Today wasn’t exactly one you wake up and want to go fishing. It was one of those sloppy spring Tuesdays with wet snow falling hard yet barely accumulating. What amassed turned to dicey road-coating slush. To add to the loveliness, we had sideswiping wind gust up to 41 mph. But for those passionate about steelheading, these conditions were perfect for an excursion to the famous Boise Brule River.
I went with my friend Carl Haensel. He’s the passionate steelheader. I’ve known Carl for years because he’s the director of the Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo. What I’ve learned since moving back to his neck of the woods is that Carl is also a resource of knowledge of the region, a biologist, author of Fly Fishing Minnesota and the owner of Namebini Guide service which specializes in rivers around the western end of Lake Superior in MN and WI. When he invited me fishing last month, I wisely jumped on the opportunity.
The Brule River is no secret. It’s a famous tributary of Lake Superior and been revered by fly fishermen for over 100 years. I dabbled here when I studied at Northland College in Ashland during the mid 80’s. In 2012 I plucked this dandy of a rainbow here on my birthday during a quick stop on the way to the musky waters of Manitowish.
This morning I met Carl at one of the Brule’s many access points at 9 am. Despite the harsh weather conditions, there were several cars already parked. Carl and I walked for about 10 minutes through the dense forest to one if his favorite pools. Upon arrival the hole was occupied by a hunting mink. We held off our first cast until the fury Mustelid meandered downstream.
Under the guidance of Carl I eased my way along the edge of the first run. Due to the wintery conditions, Carl advised dredging the bottom with a stonefly nymph. The best way to entice these fish early season is to bump them in the nose. While I fished Carl lifted a clump of weeds from the icy waters. The greenery was full with several stages of stonefly nymphs.
Whether the Brule is loaded with fish or not, by late morning we were immersed in a standard steelhead fishing day. Neither Carl or I had hooked or seen one of the oversized Great Lakes run rainbows. While my hands remained fine, my right foot was numb and my body core felt refrigerated from standing in the moving water. I’ll admit I’ve never been much of a steelheader. Regardless of some discomfort, I was enjoying being out of the house instead of under the fluorescents or in front of my computer screen.
It wasn’t till about 2:30 I started thinking about my drive home with the heat cranked in my old 1991 Exploder. While circulation in my right foot had finally returned, it seemed the chance of catching a steelhead today was slim. And I had just broke off my eighth nymph of the day. But then I heard the splash. Carl was hooked up!
I grabbed my phone hoping to click off a few dazzling leaping steelhead photos. As I assumed position Carl asked me to grab the net. It seemed early but it was time. Carl’s steelhead must have been as cold as us because the fight was lackluster. Within a minute I slid the net under the fish.
Fighter or not, this was a beautiful fish and the skunk was off. Carl lifted the prize while I snapped a few shots. Seconds after, the fish zoomed off to the deep hole it came from.
Carl and I were energized after his catch. We fished hard for another hour. I unsuccessfully dredged the exact spot where Carl extracted his fish hoping there were more. Once I gave up Carl worked it again too. But that was all she wrote. At 4 PM we were spent and we called it a day.
I’ve added a new venue to my somewhat new Wisconsin fishing life. While this Brule experience wasn’t my first, it was nice to be with someone who knows this beautiful rivers character inside and out. I’ll definitely be back. And if you want to give the Brule, or another river in the area at try, consider a guided trip with Carl or his Namebini staff.
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