Trip Report: After Work Delight

Yesterday I took a few hours of vacation time to chase trout on a delightful stream that lies not too far from work. It was breezy which made casting hard but air temps were comfortable. The snow is gone now and the stream was clear and flowing well. The sun was muted by light wispy clouds which made approaching this tiny creek a little easier.

 This stream is heavily improved and chock full of eager brown trout. I began by tying on a size 16 San Juan Worm and prodding some of the shallower runs. This worked well. Fish were pretty spread out but all hungry for the worm.

 These guys along with many others took the worm with abandon. When I arrived on stream there were some baetis mayflies coming off the surface. I considered switching flies but fish didn't rise with enough consistency to spur the change.

 This chunky brown put up a good fight in such skinny water. I spooked a few bigger ones but landed none larger. At around 330pm I felt something on my neck and found a decent sized stonefly! This thing was no little black winter stonefly but a solid 1 1/2 inch fly. I considered trying a Gray Skittering Caddis dry fly but again didn't see fish rising with enough consistency. After calling it a day I returned home to find this!!!

I figure if I'm going to sell fly rods I'll have to build a sexy one for use (advertisement) on stream.

Trip Report: Couple Days, Couple Fish

On Saturday I got out fishing with a new friend. We put in a few miles to access a pretty remote (for Minnesota) stretch of stream. Air temps reached the high 40's during the heat of the day and water temps hovered in the low 40's. Snow melted off throughout the day leaving a decent stain on the water. After hiking down a pretty steep bluff we hit the water. I started fishing streamers and landed a few.

This decent brownie ate the buffalo streamer fished really deep in the pool pictured behind me. I call it the toilet bowl! I know there are some bigger fish in there but not for me on this day. By around 1pm a decent baetis hatch began. I switched up my rig and tossed a size 16 CDC BWO Emerger to the biggest fish I spotted rising.

After launching a massive cast this guy came up and gently sipped my fly from the surface. Notice how much line is downstream in the picture. Massive cast!

 After hiking on a bit I turned back to see a landscape that reminded me of my trout filled adventures in Montana. After soaking it in for a while I tossed the dry fly to this chunky trout!

We didn't keep track today but probably landed two dozen between the two of us. We were able to entice a few really nice trout to chase the streamer but couldn't haul in anything over 16 inches. My fish were landed on the buffalo streamer and CDC BWO. I will definitely hit this spot again before it becomes too overgrown, perhaps to chase trout and morels!

Trip Report: It Was The Best of Times

It was the worst of times. I woke up to overhearing my wife on the phone with the vet. Our pooch swallowed a bone that was too big for her to digest so $1200.00 later my day was off to a "worst of times" kind of start. I planned to fish a stream close to home that I've never fished. I've had a few occasions when I planned to hit this spot but things always came up and I just never got to it. I arrived on stream around 9am and with crystal clear waters and partly cloudy skies began to ply the waters of the creek with the trusty San Juan Worm.

 Because the stream was so clear and the skies were so sunny fish scattered with every foot step. These fish took the worm on monster casts. I had to downsize my indicator as well since fish would scatter when the larger one hit the water. This stream is full of debris and boulders which makes it ideal habitat for lots of small to mid sized trout. After landing around 30 trout I decided to move a little quicker up stream to see what the more rugged stretches of this creek have to offer.

A few miles up I approached the king of all beaver dams. It was the shape of an 8 with a tail pool and a head pool. Separating the two pools was a beaver hut with some full trees pulled in the water. I waded in and began casing the SJ Worm at the tail end of the pool. While admiring my surroundings I pulled back to cast and missed a fish that had nipped the worm. At this point I decided to give streamer fishing a shot. The only streamer I had in my box was a Mohair Leech pattern that I tied up one day out of boredom.

After missing a decent little thump I decided to move toward the head pool. I eased across the left side of the 8, opposite the beaver hut. There was a tree overhead and as I began to ease around the overhanging branches I spotted two absolute beast brown trout sitting on the bottom. I waited until the sun passed behind the clouds before carefully easing under the overhanging branches. The sun came out again and stopped me in my tracks. The sun cloaked again behind the clouds after a brief moment and I again eased forward. When I reached a decent point to attempt a cast I stood with branches behind me and two huge trout twenty feet ahead of me. My first cast spooked them both. I lobbed a roll cast across the sluggish current, waited for the fly to drop, and gave a few twitches...nothing. I repeated and again nothing. I then spotted the smaller of the two beasts around 30 feet ahead. I launched a heroic cast and the fly managed to twist around and land 10 feet ahead of it's target. Again I waited, twitched, and BOOM, it's on! After a sluggish battle this beast came to hand.

This trout measured just shy of 21 inches! My new personal best. At this moment I decided that I'm going to up my streamer fishing game this summer. After a few pics she was released to the depths. 

 Still shaking from the excitement my attention turned to the other, bigger trout. I took a few blind casts when one took a particularly good looking drift. I gave the fly a few quick twitches and spotted a big 'ol mouth open. I felt a brief bump, then nothing. I thought to my self, "damn, that was probably my chance." In the midst of that thought I noticed him swim forward and settle along a big boulder on the bottom. I took a few casts before landing one that seemed perfect. Again after a few twitches I saw a  big 'ol mouth open up. I waited for a second and set the hook. Wahooooo!!!!!!!!!! This guy put up a battle. I countered every one of his moves minimizing his ability to get any good runs going. After a number of spirited head shakes he came to hand!

