Kinni, Rush, Willow Trout

[Magneto]

I guess I'd have to disagree about the size issue on the Rush. I have the luxury of being able to fish nearly everyday, and today was yet another great day. Olives hatching everywhere, fish rising and this is but one of the larger fish I caught. There were 3 today that were 16-18 inches this one is about 17. Many 12 to 14 inchers.

On another note about the Rush, the WDNR due to budget issues has a list of 100 streams in Wisconsin that they will discontinue stocking for the next two years, and the Rush is one of them. We will now see for sure whether there is any reproduction in that river or not.

Mike

[smellzalilfishee]

Mike, just curious-how long have you been fishing the Rush? I ask because I am comparing to years past when many-many more large fish swam in the Rush. 16s and 18s are an awesome fish but I am talking about larger fish. 20 plus inch fish and there are alot fewer. For the last five years I have been lucky to land 3 per year. In the middle to late 80s and early 90s I could easily land one every other trip. I have landed 5 25s 2-26s and one 28 inch brown out of the Rush and there are not the same numbers as years past. I am sure many reasons attribute to this but they are on the decline. I still say the average fish in the rush is around 9 inches or so.

[This message has been edited by smellzalilfishee (edited 04-06-2004).]

[This message has been edited by smellzalilfishee (edited 04-06-2004).]

[Magneto]

You have a good point, as I've only been fly fishing for 4 years. The largest fish I've gotten out of the rush is 26 inches, and I got it last year during the Sulphur hatch. But, because I fish almost daily I see fish much bigger on every outing. Also because I'm somewhat outgoing I have made many acquaintances by just going up to homes on the Rush and asking permission to fish from there property. It is my belief that these larger fish have found sanctuary in some of these places, and not every one sees them or catches them. You know as well as I the Rush gets pounded, and the usuall access spots are devoid of big fish because many people don't subscribe to the catch and release ethic.

I saw two yesterday that had to go close to 26-28 inches, but alas they would have nothing to do with my fly when all ther're little brothers and sisters were slamming my my fly with abandon. So perhaps the big fish in that river have gotten ther're doctorate in artificial food sources.

In the end you're most likely correct in that I catch far more 10 to 12 inch fish then I do 18" plus ones.

Mike

[turiprap]

Most sources agree that summer water temperatures in the Rush have been dropping in recent years. The ramifications of this are these:

Warm water forage species (chubs, shiners, crayfish, etc.) that grow big trout have declined greatly in numbers.

Both natural reproduction and stocking survival have increased substantially. That means more trout are competing for a smaller food base.

So, it's likely that the days of the multi-pound hogs are gone. On the other hand, an angler can now fish for wild fish, including brook trout, which seem to be making a particularly strong comeback. And electrofishing surveys still show very strong numbers of fish to 18 and 19 inches with hundreds more fish 12 inches and over per mile than in the days of the hogs.

[Magneto]

turiprap-

A most excellent comment! And now that the state isn't going to stock it for the next two years we will see just how good a river it really is. In the 4 years I've been fishing it I have noticed a large increase of crayfish, and sculpin, and these are a huge food source for big fish. It is my personal opinion that the Rush is 10 times what the Kinni is.

Mike

[This message has been edited by Magneto (edited 04-07-2004).]

[Renneberg]

Have you guys noticed that the trout this year are nice a fat. The last few springs the trout have been a little thin.

------------------
"Study to be quiet"

[cubbies11]

Out on the Kinni today, fish rising everywhere with stoney's, BWO's, and Midges everywhere. I personally couldn't figure out what the fish wanted so I stayed with the nymph and pick up 6 browns and a the first brookie of the year.

Cubbies

PS. if anyone was out and figured it out let me know, I am stumped.

[Magneto]

It's one of two things, and they may be fished the same way. They are emerging olives that are still stuck in the surface film. They are very difficult to see, but rest assured they are there. They are also emerging midges they too are stuck in the surface film.

I have been fishing the last three days and have only used two fly patterns all three days. An olive emerger size 16 and 18. An olive cripple same sizes. I have been fishing these dry, but you can also swing them so that they sink and at the end of the swing they "rise" up to immitate a rising nymph.

Mike

[cubbies11]

Hey Mike, what do those patterns look like, if you don't mind giving up your recipe? I thought they were emergers but I don't have any of those in my fly box. Where there also stoneflies out there today. I couldn't catch one but they were flying clumsily.

