To Dinosaur Land

• 7am: Coffee
• 7:30: Leave Loaded to Go Drive 23.4miles to Destination
• 8:09: Arrive 39min. later. Hike in.
• 8:40: Fish
• Noon: Lunch in Headwaters
• 2pm: Hike Out Drive 39min home.
• 2:30: Kiss Liz at Home
• 3:30pm Work

We’ve all seen it. I’m sure we’ve all left something behind. I’m not one for boy scouts anymore but the one thing that stuck with me was the whole leave no trace, leave only foot prints and take only pictures thing.

When I go to a stream I do so usually in a 1995 Ford F-150. She’s got almost 250k on her and runs great but she doesn’t get great gas milage. As a result of my non-eco friendly friend and my desire to make up for it I will be collecting trash from the streams I visit this summer with an end goal to fill the back end of my pick-up. I have a topper so trash won’t blow out. Recently I began collecting….Humans.

I love going to trout streams, with or without my stick. This, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful places in the state and it could be better but I know we all know this. Do you leave trash behind? I think its bad enough that my lost leader and tippet won’t bio-degrade for a good 500 years, I would never leave anything on purpose. I am just writing this to encourage those of you who see it, but don’t create it, to help pick it up. It won’t be as easy for someone to leave a bunch of trash behind if the stream looks pristine, unlike my coffee table which self-perpetuates a mess.

Day four found me deciding to bring my dog with me fishing. This means knowing that I’m probably not going to catch much but I did want to scout and hike down some trout water. We spent several hours travelling a section of stream that I’ve passed but never fished. I chucked a streamer into several holes with nothing to show for it. The dog made staying on a single spot difficult for more than five minutes. 

I was hoping that after a while she would tire and allow me to get a few casts in but that wasn’t the case. Even with her bad leg she kept me going the entire time we were out. I took only a few pictures this day but I had a good time regardless. The stream looked in good shape but it had some damage from the flood that occurred two years back. Interesting how the snow melt made the dirt erode from the banks that had been cut by the flood waters. 

Such a nice day outside I decided I needed to eat my lunch by a trout stream. Saw no fish rising, the water was cloudy due to snow melt. I did however find these: Midge arn’t the only thing twitching around the streams. 

Interesting that I found the Dobson Fly larva crawling in the snow, several of them infact, bigger worm looking things. Also, I collected between 6 and 10 Black Stone Flies and only 2 had fully developed wings, I’m wondering if they sit in the snow and develop them over time after they crawl from the water? I didn’t have my thermometer with me but I won’t make that mistake again.

Started my day on the water just after 10am hoping that the weather would cooperate with me. It, however, did not and I found myself fishing under cloudy skies with the wind a blowin’ right at me in most instances. This could be discouraging but I dressed warm and although my knees hurt at the end of the day I had a good time on the water. The first thing I noticed was the drastic water level difference on this (one of my favorite) stream between the summer level and now. With low flows the stream trickled from hole to hole which is where the trout are so this is hole hopping! I should also note that the water had cleared significantly from a week ago when this stream all the way to the source was a chocolate mess.

I started at the first hole and got about twelve holes in before hitting the end of the winter boarder. This, by the way, is way better than any round of golf, even in overcast, windy, 24 degree weather. I swung a scud with a midge trailed and got no where. Assessing the situation I moved away from the scud/midge and went to a #8 Black Marabou Leech. I’m not too experienced with swinging heavier weighted patterns with my 4wt but I figured got to get to the fish and that means down deep, practice is good too so a leech launching I went. It just so happens that today I would catch my first trout on a streamer pattern. The first fish made me laugh and I stopped to take it in. Slightly larger than a sardine you would find at the store but much more to look at. I smiled and sent it swimming. I could see that this was going to work. I found that I would get strikes right after the leech hit the water and it sank for just a second. I lost a few opportunities to take a fish due to the inexperience I had with this situation. I ended up loosing two or three that displayed some areal acrobatics which aided in there escape from my barbless hook.

I spent the cold weather leech launching into the wind and trying to get used to casting a heavier pattern. I picked up one more on my way from one winter border to the other. After taking in the entire section of winter fish-able stream I headed back to try my luck at two of the beginning holes. I took a few casts and sure enough missed one right as it struck after it just hit the water, I went back for more. I saw a flash, clearly a fish turning around, I set the hook and with that I had what I came for, a fight! This log didn’t jump once but sure did test my resolve, I was fishing with 7x tippet, in retrospect I will tie on 5x for the marabou leech but I was pleased when I pulled him out. I said hi, took my picture and sent him on his way. He ruined the hole for me and seeing the time I headed out. At 1:15pm I got to the truck to turn around and see parting skies and sunshine. I still caught a great fish and fought the poor weather to do so.

The state of Minnesota’s DNR has worked with landowners in our area, the S.E. to create more fishing opportunities by creating access easements. These are shown on the DNR maps found at the states website. Easements are great for people like myself who want to fish in different waters, but as I am finding out there just arn’t enough for me. The Trespass Law on second page of the Fishing Regulation Manual from 2008 states:

The trespass law applies to all outdoor recreation, including but not limited to: hunting, boating, fishing, trapping, hiking, and camping. When taking part in any outdoor recreation, you may not enter legally posted land or agricultural land without permission. Landowners, lessees, or authorized managers need only post their land once a year. The signs must be placed at intervals of 1,000 feet (500 feet in wooded areas) or signs may be placed at primary corners and at access points to the property. Signs must state “No Trespassing,” or similar words, in 2-inch-high letters and have the signature or name and telephone number of the landowner, lessee, or manager. There can be civil or criminal penalties for violation of the trespass laws with maximum fines up to $3,000 and license revocation. All conservationofficers and peace officers enforce trespass laws.

