Minnesota Fishing Report      TWIN CITIES METRO ICE FISHING- Last week was probably the last best shot of safe ice fishing around the metro. Shorelines are softening up and very warm weather next week will start to thaw our lakes.Season opener is May 13th!       MN/WI DRIFTLESS TROUT FISHING-  Lots of chocolate milk flowing in the driftless right now! Rain, snowmelt, and warmer temps will have things pretty muddy for the next week or two.Blue wing olive mayflies have been spotted on the Rush in WI and Root River area. As temps warm, they will be very active on cloudy days.  Lots of midge activity and some stoneflies on sunny days. Will have to put in some work to find water with fishable clarity. A little tea stain is perfect! Head to the tributaries and try throwing larger nymphs, san juan worms, or black streamers.Dark colored flies will show best in muddy water.         WI BRULE FISHING- Still lots of snow around the river, hiking is a little tough. Water levels are low and fairly clear. Won’t last long with warm weather on the way! Steelhead have been caught using tandem rigs with smaller stonefly patterns and yarn eggs in holding water. Swinging streamers in faster runs always works well too. Once the water rises and gets muddier, use larger dark stonefly patterns and dark colored streamers.  Click Here to Book A Guided Trip Online!Phone: 612-293-8058Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com  Bragging BoardCat’s out of the bag! Local angler, Ricky, caught this awesome sea-run brown trout below St. Anthony Falls on April 1st. Every spring we get an epic run of these fish from the Gulf of Mexico. Their ancestral spawning grounds in the heart of Minneapolis has been a fishing secret for generations, allowing anglers in the know to hook into some truly behemoth trout right in downtown. But in order to really put Minneapolis on the map as a fishing destination, it’s time to let the world in on the secret.  Read on to see our exclusive interview with Ricky!  Q: How long have you been fishing for the sea-run brown trout in Downtown?A: I’ve been fishing the Mississippi downtown for them every spring for my entire life! They swim up from the Gulf in March and spawn like crazy below St. Anthony Falls for just a few days before they return to the ocean.  Q: Why is the brown trout fishery so strong in the Mississippi?A: Honestly, it’s all about the water chemistry and habitat. Since Minneapolis became a city, the brown trout fishing has only gotten better too. Because we use so much road salt in the winter, all that salt melts into the river in March and travels down to the Gulf. Then, kind of like salmon smelling their way back to their home rivers, these trout pick up on the saltiness of the river water and follow it upstream back to their spawning grounds. The road salt turns the ice cold river water into a brackish mix, kind of like the everglades, and the trout thrive in it. The habitat downtown is perfect for them too. These stonearch browns or stonearchies, as some locals call them, prefer habitat with a lot of silt mixed in with some larger structure like logs, bridge pilings, and shopping carts to make their redds in. Q: What is your go to rig for catching a Stonearch Brown?A: I usually use a 10-12wt single-hand rod to target these guys because they are super strong fighters, but they are still snotty and spooky trout. So I usually use a 12-15’ leader with lots of split shot to get to the bottom quick and 5-6x tippet. I use my favorite driftless trout flies, for this fish in particular I was swinging a partridge and orange soft hackle because there was a BWO hatch and I could see trout rising for emergers.    Q: What was it like catching this fish? A: This was actually a pretty average sized fish for a stonearchie, but man did it fight hard! I was swinging the main current below the falls and let it go past a piling of the stone arch bridge when my line stopped and dragged under. I thought it was just another shopping cart, so I just lifted the rod tip to try and get unsnagged but then- BAM! The fish came alive and ran down stream so fast. I was worried I’d lose it because I didn’t get a good hookset in it. Then you’ve got to worry about your tippet breaking when you hook into one of these things, so you can’t really horse them too much. A few moments later I was into my backing and I could see it trying to jump over the lock downstream. I decided I had to risk it or lose the fish over the dam, so I tightened the drag and started reeling in as hard as I could. The fish finally tired out and I was able to land it, take a quick picture, and release it to spawn and fight another day! Q: Why do you think more people don’t fish the run, and what does the future of the run look like to you?A: Honestly, I think the downtown river gets a bad wrap. I’ve been telling folks for years that there’s huge brown trout- like LUNKERS- floating in the river down there and I think everyone just thinks I’m making stuff up or assumes I’m talking about something else. But this year I wanted to prove that this exists and highlight the awesome trout fishing we have in Minneapolis. It’s thanks to the awesome conservation efforts of dumping tons of road salt in the river every year and all the dams locking up decades worth of silt that the browns return here every year. There’s people talking about removing the dams downtown to make the channel rockier and shallower but then it’s like, where would the stonearchies spawn, you know? Then all we’d have is smallmouth bass and other trash fish. So hopefully by highlighting the stonearch browns and by getting more people out on the river, we can preserve their silty spawning habitat and keep the road salt flowing.    In-depth look at BWO’s This is the first major mayfly species to hatch in the driftless during spring! The Baetis or Blue Wing Olive mayfly (BWO) is a medium-sized bug, typically a size 16 hook. But some species of BWO’s can be smaller at size 18 or 22. They have olive green bodies and dark gray or blue-gray wings. This species is famous for its prolific hatches on crummy weather days. If you don’t want to fish due to the weather in April, you should- because there will likely be an epic hatch of BWO’s. We’ll typically see the hatch start late morning or mid-day and last until the evening.  Like many other mayflies, their lives start underwater as a nymph. After about a year, the nymphs are ready to hatch into an adult. They need water temps to be at least 40 degrees to hatch, and have evolutionarily come to prefer windy/cloudy/rainy days to hatch, though you can see them on sunny days too. The nymphs will fill with gas under their exoskeleton to buoy themselves to the surface. Once they get to the surface, which is a perilous journey in itself, they wiggle out from their old exoskeleton, pump fluid into their wings, and fly away into their first adult stage- a Dun phase. The dun will land on nearby vegetation for a up to a day and then hatch again in the spinner stage. The spinners will form a large cloud of bugs to mate above the stream. After mating, they will land on the water to lay their eggs and then die. Fish will target this species at every life cycle stage and there are some good imitations for each that we recommend. Mend Provisions made this great diagram (above) of their favorite BWO imitations. A size 16-20 beadhead flashback pheasant tail nymph is a good general match for their larval stage. A sz 16-20 smokejumper is a great emerger imitation. And sz 16-20 sparkle dun or hackle stacker are good imitations for their adult stages. Depending on conditions, we will see the most BWO’s in April-May, then again in Sept-Oct. Visit your local fly shop and pick up some flies for this epic hatch!   Carpicide 2023We are so excited to host Carpicide 2023 on June 2-3, 2023 at Forgotten Star Brewery!This is the 9th year of Carpicide, a friendly fly fishing tournament in pursuit of common carp and good vibes around MSP.We’ll meet for a pre-party at 7:00pm at Forgotten Star Brewery on June 2nd for beer, food, door prizes, games, and carp fly fishing demos. Fishing will be open until 7:00pm on Saturday June 3rd, when all anglers must return for the after-party and award ceremony.All skill levels and ages are welcome to participate.Fly fishing only!-A portion of the proceeds will go to the Friends of the Mississippi River.- BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE!   Book your 2023 Fishing Adventures  We offer super fun fishing experiences for many different fish species on all the best areas of the state:St. Croix RiverMississippi RiverSoutheastern Minnesota DriftlessWestern Wisconsin DriftlessUrban WatersWe also enjoy working with all skill levels of anglers- especially beginners. Our mission is to grow anglers, and we want to teach you as much as possible while you’re on the water with us.We adhere to an “experience first, fish second” policy, ensuring that you’ll be safe, comfortable, and well-fed while fishing with us.We tend to book about a month out for day trips and our camps are starting to fill up now, so start thinking about what experience you’d like to have and reach out soon!    Fish local! Try something new! And reach out with questions!    Click Here to Book A Trip Online! Phone: 612-293-8058Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com  Trout Camps-    Our ever popular Intro to Trout Camp is returning this spring and fall, along with our new Dry Fly Camp! For those who are looking to learn how to fly fish for the first time or who want to “level up” their trout fishing skills- these are the camps for you. Join us for a day and a half of learning and fishing for trout in Minnesota’s driftless region.  We’ll be staying at Troutopia near Lanesboro, MN which has been newly renovated and is just steps from Trout Run Creek. You’ll learn real world casting techniques, bug and fly identification, knot tying, and spend lots of time on the water with our guides. Comfortable lodging, delicious meals, fun-loving and knowledgeable guides, and all fishing equipment is included. $700/person. To book and for more info see the links below: Intro to Trout Camp: 4/28-30 & 9/15-17 *2 spots leftDry Fly Camp: 5/12-14 *2 spots left   Youth Summer Fishing Camp-    Epic River Fishing Camp!For kids aged 10-15This camp is for kids who live for fishing and are bored of fishing from docks!Four epic days of the best river fishing experiences in MSP. We’ll bait fish for catfish and carp from shore, fly fish and lure fish for bass, pike and walleye while wading, and raft fish down the Mississippi. We’ll teach you all the skills needed to attain fishing epic-ness, and will have fishing gear for you to use if you don’t have your own.We’ll meet at River Park in Brooklyn Park, MN and hop around to the best fishing spots on the Mississippi River from there. 8:00am-12:00pm, Mon-Thurs, July 10-13 & August 21-24. $400/kid. 4 kids max, ages 10-15 Book your kid’s spot here!*We’ll be posting dates for Family Intro to River Spin Fishing and Family Intro to Fly Fishing classes in the next journal!  Click Here to Book a Guided Trip Online!Phone: 612-293-8058Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com  We want to hear from you!Follow the link to fill out a super quick survey so Fishing For All knows what, where, and when we can improve for our audience!I’m talking bluegill-bites-off-a-dock-in-the-summer type of quick or the I-just-fixed-my-birds-nest-and-got-another-tangle type of quick. It’ll be fast. And you might have some extra satisfaction at the next class, course, or trip that we offer because you recommended it and we made your dreams come true.Or something like that–   Send Us All Your Fishy Daydreams (and some thoughts for FFA)Guide Tips- Spring Fishing      Guide Tip 1: Fishing the Sucker SpawnSpring sucker fishing is one of those perfect seasonal activities. Fish designated as non-game fish stay open for fishing even when seasons are closed for other species. And redhorse suckers spawn very early in spring making them perfect ice out species to chase to shake off the last vestiges of cabin fever.For the best discourse on redhorse suckers, check out this article by our very own Rough Report columnist Tyler Winter. If you are interested in these species, don’t skip Tyler’s article.      Bait: nightcrawlers or red wigglers (always fresh)     Hooks: Circle size 4-8     Rig: Slip sinker with no rolls, bullets, eggs, or slinkys     Habitat: Generally, look for areas with gravelly bottoms.        Guide Tip 2: Pay attention to water temperaturesFollow this link for live water temperature updates from USGSBy the time spring roll around and the air warms, spring spawning fish are always on the cusp of their major yearly event. Crappie, bluegill, redhorse suckers, and many other species only spawn during specific weather and water periods that signal to them that it’s time. Growing up, monitoring water temperatures wasn’t something I worried about. In fact, I would hazard a guess that most anglers don’t actively track water temperatures.However, let this year be the year. If you need a refresher on spawning temps, follow this link and read Tyler’s Rough Report from the start of the year.   Hiroto Hayashi – The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation     On Instagram     Writing and MoreThere is a looming shadow that undermines the ideals of hunters and anglers in the nation.  This shadow is the downturn in hunter and angler recruitment that continues to drop precipitously and has so since the 80s. North America’s wildlife management and research responsibilities have a funding problem. Funds come almost entirely from hunters and anglers and as those numbers drop in the nation, states continue to receive less funding for conservation, development, management, and research of our natural resources.In North America, our natural resources are managed under a “user play, user pay” model. Excise taxes from two acts funnel funding towards everything from wildlife conservation to land improvement and outreach projects. Since the US puts wildlife and wild places in the public trust, this funding comes from the public’s activities. Europe, by comparison, operates under the “European Model” which is essentially that wildlife and wild spaces belong to whoever owns the land anything happens to live or walk on.  Here’s some direct information drawn from a website I found with a very nice page name if I do say so myself.  From “Wildlife For All” site:Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act“The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777 et seq.) was passed in 1950. Modeled after the Pittman-Robertson Act, it established a program of matching federal grants to the states and territories for projects for the “restoration and management of all species of fish which have material value in connection with sport or recreation in the marine and/or fresh waters of the United States,” i.e. species that anglers like to catch.Like Pittman-Robertson, the Dingell-Johnson Act required states, as a condition of receiving funding, to first enact laws prohibiting the “diversion” of license fees paid by anglers for any purpose other than administration of their state fish agency. Every state did as required. While this established a reliable funding source for state wildlife agencies, it also created an incentive for the agencies to sell as many fishing licenses as possible.”  Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act“The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C.A. 669 et seq) was passed in 1937. The legislation took an existing excise tax on firearms and reallocated the proceeds to a grant fund for state wildlife agencies. It established a program of matching federal grants to the states for “wildlife restoration projects.” The Pittman-Robertson Act required states, as a condition of receiving funding, to enact laws prohibiting the “diversion” of license fees paid by hunters for any purpose other than administration of their state wildlife agency. Every state did as required. While this established a reliable funding source for state wildlife agencies, it also created an incentive for the agencies to maximize hunting license sales.The impetus for the Pittman-Robertson Act was a marked decline in certain game populations. The Pittman-Robertson Act was intended to promote the preservation and restoration of wildlife habitats. The Pittman-Robertson Act defines “wildlife” broadly to include “any species of wild, free-ranging fauna including fish.” Note that this definition includes invertebrate and non-game species. However, in 1956 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued regulations that restricted the use of Pittman-Robertson Act funds to birds and mammals, probably because these are the taxa of most interest to hunters and wildlife managers.“  Astute readers may draw a number of conclusions from these paragraphs.Tyler Winter’s Rough Report includes examples where this system may fall short. Since “rough.” “trash,” and “non-game” fish aren’t the public’s knee jerk reaction for “species that anglers like to catch,” native species that we promote like redhorse suckers, buffalo, bowfin, and gar tend to receive little to no funding for research and media. The issue is far ranging. Across the board, except in the few states that can self-fund their wildlife and outdoor recreation communities, funding is dropping. How does this relate to Fishing For All?R3 is a term we hear a lot nowadays. It refers toRecruitmentRetainmentReactivationWhich are the three pillars of creating more anglers, helping the existing anglers develop their skills and experiences, and inspiring folks who haven’t fished for a while or who have aged out to begin fishing or spend their time doing things like volunteering.R3 is the industry’s solution to the drop in hunter and angler numbers and the corresponding drop in funds.Fishing For All’s tenets of education, growing our anglers, and saving our waters is all about this way of thinking. It addresses the plummeting number of anglers in the nation and does the dual duty of supporting initiatives that help all anglers.One thing to note is that “non-consumptive” activities like biking, wildlife watching, many watersports, camping, and other forms of outdoor recreation do not pay into these funds at all. While there are some components of these activities–a gas tax on boating fuel, for example–the majority of these forms of recreation are not considered under the “user play, user pay” model even though they are using the same resources. Do we change the model to include all outdoor recreation activities? Does this model already make it too hard for people who are financially burdened to get involved? Will it become worse if we tax other activities traditionally seen as non-consumptive?These are big questions.So, what do we do?Change, developments, and improvements start first with the people. So we the people can take it upon ourselves to be the change we want to see in the world.Getting involved with professional, personal, and social conservation organizations like Trout Unlimited, the Izaak Walton League, Friends of the Mississippi River, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and others help keep us in the loop, engaged with the activities going on in our area, and ensure that our voices as anglers using resources that we cherish are heard. And last but not least, when you go fishing, take someone new with you. Regardless of demographics, fishing is for all. I know we all hope that we can continue to keep it that way.    Want Fishing For All or Carp Unlimited MPLS Swag? Hit the link to check out our webstore for shirts, hats, koozies, and much more!FISHING FOR ALL Merch StoreThank you to all of those in the Fishing For All community! Without you, we wouldn’t be able to make the memories, share the fish stories, or grow the awesome world of fishing for new and veteran folks alike.    Have ideas for a program, a trip, a class? A guide tip you want to see on the newsletter? Want to submit photos to our bragging board? Let us know at the email in this newsletter below!Click here to Book Online!!Phone: 612-293-8058Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com

