This week we have continued our rain/cold roller coaster. Looks like the weekend crew will once again have optimal fishing conditions. Over an inch of rain on Tuesday of this week kicked the color out of the streams again, but briefly. Last weeks almost 3″ on Wednesday, really put some mud, nitrogen and phosphorous into the systems and kicked the trout waters of Pierce County in the teeth for a couple days. All has settled now, but the cold has slowed the normal late April feeding and bug hatching down a bit. Looks like we will stay a bit cool and rainy but today and Saturday look to be nicest days to be on the water. On a side note, Two big fish that I heard about were caught this week, both 23″. One came on conventional tackle and the other got caught in the commercial fishermen’s nets at Prescott yesterday as the harvesters were gathering their quota of buffalo carp. Another case of big browns in the St. Croix and Mississippi. Sorry fly crew.

A few caddis were bouncing the edges of the stream and a subtle rise here and there seemed to be the norm for the last few days. Nymphs were the game for catching and anything presented reasonably could find a trout here and there. Soft hackle hares ear, caddis emerges, #20 flashback p. tails each caught fish. Maybe the warmth today and tomorrow will get some bugs back on the surface water. Below are answers to a couple of questions asked the last couple weeks.

Hi Andy, just had a quick question. I was fishing the Rush River last Friday. Had a good day. Caught about 18 fish but they were all small. Usually on the Rush the fish tend to average bigger .

So my question; “Was that just the stretch of river I was on or is there a different growth cycle there, or is that just the way it is? I have to say I’ve never seen that many small fish on the Rush in the last 6-7 years.
Anyways I thought you might have some thoughts on it.

Thanks,

Eric

Eric
Thanks for the question. As I understand it, the Rush is showing some very good numbers for natural reproduction the last two years. This is great news. It will take a couple of years for those fish to grow. I also believe that there are some year class holes, especially on those larger fish that you speak about. It is difficult to pin point what exactly the reasons but there have been some natural events(large floods and cooling stream temps) that may be playing a part in the size distribution. Remember you are talking about your data for one angler day. Remember the day when you caught all the big fish? Habitat will ultimately determine where in the river the best hatches(of trout in this case) will occur. Those little fish will probably have higher density in those places. Your experience is not unusual. Anglers throughout the region are having the same results. I refer to the small trout as “wiener dogs” and try to get them back to the water ASAP. There are still some awesome size trout in the Rush, but there may be a few less of them than in years past.

Just wait, things will change again.
Thanks for the contact.

Andy
I’ve never chased caddis on the Rush/Kinni before and would like to in the next few days/weeks. What’s the best time of day to catch the hatch?
Brian

Hi Brian
Yours is a great question I think only Mother Nature can answer. Some anglers who spend a heck of a lot of time on the water may be able to give you some details about targeting Caddis specifically, but for the most part caddis inhabit specific niches. It can be difficult to reliably target their emergence and egg laying events on our spring creeks as apposed to the big western waters that have reasonably reliable flows and reasonably regular hatch occurrences.

As I understand it there are over 1,200 species of Caddis in North America. I am not sure anyone knows how many of them exist in the Kinni/Rush. Besides the early gray caddis which hatched a couple of weeks ago and tends to emerge in the mid-afternoon in early april, a majority of the hatches will start showing up as both the air and water temps warm up. I have never hit this hatch regularly in the same place year after year. My best luck on caddis has tended to been in the late afternoon into evening in the summer.

The nature of our spring creeks, as I have experienced, is volatile. What is sand bottoms today can be limestone rubble tomorrow after the flash flooding of a 3 inch rain. I have listened to the clunking of boiling ball size rocks tumble down the river during some of these floods. Entire deep holes have been filled in with sand and new gravel bars and flats appear over night. Our rivers can change so fast that the specific requirements of some species of caddis can be washed away in a heart beat or can be moved to another location because of the rearranging of the stream bed. It is difficult to have reliable information to give you in order to target these critters, year after year, because different types of caddis have different times when they become fish food.

