8-21-04 - Wrapping up loose ends...

Waters Fished: Hickory Creek, MP's Secret Stream
Fish Caught: 6
Outing Date: 8-21-04
Weather: blue skies!
Air Temp: mid 70's
Water Temp: Didn't take it - still warm
Water Level: Normal
Water Color: Hickory was Clear, Secret Stream is STILL off color
Fish Species: Brown Trout
Pattern Fished: Tucker Nymph, Black Nothing, Chicago Leech
Pattern Color: As per pattern; leech in olive
Fishing Quality: STILL FN SLOW!

I don't get it...it's just been an OFF year in IA. I don't think I've had more than one 10+ fish day all year! Well, this kinda has me a bit "unenthused" about going to Iowa when the local waters are starting to heat up, but a deal is a deal, I told Rich I'd be out for all the fly fishing schools and on this occasion, I specifically had offered to scrub down the RV (it needs it!).

But I did sleep in...man I was BEAT from a week of fishin' late and often! Man I needed it too. THEN, I got some other things done that needed my attention. By the time I finished up my slow morning, it was already getting close to 11:00 AM! Man I gotta hit the road!

I arrived in IA around 2:30....a garbled message from FAT suggested where they'd be in the morning, but the afternoon? "South". Man there's like 30 streams to the south of Dorchester!

As the end of 2004 is drawing ever closer, I've been looking over that IA trout map and trying to find the streams I haven't yet hit. If you're not aware, my goal is to have completed a "tour" of all the IA trout streams on the map by the end of 2004. There's been a couple glaring omission on that list that are not out of the way (like Turtle & Wapsi Creeks)...Specifically streams like South Cedar Creek, North Cedar Creek, Buck Creek and Hickory Creek. Since I had NO clue where the boys were off to, I opted to spend the day on new water. South Cedar and Buck are marked as Temperature Sensitive Stocking, so the likelihood of there being fish right now was SLIM. Might as well give Hickory a shot...

I hopped in at a bridge that was well marked with access and started walking downstream. Wow...it's neat looking. VERY CLEAR too. Lots of STONE on the bottom.

To make a long story short...most of the water wasn't holding any fish. I only found 2 pools that were holding fish despite there being several other pools that looked just as fishy, if not more so, than the rest.

8-19-04 - Dropped in on a new stream to do some scouting...Hickory Creek.	Pretty...	The only pool in the farm area that held fish.

Those fish I did find proved to be quite the challenge...they were all sitting directly out in the sun in the crystal clear water....NONE showed any interest in my Tucker Nymph or the Black Nothing. Somewhat disappointed, I noted fish locations and moved on.

The stream took a nice bend and this was the 2nd pool of fish. Again they were ultra spooky, tight to the bottom, and just not interested in ANYTHING. I continued downstream through a forest...wide shallow water flowed over the rocks with small deep cuts here and there..I hit them all and didn't get any reward.

Downstream from here there's a bend...	And this is looking back up at the bend....of course this one had a couple small trout running around but once again they weren't willing.	Looks like it's big water and all, but mostly shallow with a pocket here and there. NO FISH!

Scouting can be fun, but NOT when the fish are uncooperative. About 4:30 I was pretty fed up with Hickory for the day. You know by now that I'm not one to sit on one stream all day, and I wasn't about to get skunked in Iowa AGAIN, so I did the only sane thing to do...head off to the only reliable action I've been finding lately, MP's Secret Stream.

Just like last week, the Secret Stream was cloudy. Hmm....it must really take a while to clear out once a rain has come through. No worries though, I've NEVER been skunked on the secret stream and today wouldn't be any different.

2nd cast in fish on! All told in 45 minutes I landed 5 fish..including a couple stockers for the creel and dinner (especially if the boys weren't having good luck). All of my hits came on the swing with a slight twitch....when the line twitches BACK set that darn hook!

Stocker #1	Another Put & Take brown trout that's been in the river for a bit. Despite the yellow I know this one's a stocker 'cause we ate it ;)	Gotta love the wild brown trout!
Whoo hoo...wild one #2!	NICE brown from the Secret Stream.	One more brown to round out my daily total at 6.

And you WONDER why MP's Secret Stream is kept secret! Now satisfied with another alright day in IA, I headed out for the long drive to Dorchester. Got a fire going around 8:00 before anyone else had returned from the streams. Eventually Pat, Chris, Brennon, Rich and Morgan showed up. Dinner was good, the company was excellent, and there'd be an entire second day of fishin' tomorrow!

  MP