Minnesota Fishing Report

TWIN CITIES METRO ICE FISHING- 

• 13″+ of ice across the metro. Plenty of cars are out on the ice these days. Remember to drive slow, unbuckled and window down- just in case. Recent rain will cause some mess but won’t hurt the ice, especially with cold night temps for the next week. 
• Fish across the state have been weirdly lethargic except in very specific bite windows. The up and down temps are probably a contributing factor. 
• Warmer temps have had metro fish more active. Drilling and jigging lots of holes to follow the schools has been effective. 
• Tip up’s with medium suckers and shiner minnows set at mid water column have been super effective for pike. 

MN/WI DRIFTLESS TROUT FISHING-

• Very comfortable temps for fishing last week! Late afternoons have been seeing snowmelt which can muddy some streams and lower the water temps. Rain might muddy the water and cool the water temp, fish might be lethargic for a bit.
• Cloudy days have been much more productive than sunny days. 
• Streamer fishing has been productive on warm cloudy days. Midges and tiny black stoneflies have been hatching on the warm sunny days. Small pheasant tail nymphs, zebra midges, jig style perdigons on a tandem rig have produced the best numbers. 
• Shelf ice is prevalent in some slower, shady areas. Find faster, deeper runs for open fishable water. 

Click Here to Book A Trip Online!

Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com 

Fishing For All and Minnesota Bragging Board

This is one of our ice fishing program participants from last weekend. She recently immigrated to the US and caught her first fish ever at our event! Her and her family are HOOKED!

Practice makes perfect! We are nearing the end of our winter indoor casting clinics. These have been a huge success and we look forward to doing more in the future. Here guide, Ricky, is going over our casting acronym L.A.T.S. 

Evan’s 2023 Fishing/Water Forecast

The 2023 fishing season is just around the bend! Our sights are fixed to the horizon expectinglonger days, melting snow, and open water.

I’ve gotten the same question from a number of people over the past month, “What do you think fishing will be like next year?

