After weeks and weeks of tying flies and working on rods I made myself free to fish this weekend! I hoped yesterday would have been a little warmer but by noon, at 8 degrees, I went for it. I chose to hit a short easement on the headwaters of a popular local stream. Expecting to find the stream low and clear it ran at a good volume and with a heavier stain. I fished from 1230-330pm and landed a half dozen or so. I didn't take any pictures and kept the fish in the water to avoid exposing them to the bitter cold which would likely damage their gills.
Today a friend and I hit a local hot spot that is usually free of ice even during the coldest periods. The stream was ice free but this stream also had a heavy stain. We fished a little ways and I landed one 12 incher. As we fished up the stain became chocolate milk. We called an audible and headed to a spot with smaller fish but cleaner flows.
This is the key to finding open water and willing trout. It's striking to find healthy greenery in the midst of a frozen landscape. We found fish stacked in areas dense with springs. Most were on the bottom and in deeper pools but I took a few fish from faster and shallow runs.
The cloudy skies and slight stain on this usually crystal clear water concealed our prowl. This guy and many of his friends took a size 16 orange scud. Others ate a size 14 pink squirrel of prey. For a rod I used a Whitewater Valley 7' 6" three weight. Check out Whitewater Valley Flies for the flies and rod I used today!
One of only two brookies, he was the lone fish to eat a size 20 rusty mayfly nymph. Despite temperatures reaching the low 30's the wind left today feeling much colder than yesterday.
Conditions weren't too bad for winter fishing today. Temperatures are on the upswing and fishing should improve throughout the week as long as the area doesn't see any rain or sunny days with temps above the mid 30's. If snow begins to melt into streams water temperatures will drop and fish will become more lethargic. I'm not sure why the streams we checked out today had such a stain to them. We saw no bovine activity and it couldn't have been run off. If anyone has any thoughts let me know!
Maybe it was manure spread? That would be my guess, the little bit of run off could have carried enough in the dirty things up a bit. Did you temp the water at all? I usually temp the brown water this time of year, if its colder its likely run-off related where as if its the same temp as the clean water then I think more cattle or other animals causing the sediment.
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