Here is a quick update as to what I have been up to the last few days. I have a creek nearby that I have been wanting to check out for a while now. The top section is pastured, the middle section has been redone by the DNR and the lower half is said to hold some monster Browns.
I also visited "My Creek" and was able to coax a few fish out. It has been getting down into the 40's at night and I am loving every minute of it. With less than a month left to trout fish in the Driftless Area, I am trying to take every chance I can to get out and explore new places that I have yet to go. I am still in amazement that we are one of the only states that closes trout streams for over 5 month's. This seems a little excessive to me and I wish they would open it up earlier and just make everyone catch and release the fish they catch. What are all of your thoughts on this topic? Here are some pics, hope you enjoy.
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| New creation. |
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| New stream with brand new trout hides built in. |
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| Lower hairier part of the new stream. |
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| Upper part of the new creek. Pastured land at the head waters. |
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| "My Creek" :) |
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| I love to just sit in this spot and listen to the water flowing by. |
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| I love partly cloudy days where the sun shines in some spots and not in others. |
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| A little Rainbow caught out of the only hole holding fish on the pastured section. |
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| Caught this Brown out of the same hole on the way back to the car. |
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| This is the new stretch of Reborn stream. Some may not like this type of set up, but I think it beats the hell out of pastured areas that are unable to hold fish. |
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| Just one of the newly stocked fingerlings in the new part of the stream. |
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| Here is a healthy Brown, maybe have to call this one a "Handling" :) |
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| Here is a fly that I was using to catch most of them. It is made with using my daughter Sephora's hair for a tail. For Luck. |
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| Small fish of the day. Really liked the Adipose fin on this one. |
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| In this pic you can see the huge submerged log that forms a small waterfall that spills against the trout hides along the bank. |
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| I really liked the orange on this Browns dorsal fin. |
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| Promised the above fish a mug shot for his cooperation. |
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| The cold weather doesn't seem to be slowing the Bumble Bee's down to much. |
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| The leaves are starting to change on the hillsides of the Driftless Region. |
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| It's everywhere!!!!! |
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| These young fella's would end up chasing me into the stream and to the other side. Curious guys. |
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| This was a plump female Brown. Love seeing them doing so well and healthy. |
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| Another feisty female doing it's part. |
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| I really liked how dark this fella was. As soon as the Bomber hit the water the fish exploded on it. |
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| When I caught this one in the dark I thought it was a 20" instead of a 15". It put up one heck of a fight for it's size. |
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| Released to swim away and do it's part come spawning time. |
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| I can't help but be a little bit sad when the leaves start to fall into the stream. Trout season is almost over :( |
Until Next Time........Tight Lines to all !!!!!!!!
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Re-birth...what a beautiful thing to see. And Sephora's fly looks great, and proved its luck, eh? Wonderful post...I loved it!
ReplyDeleteGreat pics as always. I kind of wish ours were closed more. In late July and August they get so low it really stresses out the wild fish. The only time our streams really close in in March and that's only the hatchery supported streams. I wonder how many people actually follow your regs. Sounds like poaching would be pretty rampant.
ReplyDeleteGet it while you can! I remember fishing September the hardest, not wanting the season to come to an end...I'm like you, I wish that the season was longer in the driftless. I think that they could probably get away with a "catch and release" month in Oct, kinda like the early season in March...I don't know, as a fisherman, I always want the option to fish :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! The creek looks great. Well done!
Good stuff Man! It's amazing how much alike your home area and where I was at in Iowa are. After spending some time up there, now I'm more jealous when looking at your pics. Even with the closed season, you guys are pretty lucky to have access to all the great waters you have in that area.
ReplyDeleteThat work that was done on that stream is great. Beautiful water.
ReplyDeleteOur stream are open pretty much of the year, some are open all year,barbless hooks, fly fishing and C&R. I see nothing wrong with it.
Hey TM. Look how good the new stream is today. Think what it will be in the future.
ReplyDeleteMark
it could be a real sleeper in a year or two. good looking HI work
ReplyDeleteMan, when I grow up I want to take pictures like you! Beautiful post. What a cool little stream.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I could look at your pictures all day long. You've outdone yourself again! When you first mentioned it I thought it was strange that you couldn't trout fish in the fall and winter. Maybe it's time to start a movement to change that?