Short answer- My magic-8 ball says it will be awesome like it is every year!

Long answer- it depends on how much more snow and rain we get. 

We have been in a drought cycle the last few years punctuated by several intense storms. By mid-summer the last two years, our streams, rivers, and lakes have been very low which can be good and bad. In some water systems, low clear water makes for some really amazing fishing conditions:

• On the St. Croix and Sippi sight fishing for bass, carp, and muskies.
• On our Driftless trout streams, low water in the mid-season can be great for sight fishing but can get hot and stress the fish out. Thankfully our fish are smart enough to move around to colder areas and we have a lot of ground water influx in our streams. If we have a cooler winter and spring that stays in the 40’s through March, we will have a gradual snow melt and avoid major muddy waters and floods but maintain good flows into summer. If we have 70’s in March, we will get a large fast snow melt with more major mud and flood situations and have less water to get us into the hot months. 

Then come the April and May showers, which the past couple of years have been torrential and done some real damage, especially in Western Wisconsin. If the rains come faster and more intensely during snowmelt time, we can expect lots of muddy flooding for several weeks. If things stay within normal parameters, we’ll see a couple weeks of muddy flooding until the foliage starts to grow again by early May.

We are just around average snowpack across the region and don’t have any major snow events coming in the near future, plus we’re maintaining our warmer temps, so my prediction will be snowmelt starting by early March with a gradual melt through to April. That is good for troutstreams!

If you are a spring carper or early season pike angler, we want as much flooding as possible on the sloughs and marshes- so keep your fingers crossed for spring rain! The Croix and Sippi in this scenario will likely have a shorter run off season, making drifting and wading viable much sooner in the season.

Lakes have not been treated fairly the past couple low water years and many lakes I’ve been ice fishing on are down 1-4ft from normal levels. Lakes can become oversaturated with nutrients in low water and have massive algae blooms as a result. Low water through winter can also cause low oxygen levels and winter kills. So if you like lakes, you’ll want to pray for rain alongside with the carpers!

My money is on another low water season all together.

We appear to be in a 10 year water level cycle (this is just my unprofessional fishing guide observation), but in the early 2000’s we had very low water, then in 2010-15 we had extremely high water, and now we’re back down to very low levels again the last few years. 

What can be concerning is how long the drought persists on top of many other limiting factors, especially for our groundwater-fed streams and lakes. It’s also been interesting in the last couple years to see the extremes in flows–from record highs in spring to record lows in summer and fall across the board.

Thankfully overall, our fisheries are strong and adaptable, and most of these scenarios aren’t dire yet.

Our fishing season will be fun as always, and a true joy of it all is learning to ride out the ebbs and flows of these natural cycles. 

See you out there! -Evan
 

Book your 2023 Fishing Adventures

We offer super fun fishing experiences for many different fish species on all the best areas of the state:

• St. Croix River
• Mississippi River
• Southeastern Minnesota Driftless
• Western Wisconsin Driftless
• Urban Waters

We also enjoy working with all skill levels of anglers- beginner to advanced. Our mission is to grow anglers, and we want to teach you as much as possible while you’re on the water with us.

We adhere to an “experience first, fish second” policy, ensuring that you’ll be safe, comfortable, and well-fed while learning to fish and reeling in the big ones.

We tend to book about a month out for day trips and our camps are starting to fill up now, so start thinking about what experience you’d like to have and reach out soon!    

Dream big! Try something new! And reach out with questions!  
 

Click Here to Book A Trip Online! 

Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com  

**Coming Soon- Fishing For All Youth and Family Summer Camps!

Minnesota Fishing Guide Tips

Tying a Leader for Nymphing YouTube Video with Ricky Phetsavong!

Hit the link to watch FFA guide, Rick, on YouTube as he teaches us how to make a hand tied California and euro nymph leader set up. He talks about the uses and setbacks of each set up. This is a great video to help you get prepped for mid-winter nymph fishing and beyond!  

WATCH HERE

Species Spotlight 

Smallmouth Bass – Micropterus dolomieu

Smallmouth bass are often touted as the hardest fighting freshwater fish for its size! If you’ve ever caught one, you can probably confirm the claim. I often think a 12″ smallie fights as hard as a 20″ trout. 

Smallmouth bass are members of the Centrarchidae fish family, and are related to bluegills, crappies, largemouth bass, and other panfish species. This group of fish are characterized by their spiny rayed dorsal and anal fins, comparatively large mouths with sandpaper teeth, and being utterly glutinous. 

They are native to the southern ⅔ of Minnesota and many Upper Midwest river systems. They can still be found in great numbers throughout the Mississippi and St. Croix River watersheds. Smallies can also be found now in over 500 lakes across the state. Surprisingly enough, they were stocked long ago into the Rainy River and Lake Superior watersheds, including the BWCA where only largemouth bass were present before. 

Smallmouth Bass are characterized by having evil red eyes, brown sides and tiger stripe markings. Their top lip also doesn’t go past their eye, which is a good differentiator between them and largemouth bass. However their coloration can change depending on the time of year and the water chemistry. For instance, I’ve found the fish in the upper St Croix, which has very tannic tea-stained water from bog infiltration, can be dark copper to nearly black. The Zumbro River near Rochester has more spring infiltration leaching through limestone, and the bass can be nearly lime green in color. 

Smallies are slow growers, but can reach impressive sizes. In general, it takes 4-5 years for them to reach 12″, 6-7 years to reach 16″, 8-11 years to reach 18″, and 12-14 years to reach the fabled 20″+. Obviously there’s many varying environmental factors that can slow or speed their growth, namely water temps, water chemistry, and their main food source. Males are usually smaller and top out around 2-3 lbs. Females can grow much larger, reaching sizes of 3-6 lbs!

The MN state record was 8 lbs from West Battle Lake. 

Their main diet is crayfish, bait fish, and aquatic insects. They will also gladly slurp down frogs, small mammals, and just about anything else that they can fit into their mouth. Smallies are a blast to fish for, especially with a fly rod! Not only are their home waters beautiful, they are aggressive eaters and fighters. Large streamers and poppers can garner some impressive attacks during their prime time, and large nymphs or crayfish imitations can get them when they are being more lethargic. 

If you haven’t experienced the world-class smallmouth bass fishing here in Minnesota yet, definitely consider signing up for one of our St. Croix Bass Camps or booking a Bass Float Trip. 

This is a local, native species worth checking out!
 

Click Here to Book a Trip Online!

Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com 

Cool Resources

It’s All In The Podcast – Hiroto Hayashi

Here are a few podcasts that many anglers should have on repeat whether you’re fishing with bait, lure, or fly.

To note, I don’t get political with what I listen to. As much as people hem and haw over their favorite icons, I believe there’s nuggets of wisdom to be had everywhere. If there’s good information that I can learn from, grow from, and gain more success from on my limited days on the water, that’s all that matters to me. Period. 

These four podcasts are ones I come back to again and again for that “good podcast feeling” that I can’t put my finger on. 

As a true multi-species angler (I don’t discriminate at all), these podcasts have helped me catch more fish, learn something new, or scratch the fishing itch that I get when I can’t get on the water fast enough. 

Enjoy!

Anchored with April Vokey

Vokey has a light and informal interview style that lends itself very well to the numerous storytellers she has on the podcast. From personal histories to historical events in the outdoor world, there’s something for everyone. (I listened to her podcast with Joan Wulff recently. Joan’s incredible history and accomplishments in the world of fly fishing are often overshadowed by her late husband’s legacy. I learned so much from this episode.)

From the site: Join renowned angler April Vokey as she explores fishing, hunting, foraging and homesteading through intimate, face-to-face conversations with some of the outdoor world’s most influential people. Her intense curiosity drives her to take a behind-the-scenes, vulnerable and honest approach with her guests that often ends up uncovering never-before-heard stories.

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

The description doesn’t do this podcast justice. Rosenbauer is truly a giant in the fly fishing world and is known for nearly innumerable accomplishments. This podcast is an absolute must have in anyone’s podcast rotation.

From their site: The Orvis Fly Fishing Guide Podcast provides weekly tips from acclaimed fly fishing author and lifelong fly fishing enthusiast, Tom Rosenbauer. Get the most from your time on the water!

Bent Podcast

Even though this podcast has ended, each episode provides a glimpse into the angling community from the views of freshwater and saltwater anglers around the world. What I appreciated about this podcast was its focus on so many different topics. I didn’t know exactly what I was going to get when I listened. It was fun. And irreverent. 

From their site: Fishing can be slow. Podcasts about fishing shouldn’t be. That’s why we created Bent, the unapologetic fishing podcast that moves faster than a tournament bass boat, but doesn’t take itself near as seriously. Host Joe Cermele welcomes anglers of all backgrounds and interests, from hardcore crappie jiggers to dry-fly purists to offshore tuna addicts. Even if you’re just mildly fish curious, this podcast has something for you: regional fishing reports, tackle tips, trash talk, etymology, weekly news, trivia, even suggestions on how to piss off your fishing guide. Come for the soggy cooler sandwiches; stay for the raccoon-eyes tan lines. 

Cut and Retie

The show description alone should give you a great idea of the feel of this podcast. The host of the Bent podcast went rogue so he could exercise his freedom to talk about fishing. 

