Fishing for satisfaction

With luck, we may get some rain tonight and tomorrow. We could use it. Much of our area is back under moderate drought. I’m debating if a wet day tomorrow means Mother Nature is giving us a father’s day present of some much needed rain or if she’s spoiling father’s day barbecues with rain. Is the cup half full or half empty?

Streamflow along much of the Minnesota side of the St. Croix river is below the 7 day average for this time of year. I’m going to see if I can manage a half day or so of field check on the Wisconsin side one day next week. Smoky air kept me inside more than I’d planned for the week just ending. Then again, next week is forecast to be at or near 90℉, a little warm for pleasant field work even if it is near, but not in, a cold water stream. I seem to recall predicting last winter that Mother Nature would compensate for excessive winter conditions by providing excessive conditions this summer. Looks like she’s making an honest man of me, so far.

cool looking trout water

Photo by J. Harrington

We’re coming up on one of my favorite times for fishing for trout, when the tricos (Tricorythodes sp.) begin to hatch. It will be interesting to see (literally) if I can still tie on a size 18 or 20 fly to the end of a very fine tippet. Maybe I’ll just tuck a rod and some hip boots in the back of the Jeep if I get out to field check conditions. Many years ago, when I was a boy scout, I learned to “be prepared.”

Trout

By Kathryn Starbuck

I do my best 

to keep pointlessness 

at bay. But here, 

wet above my 

knees, I let it fly. 

Here, hot and cold, 

fingers thick with 

thinking, I try to 

tie the fly and look 

for the net, loosening 

the philosophical   

knot of why I came 

here today, not yet 

knowing whether 

I’ll free or fry 

the rainbows 

and browns once 

they’re mine.

********************************************
Thanks for visiting. Come again when you can.
Please be kind to each other while you can.