I love to fish, I go when possible and hope to run into a nice caddis hatch. If I find a hatch, and I can return the next day to see if there is some regularity to it, I will have stumbled on a little treasure. I will carry caddis adults in 4 colors(peacock, gray, tan and olive) and three sizes(12,14,16). I carry emergers in olive-green and tan and brown. This variety has covered me throughout the years.

Others, Please chime in.

Poor water conditions exist today on the main stem, branches and tributaries of the Kinni, Rush and Trimbelle after almost 3″ of rain fell on the mostly barren farm fields of Pierce county. Conditions should improve tomorrow and be good by the weekend.

Hi Goat,
In your experience, what is the likelihood of catching big fish on small flies? I will never go back to my early days of throwing a crawler into a pool; but sometimes miss catching the big trout. It seems like after a certain size they don’t waste their time on little bugs. If you were targeting bigger fish only, what patterns/sizes would you throw?

Pat

Thanks Pat

First question. Here is my non-scientific gut feeling.

I have to define what big is and put this into perspective. Lets assume we are talking “driftless trout big”. For me that is probably over 15″. Some say, at 12″ long, trout start to feed more heavily on larger forage(minnows, crawfish, sculpins, etc) and begin their growth to big. Some say 12″ is big. I would say 20″ or better is a trophy for our waters. Larger trout rivers of the West and big tail-waters like the Big Horn will have a different definition of big.

The likelihood of catching big fish on small flies is less than on big flies. For me, this is a simple calorie/metabolism/biological thought process. Small fish have little body weight to support. Their calorie needs for function are a whole lot less than trout with more mass. Eating 20-#20 nymphs may support a small trouts energy needs for an hour whereas it may only support a big trout for 5 minutes.  The energy expended to catch enough small bugs to support the larger mass may put the bigger trout in the red as far as the calorie bank is concerned. In other words eating small bugs may not be a sustainable feeding activity for bigger trout. I look at it this way, If a trout has to expend the same amount of energy to eat one french fry as it does to eat a quarter pounder with cheese. It will probably choose the quarter pounder if it can fit it into its mouth without choking. Simple right, expend the same amount of energy get more calories.

Now that being said, I have caught big fish on small flies. I love M&M’s. They taste good. When I was young and weighed a lot less, my mother would give them to me one at a time. They were rewards for being good. I could never get enough of them. I have never forgotten how good they tasted. Now, I can sit on my fat ass nicely toned posterior and eat a whole bag while I am on the couch watching TV. It takes very little effort. I do not have hunt them down or wait until I do something good to receive one to eat. Now, a trout on the other hand may also remember his or her childhood and the taste of a single mayfly nymph and how sweet and luscious it was. Under the right circumstances or when in competition with other trout for food, a large trout may also take a small fly. Many times, a single trico cast to a large feeding trout has resulted in an eat. Numerous times, during blanket hatches of tricos so thick you could not breath without a scarf across your mouth and nose, I have witnessed trout vacuuming the surface with their mouth open to eat small mayflies. These gluttonous trout, tail wagging and head above water, slowly swim the flat water and gorge themselves on the M&M’s of the aquatic world. Later in the morning they would cruz the weed mats where they expended little energy eating the millions of trico carcasses lodged along the edges.  They remember, or recognize the food, and are opportunists when the food is plentiful. But under the right circumstances they also will take one small fly. You can catch big fish on small flies.

Targeting bigger fish only, I would definitely take the streamer route and target the slower, deeper, undercut bank, rock pile, wood pile backwater structure. I would fish the lower end of rivers, especially now. Big trout will go out into the bigger waters to find big forage. The water temps are just fine for trout right now in the Mississippi, St. Croix, and other rivers. That will change as the water temps rise and the trout retreat to the cool water of their streams. The Walleye guys and gals at the dams at Red Wing and below have been finding some nice browns in the Mississippi. Patterns are wide and variable and range in size from #8 to 2/0. Buggers, Rabbit strip leaches, Todd’s Wiggle Minnows, Clousers and Murdich minnows, mouse and frog patterns. Fish at night. The bigger trout have turned nocturnal. I think science has proven that out. The number of trout in our regional systems that are over 20″ is small. Over 15″ is better. Right now there are a whole bunch of small fish in the systems from record reproduction the last couple of years.