From their site: No matter how you fish or what you fish for, Cut & Retie with Joe Cermele. Never techy, always metal-injected, let your guard down and stop taking fishing so seriously, because it’s just fishing, man.

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Have ideas for a program, a trip, a class? A guide tip you want to see on the newsletter? Want to submit photos to our bragging board? Let us know at the email in this newsletter below!
 

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Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com 

Minnesota Fishing Report

TWIN CITIES METRO ICE FISHING-

• The panfish and pike are heating up around the metro. Fish in 15-25 feet of water with tungsten jigs and waxworms for panfish. 
• Crappies have been most active at sunrise and sunset. Wax worms, crappie minnows, and red/pink soft plastics have been best for them.
• Pike are being caught on tip-ups with medium suckers and shiner minnows. Also try using rattling rapalas and don’t be afraid to jig them aggressively. They often roam in the middle of the water column. Don’t be afraid to set tip-ups higher than you think you need to.       

Metro ice fishing continues to heat up! Vexilars are showing christmas trees all over the place as long as you’re fishing the right areas. Head to deep holes and steep drop offs especially in shallow lakes. The latest cold snap has the fish tightly grouped up and sitting in the deeper basins. Depending on the day and temps, the fish have preferred a dead stick presentation over jigging.

The ice conditions overall have greatly improved from a couple weeks ago. Before there was a lot of deep snow and wet slush on the lakes. After our extended week of cold temps and winds, the slush has frozen up and most of the snow has been compacted or blown away. That being said, ice thickness continues to be variable across many lakes. The warming/freezing cycles, snow and rain have caused poor “cloudy” ice to build on top of the clean ice layers. “Cloudy” ice requires double the thickness to support vehicles. Before going out with vehicles, be sure to check ice thickness and ice quality. The lakes we’ve been on have averaged 12” with about 6-8 of good clean ice and 4-6” of cloudy ice. After this week of super cold temps there should be some decent clean ice growth.  

Early morning and sunset have continued to be the best bite times with a lull happening from around 10-2PM. However, continue to follow the fish deep throughout the day to find active schools. 

MN/WI DRIFTLESS TROUT FISHING-

• Catch and Release trout season has opened in MN and WI! 
• Fish will be most active during the warmest part of the day, typically late morning to early afternoon. When temps get above freezing, snowmelt can rapidly drop water temps and slow down the fishing in the afternoons.
• During cold snaps, target sections of streams near the headwaters or that have lots of groundwater influx. This will be the warmest water with the most active fish.  

Fishing was good on the trout streams before our latest cold snap. Anglers were routinely catching fish on nymphs and small midge patterns in the runs and pools. Water is very low and clear, so long leaders with 6x tippet performed best. After this cold snap, many streams will have a good amount of shelf ice and the slowest pools may even be lightly frozen over. Our advice is to find the headwaters or wait for things to warm up before heading out for a while.    

Fishing For All and Minnesota Anglers Bragging Board

Upcoming Fishing For All Minnesota Fishing Classes and Events

Casting Sessions at the YMCA

Cost: $40.00/person

Open Dates and times: 2/11, 3/11 with two-1hr slots each day from 1-2PM and 2-3PM 

Just a couple sessions left this winter for our extremely popular indoor casting lessons! We’ve rented out the gym at the downtown Dayton Minneapolis YMCA at Gaviidae. Come cast for one hour with our guides! We can  work on many different casting skills, including accuracy and double hauling. Beginner to advanced casters, welcome! Bring your own fly rod if you have one, otherwise a limited supply of fly rods will be available. Pre-registration is required:

Click here to Book Online!

Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com  

Learn to Ice Fish Programs!

Fishing isn’t just a summer activity! Our Learn to Ice Fish Programs are available with multiple metro-area parks and rec departments through mid-March. This is a wonderful winter family activity!

Here’s a linktree to our ‘22-23 Learn to Ice Fish programs and sign up’s.

This link is to book a private guided ice fishing trip with FFA.

2023 Camps are Open!

Camps are definitely the most fun things we do. Come fish new water, master new skills, eat good food, and join a community of adventurous anglers! Here is a list of our camps coming up in 2023. Book your camp spot here!

Camps Update-

*1 spot left in April Steelhead Camp!

*5 spots left in April Intro to Trout Camp

*4 spots left in May Dry or Die Trout Camp

*4 spots left in June Bass Camp

*5 spots in July Bass Camp

*6 spots in August Bass Camp

*6 spots in Sept Intro to Trout Camp

*5 spots in Oct Intro to Musky Camp

*Lake Michigan Tribs Camp is Full! Email us to get on the waitlist. 

Book your 2023 Day Trips!

The prime season is just four months away, and it will be here before you know it! We are now taking 2023 reservations for trout wade trips, carp wade trips, and bass-pike-musky floats. If you’re curious about winter trout fishing, we can help you out there too. 

Click here to Book Online!!

Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com  

Evan Griggs’ Field Report: Louisiana Redfish 

Little excites me more than fishing new places and new species. FFA hosted its first saltwater destination trip to Hopedale, Louisiana at the beginning of January. Our intrepid crew of anglers braved region-wide blizzards to arrive in New Orleans in the middle of the night. We met our host, Capt. Pat, at an unmarked and unlit boat dock on the side of a two lane highway. Exhausted, we loaded our gear into his boat and we were jetted down the canal to Kantcha Ketchum Fishing Lodge. Capt. Pat is a one man show, owning and operating the lodge for over 30 years. It was named after the weekly fishing column his grandfather penned for a local newspaper. The lodge was entirely destroyed after hurricane Katrina, and was rebuilt even better on top of 23’ stilts to keep it out of any flood waters. (Apparently 19’ wasn’t tall enough before.)    

We finally arrived at camp at 2am after a hellacious day of travel delays and had a 6am wake up call to eat breakfast and meet our guides. Capt. Pat had coffee brewed and breakfast sandwiches ready for us in the morning and we watched the sunrise over the marsh as we waited for our guides to arrive. 

The guides showed up around 7am, we split our group up and bid “Good Luck!” as we were quickly whisked away into the bayou on their super agile flats skiffs. It was on the colder side while we were there, only 40 degrees in the morning and maybe in 50’s or 60’s during the day. We were glad to have brought extra warm layers with us! After about a 40 min boat ride, we arrived at our first spot. Our goal was to work along the edges of the marsh grasses, looking for redfish cruising the shallows or tailing in the mud. All sight fishing baby, the coolest and sometimes most frustrating type of fishing there is! With less than spectacular conditions our guides put our group on fish both days we were on the water. The water temps were cold and the fish were lethargic, but we were all able to get some good shots at fish and land some awesome redfish and blackdrum! 

After two full days, Sean Michaelis, was crowned the 2023 Cajun Classic Champion for boating the most fish. Sean’s parting remarks after receiving the trophy was, “You guys- I didn’t even know what a redfish was before this trip.” May we all strive to have Sean’s go get em’ attitude! Capt. Pat let us draw on and keep the redfish colored orange dutch oven lid as our trophy. 

The best part of the trip was undoubtedly the food! Capt. Pat made some amazing home cooked meals, fried crawfish etouffee, shrimp gumbo, and fried sea trout, sheepshead, and oyster po boys. Cruising the marshes and canals, we’d pass numerous shrimp boats and pods of dolphins. The locals have immense pride in their culture and they showed it with gracious hospitality. (They also got a kick out of our northern accents, and couldn’t fathom why we’d practice catch and release!) 

We look forward to another trip to the marsh soon! I’m working on the details for 2024 Redfish camp as we speak. Give me a shout if you want to join. Come for the food and personalities alone! A huge thanks to Capt. Pat who went above and beyond the call of duty to take care of us.    

Tyler Winter’s Minnesota Rough Report

Tyler Winter, Rough Fish Conservationist and Environmental Scientist

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Instagram 

January marks the beginning. The first opener of the year, catch and release stream trout, happens January 1^st. Of course, the season for “rough fish” never closes. That robs us of the joy and festivities of an opener. But it also means we never have to stop fishing. I always feign ignorance when people discuss “the opener”. Between the multitude of seasons and the many species without a closed season, focusing on “openers” seems rather quaint. Seasons, real seasons, are dictated by the fish. And the season you want to catch is spawning season. 

January is still the beginning of spawning season. Already as I type, burbot are migrating to spawning grounds. You see, lota lota spawns under the ice in January when water temperatures are around 36F. Burbot are a unique fish. The only freshwater member of the cod family, they are unlike anything else swimming in Minnesota’s waters. Well known from cold Canadian Shield lakes, they can also eke out a living in trout streams and rivers in southeastern Minnesota. Burbot are also noteworthy for being Minnesota’s newest game fish. Long despised for their slimy appearance and reminding everyone how ugly cod are, their surging popularity has saved them from the pejorative “rough” label.

The last time a species was specifically removed from the “rough fish” list was 1979! Yellow perch were the last specific species to be afforded “game fish” status. Yellow perch are also an early spawning fish. Perch start spawning at 42F, although they aren’t as visible as many species we will cover. They spawn in lakes over vegetation, well away from their gravel spawning enemy the walleye.

