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Who's fishing the WI early season?


Quickstrike

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I'll be bouncing around the kinni and the rush in a few weeks, anyone else heading that direction? Tied about 3 dozen nymphs yesterday, I can't wait to get in a stream again.

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Yeah I really had fun down there last year. I am hoping to check it out again. I have only fished the Kinni, but I have heard good things about the rush too.

What's your favorite pattern for early season? I met a guy on the Brule last fall that said BIG prince nymphs?

Mike

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I prefer fishing the early WI season. There's always fewer people. I usually fish nymphs or scuds during "spring training".

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There's a catch and release only, barbless hook artificials only season that covers much of the state. It opens on the first Saturday in March and closes the Sunday before the May general season begins.

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I was checking a few streams last week, things look really tough and frozen. Of course, after this snow storm who knows whats going to happen. We need a few days above 32 to thaw and get the streams flowing.

I still will be out there drifting a #14 or #16 scud.

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Quikstrike,

I totally forgot about the early season in Wisconsin, hmmmm. Pretty sad considering how close I live. The weather is looking great so far, not enough melt to dirty them and just enough to raise em up! Has anyone driven by the rivers lately? Let me know if you need a guide on the Rush....

During catch and release season, do all the flies in your posession have to be barbless or crimped?

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From the WiDNR regulation booklet:

The daily bag limit and possession limit for trout during

this period is 0 (all trout caught shall be immediately

released) and only artificial lures with barbless hooks

may be used while fishing for any species of fish on

trout streams.

This definitely means that a fly attached to your leader when you're set to fish must be barbless. As far as flies in the box go, I've been told that you won't get popped for possessing barbed flies. I've also heard that's c.o's discretion, so I think I'd leave the barbed flies at home.

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Hey EidesRX, me and Porter, (the other guy you met that was with me last spring) will be in the area fishing from next tuesday til the following friday. I don't need a guide on the Rush, (been fishing it since I was a kid) but you can come and meet up with us if you want. I've been tying non-stop for the last week and I still owe you a few flies for that stone I borrowed from you last year. wink.gif If temps stay steady, streams should be in pretty good shape by then.

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Fished the Rush on Sunday,3/4. Slow water was covered with ice, but as the day wore on it seemed like it was melting quite a bit. Of course, this chilled the water and may have affected the action. Just a few tiny black stoneflies hatching, crawling on the snow. Snow was no deeper than 16". Ended up landing three Browns, 13-15 inches. Good luck this week. ~hogsucker

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Bah! Forgot all about the c&r early season.

Guess its time to break out the waders and hit the Kinni.

Good thing Spring Break is next week.

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I remember Porter, of course. Also, a few pinches of Skoal but who's counting, haha! I was just kidding on the guiding, It's tough to warrant a guide when you get to fish 200 days of the year! ha I have next friday off and a half day on Thursday, but I have to help my aunt move. If plans change I'll meet you on the river. It's warming up fast, so we might be looking at chocolate milk for a river soon. They don't call it the Rush for nothing, I've been fishing there during a flash flood, scary. Also, planning a trip to Canada this spring in May, do you have any connections, tackle shops, etc wih some good info. Looking to cruise up to Nipigon. Shoot me a line when you come down, 952-212-8086.

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My friend and I were out yesterday in Eastern Wisconsin for a few hours. Conditions were perfect with the wind and slight overcast. Drifting pink scuds and strike indicators were the order of the day. By the grace of god we pulled up a dozen or so beautiful browns before the river started to resemble my morning coffee. I did have a really nice brown break my 6X off, was it over 20’, maybe I’ll never know. Lesson learned I guess, I had the 6X on from last year when the water was low and gin clear.

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