Saturday, July 11, 2009

More Brookies. I'll Stick To What Works.















They were out thick tonight. The Winona Fly Factory combo of a orange stimulator/sparkle larvae (or a pink squirrel) with a little tungsten bead got em down to where they live. However, the largest fish--the eight to ten inch giants--came up for the stimulator.

My local brown trout waters are from time to time a bit warm during the day, so I may well stick with the TU brookie theme parks that have been constructed in my area--the warmest brookie creek here has been 52 degrees.

This is a weird, in-between year: too chilly for really good smallmouthing--though it hasn't completely sucked--, but too dry to keep many of the trout streams with stable temps.

The Hex has been marginal at best, in my experience. Sadly the Kinni above River Falls once had a fishable hatch, but I have not seen a single Hex on that river since the early 90s. Though I did see a few clinging to a light post as I was making my way into Liquor Lyle's in Uptown on Thursday night--less than a mile from the downtown stretch of the Miss.

They were there in time for two-fer-ones.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Browns for a Change?



























Note that the browns are now eating hoppers.

This is a gem of a WI spring creek with a hefty population of wild trout minutes from Saint Paul and it NEVER gets fished.

Only Brookies...















I've been in search of the Hex. I've heard about happening here and there. The goddamn Strib even had an article on it in the Outdoors section today, and if you are curious the river pictured in the article is the White river in the Bibbon Marsh stretch--a vile, tic and skeeter infested hell hole populated by satanic-looking brown trout that only seem to come out after dark for the Hex and careless muskrats. But, I haven't really hit it. Then I hit it tonight and fished it till about 2:00am. I'm just get tin in from the long ride home--4:51am. The downside is no large fish to report. There were a couple in the 14 inch range. Though I did hear the sounds on one flushing the toilet. Raccoons could be seen in the trees and alders against the moonlight picking the big bugs from the branches.

No bears. That was a good thing. I have a story about one of those--it involves a large specimen, at least he sounded that way, belly-flopping into the run I was fishing. I'll save it for another day.

But, for the visually inclined, here are some photos of brookies that were caught on one of my favorite Wisconsin streams not too far from Saint Paul.

Smallmouth on the little rivers has been crap so far. It just isn't warm enough yet.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Fat Bronze















I went to the river that has fewer fish, but really big fish. When I get there the river has this weird infestation of moss. Usually, the kind associated with a leaky septic system somewhere upstream. So, instead I chose to avoid an E.Coli infection and I headed across the bottom lands of Minnesota (seriously, it looks like Siberia) to the upper reaches of this particular river where it headwaters near (but not from) lake Mille Lacs.

I got chased out by unbelievably harsh black flies, horse flies, and skeeters.

So, I went downstream to this stretch close to where it enters the St. Croix. Didn't catch any big bruisers. I spooked most of those as many of them were hiding in barely enough water to cover their backs. Though I did observe a few trying to root crawdads out from the rocks--which are everywhere in this stream. Seriously, I saw the Grand Palooka (technical term) of all crawdads. It could have passed for a Maine lobster. When I stepped near him, he didn't backpeddle. He actually came after my wading boot. I though about catching him for the camera, but his claws made me think better of it.

Though the bass above would have no trouble with him.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Fly Rod Smallmouth 101

First Things:
The first rule of fly fishing for smallmouth is that they are not trout. They generally don't hold in the middle of a fast riffle like trout do, nor do they tend to hold underneath a big woodpile in a muckbottom pool like trout do either--especially browns. Observe how the guy next door is built: he's not terribly sleek and hydrodynamic, like a trout. Smallies tend to like back waters and eddies off of the main current that have that magical combination of deep and slow with a rubble bottom. These are the kinds of places where you find crawdads which make up the bulk of the smallmouth's diet--though they do eat their share of baitfish, nymphs, leeches, and frogs. In the next couple of months they seem to really zero in on frogs.

