Was going to start at the same point as yesterday, but there were two cars there. Went up two bridges and walked down stream. I am told this is one of our club members favorite areas, but it doesn't do much for me. Lots of new bank work, but I saw no fish. Tried a small GRHE. Went back to the spring and started in my usual place. The spinner fishers were way up stream. Finally got a 10 incher on the corner hole. Also had lightning so I laid down the rod and waited. I guess I was only waiting for rain, because that's what it did next. Ran our of time so I changed at the car and headed for work.

Had to return the immigration trunk to Vesterheim today, it was part of our Sons of Norway meeting. My day off this week, so I decided to make the most of it and fish a bit. Did the scenic route to N Bear, in other words I winged it and drove twice as far as I needed to to get there. I went to the first bridge above South Bear and went upstream. The stream had really been scrubbed out by the rains. The beaver dam was gone and there was grass six feet up in the trees. None of the first holes produced any action, I did see some fish moving in the hole where the dam had been. Just above the third stream crossing I saw some size 22 BWO hatching and soon a few rises. The area is under the canopy of trees and difficult to fish except from down stream. I finally figured that if I stayed on my knees, false cast in just the right plane and kept the loop tight I had a chance. Three or four tries later I still had not gotten a good drift. Two more tries and I got the fly over the fish and a strike. A nice  fighting 11" brown. There was no more action on the surface and I kept exploring. Ran into some  bait slingers so I started back down stream. There was activity in the former beaver pond, but it was hormonal not feeding. Went just below the bridge and tried a woolly. Got some action and eventually a strike, but foul hooked. The 11" brown showed its colors and was released. The time sure did fly fast and I headed for home.

Well, today is the first morning we've had frost on the pumpkin here at the house. Yes it has been below freezing, but we haven't had actual frost until this morning. Yesterdays trip to Bloody Run was bloody cold. The day was supposed to be up to forty. I had 29 when I left and 34 when I was coning back. There is a lot of wind damage there. A big tree is down at the parking lot crossing. The IDEQ will have some chainsaw work to do before it can stock again. I tried two new nymphs out, tied in tandem. An attractor bead head and a small black mayfly. No activity at the first corner or at the wood pile. I did see a rise at the wood pile. The water is about 6" higher than I have seen it in awhile. I went to the first hole in the brown trout special regs area next. The tree that was across from land to rock is now in front of the rock and in the water.  It is collecting a lot of scum. First cast and I lost a nice 17" - 18" bow. A few more casts and I lost another. I think they took the mayfly nymph, which is tie on a nymph hook. I normally tie on a dry fly hook when I tie this small a nymph. Gives a wider gape. The hook just pulled out or through. I did get a bunch of nibbles on following casts, but never did connect. Never have seen this with a nymph before. It was like fishing gills with a worm and having a lot of little ones attacking the worm. There was a train sitting on the tracks so I couldn't go further up stream, so I worked down stream with a dry. No activity. I switched to a lone nymph, the SHWW (soft-hackled woolly-worm) and caught a 6" brown. I moved further down and sight fished a nice one. Saw the take and a felt the tug, but missed it. Went for the one just below it and got a nice hook-jawed 14" brown. I figured at that point that I had wasted enough day and even though the sun had finally come out, it was getting low, so I headed in.

I made it to Iowa today. Again it was colder than the weather man predicted. First cast got a 17" rainbow with very dark pigment. Tried for it last time and got no response. This time the water was a bit dirty, but I was standing with my shadow almost on top of it. Moved a foot to pick up a new fly I am trying. It is a pink squirrel. I did not get the exact recipe, but I did get a description. Looks like an egg sucking nymph. Bead head style. Ended up loosing both of the ones I made. Caught three more trout with them, browns and bows 13-15 inches.