Kinnickinnic River 06/07/09

DeLorme map p.59

The group caught multiple browns and brookies nymphing under indicators. I got mine on #12 prince nymphs and a #16 beadhead flash pheasant tail. Dad landed a nice brown on a #16 sulfur dun.

Rush River 06/07/09

DeLorme Map p. 59

What a difference a day makes. The Rush was clear and slow and the trout were ultra-spooky. We started fishing there at 3 pm. There were two hatches at the same time; #14 sulfur duns and #16 blue winged olives. I lost two nice browns, one on a #16 sulfur dun and a #18 parachute BWO.

Dad, on the other hand landed a nice brown on a #16 sulfur dun. He had several strikes by skittering the fly across the surface, imitating the mayflies we were seeing hatch.

Willow River 06/07/09

DeLorme Map p. 70

We hit the Willow at 10 a.m. More caddis activity but no mayfly hatches apparent.

My dad and brother caught multiple rainbows and browns on #12 beadhead prince nymphs under indicators.

Rush River 06/06/09

DeLorme map page 59

This was fun. The Rush is normally slow, shallow and clear in the spot where we fished. In other words, the fish are usually ultra-spooky. Not this time.

It rained buckets the whole time we were there. We arrived at 3 pm and stayed until around 7. Since the rain was coming down in sheets, the fish could not see us as well and we could get fairly close to them.

There appeared to be a hatch of a size 10 or 12 brown mayfly. March Brown? Trout were nailing the nymphs. I caught 6 browns that put a bend in my rod on #10 beadhead prince nymphs about 18" below an indicator.

My brother caught a nice brown on a pink squirrel.

Kinnickinnic River 06/06/09

DeLorme Map p. 58

We hit the Kinni at 10 a.m. It rained all day and all night. The fish didn't mind. #10 beadhead prince nymphs, 24" below indicators seemed to be the ticket. I caught 6 brookies and 4 browns in the spot above. Dad caught large browns downstream on his green/brown leech/bugger combination he made.

Willow River 06/05/09

DeLorme map, page 70. That's my brother Andy landing a rainbow on a size 10 tan elk hair caddis. He also caught a couple of browns on pink squirrels. We were there about 5:30 p.m. There was moderate caddis activity that night. As usual, there were tons of large and active crawdads skittering about our feet.

I made a big mistake of tying my flies too small for the trip. I tied up most of my selections in size 16. On the Willow, the Kinnickinnic, and the Rush, size 12 was the way to go. Lesson learned.

Flies for the June trip

In early June I will be traveling to the Kinnickinnic, Willow and Rush Rivers in west central WI.

Here's what I am tying for the trip...

Midges (black and white)
Light Cahill
Grey Beadhead Hare's Ear
Pink Squirrel
Olive Elk Hair Caddis
Black Elk Hair Caddis
Tan Elk Hair Caddis
Stimulator
Brown Wooly Bugger
Olive Woolly Bugger
Black Woolly Bugger
White Woolly Bugger
Pass Lake tied trude style
Trude
Royal Coachman tied trude style
BWO
Prince Nymph
Copper John
Pheasant Tail
Terrestrials, particularly ladybugs and ants
Sulfurs
Yellow body with grizzly soft hackle
Gray body with grizzly soft hackle
Griffith's Gnat
Brown & White Bivisible
Crackleback
Scud, peach
Scud, grey
Scud, tan