April 10, 2024 – Evan Griggs, Fishing for All
Fine tuning
Kneeling on the riverbank in two feet of snow there was not a scud, not a stone fly, not a midge, not a streamer in my fly box, nor hatch on the water that moved trout. I had netted many fish from this pool in the past and knew it was good for wintering trout; its deep belly and large mend flowing straight and full below the high bluff.
The river had risen from the recent blizzard taking on an ideal bit of stain; the temperature of the water was slightly above the low range for browns; the air just below freezing. My Winston fly rod cast easily with an open wind at my back; nymphs rigged with an indicator and two-fly set up ticking the streambed. I attached every combination of flies that should work for the winter season––small size patterns knotted to tippet I knew would sink fast. The conditions and rigging all looked good, yet nothing. Struggling and dumbfounded, I knew it was time for an overhaul, and time to fine-tune my fly fishing before the start of the new season.
I needed a fly-fishing guide with a deep understanding of the Driftless ecosystem and how to catch trout. I watched the Minnesota Trout Unlimited video “How to Choose a Fly & Macroinvertebrate Identification” featuring Evan Griggs, guide and owner of Fishing for All. Evan would give me a solid hands-on experience and a new mindset.
In mid-April we got down and dirty in the water, upending aquatic life in the river––netting bugs; matching midge pupa, and midge larva; as well as mayfly, caddisfly, and scud to my Macroinvertebrate Chart. Finally, observing the stages of what we kicked up from the streambed we could place their approximate hatch times, from a hatch we’d fish that afternoon to macro hatch times that would be two weeks away. Goal number 1: check.
We studied trout behavior from the bank––stalking trout finning in holding lies; trout cruising and rising; following the sequence of visible rises from swirls and splashes to complete jumps in the air. Goal number 2: check.
As we walked the banks, we examined stream structure, taking into account the ecosystem, trout behavior, and how to fish them. Using my 4w 9’ Winston, I fished dry flies, wet flies, and nymphs, finding ways to improve my craft. Insects, terrestrials, and trout tell secrets of structure; how to see differently; and importantly, how to come to rivers and streams. Goal number 3: check.
Evan quotes Heraclitus on his website, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man”. All anglers, including me, know it well. Preparing for the new season, I remember why I fish. I love to be in the beautiful places where wild trout live.
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