Once again I have gone MIA for a month during prime time of the most remarkable trout season in recent history for this little niche of the woods. For the few left who still stop at this page for fly fishing drivel, updates and photos, I have taken your suggestions and installed a restroom laptop complete with voice recognition software so I can dictate/multitask reports during the remaining quiet time I have left. I have also purchased a pet monkey who, I am told, can pack orders, chop wood, pick blueberries and send emails to the Russian bride named Olga who keeps asking me to bring her for a visit to the US. I should be just fine now.
It is not that the Goat has not been out on the water with a bunch of awesome clients because he has. Its just that there is no time to write, especially since the hunt and peck method of typing and in fact focusing at the same time seems to be much more difficult at this stage of my life. Is this what they call mid-life crisis?????
OK, conditions. Yes we got crushed a few days ago. Every major news channel had images of the Kinni or the Rush blowing mud from all of its outlets. You don’t need me to tell you that you should probably hold off on the fishing thing for a few days. As I write, the Kinni is running at 262 CFS, down from 3000 CFS shortly after the deluge hit. It is still muddy but has nicely returned to its banks and is continuing to drop. The Rush is the same and might clear a bit faster. It will probably take a day or two yet, maybe more if we get more rain
The Fish. We may have taken another hit in fish counts from this recent blow out, hard to tell and we can only wait for the DNR to run their shocking surveys this August to know for sure.
Here is how my fishing and guiding has panned out this year
-March and April were tough, fish were caught but few and far between. There seemed to be radical fluctuations in air and water temps and it seemed a late warm up this year When we did start catching the fish were fat and big. Some of the nicest quality, hard fighting fish I have seen in years were caught in late April.
-May and early June brought reasonable weather and reasonable catching. Granted the numbers are down, make no mistake about it. Large pools and great holding areas would produce one maybe two fish if your approach was stealthy and you did not throw a bunch of errant casts and froth op the water before you accurately hit your mark. The fish did not give up second chances and if you were asleep at the wheel and failed to react on what might have been a bite(which probably was) you had missed your chance. Hatches were overall poor in my opinion and the best topwater activity happened for a short period of time each day. Bugs were thick on the rocks and fish were fat. There was little reason for them to come to the surface.
June and so far in July. “The return of the 9″-10″fish” Recently clients and myself have caught more smallish(really our regular village idiots) trout than all of the other months combined. I was pleasantly surprised to see these fish. I thought they might be gone. The larger, quality trout have been a bit tougher or have gone into their summer, or more nocturnal feeding habits. This is par for the course and is expected for this time of year. Most of the best fish have come on flies #20 or smaller. The big stoneflies I usually throw have not been producing as many fish as in years past.
Lastly for this report. Who ever left a fly rod in Martel the last week or so, shoot me an email, I know who found it.
There, a little something for you to chew on. How has it been for you?
14 users commented in " Dormancy and Deluge, "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackAwful. Been on the Kinni and the Rush at least a totla of 8 times. Rarely seen a rise, and have been using mostly nymphs. I have caught NOTHING. Terribly frustrating, but it doesn’t keep me from trying. Typically on the Kinni I’m on the Kinni at the Swinging Gate access, and that long straightaway to the left is usually wonderful. Not this year. ElPaso on the Rush at the Koch access has been no better. Heeeelp!
Hang in there! Not sure how exactly how to help. Start searching new water on both rivers. On the Kinni, try the lower. on the rush move down stream. make sure your getting to the bottom if nymphing and right now look for the fastest water you can find.
Thanks posting again Andy!
Right before the deluge, I thought things were really picking up. On my most recent outing to the upper Kinni, I picked up 3 fish that went 16+” in a couple of hours in the evening – never had that many big fish in one outing on the upper. Plenty of smaller fish too. I agree Andy, they are fighting this year. Lost one that was bigger still that launched itself twice, 3 feet out of the water. Not much surface activity and I agree with Andy, the big ones are only coming out at dusk. Size 16 pheasant tail was taking most of the fish – no surprise there. Good to have you back Andy!
Good to hear you are alive and well, my friend. A PBR toast to you.
Andy,
My fishing has been phenomenal!! I have caught dozens of the elusive Dust Trout as I sneak my way through the basement into the studio. Problem is….I keep losing my flies in the carpet….
I have been keeping busy in the studio working on my artwork and getting the stock up for the fly show next March. Plan on having a booth there. I am ashamed to admit that I do not even have my license yet this year……I know, I know my friend, you can lash me with the working end of a BASS tapper later…..lol.
No worries Trout Bum ebbs and flows. You may have picked a good year for that.
We must have shared one last night. MMmmm good!
Perfect!
Back on the horse, feels good.
Not much fishing for me in Western Wisco this year so far, as SE Minny has pulled me south of I-90 much of this spring/early summer. Fishing there has been great as have the hatches and dry fly fishing (and this is coming from a dirty ass nympher). Fish are starting to hammer well placed foamies.
Seems all our water is taking a lickin’ this season. Shocking survey numbers just came back from one of my favorite stretches of Minnesota water and the trout numbers are down, like 800 percent, literally. Silting and flooding are the two main factors. Wish I could blame those on Ma Nature.
Thank goodness for Mille Lacs Lake Smallmouth…
BS
I feel the love for the land use practices. As we continue to see the “plow to the edge” and “drain tiles for trout” programs flourish, once again our natural resources suffer. Was it MC Hammer or the Lobbyist and politicians who said “Can’t touch that”
Jake
Foamies are like smoores for trout.
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