I’m chomping at the bit to get my fishing season started here in Wisconsin. Like much of the US, winter is holding on here. Most of our lakes still have ice and there remains snow on the ground in a lot of areas. Some of our rivers are open for trout but they are very high. Therefore my best option now is Lake Superior.
Last night Granny and I headed up to Lake Superior to cast from the docks on Chequamegon Bay. We got our licenses and started in Ashland. The lake here remains half frozen. There was a dock with plenty of open water for some casts but it was off color and after ten minutes without action we headed for Washburn.
We fished the Washburn dock for about 30 minutes. I was casting around icebergs. It was more like being in Greenland than in Wisconsin. We didn’t last long here and then moved to Bayfield.
While the ice was gone from Bayfield, I got skunked. Being we were there, Granny and I got dinner and drinks from the Pickled Herring and camped nearby.
This morning we woke to drizzle and cold. It was tempting to make coffee and point the Exploder back to Hayward. But the mighty lake was calling me and I convinced Granny to carry the net for me down on the Bayfield docks again. There was no way she was going to fish in this cold!
Damp Lake Superior cold had me moving slow. I was tossing my standard two fly streamer rig on my SA Sink3/Sink5/Sink7 line with a long 0X fluoro leader. I was doubting my sanity as I worked my way along casting into the equivalent of a freshwater ocean. But then as I started lift my flies for a next cast I got a grab. It was a nice fish and he smoked me down deep and out.
0X is magic stuff and I kept the heat on with a strong bend in my Winston. Within minutes my wing-girl had the fish in the net. A super 20 plus inch brown trout. As often is the case, the photo doesn’t do this fish justice. A typical dock photo where you can’t hold the fish in the water.
That was it for our luck. I worked the docks another 20 minutes or so but not even a strike. No blank though and my first Wisconsin fish of the year!
Jeff,
Wishing you warmer weather with no wind!
Tad
Its coming Tad. Historically anyway!
Well done Jeff! You are beginning to own that dock! My guess is we will see a few more people swinging flyrods soon!
Thanks Howie. You should entice me to go again this week with you!