What Smallies Like:
There is a rumor among trout fisherman that smallmouth like cool water. That's a bunch of bullshit. Fishing gets good in rivers when the water temps climb into the 80s. This rumor was likely started by fisherman angling for lake-dwelling smallmouth who observed correctly that after the spawn smallmouth do often go deep in lakes--supposedly to cooler reaches. The reason for this is to avoid competition from larger species like largemouth. From my own experience, smallmouth will stay shallow in largemouth-free Arrowhead/BWCA lakes so long as their food sources are available.

Remember, a 100 degree day will mean good smallmouthing, so long as one can stand it. Cold fronts and cooling water temps mean that one should go trout fishing.

Rodsand Reels:
Now some people will call me crazy, but for the on-foot, small-river angler fly fishing for smallmouth is not the most effective way to catch them--though for me it is the most enjoyable. On new water I usually use a 7 foot light action spinning rod with 6 pound line and a 16th ounce jig with a brown power grub. In the evening I will switch to a Heddon tiny torpedo as the fish (especially the big ones) are prone to strike surface items. However, once I learn a stretch and figure out the prime lies I switch to flies. The problem I have experienced with smallmouth in central Minnesota is that they are extremely spooky and when stalking a boulder strewn river it can be very difficult in metal studded boots (the only thing that can keep one from falling face first in every hole). The shifting streamside and submerged rocks and boulders are just too noisy. So booming a light jig with a limp light line 60 feet into a likely lie makes more sense. This can be hard with a fly rod, so good casting skills are necessary--and I am a middling caster at best. However, if in a boat on the upper Miss or St. Croix, the ability to pick up and instantaneously recast a long line is most beneficial and from my experience the best way to catch big river smallmouths--hence the carnival of drift boats every day on the upper Miss. But, when on a smaller river that is only twenty to thirty feet wide, alders and trees make a long line difficult. The best way around that is to "over-line" your rod.

I fish a really fast action Sage 7 weight. With a #7 line it's fair in close but it is a monster from 50 to 90 feet--but that takes a little more work false casting. The problem is I need to get to 40 to 60 feet in a hurry--preferably with just one or two false casts. So what I do is I put a #8 line on it. The result is the rod loads immediately and puts a wind resistant popper where I want it most of the time.

As for reels, smallmouth are not epic distance runners. I don't even play the really big ones on the reel. So, unless you're going bonefishing in the winter, get one with a reasonable drag that just holds the fly line.

Flies:
This is really easy. Two flies: a popper/diver and a Clouser minnow.

Any popper or diver that is about 3 to 4 inches long and a neutral color or just plain black. I don't like deer hair flies. They are a pain in the ass. They waterlog too easily, and become a casting nuisance. Just avoid them. Anything that won't waterlog is fine, but the closed-cell foam variety made by guys like Tim Holschlag at Smallmouthangler.com are a better bet. They are light enough to be cast with a 5 weight and durable enough to last through a good many fish. Finally, they are easy to tie as all you need is a sharp razor blade and five or twenty minute epoxy--plus whatever material you want to use for a tail: I just use a saddle hackle and a sparse clump of bucktail.

The Clouser is a fly that catches anything. My biggest brown to date (27 inches) smashed a chartreuse and white Clouser on a hot early evening in a shallow riffle on the Rush river. With that same color combination I've caught big silvers and dollies in Alaska, big lake dwelling rainbows in Montana, river-mouth lake trout in Lake Superior and in the BWCA, ginormous browns from a belly boat in Lake Michigan, stripers, false albacore, and blues off of Long Island, steelhead on the Brule, and pike, walleye, muskies, and smallies on my rivers. It's an awesome fly. Carry them in black, white, chartreuse/white, brown/orange, olive/white, and whatever you can come up with. I like sizes 2, 4, and 6.

It also doesn't hurt to carry a few woolly buggers too--black works.

Catching the Bastards:
The way I fish the Clouser is with an indicator. I cast it up stream and do half-assed hop with the current. Because smallmouth inhale things rather than chomp, turn, and run like browns, you need the indicator to detect most strikes. Though sometimes when smallmouth are really on a bender they will sit in that sweet spot right in front of a big boulder or in the tail of the slick behind it. There I will I do the down and across swing. Instead of stripping it at the end of the swing, I let the fly hang right in his face. It drives them nuts. Just a couple of twitches and bang.

