Free Fly-Tying Seminars at Orvis Chicago

I've still got a handful of free spots for my Sunday morning fly-tying clinic. If you didn't get a chance to attend in January, be sure to drop me a line at the shop (312) 440-0662 to reserve your seat. All materials and gear is provided and class runs from 10:00 am - 11:00 am.

This Sunday I'll be teaching folks how to tie my foam beetle dry-fly pattern. This easy dry fly is dynamite on many trout waters and certainly slays them on our own local Wisconsin creeks.

Sunday, February 21st, students will learn how to tie basic dry flies such as the Adams.

Wisconsin Driftless Area Trout Fishing Opener Forecast

It looks as though this last storm will have added to the snow pack on the SW spring creeks, but hopefully we'll coast into a gradual spring weather cycle. Every spring, the area gets a few big rainstorms and those usually speed along the thaw and help to blow out the creeks for a few days. While the streams are fed primarily by underground springs, groundwater input is an early season element that should not be overlooked. Significant snow pack is a double edged sword. On the one hand, this accumulated precipitation will provide additional groundwater input keeping the creeks nice and flush with water this spring. On the other hand, a day with significant thawing means that icy cold melt will slow feeding activity down in the creeks as it drags stream temperatures down, down, down.

What does this mean for the Wisconsin Early Season Angler? Simple. Look to fish on nice days, but try and plan a trip during stable weather. Whether it's a brisk 20 degrees or a few steady days above 32 degrees, you're sure to catch more fish if you can plan to fish after a few days of stable weather patterns.

Missouri River Montana Spring Fling Trip

Spots still remain. Drop me a line for more info. This should be an unbelievable trip at an even better price.

May 13th - May 16th

My buddy Jeff and I are putting together a killer western trip to kick off our summer and hit some big water. Join us and Orvis endorsed Linehan Outfitting Company for three days of guided drift boat fishing down the mighty Missouri River. This fantastic tailwater fishery offers ample chances at large trout on small flies. Streamer junkies can rip big flies too and target monsters lying in wait. We will be staying together in Craig, Montana.

The real beauty of the trip is the price. The cost of the trip is ~$900 per person and is estimated to include lodging, guides, and meals.  Space is limited and it’s filling up fast.  Reserve your spot today by contacting me at dheyman01@gmail.com. Feel free to drop me a line with any questions. Airfare is not included, but many reasonable flights are available.

Linehan describes the fishery as being like a giant spring creek. The tailwater fishery has one of the highest density trout populations anywhere with thousands of fish per river mile. Rainbows will also have just finished up their spring spawning and will be dumb and hungry. 


Missouri River Description & Hatch Chart

Iowa Trout Fishing Pictures

Jeremy was kind enough to snap these pictures of our adventure in Iowa the other day. There was no wind on the water that day, so Jeremy was able to capture the glassy pools as we walked up the creek valley. This location was truly superb. He and I saw two deer, some sort of muskrat varmint. He also snapped some choice shots of me taking a nice fall in the snow as I scurried up the opposite bank. As I said before, conditions were tough out there but we had a fantastic day on the water. I learn a lot more on fishing trips where conditions are tough and the trout demanding, than when things are easy and the trout are gullible. Still I was humbled by a few stockers. Yikes. Better toss around the 4 weight a bit more before the Wisco Opener.

Driftless Area Wisconsin Fly Patterns

Here are a few of the latest trout patterns I have been toying around with. Thanks to Dan D. for photographing these flies. Sooner or later, I will get with the program on the photography end of things. The two Caddis patterns are inspired by the Iris Caddis and the work of Gary LaFontaine, in particular his Sparkle Pupa. These patterns use antron which when saturated with water suggests the transparency of the natural and conveys the light and motion of these insects in the pupal stage. The midge pattern is tied with blue wire, a small krystal flash loop and a sparse collar of peacock ice dubbing. I would probably use this midge as a dropper fly off another larger nymph. The foam beetle is something I can hardly take credit for. I tie them differently every now and again. I had a tying session a while back with some buddies and they gave me some gorgeous orange died grizzly hackle which I palmered on the hook to create a somewhat dense underbody. When greased with floatant, this feature should add to the buoyancy of the fly. It should also be noted that I tied the hackle slightly large to encourage the fly to roll around and move as a struggling beetle mired in the surface film should! I like the orange indicator, but white is equally effective and better in the low light of mornings and evenings.

Frog Fly Pattern Courtesy of Doug Oatman

Doug sent me this cool frog pattern he tied up. It looks like he used wool to tie the main body and he said the tail is tied on a trailing hook with rabbit fur. I like the way this fly looks. It has a very interesting use of wool too. Wool is commonly used on many sculpin patterns to form a large blunt heads. It flares well and becomes neutrally buoyant when wet. Well done Doug.

Iowa Trout Fishing Report

Jeremy and I got back from Iowa late last night. One day, five hundred miles of driving and two creeks fished hard. Conditions were not ideal. The daytime high only managed to climb to about 30 degrees and the sun called for in the forecast never materialized. With a low cloud deck and flat light, we hit the water on one well known creek which empties into the Mississippi. This creek is managed as a stocked and wild water. It soon became clear that the water was low and clear and the fish were correspondingly spooky. Long leaders tapering to 6x were the order of the day and we were both fishless until we decided to try a very subtle upstream midge presentation.

Using two size 20 midges without any additional weight allowed us to present our flies through pods of suspended holding trout in the few deeper spots we found. The takes were almost imperceptible and I have no doubt that trout inhaled and spit our flies many times without us even realizing. The rainbows we caught took my glass beaded blood midge pattern in bright red. We made a post-lunch move to another stream a little further north and caught a few trout there as well.

I like tough days on the water and I also learn a bit more when the trout aren't cooperating fully. We did find some risers hitting some sort of emerger. The rises weren't splashy and took the form of swirls and bulges. Learning to read rise forms is an invaluable skill for any trout fisherman. In tough conditions such as those we experienced yesterday, it could mean the difference between success and utter failure.

All and all, we had a fantastic day out and we both got our inland trout fix. Photos and some funny video clips from our day will follow shortly. Also keep an eye out for more material from Jeremy's trip to Chile. He relayed some pretty incredible stories to me and I cannot wait until I can make it down there to fish myself.

Iowa Bound on Thursday

With no temporary thaws in sight, I decided to just buckle down and make the trip. Hopefully we'll get into some nice fish tomorrow. I'll be driving through the heart of the Wisconsin Driftless on my way out and will hopefully get a chance to check out a few creeks from bridges. That season opens very shortly but for now there is Iowa.