A great day of early season tenkara in the Driftless
We fished a lower section of one our current favorites, which I had not been on in a couple of years and I don't think Matt had ever fished. This creek is of the type Matt and I tend to favor: small, maybe 6-8 feet wide in most sections, but deep with pools waist deep or deeper. The water runs very clear but there is plentiful structure for the fish to find shelter. I fished this creek a fair amount before I started fly fishing with Tenkara, and I actually catch more fish on it with Tenkara than I did with "regular" fly fishing. You could argue that I am a more experienced fisherman now that I was then, but I think it has more to do with how well suited these types of creeks are for Tenkara. I snagged on my second cast, and as is often the case, started to question my competence as a fisherman. Matt hooked a nice fish on his second cast, which should have helped me feel better, but did not. I should know better to despair, though. Once I worked out the kinks, I caught a nice size fish and everything was right with the world. The fishing was good for both of us several medium size fish brought to hand. Matt caught the largest of the day, about 12 inches and fat. I know there are bigger fish in this creek, but catching your fill of medium size fish is always nice.
We were having luck fishing variations of beadheaded killer bugs. There was a sparse hatch of caddis flies, but not many surface feeders. One small surface feeder hit my killer bug the instant it hit the water. Not how it is supposed to happen, but I guess that fish just wanted to eat.
So, we have yet to get that "perfect condition" day so far this season, but we are still enjoying some good success and having a lot of fun and process. Please contact us if you are interested in our guide service. We would love to share these creeks with you!
-Mike