Cubbies

[Magneto]

The pattern is one that I have developed and works quite well. It has no name yet. Here is the recipe:

Hook: Tiemco 2487 size 16 or 18
Thread: olive
Tail: 3 or 4 lemon bared woodduck fibers
with just a little tan antron
Abdomen: very dark olive turkey biots tied with notch forward to give a ribbed effect.
Wing: Natural dun color CDC or dun colored poly yarn tied downwing style
(I prefer the poly yarn for it's durabilty but I tie them both ways)
Thorax: Olive superfine.

And thats all there is to it. It may seem a complicated but after you to a few it really is an easy tie. One trick, if you've never used turkey biots, you should put them in between 2 pieces of damp paper towels to soften them, it makes them much easier to use. If I can get my camera to take a good close up I'll post it see you can see it.

If you have any questions let me know. Oh and about the stoneflies, yes they are clumsy fliers, and the fish don't key on them too much as there aren't enough of them falling into the water, the nymphs on the other hand...

Mike

[Magneto]

You know, it may also be Midge Spinners. That hadn't occured to me before, because I generally don't fish midges. Sure I'll use a Grifiths Knat on occasion. Yep, a midge spinner would be awful small. Were the trout just slurping them, barely breaking surface? Or were the coming out of the water for whatever it was they were feeding on?

Mike

[tie flyer]

There is no midge spinner. Midges aren't mayflies.

Magneto does have a good point. If they're taking emergers you won't take many fish with a dry. To tell whether they're eating adults on the surface or emergers/cripples in the surface film you have to observe a half dozen rises. You generally won't be able to tell whether the mouth is coming out of the water or just the dorsal and tail while taking emergers.

What do you look for? Bubbles. If you don't see bubbles a couple times out of six, tie on an emerger. If the fish makes bubbles that means it's feedin on the surface. No bubbles = emerger.

Wish I could be there...

[Magneto]

You are correct in that there isn't really a midge spinner. I think of midge fishing in the same way I think of fishing the Trico
spinner fall. Think midges (or spinners) when you see trout rising to an
invisible hatch. I describe this situation as "the fish eating water"
because you cannot tell what they are taking. Like rises to spinners, the
rise to a midge hatch tends to be a sipping rise and the rises will tend to
be rhythmic. I have often wondered what happens to the adult midge after it lays it's eggs. It must be somewhat similar to a mayfly, in that it dies on the water and lays spent like a "spinner" and that is why I called it a spinner. Not being an entomologist I know of no other term for that stage of a midge.

Better clarification?

Mike

[smellzalilfishee]

I personally like this setup when I am unsure if they are banging emergers or at the surface. Actually I pretty much use all the time. For instance your first fly a bwo, 16 to 24 inches of 6 or 7 x tied down to an emerger. This system is extremely effective at covering the water column and with some pratice quite easy.

[tie flyer]

Okay Mike, I gotcha.

The main thing is you're catching fish. I've been under my car the last two nights (going on three) while the rivers up here are finally starting to look productive. Sorry I blew up.

[Magneto]

Ok, here is the actual fly that the above recipe is for. Forgive the photography, it seems the camera just isn't up to the task.

And this is the pattern that I have been using the past three days. I have been fishing it dry on a dead drift. It also works on a swing, just give it a tug to submerge, and then let it resurface, bang!

Mike

[This message has been edited by Magneto (edited 04-08-2004).]

[cubbies11]

Thanks a lot that really helps, I will tie some of those up, but won't be back out for a week or so. Keep me informed.

Cubbies

[so haaad]

Fished the Rush area again on Friday. BWO's were coming off like crazy at times. But the fish were being very selective, I believe they were looking for a size 20. The smallest I had was a 16. Time to tie more flies! Lots of people out on Friday, maybe because of the Easter weekend thing??? Not many big fish, but still a great day to get out and enjoy the day. By the way, has anyone else seen that collaped rock wall on/in Lost Creek? Wow, good thing nobody was fishing that hole when that happened.

[cubbies11]

Might head out tomorrow morning...if I can wake up that is...will post how I do.

Cubbies

[superfish2]

went to the rush today still low and clear after last night storms.Did pretty well on pheasant tails and soft hackle hares ear.

[superfish2]

Been out to the rush the last 3 days every day got a little better. yesterday I had my best day ever there. The water is still low and clear with bwo olives coming of in the afternoons. The c.r. ends April 25th and closes till the first Saturday in May. Just a reminder.

[cubbies11]

Out to the Kinni today, good hatch of caddis coming off and bouncing on the water. I skated some elk hairs and had some luck. Water here is up a little but still clear, weeds are starting to come in.