Walleyes, white suckers and northern pike all spawn around 50F. Someone is already writing to the editor about me advocating for targeting fish during their closed season. Put down the keyboard. Pool 2 of the Mississippi is open year round for catch and release fishing for walleye and pike. Not to mention the various border water regulations.

Shortly after the walleye and pike, Minnesota’s 16 other sucker species get active. Shorthead redhorse start to spawn at 55F. Most sucker species, including bigmouth buffalo spawn between 55F and 60F degrees. River redhorse are probably the last sucker species to spawn in the Midwest, holding off until 68F. Gar and bowfin start to spawn about the time suckers quit. However, male bowfin will guard a nest while fry develop. This makes them especially vulnerable to harvest because they guard their nest for so long.

Notice I didn’t mention dates? Rivers, streams, lakes and swamps all warm at different rates. A dark water slough will warm faster than a shaded rocky river. Although bowfin are the last to spawn on paper, their preferred habitat warms faster.

Real time stream water temps can be found for some streams thanks to the USGS. But water temperatures are difficult to forecast even a few days ahead. You need a reliable thermometer. And not one that is sort of sketch and has a line for every 5F. Pause now and treat yourself to a waterproof digital thermometer for $20. In general, sunshine increases water temps more than warm air. Smaller waters warm faster, but larger waters hold heat better. Seek out small creeks on a sunny March day. And larger rivers after the inevitable May cold snap.  But, nothing can replace firsthand experience. So keep your new thermometer handy. Bookmark the USGS webpage for Minnesota’s real time water temperatures. And follow the “real” seasons as all the different species start to migrate and spawn in your local waters.  

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Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com

 

Guest Articles from the FFA Minnesota Fishing Community

Caleb Corona, Avid fly angler and fly tyer

“Fishing the Forgotten Hatch”

Instagram

Let’s look at our local trout streams. Picture yourself standing on your favorite stretch of local trout water. What do you want to see? Clouds of sulfur mayflies dropping towards the water? Caddis bouncing on the surface? Clumsy grasshoppers splashing down from the high banks? Sure, when those things are present, you simply can’t beat it! Don’t get me wrong, I love throwing dry flies on those special days when the trout are looking up and you can do no wrong. However, there are many days those hatches just don’t pan out. Then what? Do you call it a day and head to the closest restaurant? Head to the house and watch the Vikings lose their football game in heart-breaking fashion? I just can’t do that, hopefully you can’t either. When situations like these present themselves, I grab my midge box. 

Fishing Midges

I will not try to re-invent the wheel here, fishing midge larvae or pupae is not much different than fishing any other subsurface food source. I tend to have the most success fishing very small midge larvae patterns on very sensitive nymph rigs.

My ideal set up is a 9-10’ 4 or 5 weight rod. I prefer a bit slower rod but that is strictly preference. If you are fishing some smaller waters you can drop down to a shorter rod, maybe a 7’6” 3wt.

Fish eat midges all the time. To handle that, I tend to fish longer leaders (5X) that taper down to a thinner tippet (6X) than my standard nymph rigs. I prefer a leader of about 10-12’ from my fly line to my indicator.

In most midging situations, I believe the fish are a bit spookier and have a bit more time to look at the fly in slower areas of current flow. I think large, brightly colored indicators such as Thingamabobbers can reduce my effectiveness when presenting midges. I tend to stick with tan or lightly colored yarn or wool indicators such as the Dorsey system or New Zealand indicator system.

The larval midges tend to stay near the bottom of the river, so your rig needs to make sure to get down to them. I accomplish this by using midges tied with tungsten beads as well as fishing flies that maintain a slim profile. Pupal midges can be found anywhere from mid-column to the water’s surface as they make their ascent, for this reason pupae can be fished in a variety of ways. Two of my favorites are in a dropper system with a larval midge below it or as the dropper fly below a larger dry fly (maybe an adult midge) as the top fly. 

Image 2. A gorgeous driftless Brown Trout that fell for a small Zebra Midge. 

Some Popular Fly Choices

Larvae

·        Zebra Midge sz. 18-22 black, brown, purple, olive, red

·        Mercury Midge sz. 18-22

·        Modern Midge sz. 18-22 brown, black, olive, purple

·        Thread Midges sz. 18-22 brown, black, olive, purple

·        El Diablo Midge sz. 18-22

Pupae

·        Black Beauty sz. 20-24

·        Barr’s Emerger sz. 20-24 olive, black, brown

·        Smokejumper sz. 18-24 olive, black, brown, gray

·        Top Secret Midge

Adults

·        RS2 (fished as a dry fly)  sz 18-24 gray, olive, black, brown

·        Sprout Midge sz 20-24 gray, black, olive

·        Parachute Midge sz 20-24 gray, black, brown, black

·        Griffith’s Gnat sz 20-24 

TL = Zebra Midge, TR = Mercury Midge, BL = RS2, BR = Griffith’s Gnat. Images taken from Google Images. 

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FISHING FOR ALL Merch Store

Thank you to all of those in the Fishing For All community! Without you, we wouldn’t be able to make the memories, share the fish stories, or grow the awesome world of fishing for new and veteran folks alike. 

Fishing Report

• The up and down temperature swings are making the fish turn on and off with the weather. The bite windows (times when fish are most active) will become shorter as temps continue to drop. Take advantage of any sunny, warm days from here on out! The temps are taking a sharp downward turn for the rest of the month. Fish will become even more sluggish and move to deeper water (which is warmer) or seek out warm water influxes.
• Two clear strategies emerge this time of year: throw the biggest or smallest patterns you have! As fish prepare for winter, their feeding behavior changes. Depending on the species and size of the fish, some will target large minnows, suckers, or other bait fish to put on some extra pounds. Though the drawback of this strategy is that chasing baitfish takes a lot of energy. Fish being cold blooded, they will want to conserve as much energy and calories as possible in the colder months. An easier approach for fish in the winter is to hunker down in deep water and slurp tiny insect larva like they’re m&m’s or peanuts. By not using a lot of energy/calories, they can easily supplement their diet with smaller food.  Whichever strategy you choose, remember to move things slowly! Make their food easy to catch and hard to refuse.  
• Consider doing some scouting for ice fishing. It will be here before you know it! Early season spots are shallow vegetation and drop-offs that concentrate fish as they head deeper throughout the winter. 

      The FFA team fished several trout streams in northeastern Iowa and found hungry trout willing to take a variety of patterns. We waded and floated through some less than desirable weather conditions but had great fishing regardless. It was extremely fun to fish nearly every style of fly: indicator nymphs, euro nymphs, swinging soft hackles, stripping streamers, and drifting dry flies! Iowa has a year round fishing season and is a great option to try while Wisconsin and most of Minnesota trout streams are closed. Streams are still very low and clear across the driftless so 6-7x tippet was required to catch fish.   
 

       A few bass, pike, and muskies are still active in the lakes and rivers. The sharp decline in temps have got them hunkering down in their deep winter holes. Larger streamers, jigs with paddle tail soft plastic minnows, tube jigs, or live minnows/suckers are the best way to elicit a strike from them. It won’t be a numbers game, but your chances of getting a true giant are pretty likely.  The recent rain and snow have raised water levels on the St. Croix, Mississippi, and their tributaries a good amount.

      The Brule received a much needed drenching of rain, just as the fat lady is singing for the season! Flows rose to prime levels around 250 cfs. This bump in flows will inspire a big push of steelhead to swim into the river and help them travel upstream throughout through the winter.  Steelhead season closes on the Brule on Nov 15. 

Bragging Board

               Take a look at these braggin’ board photos from Iowa Camp that took place November 4th-6th!

Upcoming Events

NEW! Casting Sessions at the YMCA

     Cost: $40.00/person

     Dates and times: 12/10 (1 spot left), 1/14, 2/11, 3/11 with two slots each day from 1-2PM and 2-3PM 

     Keep the rust off and come practice your fly casting!

     We’ve rented out the gym at the downtown Dayton Minneapolis YMCA. Come cast for one hour with our guides! We can  work on many different casting skills, including accuracy and double hauling . Beginner to advanced casters, welcome! Bring your own fly rod if you have one, otherwise a limited supply of fly rods will be available. Pre-registration is required:

Click here to Book Online!

Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com  

Learn to Ice Fish Programs!

     Fishing isn’t just a summer activity! Once our lakes freeze over, we can venture out and catch fish through the ice. We partner with various parks and rec departments around the MSP area. During our 2hr Learn to Ice Fish programs, we’ll show you how to use all the equipment, find/understand where the fish live in winter, and practice reeling in crappies, bluegills, and bass. All the equipment is provided including one large Clam pop-up shelter and heaters! Programs are available Jan-March, depending on ice conditions. This is a wonderful winter family activity! 

     Here’s a linktree to our ‘22-23 Learn to Ice Fish programs and sign up’s.

     This link is to book a private guided ice fishing trip with FFA.

2023 Camps Coming Soon!

      You’ve been emailing, you’ve been calling, the wait is almost over! We are finalizing our 2023 camp dates this month. We expect to release camp dates and registration in early December for our existing clients, so you all can get first dibs. Then we’ll open them to the general public in early January.
     
     If you have camp suggestions or ideas, let us know. These camps fill up super fast, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for our Fishing Journal in December. We are very excited to be offering some new camps and lodging options in 2023! 

Tips and Tricks!

