Weather: Heavy overcast, Steady Rain, Strong NNW winds
Water: High and Clear; typical April levels, temps in low 40F's
Hatches: none observed, but many trout nymphing
Time: 7am - 12pm
Comments: Outrageous, obnoxious weather with howling wind and driving rain all morning, but the water was clear and I had excellent fishing. I didn't want to stay outside for too long at any one place, so I drove along the river and sampled the fishing at a variety of spots until the cold and wet pushed me back to the car for hot cups of coffee. While no hatches were observed, the trout behaved as though they were actively feeding on nymphs; BWO's would be my guess, although I caught more fish on other types of weighted nymphs. Time after time I would drift the nymphs (I fish two of three on the leader at once; that way I can lose two or three times as many flies to overhanging limbs) through deep holes to no avail. Then I'd fish the fast riffles at the tops of the holes and catch trout after trout, including some exceptionally large ones. It became a game to see how shallow the water could be and still hold fish; some trout seemed to be in fast runs only a few inches! deep. In the end I was tired, soaked through the skin, and in the beginning stages of hypothermia, but it had been a great fishing day.
kevin_searoc @portage.k12.wi.us ---------------------------------------------------------------------------