SOAKING IT ALL IN !!

Well Fall is fully upon us.  With a few days left for trout season, I have been trying to soak it all in for the long winter ahead.  My attention has been spent mostly on all of the things that surround the wonderful experience that is fly fishing.  Fish have come to hand and slipped back into the water just as quick as they came.  The action is back and forth.  The early mornings have been chilly and the afternoons have been partly sunny with a gentle breeze.  I have been heading out when ever I have the chance and all times of the day seem to be a good time to be out on the stream.  The clouds rolling by make you want to lay back and watch the sky as you drift off into a early afternoon nap.  The Geese are heading south and the rest of the birds are flocking together as well.  The smell in the air is crisp and it fills your lungs with some of the freshest air you will ever breath.  I have been sticking to the public spots this last week due to the fact that it is bow season on White Tail deer right now.  I like to stay off of the spots where I know the land owners hunt.  Nothing sends a deer the other way quicker than the sent of a human.  The leaves on the ground and the cool air are a reminder to start stocking up on firewood to keep the homestead nice and toasty this winter.  Although I can't fish the streams in the snowy wonderland, I still plan on getting out there and taking photos of the beauty that comes with freezing temperatures.  I like to use this time off as a time to scope out new streams.  The crystal clear water gives you a really good view of what is swimming around in the water below.  Since I can't fish for them, I really have no concerns about spooking them.  I will be keeping my eyes peeled for those big ones roaming about.   Here are a few pics from my last couple of escapades.  Hope you enjoy.  

This Butterfly was holding on for dear life as the wind was blowing hard.

This poor thing jumped into the ice cold water and quickly sought refuge on this rock.

If only you could eat all of the mushrooms out there.  All white, not a great sign for edibility.  Anyone???

When I snagged on this submerged branch, I was rewarded with someone's long lost fly. 

A small reward for patience and stealth in a hairy location.

These were everywhere on the trees.  Wish I was a mushroom expert.

This spot is where two streams come together.  Go right, or go left???

So much for forming a V.  These guys were outa here!!

Limestone Bluffs make for some great holes and fly fishing.

I went to the top of this creek and kept looking until I found what I was in search of.

These next few holes were gems hidden underneath a canopy of Willows, Populars and Big Oak Trees.

Hole #2

Hole #3

How big will this one be next year???

Hole #4

Late night bombing never fails.

Small healthy Brown.

Clouds of every shade fill the sky and seem to blow in every direction.

Until Next Time.........Tight Lines to All !!!!!

EASY AS ...1-2-3 !!

Day 1

Late Night Trip

The moon was full and it made it so I could use the moon to do some moon writing.

The creek was ice cold from all of the late night low temps.

Caught this Huge Brown stick.  It was at least 30 inches. :)

Late night Scrapper.

Tough fightin little fella.

Day 2

Hanging out with the kids.

First thing we discovered bug wise was this.  It was actually dead and stuck to my bumper.

It was a windy day so Ocean decided to give the spin pole a try.  No results.  The fish were holding tight.

For part of science class we decided to see what the stream life was looking like.  Every rock was full of life.

Does any one know the proper name for this creature.  I ended up switching my fly to a yellow one that matched this.  Instant results.

Sephora being brave and pointing out the life form on the bottom of the rock.  Braver than her father.

There were a ton of these on the rocks.

Looks like something from the movie Aliens.  Any one know this creatures name??

She just loves to release the fish back into the water. Remember when children handle the fish, that they wet their hands first.  

Day 3

Rainy Day Hat Trick :  Trout Style

This bridge made for a nice spot to hang out while the rain was falling.

This hole was looking better than ever, especially when the rain was hitting the water.

View #2

View #3

This was a neat little spot to duck down into and just listen to the stream work it's magic.

One of the many Limestone Bluffs that line the streams edge.

As the rain came down the mist began to form and rise up out of the valley.

Bridge view of a great hole.

Fall is on it's way and harvest season is almost upon us.  More food than the deer can handle.

I wish there were as many days left to fish as leaves on my wind shield. :(

The first Brookie of the day.

Second Brookie of the day. 

Thanks to this little Rainbow for helping me out with a Hat Trick.  I'll take it. :)

Healthy little Brown that insisted on being part of the trio. 

With less than 11 days left for trout fishing, I was happy that I was able to score a hat trick.  Even if the fish weren't the biggest, they were still a wonderful sight.  I have noticed fish of all sizes in this creek and it looks like it is healthier than ever.  

Until Next Time...............Tight Lines to All !!!!!!!

WALK SOFTLY - LAY LOW !!!!

Today I went to a nearby stream and I decided to wear my new lucky shoes out.  Well I guess they weren't that lucky at the time, but soon would be.  The temperature of the air was just right.  The temperature of the water was perfect too.  I grabbed my fly rod and backpack and set off along the stream.  I couldn't help but walk super softly and as low to the ground as I could get.  Sneaking up on the holes like a Ninja :)  It looked like one of those perfect days for fishing.  Then again doesn't every day look like a perfect day for fishing??  When I arrived at the first hole I chose to sit down and just see what was happening.  No sign of any rises or activity that I could see.  I decided to throw on a Castle Rock Killer with a small trailer fly on.  I cast the flies up into the spot where the rapids spilled in creating a nice deep holding spot.  As I slowly retrieved my line I noticed to nice size Browns follow it into the still water area.  They looked as if they were going to attack it but then they quickly turned around and headed back into the deep water.  I continued fishing this hole for a little while and I was unable to hook up with any fish in it.  The fish just weren't that active yet, so I pulled out my wooden flute and started to play along with the sound of the stream and the surrounding birds.  I find this to be a good way to just relax and forget about the fact the fish weren't biting.  I sat there 