               Euro Nymphing (Link to a great article by Nomad Anglers)

     Nymphing carries some contention in the fly fishing world. You either love it, hate it, or do euro style. I personally believe if you want to catch numbers of trout, that nymphing is the way to go. I love nymphing because trout love nymphs. In fact, so do panfish, bass, and carp! No matter where or when you are on the water, there are going to be nymphs (or insect larva) in the water and fish will eat them. The conventional method of drifting nymphs under a strike indicator (ie: bobber fishing- but you didn’t hear that from me!) can feel tedious or even monotonous, and isn’t always the most effective way to do it. Not so with euro nymphing! I am a recent convert to euro nymphing, thanks to the tutelage from our guides Bret and Ricky. After just two days of using their equipment while scouting for Iowa Camp, I immediately ordered my own and will absolutely be adding this technique to my guiding repertoire. 

     Euro nymphing is a tight line nymph fishing method, also known as czech nymphing or tight line nymphing. The actual origins of the method vary depending on who you ask, but the technique is known by the rod’s constant line tension, lack of strike indicators, and drag free drift. Instead of watching a strike indicator and misidentifying strikes or missing them due to waters that make line mending difficult, the euro technique simplifies fishing with nymphs. 

     Euro rods are typically 3-4wt, 10-12 feet long and utilize a very long leader of 15-20lb monofilament fishing line that connects to 5-7x tippet. Using just mono allows our heavy tungsten flies to drop fast through the water column and stay deep. You don’t need a heavy reel or fly line because you just cast the mono. There’s also no mending needed because the mono will be straight and tight, controlled by the raising or lowering of your arm. 

     The most fun part of this setup is watching the “sighter,” which is leader material that is red and green. This is your euro “strike indicator.” You watch the sighter line to determine how deep or fast to drift, or when a fish bites. This is all controlled by where you hold your arm. Proper form calls for there to be a slight downstream angle from your rod to “lead” the line as you’re drifting. This creates a slight droop in the sighter which will hesitate momentarily or straighten when there is a bite. The long, light weight rods are also extremely sensitive allowing you to FEEL when a fish bites your fly!

     It’s best to tie a tippet ring to the end of the sighter, then put on your tippet. Having a tippet ring will save you a bunch of material and headache overtime. Typically, euro fishing uses tungsten jig flies. Depending on where or how deep you’re fishing, this rig can be a single or a tandem set up. If they are barbless hooks, we recommend tying on your dropper fly to the hook eye of your lead fly or leave long tag ends from a surgeon’s knot if doing a drop shot rig (heavy fly as dropper with smaller fly on top.)

     Tangles do seem to happen often with this set up, though that could just be my lack of experience with it. Because your main line is regular monofilament, it can be hard to see and control, especially in wind. Casting also takes some getting used to. Practicing a tuck cast will save you some headaches. Essentially, you water load your line at the end of the drift, lift and swing the line up over your head, then forward swing. The tuck comes from a slight upward flick of the wrist on the forward swing. If done correctly, this flick of the rod tip will let the flies land before the belly of your main line. This flick lends to better accuracy with the light mono and helps the flies sink faster. Because you don’t cast a heavy weighted fly line in euro nymphing, the cast can feel wobbly and inaccurate at times. A couple other drawbacks are that you can’t fish past a certain distance, and it can be hard to switch to a dry or streamer due to the long mono line.

     That all being said, this style of nymphing routinely outfishes the standard indicator rig, even up to 10:1 in my professional opinion. That constant and instant contact between you, your flies, and the fish is what makes this technique produce. 

     So if you’re a salty old fly fishing dog like me, you know the true joy of this sport is knowing that we will never master it. It’s fun to feel like a newbie again after 20+ years of fly fishing. There are simply too many nuances everywhere you go to ever claim to be a master. You can only hope the skills you do have can be adapted to whatever scenario you encounter. For me, euro nymphing is a fun combination of all styles of fly fishing. The effectiveness of nymphs, the visual focus on the sighter like dry flies, and the physical tug on the flies like streamer fishing. I’m very excited to continue learning and sharing this technique with newbies and salty dogs alike, because it’s just silly how effective it is!

     Bob Mitchell’s Fly Shop is starting to carry more euro equipment and supplies too, so be sure to swing into the fly shop and check it out.   
 

Highlight a Watershed

               Iowa Driftless Region and the Upper Iowa River

     Yes, though this watershed is well outside of the twin cities area, our experiences fishing here compel us to share it with you! Especially because we held our first ever Iowa Driftless Trout Camp just last weekend and had an awesome time on the water. The Iowa Driftless is connected to the same driftless region as Minnesota and Wisconsin, so spring creek anglers will be very comfortable fishing in NE Iowa. Steep limestone cliffs and outcrops, indigenous history, and amazing trout fishing all call this area home. 

     The largest waterbody in this area is the Upper Iowa River. This is a tributary of the Mississippi River and has many different species of fish in it very akin to the Root River in MN. Depending where you go, you can catch trout, walleye, smallmouth bass and pike all in one outing. The Upper Iowa is navigable by kayak and drift boat, though most access sites are best suited for carry-in watercrafts. This region also has several great smaller trout streams, notably North Bear, Big Paint, and Waterloo creeks. The smaller streams are easily waded and the easements are well marked and maintained. Most of the streams in NE Iowa receive regular stockings of catchable-sized rainbow trout (12-14”) and have a healthy population of wild browns.

      Due to the differing sediment layers and land use practices/regulations compared to MN or WI, Iowa streams tend to have muddy banks and sandy stream beds. Public access is also more tightly regulated. In Iowa, landowners own the river bottom, so angling access is limited to only easemented sections or state land. As always, know before you go! The best thing is that crowds are usually lighter than other nearby fishing areas of Lanesboro, MN and Viroqua, WI.    

      The fishing season is open year-round, so watch the weather for a warm, sunny weekend this winter and head down to the Hawkeye state! Feel free to reach out to us with questions about fishing in this area or to book a guided trip. 

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Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com 

Cool Resources

     With Give to the Max Day coming up on Thursday Nov 17- Fishing For All wanted to take this opportunity to endorse a few Minnesota Nonprofits who we align with for this day of showing support. Please join us in giving generously to these fine organizations who do good work protecting and restoring our favorite rivers! 

      Friends of the Mississippi River

• Why we endorse: FMR is a group dedicated to protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Mississippi and its watershed in the Twin Cities. FFA is the only fishing service operating on the Mississippi in downtown MPLS. The river through downtown is an unsung, world-class fishery that deserves recognition and protection. We fully support FMR’s vision for the river and their hard work in maintaining/increasing access and habitat restoration. FMR is also facilitating conversations around removal of the Ford Dam and Lock & Dam No. 1. 

     Wild Rivers Conservancy

• Why we endorse: We believe the crown jewel of warm water rivers in Minnesota is without a doubt the St. Croix and its tributaries. WRC is the friends group of the national park service, working in tandem to ensure the preservation of the river’s ecology. They enable and perform habitat restoration, forest management, invasive species removal, land protection/preservation, and water quality sampling across the watershed. Without their oversight, the St. Croix wouldn’t be wild or scenic or have such great fishing. 

      Minnesota Trout Unlimited

• Why we endorse: Trout Run, Hay Creek, Sucker River, Rush Creek, Garvin Brook, Whitewater- if you fish any of these streams, or many others across the state, you can thank MNTU. They are committed to conserving, protecting, restoring, and sustaining Minnesota’s coldwater fisheries. This is the state council overseeing big habitat restoration projects, having now completed over 82-miles of restoration work across the state. They also do state-level advocating for regulations to benefit trout, and oversee state-wide fishing and conservation education programs.  

Ricky’s Riverside Recipes

The winter chill is upon us. Hiking into some of our favorite trout spots can be cold and feel like a lot of work.  Here is my partner Jen and I’s favorite streamside ramen recipe to keep you energized and warm while fishing and hiking!

Ingredients

• 1 packet of your favorite instant ramen
• Beef meatballs
• Green onions 
• Cilantro
• Bean sprouts
• Water 

Tools 

• Bowl
• Silverware or chopsticks 
• Jet boil

      A lot of the meal can be prepared ahead of time. For the meat balls, I like to chop them so they reheat fast. You can substitute shrimp, pre-cooked chicken, or whatever you like for the protein. The onion, cilantro, and other veggies will be chopped as a garnish and can be put in a separate bag.

 Grab your jet boil and get that water boiling. Start by cooking the meat balls since they will take the longest to cook. You can usually tell they are ready when they puff up.

     Take your ramen packet contents and put those in the bowl. Cook the noodles to your desired firmness and shut off the jet boil. Add your veggies.

     This is an inexpensive meal that is warm and delicious on any cold winter stream.  The next time you are packing it in on a winter fishing adventure, leave the cold sandwiches at the gas station and treat yourself to something warm!!

Fishing Report

• Trout are closed to fishing in most of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The season closes now to give the fish a break during their spawn. We can still fish in Whitewater and Forestville State Parks and within the posted boundaries of in-town sections of Lanesboro, Chatfield, Preston, Spring Valley, and Rushford, MN.  (Regular Season Closed on Oct. 15th per 2022 fishing regulations handbook link here!) Iowa is open to trout fishing year round! Catch and Release season opens up in January again region wide.
• Water temps are dropping, visibility is increasing, and the forage is transitioning. 

