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.

We have been getting a lot of rain the month of July but the streams are still in good shape and fishing well.  I was able to finally hook up with my friend David for a evening fish.  Unfortunately it was David’s first outing of the summer and after donating a pint of blood to the mosquitoes,  he got right back into the grove and landed a few trout including the one pictured.  David caught this trout on a Brass Colored Copper John.  I caught most of my fish on a Pheasant Tail size 18 and Red Copper John size 18.

Summer is winding down so call your friends and get out and do some fly fishing.

Day 1 –  We started our first day with “chocolate clear” water from unexpected rainfall up north.  I thought to myself – this will be a real challenge for the Oregon & Nebraska natives (this being their first time to Iowa) however on days like this you just have to approach it with the mind set that the fish are there and if we can get the right fly at the right depth and close enough to see, we will catch a few tight lines.  Howard had just come from fishing in Montana  and his skills where very sharp.  Dubber was new to fly fishing, but after a few casts into his second hole, he showed great potential and a soft, easy cast.   We started to catch fish using what I call the “special one” – aka the “Green Weenie”.  size 22.  Fish are creatures of their environment- as long as the conditions of the water stay the same for at least 24 hours they will adapt and find food, when the sudden change happens they tend to hold and cover until they adjust to the water conditions.  Lucky for us the fish were starting to adjust and they were finding our flies.  We fished most of the day with the “Green Weenie” and a BH FPT.  We concentrated on the faster water and long tailing drifts catching some fish on the up swing of their drifts.  It was a gorgeous day and Howard and Dubber worked very hard on honing their skills to the stream.  We ended up catching more then enough fish for a days worth and trading some stories about our love for the outdoors, the beautiful North East Iowa scenery, and of course Nebraska/Big Ten football.

Day 2:  I decided to take them to a stream that was a little smaller then our 1st day, but had a more intimate feel and was great for a half day trip.  We spent the morning on the clear water and had alot of the same results.  I put their casting skills to test a couple of times into some tight drifts against banks and they met every challenge.  Dubber caught a “double” on one stretch (2 fish on 2 separate flies on one single drift) – unfortunately the bigger fish got off before the landing, but he still managed to get both fish up to the bank before the bigger one got off – very common in a double.  Howard showed his ability to make long precision casts near small pockets holding fish – I will have to say it was fun just watching him cast. We ended our day at lunch time and I was thinking to myself – I wish we had all day because these two guy’s were great to fish with.

I considered it a privelage to fish with these two guy’s.  I could tell they really enjoyed being around each other and I would be glad to fish with them any day.  Howard had a great love for flyfishing and Dubber was an avid outdoorsman – kindred spirits that landed in the Driftless Region to Flyfish.  Thanks Guy’s – I look forward to fishing with you again next year.  -Ethan

More rain over the weekend has the water a little high and dirty on the North Bear again.  Fished the edges of the runs looking for fish in shallower water.  Used Black Copper Johns and Black Zebra Midges.  Enjoyed guiding Ottie this afternoon and showing him some Northeast Iowa trout streams.

Thanks for booking a trip with us Ottie.  Hope to see you on the streams some day soon.

The Upper Iowa River running through Decorah is fishable again.  Fished it Saturday afternoon and caught my first small mouth bass of the year on the fly rod with a black zonker.  Picked up a few trout as well.

Fishing Recap from the 4th of July weekend which included hitting the streams with family and friends.

July 2nd – My brother flew in from Colorado and we fished his favorite stretch of the North Bear.  The water was a little high for this time of year but it was clear.  We caught fish on Black Copper Johns, size 18 and Hotwire Caddis, size 18.

July 3rd- Ethan and I headed to Coldwater for an early morning trip.  Black Zebra Midge size 18 was the fly of choice.  Water was up and a little cloudy but fishing well.

July 7th – I headed back to Coldwater this evening in between rain storms.  It is a fun stream to fish.  The higher water spreads the Browns out into every ripple.  Zebra Midge, Hotwire Caddis, Pheasant Tails, Crickets and Ants where all catching fish.  I kept moving quickly up the stream and covered a lot of water, trying to stay ahead of the mosquitoes.

We have had a lot of rain the past 4 days, and the mosquitoes are out.  I try to avoid using bug spray while fly fishing, because I’ve heard that it turns fish off if it gets transferred to your flies.  For an alternative, check out Exofficio shirts with Buzz Off insect shield and pick up a Buff neck guard, which also keeps the  black flies off your neck.  The Decorah Chick Hatchery has both of these in their store, along with flies, tippet, line and any thing else you may need.

If you are thinking about coming to Northeast Iowa to do a little fly fishing over the 4th of July weekend, the water is ready.  Fishing was good last night on the North and South Bear.  The two streams were totally opposite fishing conditions.

The South Bear was a fly fisher’s dream last night.  It was clear, running a little high, and the fish were rising to dry flies .  I was fishing a standard #16 Adams and #16 Caddis.

The North Bear was my fly fishing dream.  The water is running higher than the South Bear, visibilty was about 14 inch down and clearer along the banks and in faster water.  The nice size fish, pictured above, was caught on the North Bear laying along a fast run where the water was clear.  Fish were caught on a #16 all black Hares Ear with no weight.  I also fished the #16 Adams along the bank and had some luck doing that.

The water is back and the fish are aggressive so go fly fishing!

We just can’t get a break from the rain in Northeast Iowa.  Decorah got more rain Saturday night so the water clarity has not improved and although the water level is higher than normal, it is fishable.  Let’s hope the rain will hold off this week and the water will drop.  July is here soon so when the water does start to go down, hopefully it doesn’t go down too fast.

Picture of North Bear Creek today.  The water is back in it’s banks but note the grass on the left side of the creek laying down after high water rushed though..

The Northeast Iowa streams are running high and muddy.  Decorah got about 2 inchs of rain last night so I thought my friend Steve and I should go check out the water.  We looked at S. Bear, N. Bear, Waterloo, and Canoe creeks.  Looking at the grass next to the stream they all looked like they had tripled in size at one point last night.  The water could be fishable by the weekend.  It may still be high and a little off color but if you fish along the bank in the shallower water visibilty could be better.  The San Juan worm is a dirty fly for dirty water.  If you’re in town fishing go see Steve at the  Decorah Chick Hatchery down town and ask him for the hot fly.  He has a nice  selection of flies along with any clothing you may have forgotten.

It was great to be out today!  A father’s day get away for the morning with our good friend Paul from RC & D (Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development)…….  We fished the Bear this morning – it was a slow morning, mostly nymphing the edges of the faster water.  #16 & #18 BH Flash Pheasant Tails and # 18 BH Black Zebra Midges (no weight) where the menu for the day.  The fish have been getting hit with a lot of rain the last few days and we saw some showers for only about 5 minutes this morning but it let up and it became a pretty nice day.  The water is crystal clear and should be getting pretty active in the next few days.  I suggest getting out while the overcast is good and the hatches should be coming off the water in the evenings for you “Dry Fliers”.  It was a good get away gift on father’s day from our wives.  Thanks Ladies!