It was another nice weekend for fly fishing in October and George came up from Kansas City to do some spring creek fishing.  It was a very nice morning and the fishing was good.  As the water warmed up we started to fish emergers and soft hackles size 19 and 20 with 6x and no weight.  The fish were not overly active so our drifts had to be drag free and right in there feeding lanes.  We had luck fishing the tail end of the runs and letting the flies swing down stream.

Wow!  What a crazy month.  Between catching fish and working in the garden time has gone by fast.

I spent my Labor Day weekend in Colorado guiding at the 4UR Ranch.  I had guided there a few years ago and they called me last Friday and asked me if I could help them out during their busy Labor Day weekend.  Once you fish/guide at the 4UR you will not turn down an invitation to go back (even if you have to travel all day to get there).

Goose Creek runs though the Ranch and dumps into the Rio Grande just miles down from its head waters.  Goose Creek is a private tail water and has great hatches all year long which makes fly fishing exciting and challenging.  It also makes for huge fish that will test your skills.  Catching AND landing fish, ranging from 19-24 inches (some bigger) on 7x with flies that are size 22-26, takes some getting use to.  That’s right- 26! I could not believe my eyes when I saw them.  I was able to head out for a quick evening fish after my first day of guiding with my brother and we both caught a nice fish on the creek.

If you are ever looking for a great fly fishing experience, check out 4URRanch.com.  Head guide Andy Lee and his guide staff can help you find, catch, and land great fish.

Just got out of the Upper Iowa and it’s fishing well.  Caught a nice number of rainbows and small mouth bass.  The water was clear with nice flow.  Tons and tons of bugs were hatching as night fell.  If you’re ever in town fly fishing the streams around Decorah, take some time to experience the Upper Iowa River.

Today, the Driftless Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU) based in Decorah, hosted a Boy Scout trout fishing day at the Decorah Fish Hatchery.  TU had a several volunteers show up to help the Scouts learn to cast fly rods and spinning rods.

It appeared the event was successful – a good time was had by all!  In the photo to the right TU members, Tom and Bill, are showing Scouts the Rainbow Trout that are raised at the Hatchery.

I was able to attend the Friends of the Decorah Fish Hatchery celebration last week.  They are raising money for a new restroom facility and visitor information center.  We have a link on our website if you would like to donate money or read about the project and their goals.  It would be a great addition to our fish hatchery and local bike trail.

The photo to the right is me helping 4 yr old Amelia learn the basics of casting a fly rod.  She picked it up quick and had a fun time trying to hit the target.  She is a natural at the two handed casting, and a Spey Rod and some Great Lakes Steelhead could be in her future.

Welcome to our new site!  We are just getting the hang of things so check back soon for updates.  We will let you know how the water is looking and fishing in Northeast, Iowa.