IMG_1901Hot, hot, hot weather, not fishing, has been the norm lately. Trout at this time can be difficult to put on the end of the line. They feed during the cool period of which there has been very little of lately and can be very uncooperative during the mid day time frame. The dry weather has brought the biggest crop of hoppers out that I have seen in a long time. Chucking hoppers can bring some nice fish at this time of year, but this angler has not seen that result. This week we spent considerable time chucking live hopper (by hand) into the water over likely trout holding areas and had no takers. This is puzzling to me since they are a ton of calories in one meal. Western trout respond to these kicking insects floating along on the current, but the trout in Pierce County seem to let them float by. This angler has never had great fishing on hoppers during the summer months around here, but those patterns have probably not spent as much time on the end of my line as a trico or sub-surface fly at this time of year. Anglers have reported luck with flying ants and beetles lately but not hoppers. What’s your experience?

Tricos are out in the morning on the Rush, but they have thwarted many a fine caster. Go to long leaders and 6 or 7X tippet. Also #22 and #24 spinner imitations have been the norm. The river is extremeeeeeeeeely clear and spooky. Be stealthy or be outsmarted by the pea size brain trout, who are easy to spot now days but difficult to catch. Find shade and fast water with some depth for nymphing after the tricos, or blind cast some black deer hair beetles in #16 and #18 into skinny riffs for an occasional grab. #12 Royal Wulff’s have also brought some fish to the surface to feed. All in all the August fishing has been good. The water has remained cool with the cool August temps to credit for that. Looks like we are headed for cool weather again to begin September.

A BIT BASSY

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I Floated the upper St. Croix with friends last week. What a change in water level from only a month ago. I think we had to pull the boat across gravel bars at least 15 times on the float. Skinny water has the bass holding in about the same places where you would find trout on the trout streams lately. Faster, deeper dumps were the best holding areas. A few fish were caught in skinny water though. Dan(pictured) found a 17, 18, and the 19″ pictured here. He had the touch on that day. The rest of us caught a few but not many. I am still looking for that crazy “Hook a Bunch” day that usually happens every year but has yet to happen.
I have also been floating the lower St Croix by my house near Prescott. It has fished quite well for smallmouth numbers, but no fish over 17″ yet. The lower St. Croix is quite deep and the bass go there to escape when water temps soar. Early in the AM and just before dark have been the best.

IMG_4913WORLD RECORD BRAT
There is one Grocery Store in the town of Prescott, Wisconsin. That is all that it needs because no one who lives here would go to any other grocery store anyhow. Ptacek’s IGA has over a 100 year history in the area and the family that owns it still holds tight to the old fashioned values, service and loyalty, that made them successful way back when. An Incredible meat selection, a deli with home cooked lunch and dinner every day of the week, store hours 7 days a week, groceries bagged and delivered by friendly personnel right to your car, and a friendly work ethic that is unmatched.
On September 2, along with the Budweiser Clydesdales, Ptacek’s will attempt to break its own world record brat of 52 feet 2 inches by rolling out and cooking a 150 foot monstrosity of a brat and bun in the parking lot of their store at the top of the hill in Prescott. Yours truly will be one of the world record brat rollers. Be there or be square. Take a look Big Brat