This was a season to remember as it was my first full season fly fishing the driftless area from January 1st in the frozen tundra, to September 30th with the arrival of fall. My goal was to see as many of the natural processes first hand as I could, to record and use that knowledge later to improve my angling abilities and my understanding of the fish I pursue in the environment they reside in. With confidence I can say that I did my best and although I missed a few things I have enough first hand information to begin the off season tying new patterns and altering old ones to better suit my needs. After having fished this entire season I have a better understanding of the changes that occur on our streams throughout the season and will use that knowledge to make better choices next season. I plan to concentrate on difficult to get to places earlier in the season and try to fish places that are more suitable after the full summer bloom kicks in, also for next season with the addition of a 9ft. 7wt rod that I have plans to build I will be targeting more warm water specie throughout the season, especially during the prime summer months of July and August. Read the rest of this entry »