Happy August!!  Can you think of a better way to bring in August than with good flows on our Northeast Iowa trout streams?  I was able to join Fly Fishing / Chicken guru, Steve Matter on the upper reaches of the North Bear tonight.  The two pictures are of the first Brook trout Steve has caught on this stretch of the North Bear.

We were both fishing size 16/18 nymphs.  I was using Red Copper Johns, Pheasant Tails, Black Zebra Midges.  Steve was using some of his own creations, one called the Miracle Midge and the other was a Red Emerger.  Stop by the Chick Hatchery, on Water Street in downtown Decorah, and Steve will show you what flies to use.  He will also let you know where the fishing has been good.

We fished the shallow runs and some deep slow moving holes and had success doing both.  Steve fished mostly with no weight while I was back and forth all night.  It seemed that no weight worked well tonight – although once you get into that faster water, adding some weight might increase your success.