Fishing report 7/13/08

Mid Summer finds the fishing to be a mixed bag. The Namekagon trout fishing is still going, albeit not as strong as in earlier months. But, we still have some fishing--early mornings and late evenings. Water temps have occasionaly pushed 80 degrees, but generally they have been between 64 and 75 degrees. No significant daily hatches, but caddisflies, attractor flies and dry/dropper combos are working. Streamers can be effective as well. Bass and musky fishing has been good, but the weather is just now stabilizing a bit, so fishing should stay strong into the Fall. Minnow patterns and poppers and frogs for the bass. The muskies are being muskies--some days they eat and some days they don't. Black streamers with green flashabou seem to be the most effective, but, strangely enough, white is a close second.

Fishing report 6/7/08

Unsettled weather is still the key factor in our fishing. It has been windy, rainy and cool, so the fishing has been patchy. Some sulphurs are still around as well as caddis and the March Browns are in full swing. The fish are, for some reason, not as willing to rise as they should be, given the densities of the hatches. Nymph 'em up or swing soft hackles or streamers and you'll be rewarded. Bass and musky fishing has been good. I believe the bass are spawning right now, so the bite has been slower. Water temps in the warmwater fisheries are still only in the lower 60's, so our best is yet to come. Water temps in the trout water is still cool and acceptable--mid fifties to low sixties. Get out and fish!

Fishing report 6/2/08

Bass and musky fishing has been spotty--weather related, I'm sure. Water levels remain good and the water is warming. The spawn is in full force and consequently fishing is hit and miss--catching mostly smaller males. Trout fishing remains solid with the Sulphurs and Caddis. March Browns have just begun. The dragonflies should be just around the corner, so nymphing with a dragonfly pattern can be good. The craneflies are abundant and nymphing can be good. Bluegill and crappie fishing is starting to get really good. Get out there!

Fishing report 5/18/08

Life is good. Bass fishing has been terrific on the Namekagon, but the Chippewa and Flambeau have lagged a bit. Water levels are good and temps are reaching into the sixties, so fishing will steadily improve. The Hendricksons are still going strong as well as the blizzard hatches of caddis. The big sulphurs are just starting, so we are blessed with an embarrassment of riches. Come on up and enjoy...

Fishing report 5/14/08

We fished the Namekagon from Earl to Trego on Saturday for bass and it was terrific. The fish were very active and aggressive. Fished the West Fork on Sunday and the water was cold and the air was colder. Still caught fish, but it was slow. Fished below Hayward yesterday on the Namekagon and, again, the bass were aggressive and we caught a bunch. The trout are really starting to get on the Hendricksons and the caddis hatch that we've been waiting for has begun. Green body, light wings, they look a bit like fluttering snowflakes. Fishing will continue to improve as the rivers are dropping and the water is warming...

Fishing report 5/9/08

I got out and fished the Namekagon yesterday and the Hendricksons were out in good numbers. Still not seeing many fish rising to them, but they will. Caught fish swinging soft hackles. Others reported some success fishing dries blind casting. River is still higher than normal, but coming down. Water temps are into the 50's daily, so conditions are good. Out for bass tomorrow and Sunday. Report to follow...

Fishing report 5/6/08

Yeah Baby!! The Hendricksons arrived at 1:30 on Cinco de Mayo. LOTS of bugs, but the fish weren't up to them. Today will be a different deal. There were more bugs closer to Seeley.

Fishing report 5/5/08

Season opener on Saturday May 3. It rained 2" on Friday, so the rivers were very high. The Namekagon went from 230cfs on Fri. to 380cfs on Sat. The Brule went from 260 to 480. Conditions were not good, to say the least. I floated the Chippewa and Flambeau Sat. and Sun. and they were both high and chilly. Fishing was actually pretty good on the Flambeau all things considered. As of Friday, May 2, one or two Hendricksons were spotted on the Namekagon, but we remain ever hopeful. The weather is supposed to be nice this week, so, perhaps the hatch will start. I'll check every day and let you know...

Fishing report 4/22/08

We've certainly had a very interesting week here. The Namekagon flows increased steadily and today was over 300cfs. With the rise in water level, the water temperature dropped as the remaining snow and ice melted. The river is a bit more tannic than we've seen in past years, but that's OK--we've got water! The stoneflies are still around in 2 sizes--12 and 18. Sunny days are best and when the water is warming. Nymphing is still good and we had a good weekend with big streamers. I saw a Hendrickson last week and then the water temp dropped way down, so it could start happening any day. It was 80 degrees yesterday and tomorrow is going to be in the 70's, so the hatch could be imminent. The catch and release season ends Sunday the 27th and the general opener is May 3. The hatch should still be going by the opener.

Fishing report 4/14/08

And what a week we've had! It was cold and sort of nasty early in the week culminating with blizzard conditions Thursday through Saturday. 12 to 15 inches of new snow accompanied with big wind. Yesterday, the tide turned and it was very sunny with temps in the mid 40's. The stoneflies made their return yesterday and were abundant. We noticed a new variety of stonefly yesterday--still grey/black body but with a mottled wing and smaller than the stones we've been seeing. These were size 18. Weather for the coming week should be warm and sunny--just right for getting the waders wet. Water levels should be coming up as well and probably dramatically so. The river is still very clear and a bit tannic.

Fishing report 4/7/08

Well, things are starting to look like Spring around here, finally. The Namekagon north of Hayward has been fishing pretty good for the past couple of weeks. The warmer, sunnier days have been the best. Size 12-14 black stoneflies have been hatching pretty well on the sunny days and the fish have been rising to them. Nymphing has been the most productive method--Prince, Zug Bug, Black Hare's ear etc. Bigger stonefly nymphs have been effective as well. Water flow has doubled in the past week--up to 142 cfs today, but the river is still flowing lower than its historic average for this date. In addition, the water is pretty tannic due to the increased melt going on. It's still beautiful and the fish wintered well and are pretty fat...