Over the years I think I have experimented my way through most the phases or stages related to catching. They are all fun and have their positives and drawbacks. Eventually most anglers settle into the phase they enjoy most. Along the way you learn a lot about the fish, the forest the water and yourself. My current phase is the chillax phase. I like it, just like all the other phases of fishing for trout.

Thanks for the question Pat.

TROUT

 Feeding on a Mega Midge Diet, the trout of Pierce County are getting fat and sassy. If you are heading out to the stream this weekend make sure that you pack all the usual midge patterns both sub-surface and dry. Patterns like zebra midge, brassie and jujube midge. For drys, the Griffiths gnat, stillborn midge and a floated soft hackle pheasant tail also will work. The fishing was fun both dry and wet. Sizes were consistent in the 10-11″ range with the largest being 14″ no monsters were caught. 

The first BWO’s should be right around the corner, big #16’s. I hope you find them. After that we should see the little Gray caddis in early April. Keep your eyes on the reports from Southeast Minnesota and Southwestern Wisconsin, ours usually come a week or so after theirs.

Remarkable!

The gracious land owners walked me down the slash strewn trail pointing left and right and talking about short cuts, swales, humps and gullies. I was listening, I was, but only on the surface. I was so excited to explore this section of the lower Kinni that the recall function of my brain must have been momentarily disengaged. I would learn the hard way and make up the directions as I went along. This portion of the river canyon is a bit dicey when it comes to access from above. There are no easy ways in and the terrain is steep, unforgiving and beautiful. Early spring is the best time to familiarize ones self with a new piece of forest. Once this woodland comes alive it will be difficult to navigate easily and to recognize certain landmarks. The land owners waived goodby and cut me loose. I was walking a recently logged section along the lower Kinni. This was a release cutting of timber designed to both harvest and regenerate the white pine and oak forest that remains intact along the bluffs. There are some giant Whites in this part of the forest and it will be interesting to watch the regeneration over the next few years.

As I surveyed a 100 yard section of slash, imagining the river lie just on the edge of the forest, I began to hop-scotch my way through the piles of branches. My plan was to head through the forest and drop down to the river on the up stream side of the property. I would then fish my way down stream along the river and exit back up the bluff in a different location. There was no way of me getting lost, only the possibility of me miscalculating my exit point and ending up somewhere other than where my truck was parked. Remember I have never hiked this piece of property before.

As I exited the slash field at the edge of the logged area I decided to attempt my decent to the river. Much to my surprise, I found myself on the edge of a very steep bluff top. The only option I had was to climb or go back the way I came. I knew I was not to the edge of the property yet, so I climbed. Ducking under cedars and pines with fly rod in hand, I followed a game trail along bluff. Ascending the edge is where I found these beautiful Pasque flowers. There were two or three clumps of flowers enjoying the sun  just below the high point of the outcropping. Very few times I have been lucky enough to view these flowers blooming, in the limited locations where they still exist, at the right time. When the prairies ruled the land they were abundant, and the first spring bloomers.  What a treat!

Where the Pasque flower grows now

I felt like there were probably more flowers if I wanted to explore more dangerously on the edge, but I was trying to keep a reasonable clock on how long it took me to get to the river. As I climbed to the high point I recognized the gully the land owner had spoke of and made a tree to tree decent, traversing the steep grade to the river. For the next 3 hours I fished my way down stream on land and water targeting both rising fish and deep runs and cut banks. The fishing was good. At a location across from a small tributary or intermittent(coming in from the south side) where it looked like the only terrain that would allow my ascent, I crossed back and climbed the steep hillside to the bluff top. I found myself  in the clearing from the logging as if I would have headed straight down the main trail and not tried to head up stream. Bingo! This however was only half of the property. I can’t wait to go back.