 

for about a half hour then decided it was time to move on.  So I packed it up and continued upstream to another favorite hole of mine.  On  the way I stopped and watched as hummingbird filled itself up on some Orange Jewel weed that was growing stream side.  Last time I was here I saw them feeding in the exact same spot.  I always love it when I see a hummer out in the wild.  I have yet to get a picture of one, but I hope to one of these days.  Maybe once I am able to purchase a nice big zoom lens for my camera.  I watched for a while and then ended up scaring it by trying to get a little closer.  Off it went up onto a branch in the nearby pine tree.  I figured I'd do the same and off I went up to the next hole.  After tossing the flies a few times with no activity to be seen, I switched it up and tied on a couple of new test flies.  One of them being a Bomber with a little plastic bead.  Yes, I am sorry, I put a bead on a Bomber :)  I wanted to know how it would work and I love testing out all kinds of different variations.  A few more casts and still absolutely no action.  Usually by now I would have at least missed a few bites.  Not being the hugest fan of retying flies on, I grunted as I tied my new set of flies on.  This time I put on a heavier Castle Rock Killer and trailed it with, well I can't remember anymore to tell you the truth.  It was definitely a fly of some sort :)  This time instead of stripping it and trying to give it some action, I decided to just let it drift in and just sit there completely still.  The flies were toed under into the dark depths and sat there.  NOTHING.  Get ready nearby cows, you may want to cover your ears.  I calmed myself and refused to give the line any sort of stripping or action.  Then out of nowhere my line shot the other way.  Pole in the air and the hook was set.  I put some pressure on the line and tried to get the trout up to where I could see the size of it.  No can do.  This fish wasn't about to let a 3 wt. fly rod decide when he was going to come up out of his deep dank holding spot.  I whipped out my net, I even surprised myself realizing I actually remembered to bring it this time.  I hopped into the water and fought this fish for what seemed like forever.  It was only probably a few minutes but we all know how long that is when your talking about all the ways you can lose a fish while trying to land one.  Finally I had to just quit letting the fish take line from me.  I knew there was a chance it could break my line if I pulled to hard, but there was a chance if it took off deep again it may be able to lose me in some tree roots or what have you.  With my pole bent in half I stretched out my arm and into the net it slid.  Pheeeewwwwwww.  I quickly noticed that this guy was hooked in the kype quite well and the Castle Rock Killer was holding tight.  This fish was in the 15-17" range but had a really nice girth to him.  One healthy looking trout.  After releasing the fellow safely, I sat down to recover from all the excitement that just took place.  I pulled out a huge chunk of smoked Salmon and made quick work of it.  Yummmo.  It hit the spot and I instantly felt like my energy was  back.  I made my way upstream and stopped at another hole with no results.  So I went up the next spot and quickly got my line into the water.  I used the exact same technique as I did with the last fish I caught.  Up into the rapids and let it bend into the hole and just sink deep with no stripping.  I kept the tension on the line and then I saw it go the other way.  This time it was a lot quicker of a strike and a lot more violent.  The hook was set and the fight was on.  I have only caught fish 14" and under out of this hole so far, so when I saw the gold flash of the trouts body I was surprised to see a good size fish at the end of my line.  I hopped into the creek and fought the fish from about 10' away.  Every time it would come close to me it would turn around and dart for the depths of the hole.  This can be scary because every time it does this there is a great chance that it will pop the hook. Finally I was able to slip it into the net.  It ended up being a nice healthy 19" Brown trout.  I got it back into the water and watched it as it fully recovered from our battle.  I finished the rest of the Smoked Salmon while I just sat and watched the trout in the crystal clear pool it swam up into.  I finally stood up and spooked the trout and watched as it darted up further into the hole so fast I could hardly see it.  By this  time it was starting to get later and I was left with only a handful of minutes before I needed to get home.  I walked back towards my ride and stopped to fish a spot I skipped earlier when it was sunnier.  Using the same method as before I watched as my line sank.  Then it went the other way and I set the hook.  All of the sudden this whopper of a trout came flying out of the water about 3' into the air.  It was too dark for me to get an exact read on how big it was, but I could tell by the huge splash that it was at least a 16" fish.  It landed back into the water and thrashed about on the top, while the hook decided to pop out and bye bye trout.  Oh well,  I reeled in my line and hiked back to my car with a huge smile on my face.  Next time my friend, next time :)  I wish I would have been able to get a picture of these fish, but unfortunately I dropped my camera into the water.  Just Kidding. :)  Here are a few pics from my adventure.  I hope you enjoy. :)  

Don't let the trout see this or your chances of catching them will be gone.

This fella was inside of my car as I locked the doors.  Broken but not Beaten.

This one was all sorts of broken, but was able to fly still, so definitely not beaten.

Can anyone tell me what kind of Berries these are????  I used to eat them when I was a kid.

This is the spot where the hummers feed on the Orange Jewel Weed on the right hand side of the bank.

A new trailer fly creation.

Sorry Brk Trt, I just had to do it :)

Here are those lucky shoes.  I was able to walk on water with them.:)

Unfortunately I wasn't able to walk on mud with them.

This is the first fish I caught.  What a girth on this beauty.

Released to swim another day.

This top shot shows how thick it was.

Smoked Salmon anyone????? So tasty :)

This trout is the 19" Browny.  The picture and my big hands don't do it justice.  Always amazes me how much bigger they are in real life.  Pictures help give you an idea at least.

This was from an early morning rise adventure.  So tasty :)

It's almost fall time in the Driftless.

Until Next Time.......Tight Lines to All!!!!!!!!!