As we head into the fall months, now is a great time to find the local bite times and patterns that will pull in some fish. Fishing deep, low, and slow is the name of the game. Fish also won’t be eating all day consistently. Water and air temps play a huge role in when fish are active and hungry, and this can change daily given the conditions. Look for peak temperature times that will have the warmest water. Warm water equals happy bugs and minnows which will trigger the larger predatory fish. If fishing in a lake or large river, look for still green aquatic vegetation. This provides oxygen in the water, as well as good habitat for their prey. Dying/decaying vegetation uses up surrounding dissolved oxygen in the water, so be sure it’s still green! 

Across the board, we have had a very dry fall. Our rivers (and lakes) are very low and clear and that makes for some interesting fishing conditions. Walking a trout stream in the fall is truly beautiful. In one way, it’s fun because we can see our flies/lures or even our targets. It can also school up the fish making them easier to find. But all the bonuses of low water can also work against us by making the fish act very spooky. Using stealth, small flies, and thin tippet are the keys to success on the trout streams right now. Warm, sunny days have produced midge hatches and some mayflies in the late mornings and afternoons.   

On the Mississippi, streamers with neutral buoyancy like the Murdich Minnow, Sex Dungeon, Muddler Minnow, Wildwood’s 3M Minnow, and Soft-Hackle Marabou streamers fished on a sink tip, intermediate, or full sink line will attract a bite! Fish them with short strips and long pauses in shallows near drop off’s and woody debris. Bass will use this short window of warm temps to chase schools of minnows and fatten up before winter.

Fall is Muskie season! And there’s some great muskie waters right around town including Bde Maka Ska and Bryant Lake Regional Park. These areas are well-known for a chance at a muskie. Fish big streamers and make sure to strip set if you get a strike. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but you can wade fish for them at these lakes. Throwing large bucktail streamers off of drop off’s and along weed edges could produce a monster from our metro waters! 

Bragging Board

Austin A. with his first Driftless trout! Love the colors these fish turn in the fall for the spawn. The males especially will turn vibrant gold and blue/gray to stand out in the crowd. 

Upcoming Events

NEW! Casting Sessions at the YMCA

Cost: $40.00/person

Dates and times: 11/12, 12/10, 1/14, 2/11, 3/11 with two slots each day from 1-2PM and 2-3PM

Keep the rust off and come practice your fly casting!

We’ve rented out the gym at the downtown Minneapolis YMCA. Come cast for one hour with our guides. We can  work on many different casting skills, including accuracy and double hauling . Beginner to advanced casters, welcome! Bring your own fly rod if you have one, otherwise a limited supply of fly rods will be available.

Click here to Book Online!

Phone: 612-293-8058

Email: fishing4all.llc@gmail.com  

Guide Tips!

Trout Fishing with Small Flies (20-26)

Trout fishing with tiny flies can be tough. (Read “midge patterns”) Especially when all they look like is a bit of thread around a miniscule hook shank. But during the fall and winter months, the fish can be finicky and strikes will be light so scaling down and slowing down the presentation is extremely effective this time of year. Some common patterns include the Zebra Midge, Rainbow Warrior, Brassie, and JuJu Midge. 

• Use a light tippet: Using 5x-7x tippet helps the fly move naturally and sink faster. Small flies with heavier tippets don’t have enough freedom. Also, the fish can be wary of heavier tippets, so the smaller the better. Be careful with your hookset and fighting technique when sizing down.
• Fish deep: Take a look at the water… Nothing rising? Nothing hatching? Trout feed close to the bottom on small nymphs during the winter months. That means our flies need to be bumping along the rocks with the rest of the aquatics. Adding some split shot is often the best way to get a small fly to the bottom. You can also use a larger, weighted nymph to help both flies get to the strike zone.
• Go really small: We’re often surprised how many more strikes we get when we tie on flies that look too tiny to be food. The fish are opportunistic when the water temperatures get cold and find forage wherever they can get it. Big fish eat small flies during the coldest parts of the year. 
• Small or No Indicators: When the water is clear and low, the fish are more prone to spook. Using a small and light strike indicator helps reduce the chance of a fish taking off. Foam is a great option this time of year. Also, small strike indicators work well when the strikes are delicate and the fish are lethargic. This is a great time of year to try a euro-nymphing set up that doesn’t require an indicator!

Highlight a Watershed

Whitewater State Park

Yes, the trout season is closed for the 2022 fishing season. However, that doesn’t mean all is lost. Fishing in certain sections of towns and state parks is still active! Whitewater State Park located in Winona County, MN is a great trout water option when the season closes. The streams here include the Middle Branch Whitewater River and Trout Run Creek. Early fall is the perfect time of year to try swinging large streamers. Look for the deepest portions of the river–big pools are pure gold–when fishing during the fall and winter months.

Be mindful of redds when wading in fall rivers. These are cleaned out portions of river bottom that the trout have cleared with their tails in preparation for spawning. They often look oval in shape and brighter than the surrounding river bottom. Removing the silt allows the eggs to fall between the cracks of rocks and gravel where they remain safe from predators. Trout eggs also need to be well oxygenated and will commonly be found in runs right before and below riffly sections of streams.

There is some beautiful water to see and fish in this park. We recommend the section through the new campground nearest the park office or the section on the south end, following the river downstream along the high cliffs. These sections both have a good mix of water, easy access, and a lot of spots to spread out at. Orange scud flies in size 14-16 work great for the stocked rainbows! If you want to lose the crowds and test your skills, Trout Run on the southwest side of the park is a fun little stream to try with small flies and extreme ninja skills. You could also catch a Driftless trifecta in this park- rainbow, brown, and brook trout!

Cool Resources

Minnesota Trout Unlimited’s Habitat Maps

This section of Minnesota Trout Unlimited’s interactive habitat restoration map can lead you to some really cool areas of water worked on by our state chapter of TU. These projects are all completed on public easement sections of our streams and can be fun to explore once the season opens again! 

Introductions

Hello everyone! Some introductions are in order. My name is Hiroto Hayashi, though most folks call me Hiro. I’ll be joining the FFA team as their Education and Outreach Coordinator, and an apprentice fishing guide. I was born and raised in Colorado where I spent my time recreating in the Rocky Mountains. I graduated Fall 2021 from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD. There, I majored in English and minored in Outdoor Education and Professional Writing. I chose my mix of courses to help provide people an experience of the outdoors through in-person events or vicariously through writing and photography. My goal is to connect people to their “moment” that takes them from curious about fishing to wanting to grow into new fishing adventures.  It’s my pleasure to join the FFA community and share what fishing is all about and what it means for so many of us. 

Fall Fishing Report

Just as warm temps, budding trees and blooming trout lilies beckon the start of the season, cooler temps and colorful leaves are a sure sign that the end is near. Trout fishing in SE MN and WI will close on Oct. 15. I often get asked why the trout season closes for a spell in the Driftless. Well, there’s two good reasons- 1) To allow our brook and brown trout time to spawn unencumbered. 2) To keep hapless trout anglers clear of deer hunters during rifle season. Fear not, there are some areas open to catch-and-release trout fishing year-round: Whitewater, Forestville, and Beaver Valley State Parks and in-town sections of Lanesboro, Preston, Rushford, Chatfield, and Spring Valley. Maps of these areas are available here. Catch and Release Trout Season opens in all SE MN counties and streams on Jan 1st and in WI on Jan 7th. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can even head to south Iowa for year-round fishing! 

If you venture to the winter season areas, keep an eye out for blue wing olive mayflies and midges in size 18-20 for the rest of October. After that it will be a nymph game. Fish will be moving towards their winter holes, so look for the biggest pools and fish the transition water at the head and tail of the pool. Try to avoid fishing and wading through shallow riffles this time of year because that’s where the trout will make their nests, called redds. A redd looks like an area of gravel that’s been wiped clean, because it has been! Trout use their tails to wipe away the silt and sediment from the bottom to reveal clean gravel to lay their eggs in. Large articulated streamers will also produce great results this time of year as the large browns become very territorial around the spawn. Book your winter or 2023 trout trip anytime!

Bass and carp have pretty much hunkered down for the year. They prefer warmer water temps. You can still catch them, especially at Montissippi Regional Park which is right below the nuclear power plant in Monticello. This is no secret spot, so I don’t feel bad sharing it with you all. The plant uses the river water to cool the reactor. As a result, the outflowing water from the plant is much warmer throughout the winter than the rest of the river. Walleye and catfish are also known to over winter in this section! You can get them by wading with an intermediate or sink tip line swinging small baitfish and crayfish patterns. Be warned, this spot gets A LOT of fishing pressure before the lakes freeze over, and it can often be shoulder to shoulder with other anglers. Season is open until 2/26/23. Book your bass and carp trips for the 2023 season anytime! 

Pike and Muskies are the main targets in our warm water lakes and river in the fall. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you can be greatly rewarded with a trophy fish. Large rods 12-16 wt, with heavy sinking lines and large bucktail streamers are the way to go. Don’t forget your wire leader! In our guide tip section below, we’ll show you how to make one. Generally, fly fishing for these species is doable until mid-Nov before they move too deep and become extra lethargic. Heck, it just gets too cold anyway! Look for deep pools next to faster water, ideally with large woody structure for musky and shallower backwaters with weeds for pike. Just remember they are the fish of 10,000 casts and its takes time and a positive mental attitude above all else to put one in the bag.    

