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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