The poppers/divers are a different issue. If you own a cat this will make perfect sense: have you ever thrown out a toy attached to a string, you move it and it gets the cat's attention, but it won't chase? Smallies are the same way. Chugging it along works for muskies, browns, and dogs, but you have to make the smallmouth and the cat go nuts. With your cat you toss the toy out and it takes notice. It stalks and watches. You give it a twitch, and it mews and its butt starts to shake. You let it sit and the goddamn cat practically has a seizure. One more twitch and the damn furball pounces. Smallmouth are the same way; they will follow a chugging lure, but if you plop down a fly, let it sit until the rings go away, and then give it a twitch they will usually smash the hell out of it. If not, give it another twitch and wait. Nothing? Try another spot. On the way back hit it with a Clouser. If you get strike and miss, try him again. If nothing, throw the woolly bugger on him. Deadly.

Toothy Critters:
Most central Minnesota rivers hold tons of small pike. I don't like them. They smell terrible and they don't fight very hard. Some Wisconsin rivers that I fish hold surprisingly large numbers of muskies that run from 30 to 40 inches--I've had follows from some that I would swear were well in excess of 50 inches, but no bites. Muskies fight really hard and smell nice. If you are concerned with losing flies Cortland makes a material you can buy at the Fly Angler in Fridley, MN (possibly at Cableas too) that is very thin (about 3X), and can be knotted right into your leader without kinking too badly. It keeps the pike from getting away with your flies. Muskies, because they have a different jaw and dental set-up, will usually bite clean through it and they require heavier stuff. But, since the flies are easy and cheap to make I just deal with it.

Walleye, Ocassionally:
All of these rivers contain some very nice walleye and from my experience they usually end up with an olive oil and black pepper glaze, grilled, and then placed on fresh sour dough with spring greens, tomatoes, red onions, and a homemade chipotle mayo. Serve it with a good Pinot Grigio and the women will love you and forgive for anything you may have done lately.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Switch

The guy you see in the corner is the 22 incher from last year. It would be nice to meet him again.

Anyway, since Summer arrived in its official form--hot, muggy, unbearably buggy weather--I smoothly made my transition to smallmouth bass today with my dad. He took all the pictures so I will get them and put them up shortly. But, the first day of smallmouth was a success. We fished a stretch of river about an hour north of Saint Paul and saw one canoe with two people. Had I gone to the Rush or Kinni today there would have been a substantial number of folks--certainly at the Rush. I don't know what it is about smallmouthing and fly fishers around here, but the resource is unreal, the fish are often huge, they take a fly well, they fight really hard, and next to no one fishes for them save for the special regs area of the upper Miss. That's turned into a circus on par with the Big Horn during the PMD hatch. But, there are many rivers out there that don't see any (and I do mean zero) anglers and 16-18 inch bass are the norm.

But that is not to say that I am done with trout. Now, for me at least it becomes an evening to after dark matter on weekdays. There are whispers that the Hex has begun out on the sands with its slow-moving and boggy rivers. I will check that out this week.

I see for the forecast that we are expected to get some heavy thunder-boomers across the middle of the state--likely to miss Saint Paul. We need the rain badly here. Though I do have to admit sitting out on the sunken patio at W.A. Frost or at the Muddy Pig and slurping a Surly Bender or a Rush River Unforgiven has been quite fun and dry.

But, the score: the third fish of the day was a fat 17 incher--classic bronze smallmouth. There were also a few others in that neighborhood.

This river is one of those amazing, white pine studded, bog-stained masterpieces flowing around granite boulders. Bald Eagles and all...

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Return to Brookie Creek
















I went back to this amazing brook trout stream on Saturday. I fished all dries. The fly of choice was either a #18 Humpy with an orange body or a Stimulator of the same size. Brookies for whatever reason just can't get enough of the color orange.

This is one of those places where the angler can get away with saying that size doesn't really matter and it is really about the beauty of the fish.

That's my excuse, anyway.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Beautifully Restored Brook Trout Stream By Trout Unlimited--Ah, Wisconsin!

