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Driftless Trout Hunters, Guides, & Flies
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Fall Fly Fishing & Living A Deliberate Life
That crisp, fresh, renewed feeling. Leaves falling in front of your eyes and drifting down the crystal-clear spring creek. Vibrant and beautiful colors everywhere you look. Amazing colors on the trout, even more so than normal as they gear up for spawning season. Hooked jaws on the male trout. Yes, we can only be speaking of one time of year…fall fly fishing.
Each season throughout the year has its perks but man, fall sure is a beautiful time to be on the stream. With the Wisconsin and Minnesota trout season winding down on September 30, our eyes immediately switched to Iowa as we finish off the 2013 fall trout season. As we mentioned in our previous post, there is a lot to be said of Iowa trout fishing. First off, let’s be honest, you aren’t supposed to have so many opportunities to fly fish for trout in Iowa. Well in that case, you really aren’t supposed to have the plethora of trout fishing opportunities in this otherwise flat farmland region. But we do in the Driftless Area; a true anomaly. The fact that it is so rare and unique that we have such a beautiful, picturesque, dreamy region plopped right in the middle of a bunch of flat farmland…that’s special. There isn’t a day that goes by where I take this combination of a geologically rare spring creek producing factory and the trout fishing freedom that goes along with it, for granted. We’re lucky and it’s important that we never forget that.
It’s been a hectic fall season but we always make sure to find time on the stream. Here are some pictures that captures some of the greatest moments on the stream this fall:
There’s one thing that always seems to remain constant; there is always something that needs to get done or some place that you need to be. But that’s all part of living a deliberate life and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Matt Smythe of fishingpoet (a great blog that I follow) was part of a group that created a short film titled, “A Deliberate Life”. If you haven’t heard about it, check it out. I guarantee it’ll strike a chord with you.
So what exactly does it mean to live a deliberate life? Well only you can truly answer that question for yourself. But broadly speaking, it means waking up each morning with a purpose or more importantly with a higher purpose. It means having priorities and sticking to them. Too many go through the motions…day after day, week after week, and year after year. Then they look back and wonder, where did all those years go?
You’re blessed with living on this beautiful planet once. So why wouldn’t you attack each day with eyes wide open and focus so clear? Striving for what you determine as success, not what the world wants you to do. Prioritizing your finite daily time between your professional career, your family, your friends, your faith, your health, and yourself. Making time for what truly brings happiness because after all has been said and done…it is your happiness that’s most important.
Each year provides an opportunity to grow and improve, to never become satisfied with the status quo. It doesn’t matter where you currently are, everyone has this opportunity. But it’s only up to you whether you take advantage of it or let another year pass doing the same things you did last year.
So what life do you choose to lead? Live a deliberate life.
– Spirit Streams
Fly Fishing. It is not a hobby…it’s a way of life.
Tags: A Deliberate Life, Blue-Winged Olive, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Catch & Release, Driftless Area, Driftless Area Rock Formations, Driftless Love, Fall Fly Fishing, fishingpoet, Fly Fishing, Iowa Driftless, Spirit Streams Fly Fishing, Spring Creeks, Trout, Wisconsin Driftless
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I observed the area and could see a faint ripple coming out of the foam. I still had the emerger on and made a cast to the area of the rise and was greeted by a resounding battle and eventually landed a beautiful 15” brown which I affectionately labeled the blue cheek fatty – it was quite a trout. My mind wandered....If they are that big on the top what lies in the depths of that blockage?....
A notable thrill was the sudden, stout strike and subsequent battle of a truly beautiful 18 inch Brown. That beauty was unexpected but very much appreciated. A new season is beginning and with the amount of trout spotted and caught it looks very bright!
I found the trout today schooled up in pools and very eager to take scuds and nymphs. There were all age classes, nice egg laden females along with several large nicely colored fall run males brought to the net. The bite was consistent.
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I observed the area and could see a faint ripple coming out of the foam. I still had the emerger on and made a cast to the area of the rise and was greeted by a resounding battle and eventually landed a beautiful 15” brown which I affectionately labeled the blue cheek fatty – it was quite a trout. My mind wandered....If they are that big on the top what lies in the depths of that blockage?....
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