Southwest Wisconsin Driftless Area Early Trout Season - The Streams look great for 2011

 Date: April 30th    Temp:  60's    Time: 8:00a.m.-11:00a.m. 

Today I decided to go out for a quick trip of fishing before trout fishing shuts down until May 7th.  So far on most of my trips out during early season streams have been showing signs of looking very healthy.  Even though the weather hasn't been ideal.  After reading post after post I have decided not to count any day out as far as fishing.  Some streams have been high and some cloudy.  Today the stretch I fished was looking great.  A few rises, but mostly I counted on just knowing where the fish were hiding out.  This stretch is one of my favorites because of the beautiful limestone bluffs that drop down into the creek to make for some perfect fish holding holes.

Limestone Bluffs

Here are a few flies fished on this journey

The bottom fly was fished as a trailer.  Caught fish

on all of them.

Trailer Nymph

Castle Rock Killer

Trout MaGee Special

I crept up stream doing my best not to spook any fish.   I came on to a hole where the first time I fished this stream this year I caught this fella:

Caught on different trip early this spring, same hole.

Although this one was hiding out today I was still able to pull his smaller cousin out and say hello.  As I released this next fish, I told it tell the one from above to not be so rude and that I expect it to come out and say hello next time I visit this hole.  I hiked all that way the least it could have done is posed for another picture with me:)

The not so rude brown trout.  Some of its spots looked like a heart.

This time the fish were holding in the rapids and some in the slower pooled spots.  I continued fishing hoping for the huge trout, but happy with any trout.  A lot of the fish today had some unique markings and they were all different sizes.  I fished mostly upstream into the holes for these fish but of course had some luck drifting down into the holes also.  Some holes have white pine branches dangling down to where this is the best method for getting your fly to where the fish are hiding.  Here are a few more pics of some Browns.

This brown had a special dot on it that looked just like an X.  Can you find it?

This brown had some of my favorite markings and colors to it.

No, it wasn't dark out.  Just messed with contrast etc. so the spots would really stand out on this one.

These next fish were all caught fishing downstream, drifting my setup into the hole and stripping line back up stream.  This usually produces results, but sometimes depending on time of day the fish tend to be the little guys I like to refer to as "Drifters":

Drifter #1

Drifter #2

Drifter #3

Drifter # 4

Drifter # 5

Drifter # 6

Drifter # 7

Drifter #8

I know a lot of people have their certain beliefs when it comes to how exactly to fish a hole.  I personally believe it all depends on the conditions and how the fish are behaving.  I refuse to believe that the fish aren't biting.  If I can't seem to entice a bite one way, I am quick to try and test out a different method.  There have been a lot of times when I fish a bead head nymph as a dry fly.  By holding my pole high in the air as I strip the fly across rapids not allowing it to sink.  This has produced results for me time after time.  Even if someone is fishing the hole in front of me and doesn't catch anything, I still fish the spot because I noticed they just fished it the standard upstream way.  I sink em, strip em, drift em, and test new ways and usually am able to catch a fish or two out the exact same spot.  The key I believe to successful fishing is trying as much as possible not to spook the fish.  This to me means, letting a fish go carefully, maybe in the hole below the one you are fishing.  I try not to do this when fishing early season due to the fact the fish are spawning.  One time I was fishing and an old timer puffing on his pipe crossed paths with me and instantly demanded knowing what fly I was using.  I showed him and he instantly said,"Oh a wooly bugger pattern." puff, puff and he was gone.  Almost disgusted that I was sinking flies and not just fishing on the surface. He didn't know that the fly was actually tied with a plastic bead that kept this pattern on top of the water more than it allowed it to sink.  People sometimes assume that they know everything there is to know about fishing, when in reality the possibilities are endless.  So I guess all I am saying is keep trying different techniques, don't just get stuck in one way to fish for trout.  And most importantly of all is just enjoy being out there in nature.  One with the stream.  Do this and the fish will come to you. 

Oh, looks like it might start to sprinkle.  Time to head out and catch some more trout.  I love the rain.

Until Next time...........Tight Lines...                _________________

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