trout and cleaning up my fly. Landed quite a few fish with a single #20 Jujubee Midge, nothing over 12inches and nothing under 7inches a steady hard fighting group, most were picked off by sight, waiting, fishing to the rise in rhythm. A handful came as pleasant surprises when a poor cast was allowed to drift long or an unintended target swooped in for the take. At 11am I had fished the run through and either put down or caught every fish that was rising, some remained striking the surface in upstream reaches but they had slowed and were in slower slack water. I put on my coat and hiked downstream.

Swung a #8 Black SMB for quite a while getting nowhere. Looking for a bigger brown or rainbow but neither were seen. One long distance release on a brown that looked to be roughly 14inches. I rigged a #8 Hairball and trailed it with a #16 Black Swimming PT, my Dark Hendrickson (E.Subvaria) nymph imitation. The PT took more fish than the Hairball but it got a couple in. The afternoon was kind of slow, hiking back upstream fishing a pocket here or a run there picking up a bit of trash as I went. Sad to see such an excellent fishery with such life littered with aluminum and plastic, in my time visiting here this seems to be the rule and thus the name Trash Creek.

I rounded the day out hiking further upstream than I had planned but I saw aggressively rising trout and didn’t want to waste the opportunity. My #20 Jujubee Midge fooled three but the rest weren’t having it, size does matter. The majority of the afternoon midge were much closer to #24/26. I swapped back to the #8 Black SMB and fished a couple more deep holes managing a handful of 12-13inch browns. Hiking upstream I took note of brown puddles created by perhaps a concerning amount of cow manure coming from a pasture area upstream. Piles of manure all the way to waters edge, this can’t be good for the water quality. Trash Creek, bummer. I finished and hiked out taking a final water temp (46°F)  in the same riffle I took the morning assessment.  Final Note: Ephemerella Subvaria and Baetis were here in large quantities, Baetis in the slightly slower water upstream from faster riffles and the Subvaria all over the rocks in the fastest part of the riffles. Get ready, provided things go well with the melt April looks to be excellent.

Slide Show

After some careful consideration I have decided to submit the Hairball pattern as my entry in the Montana Fly Company design competition through the Outdoor Blogger Network. This pattern has really served me well these last couple of months and before that proved its effectiveness in the latter half of last season. Developed as my submission for the 2010 Pet-Fly Smackdown this fly has taken all three specie of trout here in Southeast Minnesota (Brook, Brown and Rainbow) and fishes well under varying conditions. I fish this pattern as a mini-streamer with a twitched or stripped retrieve as well as on the swing with a down and across presentation, it has also proven itself as a great lead fly in a two fly nymph rig dead drifted. I love the fact that I can fish different types of water with different presentations quickly with the Hairball, one moment it can be a streamer the next it can help get a nymph rig to the bottom of a deep run. This pattern is quick and easy to tie, subtle without too much flash and deadly effective. If your interested in more from the MFC check out their facebook page and add them to your list of friends.