Notes of Interest:
- Fished from 12:20pm-3:30pm
- Sunny Skies and Low Wind
- 18°F Airtemp at 12:20pm
- Clear/Low Creek Flows
- No midge and no rising trout.
Out again to continue testing the newer streamer I’ve been tying, curious to see if it performs on spooky trout in a gin clear creek. Fished during a break I had over the afternoon. I figured since I wouldn’t have time to get out over the weekend this would be my best opportunity to scratch my itch for the foreseeable future. I had been thinking about exploring this spot for a while now but hadn’t hit it, I was holding on to it, biding my time. I’ve fished a fair amount of the water on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi and when I begin thinking about a new stretch of water I usually let it marinade in the back of my head until I can’t stand it any longer and have to go see first hand what is actually out there. Piece of advice for you, don’t let google earth have too much sway in your opinion of a potential spot, it’s a decent tool but nothing is more accurate than spending the afternoon fishing. The only way to know is to go, period.
This reach was high on the difficulty rating, maybe as high as an 8 or 9/10. The creek was so calm and small the fish saw me coming from a mile away despite my efforts. On a creek this size if you push a few fish up it will typically result in agitation and fewer willing trout but it’s not about the number of fish I catch, it’s about going, being outside, seeing the 
water, the trout and knowing what a section of creek actually looks like. That or this is just my excuse for catching only five trout and justifying my choice to fish a #8 streamer on a creek more suited for a #16 pink squirrel (sophomoric grin).
I fished upstream today and noted a number of small pockets, deep holes and solid runs on a piece of water I think most would pass on. The first fish of the day was a smaller brown trout 8 or so inches, aggressive little fish that ruined a good hole by making a splashy show as I fought him out of a root wad. This was how it went for the majority of the time, I either spooked the masses with the first cast with my streamer or I spooked the rest when I managed the first one in the spot. I was hoping to see midge and perhaps a few rising fish but none were noted. The creek felt healthy, good substrate, lots of invertebrates on the rocks and the water was pristine, so much so that I would have likely been fine to drink from it given the time of year and lack of farm field run-off.
Found a number of gem holes hidden among the trees, one of which gave up a huge brookie. It felt huge in my hands and the poor photos taken with my gopro do not do this fish any justice but I didn’t want to stress it out and I was almost shaking in amazement. This is the holy grail for me, a hidden and secluded creek that holds massive brookies (Homer drool). I managed this brookie then another brown right behind it, running short on time with no road to hike back I decided to hoof it out taking a photos on the way. This creek is a special spot that will likely go untouched until I return and if it isn’t before mid-spring it may not see another angler until next winter. I can almost guarantee this spot will be miserable to fish in the summer months, just another reason why winter trout season is excellent.