The Brule is fishing well now! You can chase steelhead and some big browns downstream of HWY 2 until Nov 15. The salmon are likely to be in zombies by now. Egg sucking leech streamers, or double nymph rigs with yarn eggs and large stonefly nymphs are the jam. The large fall run of fish will over winter in the river until spring. Then there will be another (smaller) run of steelhead that starts once the river unfreezes. These holdover fish will lose their chrome paint job as they spend more time in the warmer waters of the river. They will primarily eat large stonefly nymphs during this time. After spawning in April/May, most of the migratory fish return to Lake Superior and the lower section of river will be almost void of fish (except for some resident brown trout) from June until the September. Such a fascinating ecosystem!  We’ll for sure host an Intro to Steelhead Camp again next April!

Time is ticking, folks! Hopefully you can get out before the great white blanket falls over the land. As always reach out with your questions or book a guided trip to get in on the action and learn more about your local waters.   

To Book- Online: https://go.theflybook.com/book/1120/ListView/0

or Call/Email Evan- 612-293-8058 or guide@bobmitchellsflyshop.com


Shout Out Section!

Daniel was one of eight brave souls to join us on our 1st ever Intro to Musky Camp earlier the month. His quest was greatly rewarded by the river gods with this 40″ musky! Really makes you second guess dipping your toes in the water…

Ramblings of an Old Fishing Guide

Such as the ecosystems around us, the life of an upper Midwest fly fishing guide starts to slow down come fall. Our muscles ache, our fly boxes look like triage units, and there’s finally a moment to take a breath and reflect on the season behind us. So for your reading pleasure, I’ll take this time to reflect and express my deepest gratitude. This was my 12th year as a fly fishing guide, my 6th with Bob Mitchell’s, and 2nd owning/operating Fishing For All. Many of you reading this now aren’t just clients, you’re truly friends and like a fishy family- and you’re the reason why I keep doing this. (Trust me, it’d be way easier for a guide to just go fish by themselves, but that’s not the point!) What I saw most this year was, Growth.

Our overall goal here is to GROW anglers and to TEACH fishing. MSP isn’t a fly fishing destination like Bozeman or the Caribbean. We are the hometown guide team, working with you- our neighbors. Of the hundreds of folks we fish with each season, most are starting at square 1, like little fly angler seeds. It’s our mission to help you grow, to share with you as much knowledge as possible, to cheer you on when you land your first fish or tie on a fly by yourself, and to get you hooked on all the amazing fish and waters we have in our back yard. It’s given me so much joy this season to watch people return again and again, to see their progression in skills and knowledge, and truly start loving their local waters. In short, Team, you all rock and this wouldn’t be here without you!  

One of the coolest moments of my career happened this season at Bass Camp. Bass Camp is probably my favorite thing we do, and it’s become a small cult following. Rewinding to 12 years ago, I started guiding right out of high school. It was my life’s dream to be a guide. I packed my car and drove to Montana and stopped at the first shop I found on the Big Horn River. I walked up to the two old timers behind the counter and said, “I want to be a fishing guide!” Adn they just laughed at me. But one of them was the owner, and he took me in. I got to live rent free in a cat-infested camper at the back of the property and work 12-16hr days, every day, for $9 an hour. Each morning I’d run 10 rental drift boats to the ramps by 6am, then open the fly shop and get a pot of coffee going by 7am. The first folks through the door were the guides- leathery, old, grumbling wizards of the water. They’d pull up with their junky 80’s pick-up’s and trusty drift boats. These guys were my heroes and mentors, who’d never miss a chance to cuss me out for making the coffee too strong or just about any other thing I did. Everyday I’d listen to their gravelly mumbles about the day’s battle plan, which flies to use and when/where. Who would float which channel, who would take which clients. Then about 8am the clients would start to show up, and the guides would hurry them to their boats and the rigging ritual would commence. New leaders and guide-tied flies would be whipped together. So much quiet excitement would fill the camp that if you stopped and listened you could feel a buzz in the air. Then by 9am everyone would be on the water and I’d complete the rest of my chores like running shuttles, scrubbing toilets, and mowing the grounds. Then in the evening, all the old trucks and boats would come rolling back into camp with laughs booming and smiles gleaming. Those guys were my heroes. After 2 years there I finally worked my way up from scrubbing toilets fulltime to just parttime, and I got to be one of those guides.

And now, as a head guide and owner of a guide service, I get to be the old guy who laughs when someone says they want to be a guide or cuss out the new guy for every little mistake. But more importantly, now it’s my turn to be a role model, to mumble battle plans in the morning, and to share my passion with the guides who will in turn share it with you. This year at Bass Camp, we had some spots open up last minute and so we had an open boat. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had as a guide to date, but I decided to take a step back from something I created and love so much, and let the team take over. And these badass dudes didn’t disappoint. I got to watch them mumble morning battle plans, pull up in their trucks to whisk eager anglers to the river. All the while I prepped food, washed dishes, and ran their shuttles. Then in the afternoon when they rolled back in with booming laughs and gleaming smiles, I can honestly say it brought tears to my eyes. These guys are my heroes, and I couldn’t do this without them. We reap what we sow, right?

What else can I say other than, Thank You. Guide life ain’t easy, but its sure more enjoyable with you all along for the ride. I can’t wait to see what lucky season 13 has to bring! Plans are being made as we speak for next season for classes, camps, and day trips. Expect a few big, exciting changes and plenty of cool fishing opportunities! I’ll spill the beans in a month or two once things are a little more solidified. But you’re gonna love it, I promise. In the meantime, I wish you all the best and thank you again for fishing with us.   — EVAN GRIGGS    

Guide Tip- Making Your Own Wire Leaders        
 

There are premade wire leaders out there now, which is awesome! But here’s one way to rig your own that’s simple, cost effective, and reliable.

1. You’ll need a spool of 40-50lb mono fishing line. Cut off 2-4ft of line.
2. Tie a Perfection Loop to both ends of the leader and loop it through your fly line. 
3. Cut 12-18″ of 20-40lb bite wire. *Here is where a lot of controversy lies- which knot to use to connect it with the leader. Your easiest option is a perfection loop to loop. Other options are the Uni-to-uni knot or an Albright knot. All work equally well, but the loop to loop is the fastest and easiest.
4. Loop the wire with the leader, then use a clinch knot to tie on a quick snap.  
5. Put a big ole fly on the snap, and start fishing!

Mid-Summer Fishing Report
It’s been an epic fishing season so far this year! Our guide team has been busy running trips of all types, classes, and camps. Clients have been sending me lots of fishing pictures and stories from their own adventures too. Across the board fish are happy, waters are level, and things have been going swimmingly. 

Trout anglers rejoice! This is a great time for dry fly fishing with a smattering of bugs hatching throughout the day. If you’re heading to a trout stream soon, be sure to keep an eye out for tricos (which are a tiny mayfly species). This species is a big deal for trout fly anglers! This hatch is extremely consistent and happens almost daily from 6am til 9/10:00am from July through September. Temperature does affect these hatches, the warmer it gets the shorter the hatch window is and vice versa. These are super tiny bugs, between hooks size 18-22. Grasshoppers and other terrestrials will also be effective now.

Another thing to watch out for during the dog days of summer on trout streams is the water temperature. Trout require high levels of dissolved oxygen to survive and do best in water temps between 55-65 degrees. But when air temps start hitting the 90’s during the day and stay above 70 degrees at night, the water temps and dissolved oxygen levels can become unsafe for trout fishing. When water temps get 70 degrees or above, trout become lethargic and the ones that do eat a fly have a lower chance of survival after being released. So try to keep a thermometer handy to check water temps in the afternooon.    

Or you can target fish who can take the heat! Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass love warm water and the fishing has been awesome lately. The St. Croix River is super low and clear, making for some great sight fishing and wading opportunities. The Mississippi has dropped to normal levels and is fishing very well. If you like topwater eats from river smallies, this is the time to go. Almost any type of popper or diver fly is working on the rivers and lakes right now. Panfish and largemouth bass are also a great hot summer day species to target on the fly in our lakes. If you’re looking for the hardest fight in freshwater, carp and catfish can be caught on the Mississippi through downtown right now as well. Take your pick of water or species, everything is hungry! 

It’s crazy to think we are already halfway through our season, but the fishing has been awesome so far and there’s still lots of time left for some great fishing! Smallie and Carp fishing will be good on the rivers through Sept. Trout, pike, and muskies will really pick up in Sept and continue into the fall. If you want to get out before fall or have any questions, you know who to call!

Shout Out Section!
We received this awesome note and picture from, Jenny B and her son Ryan, who were students in a Fly Fish College earlier this spring. Major shout out to them for sticking with it and creating memories:
“Thank you for the great fly fishing college this past May.  My son Ryan has been working hard on practicing with his fly rod, he wanted me to send you this picture and let you know he caught it with a fly from your shop ( :  We’ll have to book guided time in the future to help anchor down some trout fishing skills.  Thank you again, and we hope you are enjoying your summer!”