Brule River Report-Fun and Punishment

Look How Big That Buck Is!

We rolled into the hotel parking at O-dark thirty. My friend Kurtis and I had driven through consistent snow showers, ice pellet squalls and sleet rains most of the way and were happy to arrive at our destination. The fishing report from the motel proprietor was one I had heard before. “They were catching fish about a week ago after the rains, but by all accounts it has been slow lately.” “Should have been here last week!” We had traveled to the Brule River knowing that fun and punishment are always to be expected at this venue, and we were happy to know nothing had changed. Undaunted by the comment, we paid for our room and were off to the Kro-Bar for dinner.

The Kro-Bar has been a regular stop on this trip. The Brule River Motel is within walking distance to the Kro-Bar which provides not only adult beverages but simple and effective food at good prices, allowing us to keep our calorie count high during this calorie burning trip. The other service the Kro-Bar provides is a meeting place for Steelheaders. Stories, reports, tall tales, gaming and the chance to meet old, new and local anglers are all wrapped into one when it comes to this establishment. We take full advantage of the pool and ping pong tables as well as darts and video Big Game Hunter to finish off a good days fishing. The food specials are well worth the price. Don’t expect the fastest service though, things move a bit slower there. Nothing works better than a nice tip at the end of the night though, the wait staff seems to remember the extra green.

Here is how the trip shaped up.

Monday

Drove through snow and rain. Dinner special at Kro-Bar, dollar burgers. Both of us were filled up for $4.00. Had a few beers. Shot some pool, I played well.

Tuesday

At 12:41 am I was still at the bar from the night before. I remember making a toast to health and happiness before we headed to home for bed. Turned out this was the exact time my friends John and Allison Mowery brought their new baby girl, Caroline Julia Mowery, into this world. I know we were all exhausted. It was a special morning. Congrats!    Woke at 7AM, Breakfast at the Twin Gabels Resturaunt, on the river by 10. Trafic was a little heavier than expected for a Tuesday. Met friends Randy and Gaird on the river at noon and fished till almost dark. Kurtis hooked 1 fish mid-day but we never saw it, Gaird hooked one with the same results. The rest of us fished hard and had no action except smolts. Talked to at least 20 other anglers that day and reports were of only 2 fish being caught and maybe a half dozen hook ups. Things were slow and you could tell by the posture and personality of the anglers we met that day. We finished the day with pool, ping pong and Pizzas at the Kro Bar.We had an amazing game of 6 man rotational Ping Pong. There were not enough paddles, so we all used ash trays to hit the ball. The game will never be the same. We met Sam and Russ who had been there for a few days and they had landed two fish, and had pictures. Our spirits were lifted and we played hard. Thanks Sam and Russ for your friendship and the pictures.

Sam

Russ

Wednesday

Wednesday was a day of exploration. Kurtis and I did more walking than fishing. It was OK though because we fish the same water too often, we needed to see more of the river. Fishing new water is a bit harder because of the unfamiliarity factor. It takes time to learn the nuance of new water. Factors like where the snags are and determining sweet spots take time. We had fun, walked a long way, got stuck in mud and roots, fell down, mistakenly wandered onto private property and learned the importance of a map. It was all good. Caught no fish. Upon arrival back at the hotel, we learned that Randy had caught a small brown and a Steelhead. Our spirits were once again lifted.

Thursday

Kurtis and I vowed that this would be our day. We had gone 2 and 1/2 days without a hookup and were a bit rough around the edges. We would not be disappointed. The fish came near the end of the day at our favorite hole. We both landed and lost 1 fish each within 1 hour of time in the same place. We fished hard on Thursday and it paid off. We met our friend Bob that night. He drove over from Cable, Wisconsin. He had been Muskie fishing that day and had not seen a fish. We felt his pain.

A Happy Man

A few notes on the Brule:

Fly Selection- Of all of those who caught fish on the days that we were there, no two fly patterns were the same. The variety was from bugs to eggs- no two the same color, no two the same size. I do believe that when fishing is slow it is more about being in the right place at the right time with good presentation and reasonable looking flies.

Fish location- Fish were being caught in the deep water pools or deep water tail outs and side eddies. There was only 1 report of fish coming out of fast water pockets. The water was cold.

Pictures of Randy and Kurtis’ fish were not available because no one had a camera. I am told by witnesses that they were in the 24″-28″ range and fat. Anglers have said that the fish are fatter this year.

Thanks to all those who I crossed paths with the last 4 days who told their stories or gave their advice. If you have been up to the Brule in the last week shoot me a comment and tell me how you did. I am headed back on Monday for a few days. I will give you a report.

Kurtis, Ready To Go!