End of Season Report

Yesterday marked, for us, the end of the 2007 fishing season. We ended our last week with a flurry of great musky and pike fishing. As the water cooled, the musky fishing just got better. We were blessed with good late season water levels, which allowed us to fish some stretches that we couldn't fish all Summer. Black and Purple streamers outproduced every other color for us with a very flashy flashabou fly a very close second. From mid-September until now, we received more than 20" of rain, so, hopefully, we can start next season with a better water base. Come on, Snow!!! Sage Rod Co. introduced 2 new bass rods around Labor Day-The Largemouth and the Smallmouth--both 7'11" designed to cast 330 grain and 290 grain lines ( 10 or 11 wt. roughly) and they were awesome for muskies. Cast them and you'll be amazed.

Fishing Report 9/28

Fall has changed the fishing, to say the least. We have had some rain and the Namekagon finally has good flows. The trout fishing above town has picked up with streamers and big nymphs along with big hopper-like patterns. The bass fishing has slowed considerably as they have abandoned summer haunts for winter ones. Muskies and pike are getting very active and they should just get angrier as the weather cools. Break out some bigger flies and give it a go.

Fishing Report 9/11

I have good news and not-so-good news. Trout fishing on the Namekagon is picking up. Water levels are still low, but the temps are back down to tolerable levels and the fishing has been good with big attractors and big nymphs. Streamer fishing is good as well. Bass fishing has been good but different over the past few weeks. The fish are in deeper water and have not been particularly aggressive. Offerings need to be fished deep and slow. Dead-drift nymphing with crayfish or streamer patterns has been very effective. The fish haven't responded consistently to poppers or divers--spotty results at best. The weeds are breaking loose on the Flambeau, making for some frustration. We'll be back to normal soon. Musky fishing has been, well, musky fishing.

Fishing report 7/15

Sorry for the gap in fishing reports. We have been very busy guiding. Water levels are still very low but the fishing has been very good. With the low water, the bass have been especially wary, so casting accuracy is the key to success. They haven't been willing to move very far to take a fly. They are, however, very willing to take the fly if you get it right on top of them. Poppers, crayfish imitations and a variety of minnow imitations have been deadly. Musky fishing has been...well, musky fishing. Some days good, some days, not so active. We're seeing plenty of fish and some good ones. We experienced an unusually large hatch of bullfrog tadpoles this year and they made for fine musky food. Divers and minnow imitations have been the best--not much surface action yet. Trout fishing very, very slow--water too warm...

Fishing Report 5/30

Trout fishing remains excellent with good hatches of Brown Drakes, March Browns and Sulphurs. Best action mid afternoon until dark. Nymphing before the hatches is very productive and soft hackles are your best friend throughout the day. Bass and musky fishing has been very good and pike on the rivers are extremely active. Poppers, streamers (grey/white) are very effective. Crayfish patterns (your choice) are also good. Water levels are good--we got 1 1/2" of rain last night. Water temps above Hayward on the Namekagon got slightly above 70 yesterday, so with warmer weather approaching, the trout will start looking for colder water. Good luck fishing!!

Fishing report--May 23

The sulphurs are in full swing on the Namekagon above Hayward as are the caddis. Sulphurs show up late afternoon and go strong until dark. One of the best sulphur hatches in recent memory. Bass fishing below Hayward has picked up substantially. The fish have moved into familiar holds and have been active. Water levels on the rivers are very low--we need rain in the worst way. Water temps yesterday above Hayward were pushing 70 degrees, so it could quickly become dangerous for the trout.

Fishing Report 5/16

We've got options! The trout fishing on the Namekagon is still good. Mid-day caddis hatches and smatterings of mayflies make for an interesting time. Sulphurs should be here any time. Weather has been very frustrating--hot, cold, windy etc. We fished the Flambeau last week for bass and had very good fishing. Water was a bit low but the fishing was terrific for early May. We fished the lower Namekagon and found the fishing tougher, due to low water and very clear water. Water temps on both rivers was in the sixties. Fishing on the area lakes has been good, but especially good on the Chippewa Flowage. Bluegill action has been great everywhere. Big fun.

April 25 fishing report

A few Hendricksons were spotted last weekend, but they didn't really get going until Monday April 23. They arrived in numbers around 2 pm. Lots of bugs on the water and some fish up, but not to the duns. It was windy and the fish were taking the emergers right in the film. The rest of the week has been the same--lots of bugs and the consistent wind, so soft hackles, emergers and nymphs in mid-depth have outfished the dry flies. Also lots of baitfish in the water, so streamers are a really good option while waiting for the afternoon hatch. Water levels are good and average water temps have been slightly lower this week than last. The early catch and release season ends this weekend and fishing is suspended next week, beginning again on May 5. See you out there.

April 12 Fishing Report

Fished the Namekagon on Tuesday, 4/10. Weather was blustery, 38 degrees, and the water temp was 44. Good success on the stonefly nymph, size 12/14, with or without a bead. Sun popped through for an hour mid-afternoon and adult stoneflies were all over and the fish were on them pretty good. There is also a size 18/20 black stone around and the BWO nymphs were abundant, but the fish were on the stonefly. The weather should help us out over the next week and as the water warms closer to 50, the Hendricksons will be here. Notes from last season showed good hatches of Hendricksons on April 16, so we may soon see them. Lots of baitfish in the water, so streamers may be effective as well. Water level at 130 cfs, so it is perfect for now.