Good Mojo!

We are warming up, again,,,,,,,,I think.  The poor trout believe we are subjecting them to some sort of temperature torture game. I know I feel that way.  Lets hope the yo-yo ride is ending and we are heading for increasing water and air temps for the next few months. Soon enough we will plunge back into the sub-zero(sorry, did I just say that).

Moving on, there has been a few opportunities for anglers to find their way to the streams in the last ten days but reports have been sketchy at best. Water temps have dipped again and I am imagining some fish were caught but their activity level was probably luke warm.  The next few weeks traditionally can produce some awesome fishing, it can also produce another foot of snow. OK I’ll stop.

The Greatwaters Fly Fishing Expo, formerly Tom Helgeson’s Greatwaters Fly Fishing Expo (for my friend Dexter)is being held this weekend in St. Paul. This show is the main event for this region and it comes at the perfect time. I am looking forward to sharing lies and truths with many old friends and customers that I only see once a year. Oh, I am presenting on Friday this year(the only day I can attend) and will be giving away some free swag at my talk. I am desperately hoping to lure a few extra bodies to the presentation with this offer. There are some new goat hats, my balls(really Mr. Bentleys) and some other trinkets that will be tossed to the crowd.

Each year we rejoice, we revel, we take part, we give back.

It is time once again for the Big Fly Fishing Film Fest in River Falls Wisconsin. Yes this is the f3t, the big Kahuna, the big dog, the whole box of marbles. A group of us knuckleheads calling ourselves, R4F(River Falls Fly Fishing Festival), to remain anonymous and to avoid prosecution by the law, decided to pay a little forward again when it came to our favorite fishing place in the world, River Falls. Yes, I know, its a lot of F’s. The combined brain waves R4F group may be a few marbles short, and slow, and old, but we know how to step to the plate and do things different and also drink some beer. We have decided once again not only show some cool fly fishing films but give you a raffle crack at some super cool fly fishing items, give you a chance for some free stuff, let you drink beer(Rush River brewing products), eat food, tell fishing lies and support the local efforts to protect and beautify the Kinnickinnic River. Lets not forget the chance to bond with all those who give a flying fish about the Kinni’s health. Every single nickel goes to the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust and we think thats just peachy that you’re willing to help out and attend. I believe yours truly  is still the MC for this nights event and I am looking forward to meeting every one of you. Don’t expect to buy your tickets at the door, every year this thing sells out. Click the KRLT link above to buy you tickets to all events.

This is a family friendly event and this year every kid 16 years old and under will receive a free beginners fly tying vice for attending the show. There are a Ton of great prizes(listed below) once again. We thank all those who have donated from their hearts and pocket books for this event. The R4F guys will be giving out free hugs to all donators. The Riverview Ballroom on the beautiful UWRF campus will be the place to be on Friday, March 3rd at 5PM. While your at it, you should probably get a hotel room in town because there is another event on Saturday(besides fishing the Kinni of course).

This year some of the R4F knuckleheads decided to go a bit more upscale. On Saturday, March 4th at the River Falls Golf Club The Craft Beer and Wine Pour  will bring you the finest brews and ferments from the local area. There will be music and pouring and name brands and boutique offerings and the whole kit and caboodle. All Proceeds go to the Land Trust.   This event runs from 6 to 9pm(after fishing) with VIP hour and complimentary yummy food beginning at 5pm. Go to the KRLT link above for tickets. I do not believe there will be any PBR at this event, unless I sneak it in. 

Tickets are also available for the film at Lund’s Fly Shop or on the R4F website

Seriously, the R4F knuckleheads only laid out the framework for these events. The reason they are such a giant success is because of you!!!!!! You came and supported and ate and drank and watched and volunteered and donated and believed.  You are the grass and the roots. These kind of efforts are the most rewarding because folks care. Thank you for caring.

Look at this swag and more to come……………..

