Love Your River!

Over the years I’ve found throughout my friends whom I fish with and also with myself that since our early days of fishing we’ve evolved from eager, fish-hungry type who strive only for size and numbers to a more patient, grateful kind that has found peace in almost every outing be it good or bad.  We’ve also realized over the years that to enjoy these wonderful resources ( lakes, rivers, oceans) we have to do our part to ensure that the rivers and lakes have people to look after them.  Although states have Wildlife and Natural Resources agencies to regulate our beloved waters, they alone can not scratch the surface of what can be done to preserve what resources we have.  Just like most things in America that make a difference, they have to start from the grass roots… thats you!   Friends of the Kishwaukee River, Winnebago County Forest Preserve District, and the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance have gotten together to throw “Love Your River Day” on the banks of the Kishwaukee River.  Their goal is to simply spread awareness of both the environmental and recreational value of the River.  Hopefully, encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to use and protect your local waters.  If you got the day off grab a kayak or canoe and float your way to the Espenscheid Forest preserve for the party.  And don’t forget to LOVE YOUR RIVER!

Friends-of-Kish-Logo

 

here’s a link for more info.

http://paddleandtrail.com/friends-of-the-kishwaukee-love-your-river-day/

 

 

 

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Cloud forms familiar shape….

Looked too good to resist the photo… now that’s a mushroom cloud

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Warmwater Action Heating Up

I went to my favorite local pond on the front range that rarely lets me down, and once again it produced.  The Colorado Trio:

Largemouth Bass on a Backstabber

Largemouth Bass on a Backstabber

Trout on a green midge

Trout on a green midge

Carp on a beadhead nymph...on the 3 wt

Carp on a beadhead nymph…on the 3 wt

Chad Pettrone – Colorado Fly Fishing Guide – www.flyselector.com

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May Caddis – Driftless Area

Saturday morning Bret and I went to fish some spring creeks south of the Wisconsin River in the Driftless Area hoping for enough sunshine to get some caddis active and find some fish in a frenzy, but really any trout on any fly would do.  It’s just that in the last five years the most productive hatches I have ever fished have been from late April through May when the air really starts warming up.   Once the grey, spring overcast cracks open to let in some warm sunshine caddis start popping and dozens of trout in each riffle go airborne chasing the emerging flies.  During our three hour drive we had plenty of time to discuss our approach for the day… what creek, bridge, flies, and how the weather would play out.  All the while I couldn’t get images from past caddis hatches out of my head.  I knew that the weather that day called for mostly clouds and was considerably cool for May, but I still had hope that if the sun came out so would the caddis.  After several hours of getting a fish here and there on nymphs and streamers I saw the unmistakable “caddis” rise, than another…  I was able to make the switch to a deer hair caddis pattern and get two strikes and landed one of the fish.  Just as I thought it was about to hit the fan some clouds rolled in and shut it down.   The remainder of the afternoon was the same story…  Sun would come out, a few bugs would start to show followed by a few rises, and then shut down again by a huge cloud.  I however was more than happy with how the day panned out, and left knowing when I return on a sunny day its on like donkey kong!

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may brown

bret trout

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Is it a Dream?

There is a place that exists where beautiful women catch monster trout all day…

 Brittany's Monster Bow in CO

 

Chad Pettrone, fly fishing guide Boulder, Co. [email protected]

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Steelhead Starting to Happen – Southern Wisconsin

All the rain that passed through in the last month brought the rivers up and the fish have started to make their move.  On Sunday I took a look at several different rivers before settling at the Root.  The Milwaukee was running slushy and high in most places.  Oak Creek surprisingly was void of people, but after walking a good bit of stream and fishing a couple holes it seemed void of any numbers of fish as well.  After talking with one of the other few guys out there he seemed to have the same results.  When I arrived at the root I could see the water level was up and had the perfect stain to it.  We fished a favorite spot of mine for an hour or so and made our way to some of the more popular parks up stream.  At the last spot I could see a guy carrying two fish on a stringer up to his truck.  This was a good thing for two reasons – one, he was leaving, and two, there seemed to be some fish in this area.  My friend Andrew and I fished hard for a while and I was just about to call it a day when finally it happened!  A beautiful red male took a swinging fly in a slow foam line behind a downed tree.  The ten day weather forecast seems to show the temperature rising.  If true, the next 2-3 weeks is gonna be the best time to get at these fish before their focus completely switches gear from defensive predator to romantics with lock jaw.  Focus on the fish holding in deep bends and in pools below riffles and you’ll find the more aggressive fish.

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