Trip Report: Warm Wet Winter Weather

I got out fishing in the rain for a few hours this morning before the Packer Game! I've been working on my midge game and today shaped up to be a pretty good day for fishing the midge. I arrived on stream to find some stocker rainbows rising sporadically. I tied on a black zebra midge and launched it through the mist.

I landed four or five of these guys before making my way upstream, further into the mist! It rained steadily which allowed me to move around with ease. I tied on a streamer for a little bit and landed one small brown. I had another decent one on and had a vary large brown chase the fly to my feet. Upon entering a long flat I re-rigged with the zebra midge and tossed it toward a decent fish I could see holding to the bottom.

 Got him! After a decent fight on the four weight he came to hand. I've been tying up loads of these little zebra midges sz 18-22 to sell online so I decided to load up my fly box when I got home.

I want to frame this picture and hang it in my trout room! After a brief pause in fishing spent enjoying my surroundings I continued upstream. 

To my surprise a little Brookie took my fly. Today I landed the triple play of MN trout-a brookie, brown, and rainbow trout! I was pretty satisfied with this considering I did not expect to find a brookie. I continued upstream a short ways but found only a few more tiny browns. I turned around glad that I braved the rain but chilled to the bone.

Midges came off the water intermittently but very little surface activity was seen. I saw no other fisherpeople today in a place that is usually crawling with them on the weekends. I'm guessing the rain kept 'em away.

I fished briefly on Friday afternoon and caught my first Tiger Trout, a brook and brown trout hybrid. He took a pink squirrel of prey. I thought I hooked a little brownie but upon further inspection noticed the markings of a tiger! The pic was taken with my flip phone...I wish I'd have had my good camera as this fish had spectacular markings.