Dave Norling Father and Son Bamboo Fly Rod ………Value $2,000.00

The Phoenix Restaurant-Baldwin, Wisconsin Gift Card………Value $50.0

Fleet Farm- Gift Card……….Value $25.00

Simms Fishing Products/Dry Fly Sales & R4F
Dry Creek Waterproof Backpack………..Value $170.00
Waypoint Backpack……….Value $150.00
Dry Creek Waterproof Duffle………Value $180.00
Bounty Hunter Duffle…………Value $$150

Page Family Dentistry- Sonicare Diamondclean Toothbrush……Value $220.00

Chris Miller / Terlato Wine group. extremely good wines.
Chimney Rock Wine, 6 bottles, $70 a bottle…..Value $180.00
Chimney Rock Link:  http://www.uncorked.com/catalog/product/view/id/2306/category/110/

Dave Johnson
Copper and Brass covered fish platter…….. Value $90.00
3 Days 2 Nights lodging for up to 6 people- Bear Cabin. Michigan ….Value $500.00
1993 Wisconsin Framed Trout Stamp and Print…….. Value $100.00
Stainless Steel “Ruffed Grouse Society” Growler…….Value $90.00
Yetti 65 Cooler……..Value $400.00

David Halblom
20L Roll Top Dry Bag….Value $15.00
Dan Baileys Size 8 Women’s Wading Boot……….Value $50.00

Lunds Fly Shop & Echo Fly Rod’s
Echo Dry 9’ 4wt 4 piece fly rod
Echo Ion 4/5 Reel
Rio Grand WF4F fly line
Package………………. Value $410.00

Josh Desmit Art, Lunds Fly Shop, Gabe Schubert, Josh Alters, & Brian Smolinski
Locally Tied Muskie Fly Assortment……Value $600.00
Big Fly Boat box (Desmit Artwork on Box)
Muskie Leaders & Swag

Lunds Fly Shop
8” X 25” Aluminum Snowshoes and Trek Poles……………..Value $100.00

Bob White Artwork
Print and drawing Value $250

Gray Goat Fly Fishing, Randy Nielson, Jeff Pierce
Full Day Guided trip for 2 anglers, Private Property access to lower Kinni, Stream-
Side Chef Prepared Meal ………Value $750.00

Gray Goat Fly Fishing
Antique replica cast Iron bank Golf …..Value $20.00
Fly Tying Vice, Tools and Materials …….Value $150.00

Gary Liubakka- Trout Drawing……… Value $80.00

Bill Hendrix
Handmade C&R net….Value $150

Bob Trevis
New Book Fly Fishing in Southeast Minnesota(autographed)………Value $25.00+

A-1 Archery
5/each- 20 hour shooting passes and Hunting Highlights DVD’s

Treadmill Embroidery
2-R4F logoed Zip up fleece jackets…..Value $60.00 each
2 R4F logoed beanie winter caps…Value $25.00 each

Nick Markell
Delaware 2016 Framed/Signed Trout Stamp Print…….. Value $100.00

Heimie’s Haberdashery – Custom Field Bag……………………Value $350

Don Dack – Hand made Bird/Trout knife………… Value  $150

Clifton Hollows Golf Course
Greens Fees for 4 and Carts………Value $160.00

Costa Sunglasses
Free sunglasses, your choice……….. Value $ So.cool

Belle Vines Wine
River Falls- 4 bottles of wine…….Value $25.00 each

Vista Productions
Range Finder/Binoculars……..Value $250.00

Dave “The Dean” Moore
6 hand tied steel head flies

Could not stand it. It was too nice out.  I packed up my gear and headed to the Rush River. Arrived around 10AM and put in a long hike. Today I wanted to find deep to medium deep slow water. I also wanted to see what my old favorite runs and pools looked like since I had not seen them since last year. Normally the exploration of all of my old haunts takes place in March but if mid February will allow, I’ll take it. When I arrived, after 25 minute of  hiking, heads were up. Midges were on the water. After watching for a while I rigged and casted. The fish cooperated on both midge pupa(zebra) and dry(stillborn) patterns. Water temps were at 41 degrees.  The fish tended to be stacked in this particular water, slow and medium depth. I found no fish in fast plunges and rocky high gradient water. When I returned to the truck, I  realized where they all were. The Bridge Pool! There were a couple thousand in there and of course they spooked when I stood over them. It was amazing. My guess is that the majority of the trout in this stretch of water  are still podded up in this deep water and are mostly safe from all predation. The location of these fish would have made it near impossible to take them on rod and reel.

