Making Good on April

Been fortunate to put together some solid outings in one of the world's best months: SE MN April.  Hit all three of my favorite day tripper trout waters; each with various family and and friends; stayed at a state park with one of our sons.  I always tell myself to make these Aprils and Mays count; only have so many; objective assessment probably says we were able to manage the homefront fine and log a highly acceptable April 2015.

Many trout waters.  My description of the best is not related to number of fish or size of fish.  It pivots on this: where are the streams that offer all-day walks that show never-ending good water?  These are streams that fall in a certain size range.  The small water doesn't have it.  And the biggest water around here either doesn't hold trout or is somewhat unwadeable or both.  I've got a short list.  Following pics were taken on one of the top three, on a forty degree windy day on which my dad and I found time to fish together.

We hit a greasy road; couldn't keep the vehicles straight; fish-tailing.  On Sunday of this past weekend I spent 45 minutes laying on the ground in my yard spraying off the undercarriage. 

Walking into starting point.

Dad's first SE MN stream trout.  Taken on his yellow Abu Reflex from way back.  He is holding the spinning rod that he bought me approx 28 years ago.

Appreciated all of his remarks on the bluffs, valley and cliff faces.  Not everybody gets to fish in these valleys and I like it when I get to kneel on the bank and watch someone take it all in.

Fact is that I can't show people how to catch trout with spinning gear.  Suck at it.  I can't see how you can get a spinner down far enough to dig out salmo trutta.  After a while Dad would run a spinner through a hole and I'd come behind and hook fish on nypmhs.  Finally I said here man, take this fly rod.  Don't cast it like Brad Pitt; just flip it; flip all the points of weight and follow the drift with a high stick.  Work your way across the water near to far.  Every lane will show a trout.  In his first position he stuck a 15 inch BNT on a Peabody lead fly.  Landed it.  Beautiful buck with deep mouth.  Proceeded to hook three more.  Nymphed like a champ.  And BTW look at that water and tell me the words absolute money do not come to mind.  No man could design it better.

His first trout on a fly.

We harvested small fraction of the caught fish; here some stomach contents.

Postcard.

This fish ate a streamer as it swept across current; tailed out, hovered and smacked it.  I like the spots.

Don't often see wetlands of this type in these systems.  An interesting find.

Going deep into the valley requires a walk up and out.  Great day.  April is easy-walking, buggy and sunny.  Nice time to shake hands with planet Earth.