We just can’t get the warm weather we should be getting for this time of year. The water level is a little high but the fly fishing in Northeast Iowa has been good. The weather has to turn around soon so great ready for your weekend trip to Decorah to fly fish the Driftless area of Northeast Iowa.
I just picked up the new Iowa Trout Map. Big improvement from the old ones. Lots of good info and pictures. There is even a picture of me in the map this year. That was a nice rainbow caught on a streamer, it had some nice color.
The Caddis were thick this morning.
This is a picture of my leg. They were all over the place, even my waders.
The Fish were rising to them non stop. What a great day to be out on the water. This is why we love fly fishing.
This is another Northeast Iowa Brown Trout. The color on these fish is something else – my pictures don’t do these trout justice.
The weather is warming up and the fishing is great right now. It’s time to get out and go fly fishing in Northeast Iowa.
What a great weekend in Northeast Iowa! David and I took advantage of the Sunday afternoon with a temperature topping out at 70. It was an overcast day for the most part, but the fish were active.
It had been a while since David and I had fly fished together and we covered a lot of water in a short time. David excels at fly fishing with streamers. The trout were all over his
style, and after a few helpful tips I started hooking trout, too. We were fishing black and brown bead head micro streamers tied by our local bamboo rod maker and fly tier, Chris Wasta. I was not use to such a small streamer, but these little flies are hot.
The warmer spring weather should be here by the end of the month, but despite cooler temps, the fly fishing has been very good so far. Now is the time to get out and explore some new streams. The weather is cool and the weeds have not grown, so scouting new water is a lot easier. Casting streamers in the spring is a great way to see a lot of new water and a chance to catch some big fish.
If you are thinking about going fishing this weekend the water looks great. Some streams are a little high but others are perfect. The weather should be nice so if your not going to the fly fishing expo get out and fish.
The Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo is this weekend in Minneapolis MN. It starts this Friday April 1st and goes until Sunday. Check out the website for directions and info.
Fished the North Bear today. Great fishing, weather and water. The fish
were very active and loving the Pheasant Tail. As the water warmed, the bugs began to fly and the fish began to rise. Most people would switch over to the dry fly, but I didn’t. Not sure what that says about me, but when you find this many bugs under one rock
it’s hard to stop nymphing. If I’m having success it’s hard to switch over to the dry. The fish were rising and the bugs were on the water, but I just could not make the switch. All in all, it was a great day of fly fishing and the run off from the snow melt has been steady and slow. That may change this weekend with higher temps and rain
coming our way. There is still a lot of snow on the North facing hills, so if that rain comes, things could get muddy.
Unlike Ethan’s trip on Saturday, I was not alone today. A good number of people were out fishing/camping today. It was nice to see so many people enjoying the trout fishing in Northeast Iowa.
I was anticipating getting back to the river this weekend – I had a short window so I was hoping the weather and the fish would cooperate with my time. I got up early Saturday morning to find that the wind was blowing harder then it has in awhile and the temperature had dropped about 20 degrees from the day before. But whats new – its March in Northeast Iowa. If your looking to fish in the Driftless Region – March and April are great times to do so. The wild brush is still down and the fish are more active during this time. You can find some pretty big Browns if you know where to look . However, prepare for some cold days – but I would rather fish during this time, if I wanted a day on the river all to myself. I stopped by one of my favorite shops (The Chick Hatchery – Decorah) to pick up a Klean Kantine water bottle for the days trip and to talk fishing with Steve, the owner.
It was windy, cold and slightly overcast when I got to the water. I made my way to the areas I wanted to fish and within minutes I was on fish. The temperature had dropped and just about every 5 casts I had to spend time breaking the ice out of my rod eyelets, but I had dressed warm and was prepared for the elements. I did not have to change flies too much in order to find what the fish wanted for the day (BH PT & BH HE). I was in a peaceful area with no one around – in fact I didn’t see another person on the river. The wind and chill wasn’t welcoming the anglers today. If you’re going to go fly fishing I believe it’s a lot like a football game – the game is only canceled when lighting strikes, otherwise the game is played no matter what-rain, snow, wind, cold.
When the day was done I had caught and released 20 plus fish and had some pretty cold hands. But I enjoyed ever minute!
See you on the water.
Ethan
The Hawkeye Fly Fishing show starts today and goes all weekend. Check out their website for all the details. It’s a great chance to get out and talk fly fishing.
Happy 2011!
One of the first signs of spring is coming up next month. The Hawkeye Fly Fishing Associations Annual Fly Fishing Show. It will be held in Des Monies this year February 25-27. Check out their website for all the details. It’s a great way to get out of the house and talk fly fishing for a few days.
If you have not seen the new link on our home page, we are now on facebook so feel free to add us as a friend. We are looking forward to another good year.
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