I met with Winona Senior High students taking the Fish and Wildlife class on Monday, May 24th. I gave a re-vamped version of the trout presentation that I gave last year but this year I updated it and tailored it more to explain the Driftless Area and the trout that reside here. I gave the usual PowerPoint presentation so that the students get some hard solid information regarding the specie of trout, the habitat they require, behaviors exhibited, food and diet, ect… We talk about angler ethics with regard to Catch and Release and we go over locations to fish. For me it is fun to talk to young minds that may perhaps be swayed to go find a trout stream later, maybe that one kid will grow up enjoying our resource and may contribute to it’s preservation in the future. Even with how good this place is now it can always be better.

I brought bugs that I picked from a stream earlier in the morning and passed them around explaning various aspects of their importance to trout, the jar of bugs tends to get kids to pay attention a bit more. This year I included more information on Fly Tying and I demonstrated three simple but VERY effective patterns, a Caddis Larva, Grey Caddis Adult and a Peacock and Partridge (because I had everything handy). I also decided to bring everyone outside for a short casting demonstration with the last ten minutes of the class period. Let me tell you, an hour and twenty minutes is no where near enough time to cover all that I could discuss regarding this subject. I hope I made it enjoyable. Thanks to Brian Sather and the Fish and Wildlife class for having me, I’ll be back the next time you call.

-the w.f.f.

Slide Show

 

Day three found me hitting two creeks with plans to meet up with Wendy B. at a pre-determined location around 2pm. Knowing this I decided to hit my home waters quick prior to meeting later in the day. Slightly frustrated at this point I had felt as if I was slipping, I hadn’t caught a fish in too long it seemed. I started fishing a run that I know like the back of my hand and I can almost always pull a fish from this spot. I fished, and fished some more and eventually decided to figure out what the deal was…well as it turns out there wernt any fish in the hole. I was stunned, this is my goto run when I need to see a fish I go here. I’m still formulating ideas regarding where the fish are but at this point I moved upstream and fished some more enjoying another beautiful morning on the water.

I picked quite a few bugs taking samples as I went. On this trip I found my first Cranefly larva, I was surprised to see the size of the larva, huge in comparison to most of the macro-invertebrates found in the trout streams around here. I can see trout taking this guy to the dinner table for sure. Despite the warmer temperatures I was finding little surface activity so I spent most of the morning fishing streamers trying to entice a lunker to take my Rabid Rabbit.

I moved and left with some time to scout out the second location prior to Wendy’s arrival. I found several other fishermen on the stream this day, signs that I haven’t fished this time of year before, normally I don’t see anyone else but spring seems to bring traffic to the streams. This fact has made me alter my opening weekend plans but more on that later.

Wendy and I met and had a short introduction before hiking upstream quite aways to avoid the other stream traffic. I’ve been wanting to meet this guy for a while, knowing that we have much in common I knew we would get along well and we did. I asked my questions and we fished. I spent more time getting my line untangled than fishing but I was happy just to be in the sun. Wendy caught his share of browns nymphing holes and runs and I unfortunately caught nothing continuing my losing streak but I knew it would end eventually. After a few hours in the sun we headed back downstream and fished streamers. I took a water temp of 43 degrees at ~2pm and 47 degrees at ~6:15pm.

So, I haven’t posted much, this is a good thing. I’ve been playing in the water with trout rather than staring at a screen of any kind. Busy work and fishing schedules combined with getting three dogs the exercise they need has worn me out this week. I’m excited for Liz’s return tomorrow, I plan to fish the 1st half the day until about 11am, this will complete a very long, educating first week of spring that I was fortunate enough to fish much of. Pictures of all the days will follow this week. I even got a good one of a BWO, they were hatching today in water temps topping out at 52.5 degrees. Peace

-The Winona Fly Factory

I was invited back to speak with students from Winona Senior High’s Fish and Wildlife class. I did my previous presentation with alittle bit of new information that I have added since the last time I gave my trout dork speech. This time, however, I found I had to fight alittle to get students to respond but they came around towards the end when I got into tying. 

I discussed trout in Minnesota ranging from species, location, and behavior including spawning and feeding. We also discussed habitat, conservation and my desire to start volunteering for the MPCA which I plan to begin spring/summer. 

I tied two flies for the students explaining how each would be fished under different situations. The PT nymph because of its wide range of application. I explained how it is fished is related to the behavior of the trout and the habitat in which they live, understanding both will enhance your fly fishing. I also tied a size 20 Midge Larva to explain how trout will take such a small meal when that meal comes in large quantities and requires few calories to acquire, but that at the same time (as I learned with the Marabou Leech) when the fish are holding and there is no single food item they are keyed into, that fishing something larger providing more incentive to a holding trout may be better, maximize calorie intake while minimizing output. 

