Last Day of the 2011 Season

[ted4887]

I ended up getting out twice this week. One day I spent in the rain, and caught a good number of fish. And then there was today...

I was determined to get out today, rain or shine or 50 mph winds. Nothing was going to deter me. This was a picture perfect fall day though. Temps hovering right around 60*, a nice easy breeze, and the trees starting to turn into every shade of red and yellow possible.

Got to the stream, geared up, and decided to start hiking. I ended walking upstream for only about 400 yards or so, and found a nice looking run.

I had a black wet fly on my line, but opted to switch out. This water looked like it a Pheasant Tail type of water. Had a PT and a copper john trailer tied on, and in the water the flies went. About two seconds after the flies hit the water, I had my first strike. Brookie!

Quick picture, and back it went a few seconds later. Next cast a few yards further up stream and second, and third fish was on. DOUBLE!!! A minute or two later I had brought a rainbow and a small brown right to my feet. Neither fish was huge, but they were both pretty cool looking. I fumbled around with my camera for a second, and the small brown managed to free himself of the hook. That's alright, there was no way for me to get a picture of both at the same time. After all, I was standing in the middle of the stream, and they'd been through enough stress already. Took a quick picture of the rainbow and back it went. Two casts, and a hat trick! It was like the fishing gods wanted me to be on the water today. I fished through the afternoon, and caught lots of fish. Pheasant tails, copper johns, BWO dries, black wet flies, scuds, ect. Literally everything I threw at them was working. The PT and CJ's were definitely the hot ticket though. What a way to finish the 2011 stream trout season.

A fish from Tuesday

[Driftless]

very nice.

[popriveter]

On the last day of the 2011 WI season, I was driving from a work conference in Duluth to meet my wife, kids and some more family at a cabin near Wasau, WI for a non-fishing vacation. En route, I picked a stream from my regs book and had 1/2 hour to try and round up a trout or 2 for dinner. It took 2 casts to get my first one, and after a half hour, I had my limit. They ranged from 8.5-12" What an incredible treat! I will choose an 8 hour day of C&R whenever given the option, but to explore a new river and harvest a meal of brookies on the way to a cabin kitchen is pretty cool too!

[JIvers]

Here are some photos of my last-day brookies and brownies in the SE MN forum: http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...s_a#Post2675463