• MN Fishing Regulations
• MN Easement Brochure
• MN DNR Trout Stream Maps

This has led me to re-examine the designated water closest to me using the excellent resource Google Earth. This mapping tool can drastically change your view of your waters creating views that you just can’t get on any other map. Along with that the program can allow you to better estimate and judge your distance, by allowing you to map paths along the stream, and better judge your relation to Regulation lines for example, where a Winter Reg. line begins or ends if it’s not posted.

Using this I intend to take a different approach to access on the streams. I have picked what I believe the best opportunities for large sections of “private” waters and mapped them all so that I can approach an individual landowner and ask permission, and beyond that ask for mapping information so I can best judge my location, such as having the landowner mark approximate borders. I haven’t asked too many people for permission but I’m hoping that with the right attitude and approach that I can get consent for most the places I want to travel. 

With that then leads me to the next phase, once you have landowner permission does this work once? Twice? Forever? Well, I guess I would want to ask regularly and so along with asking permission I will be asking for parking information, a phone number contact, (so I can call ahead of time if need be) and names so I may leave appropriate notes. The goal being that I would like to get to know the landowners so I can feel comfortable fishing and perhaps create a relationship that will allow me to bring others. I’m hoping this isn’t too lofty a goal but before I will know I have to try first.

Today I found that tying and fishing are so much a part of my life they just seem to seep in throughout the day. This is when you become acutely aware that the hunt has taken over. So today while at work I found myself cleaning out the old equipment and came across the pile of old dimmers from the dimming system that I helped replace at the High School.

I passed by and thought of the wire and the suggestion from others that if your hard up for tying wire to cut into an old extension cord for the copper inside. I looked at the fat wires and decided to cut one out. GOLD, RED GOLD, wait COPPER!! Excellent 10″ sections of very thin red copper wire. I grabbed my wire cutters and went to work removing quite a few sections that would otherwise have gone to a recycling center when the whole lot goes out the door. They won’t miss some scrap copper.  

After work the dog had a Vet appt. this dog is a very large part of my life and hopefully after this leg heals she will be able to hit the woods and water with me again. She had to sit her pheasant hunt out this year but I’m hopeful she will be ok for next season to hunt up more tails. She had surgery in September after a bad frisbee jump, she won’t be playing disc anymore, we will stick with a ball. Her bone is just now, six months later, beginning to calcify.

After the vet appointment we happened to be driving fairly close to trout and I just couldn’t help stopping to look at a new stretch of water and if the warmer temperature had encouraged midge activity. I took few pictures but saw trout, however I didn’t see any signs of midge, it might have been alittle late in the day. 

So as I round out my day I’ve decided to try out that wire and combining it with the need for midge options, the Brassie has come to mind.

Brassie Variant:

• Hook: #18-#20 Nymph Hook
• Thread: Black 70 Denier
• Body: Red Wire
• Thorax: Peacock Ice Dub

Left work the other day with an hour of light. The air temp on my way to the stream was 29 degrees but I was layered well and ready for a short romp in the water. There is something very calming and peaceful about being on the water at dusk. I stopped to watch a trout rise almost every two minutes to take something off the top of the water. I love watching trout hold a feeding pattern, something to take note of when it comes time to cast that fly. I collected samples from a specific spot on this stream because I fished downstream of where I took samples last season with my friend Heath. I remember I caught a few trout on Light Cahill dry flies. 

I drove home when I could no longer see well enough to take samples. Note: the water temp was a nice cool 40-41 degrees. I drove home in the dark listening to MPR. It reminded me of many trips this summer driving home after dark listening to the radio. It was a crisp but good hour in the stream. When I got home I examined my samples and found interesting results. 

It gave me confidence to remember I caught trout on Light Cahill patterns and then to find nymphs from the Macaffertium family. I haven’t come to a conclusion between Vicarium or Ithica but I’m going to figure it out. I also found several Baetis and Emphemerella nymphs. Note: the brighter yellow on the Baetis and as a result of that yellow I tied several size 16 and 18 Hare’s Ears with yellow and cream bodies. I’ll be posting new flies soon. One last thing to discuss here would be the second to last photo above. I have yet to figure out what it is. The side of the macro you can’t see has several suckers on it. It is definitely not a caddis larva, and it was very long probably 12-14mm. Anyone have any thoughts? I’ll be looking too.

Could it be a Cranefly larva?

Finished work today and took another quick run to a stream almost in town. I did essentially the same routine as yesterday but yesterday being my first time taking samples today I found it easier to find what I was looking for. 

Things I found interesting:

-The curious amount of both Scuds and the Cased Caddis found in the picture above on the rock next to the mason jar. 

-The amount of another insect that I haven’t seen in a stream before, rather I used to see these in basements and under rocks outside. I’m curious if these were around due to the amount of decaying leaves in the water.  I compared them to scuds I found but they really are different. 

Answer: Sowbug – Research, Learn, Fish Smarter. 

- I found more stonefly and Baetis nymphs today as well as Trico’s I think… Am I correct in thinking these two below are two types of Baetis? Same shape, size, tail, gills just a different color. 

I’m still working on the best way for me to take better images with what I have at hand. I do want to learn about this, I just would rather save for a new rod or something along those lines. So, thats another afternoon tromping in the water. I found so many scuds it was crazy 10-1 for sure. I just had to state that again, I was surprised.