Trip Report: Hot, Hot, HOT!

This morning I cross referenced my Minnesota trout stream map with my gazetteer and decided to hit three new streams. The first one is located about 20 minutes from my house in a narrow, tree filled valley. I had trouble finding the easement section and learned from a nice fella driving by that the owner of the land does not like people to use it! He gave me accurate directions and warned me to beware of the owners big 'ol dog. After a brief conversation we parted ways and I found the stream. Overall impression: it sucked! On to stream two.

I went back and forth between nymphing and fishing dries. I probably would have caught way more fish if I stuck to fishing with nymphs but what's the fun in that? 

This spot was beautiful. The clear and cold spring creek flowed through a cow pasture, between rolling tree covered bluffs. After walking around a mile and half and catching around twenty feisty brownies I moved on to another stream. 

After crossing a few bridges where the stream looked like this I found a much more accessible spot. Over the last few days I've gotten tired of climbing through tall grass, risking rattlesnake bites and ticks. The first hole that I found was close to the road. As I approached the stream I notice a nice fish take a small bug off the surface. I walked down stream a ways and climbed through tall grass, risking rattlesnake bites and ticks!

This pool tested my casting skills! I managed to catch six out of this pool before hooking into this guy. He gently sipped the fly from the surface before going ballistic after I set the hook. After that the pool was no longer productive. I hopped in the car and moved to another pool (within walking distance!)

In this pool it was the same deal. I cast with my right hand and had to throw the line over my left shoulder, crossing my body with the fly rod. This time I hooked another half dozen or so flies before this brute did the same as the last. I moved one last spot. I approached the first pool with great stealth and made yet another impossible cast. A huge brown crushed the fly but when I set the hook there was nothing on the other side. I caught a few more smaller browns before calling it a day.

All fish were caught on size 12 caddis dry flies, size 12 stimulator dry flies, and size 16 birds of prey nymphs with tungsten bead heads. I used 3.3 lb test tippit on a 4 weight St. Croix fly rod.