The first outing for my new fly rod. Might be the sweetest yet for both long dry casting and deep nymphing and high sticking for our waters. Time will tell, but this will probably turn out to be my favorite. More later. Looks like the flows held today. Get out there and fish tomorrow, might be 12″of snow right around the corner.

Cheers.

WOW this is a long one, the report and followup, the fish too.

This report is from the weekend Feb.10-11.Fish were caught on both days and some midge activity was observed. Small fish on the surface. Larger fish 12-13″ in the deeper slower water. Some action on the edges of fast water. Nymphing with standard 2 fly prince nymph, pheasant tail rig and assorted midge larva patterns. The air temp warm-up had just begun on Friday and little additional water had run off from the melting snow. Today flows have remained pretty steady along with the 34 degree temp. Tomorrow may be different with warm temps on the way. I will see some water later tomorrow and should have a better feel for what future fishing might be as we continue this winter thaw.

In other news efforts are under way to install a turbidity meter and a live Kinni cam on the lower Kinni. If all goes well, access to this additional informational technology will be found on the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust Site. I will keep you in the loop on this one.

Fly fishing Film Tour in River Falls F3t on Friday, March 3 will include wine and craft beer tasting event on Saturday March 4th. More details and links to come.

Tom Helgeson’s/MNTU Greatwaters Fly fishing Expo- I will be speaking on Friday March 17th- They asked for a nymphing presentation. I will bring prizes to give away at this presentation. Be there. More later.

I hope to kill two birds with one stone(just an analogy) and answer an approach question from the goats FB page.

Friday was beautiful. A nice walk in the woods into the lower Kinni under partly sunny skies made me cry realize how out of shape I would be on the walk back up the hill. Time to shed the winter weight.  The spot we were headed for was just down stream of one of the old mill complexes on the Kinni . Oddly enough I had just read a diary entry from May 23, 1860, written by a lady named Abbie Leavitt about the exact spot we were headed to. “We crossed the Kinnickinnic at the Mills and wound among the bluffs and ravines through one of the most romantic places I have ever seen”  I could not agree with her more.  OK, enough with the romantic stuff. On to lip rippin.

For the first hour, the 3 of us fished long, medium deep runs that were mostly sandy and brushy with a few rocks and stumps for current breaks. In the spring and summer the trout locate here in good numbers. On Friday, no fish were seen, spooked or caught out of this water.  We moved down stream.

The destination now was a big 90 degree bend pool with a swift run leading into it. The water enters from a fast, flat, rocky run about 50 yards long and slams into a 200ft bluff and changes direction. The stream bank of the bluff has numerous old growth willows, sprouting from between the shoreline rocks. A trickling spring emerges at the elbow of the bend. The spring is covered in brush from floods past and old willow trunks. Few know the spring is there and only patient and observant listeners will hear the gurgling trickle from the base of the bluff. On the upstream side of the elbow there is a 40 yard back eddy, complete with foam and swirling skigma that catches flotsam from the run and main pool. This fluff and food circulates round and round and round. The majority of the back eddy is 1-2ft deep, but where the seam shows on the surface current, it abruptly drops off to the depth of the pool. This can be a productive seam. This run into pool scenario will be used to attempt to answer a question of approach in my last ask andy post.

As we walked down to the pool we observed changes in the river as compared to last year. The water seemed deeper and faster in the run leading up to the bend pool, more rocks and scoops. A good sign. Last year by mid summer this bend pool had almost filled in with sand and was pointless to fish by the end of the season.  Next we noticed that the bluff would shade the pool. In the heat of the summer this might be good, but in the winter, the sun might give us and the fish some much needed warmth to be active. A bad sign.