This kype-jawed beast measured around 23 inches. My new personal best, caught within 10 minutes of my last personal best!

The reel seat and grip of this fly rod measures 10 3/4 inches! After a few quick pics and a moment of rejuvenation this brute swam a circle in front of me before returning to the depths. It was kind of like he was saying "well played, sir well played." At this point the frustration of having to pay a big vet bill had melted away and I was only looking forward to sharing the excitement of my success with the wife and pooch! I walked a few miles back to the car stopping intermittently to take a few casts. I finished the day with around 40 fish to hand with most measuring between 8-13 inches.

Trip Report: Cold and Fishy

First off, I caught a load of little brookies last night.

Today I got out hoping to find some hungry fishes. Temps reached the high 30's and while I did not check stream temps I can assure you it was damn cold! It was cloudy with flurries throughout this outing and the stream had just enough color to make the most stealthy of approach unnecessary. My friends Shawn and Josh accompanied me today. I started out fishing the San Juan Worm.

 I immediately landed a bunch of average sized browns on the SJW. Before long I noticed midges buzzing about and decided to try a pattern I've never fished before. I tied on a size 18 Pheasant Tail Emerger and landed four or five smaller trout in short order. On a particularly good cast I watched a nice high teens trout run at the fly with his shoulders out of the water. He missed! At this point Sean and Josh caught up having each landed a few.

 I decided to go back to the worm to see if he'd fall for it. I'm not sure if this was the one that bullrushed the emerger but he put up a great fight.

This also could have been the one. It would have been pretty sweet to land this guy on an emerger. It was still cool to fight and land this fish with witnesses! After releasing him we continued up stream. We each landed a few more before the day was done. Fish ate the Pink San Juan Worm, Pheasant Tail Emerger, Pink Squirrel of Prey, and Flashback Pheasant Tail.

If interested in fishing any of the flies used today buy 'em up at Whitewater Valley Flies

Trip Report: Broke Down Fishin'

I planned to fish from around noon to five, hoping to be home early enough to cook a good meal and get some things done around the house. The fishing worked out, the drive home did not! 

I arrived on stream with air temps in the low 50's and strong winds. I picked a spot that lies in a protected valley and found that the wind didn't effect my casting too much. This spot is chock full of rainbows that were stocked last fall and they're still pretty stupid.

This fat little bow took a size 18 Olive WD40 trailed behind the Squirrel of Prey. Most of the bows today put up a pathetic fight, flailing on the surface as I pulled them to hand.

This was the biggest bow of the day. He put up a great fight and leaped clear from the water twice! He also took the Olive WD40. After landing around a dozen and a half of these I finally tied into a brownie.

He took the Squirrel of Prey fished on the bottom. It was immediately apparent that the fish on the other end of my line was not a rainbow based on the type of fight he put up. I landed another three smaller browns before moving on. I decided to hit another stream on my way home and I'm (kind of) glad I did.

 Upon arrival I rigged up with a very small indicator and an Olive WD40 trailed behind a size 16 San Juan Worm. I proceeded to catch around a dozen and a half more trout. These browns were fun to hook into in a foot and a half of water. I also landed some brookies here!

This was the best brookie of the day. The brookies really liked the SJ Worm! I hope to find another good brookie stream this summer. After stalking 'em I stood tall and watched a ton of fish scatter...good to know that there's a healthy population of fish here. After gearing down I hopped in the car and turned the key but she wouldn't start. After calling my wifey and a failed attempt at jumping it we had to call roadside assistance-best investment ever!

Interested in purchasing some of the flies used on today's outing? Whitewater Valley Flies

Trip Report: Minnesota Wilderness

With temps forecast to hit 40 degrees today I decided to take a long walk in search of trout! I arrived on stream by 8am and reached the car at 5pm. With around a half inch of fresh snow last night I expected the stream to be a little cloudy but the water was crystal clear. In fact I was able to stand on the high bank and see many of the big fish I didn't catch swimming around some of the deeper pools.

The day started out chilly and cloudy but as the day marched on the sun made a few brief appearances. I rigged up a pink squirrel of prey with a pink scud dropper and trudged the depths of the first run I approached. Nothing. The next run proved more productive.

The first fish of the day was the biggest fish of the day! He took the squirrel of prey. My fly rod was propped up a little off the ground so the perspective is a little off in this photo but this fish probably measured around 16 inches. He put up a great fight before coming to hand.

Today I reached the point on this stream that I reached last spring while fishing with my brother and decided to continue into the unknown. I found some great pools and spotted some very nice trout swimming around. I rolled three fish larger than the one pictured above but failed to land them.

 This was the last fish of the day. He came at the 3.61 mile mark. I hiked a total of 7.22 miles today in the neoprene waders and was soaked in sweat by the time I collapsed into my car. Most of the larger trout chose the squirrel of prey while smaller trout preferred the scud. I did land three smaller trout on a size 20 Matt's Midge during a minor midge hatch! It was surprising how much snow still clung to the hills. Hopefully this will melt off fast enough to send a small push of water through area rivers to push some silt out.

If you're interested in fishing any of the awesome flies I used on today's outing check out my selection of flies for sale (and fly rods too!) at Whitewater Valley Flies

Sweet New Fly Rod Build!

This build is a four piece 9' 4/5 weight. It is build on a mahogany Anglers Roost Enterprises blank. If anyone is interested in this rod or in the market for some flies check out www.whitewatervalleyflies.wordpress.com