Preserving the Driftless

It only took me a couple of days after returning from my NOLS semester in the Rockies for me to venture up to the Driftless region in Iowa. Loading up the cooler, tying some flies, prepping rods, and setting off for the northern end of the state to fish for a couple of days with my grandpa. 

I arrived in the Driftless to water that was very blown out due to rain a couple days ago, but after a little searching with my grandpa we found a couple of streams that had some color. It actually was about 60 miles on gravel roads before we found what we were looking for. Walking in a half a mile from the car, we found clear water and hungry trout, and quite a few of them. I began fishing with a nymph rig, and found a bit of success with smaller flies fishing close to the bottom. After awhile I decided to throw a big hopper just off the bank. I have never thrown a dry on this stream, so I thought I would go big of the bat for the experiment. Turns out big rainbows like grey hoppers that fall out of the bushes at around 2:45pm. After landing some nice fish on the hopper, and missing a lot more, I ventured back downstream to see my grandpa hooked up in a nice run. It’s a pretty cool feeling to see someone, even at 76, being able to hook up and get it done in style.

As the sun began to set and we grew hungry, we fished an evening caddis hatch and then headed back into town for dinner. With a few more landed fish and big smiles on our faces, we looked forward to the day ahead.

As we returned to our previous spot where we fished the day before, we found that the muddy water was starting to creep downstream from up North, and our stream was turning off-color. Luckily with a bit of time to problem solve and a couple of fly exchanges, we found fish. Some of the bigger fish I have ever caught on this water actually, outside of the 15-inch brown I landed last year on a size 20 copper brassie. Maybe fishing the bigger flies near the bottom is a good approach for catching bigger fish in clearer water. I am looking forward to getting back up there before heading out west for my summer internship with Yellow Dog Fly Fishing in Bozeman, MT.

Every time I journey up North I get this feeling of being at home, Even though I do not have a home here, an address, or a mailbox, this place is means so much to me. Catching trout on flies you have tied in your home state, in such beautiful country, is beyond anything I could dream of. I have fished everywhere from Montana to Patagonia and multiple places in between, but nothing compares to the small streams, rising small trout, and the bluffs of the Driftless.

If you have not yet seen the new Driftless shirts, I recommend you check them out. With two different colors and a design inspired by the place I love, profits go towards preserving the water in that region for years to come. Go support the Driftless and Trout Unlimited with a new shirt!