Looking back on 2011

It seems like every year I learn a little more and become a better fisherman. 2011 was no different. I fished in 5 states, caught countless species of fish including a few that I have not caught before. I improved my personal best for a few species and had some absolutely incredible fishing days. I even ended the year with a great trip to one of my favorite trout streams. Here are some pictures to make all of you readers jealous.

Last trip of the year--maybe.







Boundary waters canoe area.








Largemouth bass





Smallmouth bass






Trout

Winter smallmouth fishing

Large springs are some of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I have always tried to make it to the springs at first light, this gives me the chance to explore the spring outlet in solitude.This particular spring is always green, even in the dead of winter...which makes it feel as if you are on another planet, or in some enchanted forest. I encourage anyone who reads this blog to witness it firsthand. It is hard to describe the beauty of such a wonderful place, so I will let my pictures do the talking for me.










Now for the real reason I visit the area. The fishing! The eleven point is a place that I always enjoy visiting, because the fishing can be downright outstanding. Greer spring pumps an average of 220 million gallons of water into the river, which creates an outstanding rainbow trout fishery in the middle of a great smallmouth stream. I visited the area for a spur of the moment trip in late november. It was a constant drizzle, overcast, with overnight thunderstorms and around 45 degrees. In other words, perfect fall fishing weather. In 5 hours of fishing my first day, I caught 35 smallies and 2 trout. I could have caught many more trout, but I will always choose the brown bass over the pesky non-native trout. The second day of my trip accounted for 48 smallies and 1 trout. These are the highlights.








Notice the color of the water in this photo.





Campsites are usually empty in the winter. I will never complain about that.

Beautiful Southern Illinois

When most people envision Illinois they think of a flat featureless landscape and corn as far as the eye can see. I grew up in that part of the state, so I know why people associate that type of landscape with Illinois. Southern Illinois is vastly different. It is beautiful. Tall sandstone bluffs tower over lowland rivers, deep valleys carved over eons turn to waterfalls after heavy rains. The vast Shawnee national forest gives endless hiking and backpack camping opportunities and some breathtaking views of the Mississippi river floodplain.

Southern Illinois isn't blessed with the clear spring fed rivers from the ozarks, and most of it's rivers and streams are of the lowland variety. What it does have are some world class lakes with an incredible variety of fish species. Muskies, walleye, bass, catfish, crappie, trout--you name it. I hope that you can appreciate the beauty of my part of the state.

Those other fish

I live in an area that has great fishing for numerous species of fish. This is due to different types of lakes that are found in southern Illinois. They range from large shallow lakes that are incredible crappie and catfish factories to deep clear lakes that support a year round population of rainbow trout. I love to fish for sportfish, but I also love to chase species of fish that a lot of people don't fish for. Here are a few fish species that most people don't see that often in southern Illinois.

Bowfin--these are found in nearly every creek and river in SO ILL, and in the spring time they can be absolutely beautiful.



Grass carp


Spotted bass--An invasive species in these waters, and expanding
it's range.


Smallmouth bass--recently stocked in a southern Illinois reservoir, they are starting to show up more frequently and I can not wait until the population starts to expand!


Hybrid striped bass--They make "spawning" runs up tributaries from the mississippi, and pull harder than almost any other fish I have caught.


Paddlefish--Prehistoric creatures that are in trouble throughout most of they're range. They're eggs can be used as caviar, so they are in even more trouble.

Salmo trutta

There is something about trout fishing that gets into your blood. For weeks before a trip I am already preparing. Tying flies, cleaning lines, organizing fly boxes, etc. I have plenty of flies, my lines are already clean and fly boxes are already organized but I can't stop thinking about the trip.

This past week I was able to go trout fishing for the first time in 7 months. I didn't expect much from this trip as I usually have little success in the heat of the summer. If anything I was hoping for a relaxing trip and hopefully a few fish caught. Turns out that I would have one of the best fly fishing trips to this river.

Day 1
I make the 4 hour drive to one of my favorite trout streams in Missouri. I take the long way over to get a glimpse of some future smallmouth streams that I will fish someday. Missouri never ceases to amaze me at the natural beauty it contains, but it also disgusts me when I see shacks with piles of trash being thrown into ravines and poor land use. For a place with such great natural features, you would think the locals would take advantage rather then spend the weekends drinking down at the swimming hole.


Anyways, I started floating in the dark the next morning. The first few holes that normally produce were fishless this trip. I quickly started hooking into smaller sized rainbow trout and a few smallmouth bass on rapalas while I floating through slower water. I normally can catch a few big brown trout on them on this creek, but not this trip-only a couple small browns, rainbow trout and smallmouth bass. I string up my 8 wt and start playing around with some streamers. I immediately lose my first one to a rootwad. I tie on my go to streamer and quickly hook into a nice rainbow in the hole above the cabin.



Not far downstream I hook into a big brown on the same streamer. This one is a beauty.






After that fish I am feeling really good. There is nothing like catching fish on something that you created. About 50 yards downstream I catch another brown. This one looked HUGE when I first hooked it. Deep clear water has a way of magnifying the fish and makes it look bigger than it really is. But this fish wasn't small. It had another trout following it around after it was hooked that was every bit as big as it was. 21 inches or so. The hoop of my net is 19 inches and this fish is at least 2 inches longer than that.



I catch 2 or 3 more small browns that are about 15 inches or so. I set up camp along a great undercut bluff and spend the afternoon wade fishing up and downstream. After about 11:30 I catch no more brown trout, but plenty of rainbow trout.




The next morning starts out well with 2 nice browns 15-17 inches on nymphing rigs, so I head upstream to fish a bluff line and immediately start catching them.



This next fish was caught on a dropper from a larger fly, and as I fought the fish a 17+ inch rainbow trout took the lead fly. For a short while I was fighting 2 17+ inch trout at the same time!




I move my campsite further downstream once canoes and kayaks starting passing my camp. I catch a few more fish that evening, but otherwise it has slowed down after noon every day.

The next morning I endure a thunderstorm and hook 4 decent browns out of my campsite hole.






It was a great trip on a great river and I can't wait to get back. I love me some brown trout.

My favorite river

I treat myself to several solo floats a year, and I treated myself to one this past week. After finishing up my thesis I was ready for some much deserved fishing time. I floated for 3.5 days putting in on a Saturday afternoon and taking out Tuesday morning. Floating solo gives me the opportunity to move at my own pace. The weekend was especially hot, and I spent quite a bit of the days snorkeling and messing around with my waterproof camera.



Most fish were caught in places like this--shade and large chunk rock with nearby moving water. If you didn't know how to fish a spinnerbait the right way, you wouldn't have caught a fish for the trip.



I didn't really expect to catch much the first day, as this is an especially popular river on weekends. I could barely park or put in due the amount of people swimming at the launch. It didn't seem to affect the fish at all! I actually caught a nice 17 inch smallmouth out a popular swimming hole with about 20 people swimming in it. The fish jumped like crazy and pulled my solo canoe around for several seconds. The people swimming were very impressed.


Fish on this trip were aggressive, but VERY spooky. That wasn't really a surprise because the water is almost air clear in dead low water conditions.



It is and incredibly beautiful river.










I don't know why, but I always take a picture of the first fish I catch.



The fish I caught out of the swimming hole.




Largest fish of the trip 17.5 inches.



Early the second morning I drifted by these two snakes.