Cubbies

[so haaad]

Guys, thanks for today's reports. I'll be on the river(s) again tomorrow. I haven't been over to the Plum or the Galle yet this year, so I might head that way. It's too bad the C&R season doesn't last longer...bummer.

[cubbies11]

Anyone go out with the crowd for the opener today? Just wondering how things went and how many people hit the stream?

Cubbies

[cubbies11]

Was out today, saw some of the biggest fish I have ever seen on the kinni. Caught 8 in about 5 hours, nothing rising and the only insect were small white midges. Anyone else get out?

Cubbies

[so haaad]

I didn't hit Wisconsin this week. But, I went steelhead fishing up on the north shore instead. Did ok on Friday, and awesome on Saturday. Hopefully I can get out on the Rush this Friday. Haaad

[disco]

hello.... first-time poster here....

I've been fishing the rush and kinni all spring, with a couple sojourns down to the whitewater in southern minnesota....

last week i got out once on the kinni and twice on the rush..... on tuesday i fished the rush near ellsworth and had an exceptional day- caddis coming off all afternoon and fish were rising readily to 14/16 tan elk hair and 18/20 parachute adams (there were some smaller mayflies comin off sporadically too).... a couple brownies went 16 inches and got a brookie too (i was surprised, as usually they don't show up for me that far downstream-- maybe he wandered out of lost creek)....

fished the kinni on thurs and it was tough... i went in below river falls... there was little or no insect activity and the fish seemed very spread out in the river.... i still caught plenty on 16 hare's ears and 18 ph. tails, but only because i fished all day.... only one or two spots yielded more than one or two fish... made me yearn for the rush....

so on friday i headed back to the same spot on the rush i had fished on tuesday.... i hit a deep hole i had pulled 15 or more trout from earlier in the week and managed only 2 fish and a redhorse--- one of the two had a nice chunk of 10 lb. green mono extending from his anus.... and im sure a nice hook in his gullet.... sadly (at least for the worm dunker) he was too small to keep and thus returned to the river.... the fishing was decent at best and i didn't get anything over 10-11 inches, and very few of those... i lost a huge fish (never saw it, coulda been a sucker, though it didn't give up when i was fightin it, and it shook its head like a trout)

that said, i'm also looking forward to seeing if the river can not only support natural reproduction, but if it can sustain a fish population with little or no stocking... unlike the kinni (esp. the upper kinni), where fish can hide almost anywhere, the rush relies more on visible riffles, holes, etc. where the bigger fish can congregate and feed (the spot i referred to earlier is one of these).... these are easily targeted by folks bent on campin out with a cooler and pocketin all the fish they catch....

maybe this will be a nice lesson for the WDNR-- if they are losing too much money from stocking these streams and it is shown that the fish will reproduce in the river, then enforce stricter regulations.... a catch and release section might be a nice experiment, no? let's get some trophies back in the rivers.... (and there's plenty of forage base in the river to support big fish if they aren't jerked out and grilled up)

sorry for the long post, but i was slightly perturbed by friday's fishing.... sometimes you can chalk it up to a bad day, but the evidence pointed otherwise..... also, that's been my first bad day all spring- going back to the beginning of march, on any stretch of the rush....

what does everyone here think? am i crazy? should i get off my soapbox? is everything fine and i just had a bad day and need to relax? i would just love to see a C & R section on the river, cuz i have a feeling we'd see some huge fish....

[Magneto]

No, you have the right sense about the Rush. I have the good fortune to be able to fish it nearly every day, and C&R or more restrictions (like the Kinni) would benefit that river greatly. I do know this, there is natural reproduction. Earlier this spring I saw some fry swimming aroud, not sure if it was Brook Trout, or Browns. It will be interesting to see what the WDNR does about the Rush once that is learned.

Having said all that, there are still some monsters in there, you just have to know where to look.

Oh and by the way, Welcome.

Mike

[This message has been edited by Magneto (edited 05-10-2004).]

[Renneberg]

Welcome to FM.com Disco!

Nice report.

------------------
"Study to be quiet"

[disco]

ya.... there's got to be natural reproduction.... i've caught lots of brookies in the sections between martel and el paso, and unless i'm mistaken, i don't think brookies are stocked in the river (let me know if i am mistaken).... usually rivers that allow for brookie reproduction accomodate the other species nicely.... so hopefully those stocked browns can get down to business in the river.... does anyone know what size browns are usually stocked? if i had to guess, i'd venture most of the 8-11 inchers are stocked every year, cuz they seem to be the most abundant....