I hope I left a few with something they will want to look back on, if anything perhaps they will think about the area they live in a slightly different way, I know when I began to fly fish I began looking at this place in a different, better way. 

Liz and I decided to drive south to a trout stream that I wanted to see again. Knowing I couldn’t fish the stream I brought only a camera and the dog. We left at 8am with an air temp of probably 20 degrees, we didn’t park until close to 10am and the air temp was no more than 26. The sun was shining though and despite the wind it was a beautiful day and I was glad to be up and outside early. We hiked a route I had taken in the summer and I guess I was curious to see if I could find one, just one fish. The reason being: this summer none were to be found and in water that looked perfect for trout. 

We started and immediately I noticed that the water was clearer than I remembered it, an advantage of the winter season. I was hoping this would help me find where the trout were that I was missing this summer. We walked and I thought I saw a few move in a large 6-10ft deep pool. This was a very slow moving section of the stream requiring the wind to cooperate if I was to see what was on the bottom. After my initial thought we pressed on due to lack of wind cooperation. Moving on the next section for sure produced trout, I got excited and then confused. I was seeing in a section that I had witnessed no trout in during the summer almost teeming with them, I had to have seen 20 trout hold up in this hole.

Now, I know that they stack up in the deeper holes during the winter but do they migrate up/downstream and then hold up? Was it possible I was blind this summer and either the water was too murky for me to see them or I was so poor a fly-fisherman that I couldn’t catch even one? I’m not sure, the area they were hold up in was more of a long, slow, flat 4-8ft deep section, not a 10+ft deep hole. 

We hiked further than I had in the summer, after using Google Earth to map my route I was much more confident in my assesment of the easement boarder. Interestingly enough I thought I would see more fish further downstream but as we hiked I saw nothing. I’m not saying they wern’t there, I just couldn’t find them. After a few hours we hiked back to the car and as we did I stopped to look in the initial section of water that the wind had kept me from seeing more clearly in. At first I thought I saw one or two, and then I moved and saw more fish in this one section of water than I had in any other. I was awestruck. The only time I’ve seen more fish in one spot is in the hatcheries. 

I watched, they were deep. Holding, still. I sat and wished there were winter regs here. After ten minutes or so Liz and the dog got me moving back to the truck. I’m glad I came back, I might have unfairly judged this section of water writing it off as a barren wasteland when in fact it might hold some sweeeeet trout. I will be making another trip here in a few months.

Think about this:

Started the day on the water at 10am. Took the day slow and enjoyed every moment. Caught no fish but after quite a hike through some rough woods came to the stream and found midge rising later in the day as the water temp rose to almost 38 degrees. The trout were hard to find for some reason today, walked more than fished, searching for them… Had a good day, explored new water.

Slide Show

 

No midge, no rising trout, just pureed peas and diapers. Liz and I spent the warmest day of January and my first real opportunity to fish in nice weather again watching my niece Chloe. We had a good time but a 7 month old is a challenge and Liz and I, well we don’t have much practice so we decided that we needed to spend the time just focusing on the little one. That left me pouting basically, swinging from frustrated looking out the window to smiling when I hear the Clover spout “ma-ma-ma-maaaaa!” I took the dog out for a while which was excellent, this was the first time I let her run off the leash. She took a few diggers but walked them off and limped on her bad leg only a few times. All in all, no trout but an excellent day. 

So when I pulled off the water this morning I noticed the nice beautiful sun. I decided to get some coffee at the Blue Heron in town, which by the way is a good place to get the ever important coffee and sit in the sun. After a few minutes my phone rang…”Have you been out yet today?” I thought about the amount of sun and the wind. The forecast predicted much stronger winds which is what pulled me off the water earlier, and now they weren’t too bad. So, how could I say no to that.

We hit a tributary of the Whitewater River and then stopped at the main branch on the way out. No midge again today but defiantly saw more fish today than in previous days. The wind was biting at times and guides froze quickly today but all in all it was very enjoyable. I’m still fishless this winter season but I’m in no hurry. 

We found a hole that contained easily thirty trout, unfortunately my approach still needs work. I ended up casting a #14 tato scud with a #20 pt trailer once and then on the retrieve getting it stuck right at the water line. My only option to salvage the hole for another cast was to crawl on my belly in the snow to the bank. I managed to pull it off only to break the line due to ice but I recovered both flies. After tying them back on in the cold I tried again only to get two casts before they were on to me. Difficult. Still, alot of fun!