The KiapTuWish Chapter of Trout Unlimited really works hard at making trout streams awesome. Here's a brookie creek that with a little work went from 500 trout per mile to over 3000.

If you go there they are everywhere. The best thing is that there are many creeks that TU has restored in the area.

Join and donate time and money to TU.

Every Once In A While...

I came across something really special while fishing. Here's what I stumbled upon.

It's not everyday I run into yellow lady's slippers.


School's Out, Fishing's In

Finally, it is done. The kids have gone home. All of them. With them the fights, the cursing, the back-talk, and the general noise of 1400 students have, for the time being, disappeared from my life. It will come back. But, 10 weeks from now I will be ready for it. In the meantime there is fish. Only fish--with the addition of some fine beer. As I write this I am enjoying a Rush River Lost Arrow porter-ale. It's basically a very dark nut brown ale. My beer friends was have a considerable disagreement with me over the fact that I like this brewer better than Surly, the new hot brew here in the Twin Cities. Remember when everybody went bat shit crazy over Summit? Yeah, now not so much. It's all about the Surly now. Though the local scrawny hipsters still swill the Brain Melt Premium.

But, I digress...

I've been fishing lately. I didn't go today because my feet were rotting in my sweaty, possibly leaky, waders for the last four days. I fished one of those two extremely popular river with Twin Cities fly anglers. Though when I wandered far enough upstream I was alone. Completely, gloriously alone. It was me and the white pines, the turkeys, and the many trout. Some big ones too. In fact, this particular river doesn't produce many large fish for the angler. They are there, but they are just damn tough to catch. They are all wild which is why I like this river. They are fighters and jumpers. They have the large, heavy leopard spots like the browns in the magazines and TV shows.

Did mention I was completely alone?

The second night I got on the river I felt for my camera and guess what? No goddamn camera. Guess what? I caught the biggest goddamn fish I have ever caught in this river. It was a perfect fish. A big, tank-like slob of a brown. It was silvery like an Atlantic salmon, and didn't have a mark on it. Did I mention that I didn't have my goddamn camera? I guessed it to be about 22 inches--so it was really about 19.

The third night I had the goddamn camera and I caught a pile of goddamn of 8 to 10 inchers. The fourth night I have my goddamn camera and I caught a respectable 15 incher. I didn't take photos of fish until I began writing this goddamn blog.

I love this river. It's one of those lore-saturated Wisconsin rivers: Bois Brule, Tomorrow, Mecan, White, Wolf, Kinnickinnic, Namekagon...I love them all.

Friday, January 2, 2009

The Season Begins

There was a time, when I was younger--not much younger, when I would jump in my parent's car and drive south to the Whitewater river system near Rochester and go fly fishing for trout--on the first of January when the season officially opened.

I mean this in all seriousness.

There was one time I drove the two hours down there on a day that was TEN BELOW ZERO (that's Fahrenheit) and got out of the minivan, put my gear on, ran down to the river and a good hole, and promptly caught one little trout. Then, I hurried my frozen ass back up the bank and jumped into the minivan, waders and all, and drove the two hours back home. I probably could have just let the motor run.

That was maybe 1996. Looking back I can see why my SAT/ACT scores were not terribly high.

Now you may say how can one fish this time year? Well, it's not really matter "how"but "why?" But, that's a question for another post. However, the unglaciated portions of southeast Minnesota have a wealth of spring fed, hard water streams that stay cold in the summer and fairly warm in the winter. So, the water stays open all year and maniacs like the younger version of myself who felt the walls closing in right after Christmas could go out and let the frostbite blacken a few fingers and toes.

The worst thing is when I once slipped on a rock and fell in and filled my waders. Again, these rivers are cold. But, January cold is something else. I had a half-mile hike back to the car. Have you ever read Jack London's "To Build a Fire"? My experience was something like that. But, there was no fire--I was not that lucky. When I made it back to the car, my clothes were frozen. Imagine trying to strip when all of your clothes are complete ice. Imagine someone else...see, that's funny.

Needless to say, I got the car running, the heat cranked, and used the vents in ways they were not meant to be used.

That was about 1998 or 1999. I think I was done with winter fishing after that.

April is not too far away...

...exactly three months...