When we arrived at the complex we observed the run and pool as a whole, from the high bank on the inside of the bend, and came up with an approach based on our observations. This is the approach I would have used if fishing alone with a nymph. My position is on the inside of the bend. I would split the river up into 3 sections from close to far across the river, the close side, the middle, the far side. I would start at the very back of the pool and fish the tail out first,,,,on the close side. I would make depth adjustments and proceed to the middle and far side from approximately the same position. Depending upon my success at catching I would move my feet up stream a step or two and adjust my drifts and mends.  I AM NOT MAKING LONG CASTS UP TO THE HEAD OF THE POOL, I AM FOCUSING ON FISHING THE TAIL OUT, on the close middle and far sides. Next, I would move my feet up, make adjustments for indicator depth and weight and fish the depth of the pool,,,,,,,,,, close, middle, and far. If I was not catching, I would keep making adjustments which also could include changing fly patterns and focus on the head of the pool or the drop zone,,,,,,,close, middle, far. I believe the angler will have more success at catching if he/she has a focused approach on specific features of a run pool complex. Fish those features well, then move on. To try and fish all of the features in a run pool  complex requires different adjustments for different features. Fishing slow water requires little or no weight. Fishing the depth of the pool requires more length between the fly and the indicator. To try to drift long sections of highly variable and dynamic water, with one setting, will leave the angler fishing most of the water with the fly outside the zone where the trout most likely will be. Similarly, standing in one spot, with the same set up, throwing the same cast, to the same place, over and over again,  will cause the angler to miss many of the fish holding features and opportunities of a complex like this. Making adjustments to your feet, your weight, indicator length, mending, fly/s etc. is many times necessary to be a productive catcher.

As I am working my way up stream through the middle of the pool, I begin to let my fly swing through the tail out. My drifts become longer in duration because I am now casting to the head and swinging through the tail,,,,,inside, middle and far. Previously I would just be dead drifting the fly a short distance. Now I am dead drifting and imparting action to the fly as it moves through different zones. Next I concentrate on the drop zone. At this point I will be standing on the close side, back from the edge of the drop of the depth change. I will work this area most diligently. My mending will become more aggressive.  Adjustments to figure out how much weight I need to cut through the top current and get my fly to tumble over the edge and right into the mouth of a big hungry trout are necessary. Work from close to far, inside seam, middle, outside seam and then into the slow swirl of the back eddy. Don’t forget the back eddy!!

Now I am at the run above the pool. In this case it is flat rocky and two feet in depth. From close to far it is generally featureless to my eye from above but I still keep my same method of approach. My experience tells me it is too fast moving of water for these temp and this time of year. I fish it anyway because you never know and it is part of the approach . I make my adjustments to keep the fly just off the bottom, fish from close to far, move my feet,  Change patterns if no eats. SIMPLE.

When I get to the top of the run, I reverse order and do the same exact focused approach from upstream to down. I probably will have more line on the water and impart more action to the fly. I will mend more to let the fly sink and will probably make fewer adjustments to my weight and indicator as I come back down stream. Some days I will start at the top and work down. Remember when you work from top to bottom, the fly is the first object into the trouts window of vision. Working from bottom to top, not only do you have to cast line or leader over the fish but it is likely your line is more visible than the opposite presentation.

On this day there were 3 anglers. We took turns in the big run and pool for nearly 3 hours. We mostly covered the big pool because we all thought the fish would be there. Cast and mend, inside to outside. Standard rigs were bead heads of different sorts, p.tails, hares ears, prince nymphs. We covered the water well. My friend Randy had touched two to three on the inside seam in the slow water just below the drop zone. The bites were super soft. None came to hand. I asked him what pattern he was fishing. He had just switched to a non bead #18 prince nymph.  It was getting late. For what I thought was my last turn, I switched to a little beadless peacock fly called the red-ass. It is basically a prince nymph without the white wings and red hackle for the tail.  I stepped into the water 6 feet above the drop zone and kept to the inside.  We had maybe neglected this water a bit because it just seemed to be too fast and shady to hold fish. All three of us had fished it though. On my first cast I hooked a fish off the inside seam. I had 3 ft of fly line out of the end of my rod. I hooked a second, then a third. My friends hurried their cigars and beers and called me off the water. Both the other anglers stepped in and caught a fish on the inside seam but down in the pool section. I climbed back in to the exact same spot in the fast water above the pool. 2 casts, 2 fish. The third broke me off and we decided that was a fitting time to end for the day.