ReplyDeleteRather than closing the streams all together they should just keep it open with C&R single hook artifical only. Here in CT that is how it is and it works fine. Being a striped bass fly rodder i am no that much in favor of total catch and release, i would probably flip out if i could not give a bass a ride back to the house in my cooler a few times during the year. Great post and better pics.
ReplyDeletee.m.b.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot. That fly proved to be quite lucky indeed. Tight Lines.
Kev,
ReplyDeleteThanks much. The DNR does their job well and people around here would call them if they saw you out fishing I'm sure. I have never seen a single person out there in the winter. I picture myself out there :) Tight Lines.
Sanders,
ReplyDeleteThanks much. What really throws me for a loop is that Iowa which is less than two hours away is open all year round. Their streams seem to be plenty healthy. Thank goodness I am able to get down there still. I love fishing with a fresh foot of snow. Tight Lines.
HPFF,
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot man. The Iowa streams are a lot like the streams up here. I love taking advantage of the two hour trip for some winter fishing for trout. Although the water is so crystal clear that stalking the fish becomes a little more of a challenge. Tight Lines.
Brk Trt,
ReplyDeleteThanks much. I think they should definitely think about a special regs time of the year. It is brutal waiting those 5 months for the water to reopen. Talk about making for a long winter. Tight Lines.
Mark,
ReplyDeleteI believe once the other fish move up or down into these spots they will flourish. They really do a nice job when they take on these projects. Thanks. Tight Lines.
Blake,
ReplyDeleteThanks. I imagine once the big ones move upstream or downstream this will be a favorite spot of mine to check out. Some of those trout hides were super deep. Tight Lines.
Ty,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the kind words. That stream was definitely worth checking out. I still have quite a bit more of it to explore. Tight Lines.
Bill,
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for the kind words. I think it is definitely time for a let our streams be free movement for sure :) I think I will definitely look into exactly why they shut them down and if there is any way to change this regulation. Thanks for the great idea. Tight Lines.
Savage,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more. I see no harm in letting people get out and enjoy the trout streams in the winter months. If people can't deal with just using artificial and barbless hooks then they can stick to ice fishing :) I will do what ever it takes to be able to fish while the snow falls from the sky. I too enjoy a fish now and then, but would be happy to release every last one during the winter time. Tight Lines.
Nice meander in the reconstructed stream. Now what about marginal plants? Or maybe a few sprigs of willow that will make trees in the future could be stuck in here and there overhanging the water? Can the cattle be fenced away from the water except at hard paved drinking stations. "Cows kill trout" Those trampled banks show how they blind the redds with soil and when there are eggs in those redds it is the end for them. How about some instream woody debris at the pasture to provide holding stations for the trout and to scour the gravel a little with diverted currents?
ReplyDeleteFine post, as always.
Regular Rod
RegularRod,
ReplyDeleteThanks much. Those all sound like great ideas. The willow grows thick along most of the streams in my area so that should be easy enough to accomplish. As far as the pastured area not much can be done to that spot unless the farmer agrees with public easment to his property. The public area stops right at that farmers fence line. Maybe in the future they will cooperate with the DNR and some stream improvements could be done. That would be great. Tight Lines.
Closing the season would suck, I like the C&R option. I know A guy who ties a fly with his wifes hair, calles it: "A honey do". Love the pics man! #7 from the botton, very cool! Nice Browns too!
ReplyDeleteKevin,
ReplyDeleteThanks much. It really does suck when they shut the streams down. It is like a swift kick to the.... Maybe someday they will change it. I hope. Until then I still have Iowa :) Tight Lines.
Shutting down the streams would make sense if it was done to protect the native species for their spawn. Other than that, I can't find the logic.
ReplyDeleteSorry your wonderland is close to lock down. What do you do during the off season? Ice fish? Switch species?
Nice pics again, bruddah.
Loah,
ReplyDeleteThanks mandoo. I hear you with protecting them for spawning sake but 5 months is definitely brutal on my fishing self. During the off season I head to Iowa's Driftless as often as possible and I also try to ice fish. Then I cry my self softly to sleep :) It's tough but when it opens back up a huge smile comes to my face. Tight Lines.
TM
ReplyDeleteWould you mind if I mention your blog in my next post and put a link on it? Let me know as I'm ready to publish.
FWE Kevin,
ReplyDeleteSure man. No problem. Thanks much. Tight Lines.
great looking HI work! your pics could be story enough.
ReplyDelete