2-24-04 - Looking upstream, the upper portions of Lincoln Park were open, but shallow, not fish-holding water at 32F!

FAT and I worked under the shelf ice that remains, hoping to coax a fish out. Hope is a good thing....it keeps you going when reality gets in the way!

Lots of FAT pictures today...

One more picture of good 'ole FAT. I would much rather show you pictures of good 'ole FAT STEELHEAD, but these will have to do for now.

2-24-04 - Patience Young Padwan

Waters Fished: Root River
Fish Caught: 0
Outing Date: 2-24-04
Weather: Cloudy & Misty
Air Temp: Around 35F
Water Temp: 32.5F
Water Level: coming up
Water Color: Stained and partially cloudy
Fish Species: Steelhead
Pattern Fished: Manhattan Spey, Black Heron Spey, Dull Surprise, Pink Squirrel Variant
Pattern Color: as per pattern
Fishing Quality: Poor

After a long winter and many long-winded reports, how about a short one? Well, we're all hopeful, but we all have some waiting yet to do.

FAT and I pulled the "before work" routine and put in a serious morning of fishing on the Root. I know what might be going through your heads...the flows are coming up (they were about 66 cfs when we were out this morning). But first, things still have to thaw people!

FAT arrived at the Root probably 30 minutes before I did and got out to do some spotting with the search light....he sighted 2 steelies, one rather crusty so maybe that one was a holdover brown. We got on the water around sunrise and started fishing, each working one of the two sections that was holding fish. NOT A THING!

Time to bump upstream to check the status of "open water" - upstream looked better than downstream (i.e. the lower 2/3 of Lincoln, all of Island are all still frozen over). Up here we perhaps had better luck, each of us leaving the water around 8:45 with a "maybe" each...Rich had his watching his line shoot upstream briefly...I had mine when my rod tip was tugged down, then springing back up bringing my Black Heron spey out of the water, but thankfully not into the trees or my face.

So there you have it folks...the gates on the weir are not up (i.e. fish can move freely) which kinda tips you off that the fish are not yet moving. Look at last year's reports, note the temperatures and conditions and that'll probably help you guesstimate when you should start wasting your time on the rivers...in the meantime FAT & I will continue to enjoy having the Root ALL TO OURSELVES :)

  MP