Inside seams 10 feet from my wading boots are rarely the most productive fish catching spots for me. They however, are part of an approach that enables this angler to cover the water in the most effective manner for catching. Many days, in this exact complex of run into pool, the fish are not caught on the inside seam. As to the whys, I cannot be certain. I am left to ponder, knowing I will never know definitively. It is part of the fun. Was it the fly, the time of day, the drift, the tidal pull??? The thing I do know is that I sticking with a broad and general approach coupled with diligent focus eventually pays off like it has many times before. By applying a broad and general approach it systematically allows the angler to possibly identify some specific trends for the day. Fishing for trout on any given day can be hit or miss. In my experience, that is the plain and simple truth.  Method/approach is truly determined by the individual and can be difficult to explain in spoken or written words. Some of it is feel, some is recall…… Time spent enables the vision.  Success can both clarify and confuse.   Word.

The photo above was from a nice trout I pulled from the kinni a number of years ago. I realize the snow photo is out of vogue but I assure you he swam away happy and unharmed.

John

I apologize if my answer to the spinning guys question was flippant.

My first outings with friends on the Kinnickinnic were using spinning rod and reel. I did not fly fish back then. I would throw Panther Martins, Mepps, small Rapalas, and worms. We caught fish. We would cast and move, cast and move and covered a lot of water in those days without the understanding of the nuance of the sport. We were there to rip lips and eat our limit. The spring (back then opening day was the first Saturday in May)was the best for this method of fishing, or worming of course. As the season progressed into the late summer and the trout began to rise to the mayflies and other insects emerging from the stream. Spin fishing became inconsistent and much less productive as the heat of summer pushed in. Worms still worked but even they had lost some of their catching luster. The trout seemed happy enough and surely active with all this surface feeding. It was then, after being skunked on my favorite stretch of water, I was lucky enough to watch an amazing demonstration. A man in his 70’s who was fishing behind me caught trout one right after the other in the water that I had just fished through. As I watched from the cover of some tall grass, I could see him laughing to himself as he released each fish he had caught. He was throwing the dry fly.  The right presentation for his time on the water to be successful at catching in that spot. He was kind enough to show me what he was doing. The next day I bought a fly rod. Hardware store. $15.00.

I went back the next day armed with my new rod and a box full of expectations to once again capture the crown of “The King of Catching”. I got skunked! The bugs were there. The trout were rising. I sucked at fly fishing. I just had not learned yet what I needed to learn in order to be successful at catching. I went back to spin fishing and carried the fly rod as my back up. It took time but I learned how to use the fly rod more effectively. Others were kind enough to help because it was obvious I sucked.

I realize I am not making a direct comparison from spinners to streamers and attempting to measure their effectiveness at catching trout. The direct answer would be NO, you should not expect the same results. Streamers thrown on a fly rod are not the same as spinners or rapalas thrown on a spinning rig. I have no good data to give you an answer.  What stuck out more to me in your questions was the word expectation.  If there is one thing that has helped me to be a better fly angler it is to not have expectations.  Too many times, I went to the stream with expectations and was disappointed. Expectations caused me to be regimented, to be too narrow minded, to be too predictable. Having no expectations has allowed me to be much more observant, to be a better adaptor. Nature changes every day, every hour, every second. Notice the changes, adjust, hammer more trout.

I am going fishing. Last week I was hit by numerous Ice chunks and shelfs that were floating sneakily in the current. I caught no fish. Today nature is changing. She is warming up. I am hoping the trout will warm-up to my offerings.