10-14-06 - Any report that starts off with a beached fish simply has to be good!

My 2nd king.

Spawned out yet still silvery? My third.

10-14-06 - Minnesota comes to Milwaukee

Waters Fished: Milwaukee River
Fish Caught: 8+ personally, 29 photographed, probably 50-60 landed between 8 anglers
Outing Date: 10-14-06
Weather: sunny
Air Temp: highs around 50F
Water Temp: 46F
Water Level: steady, 220 CFS
Water Color: Yellowish, visiblity 1-2 feet
Fish Species: King Salmon
Pattern Fished: Egg Patterns
Pattern Color: Red and Chartruese again accounted for the large majority of fish.

Last year there were two, this year five or six. Minnesotans that is, at least originally from, if not currently, not including Renee in that headcount! Look what we started, having Nick and Matt come on over to Wisconsin last fall...it's a snowball, that's for sure! As it rolled into town Friday night, I couldn't have been happier for it's arrival. Nick, Matt, Will, Emily were all back...I think last time I saw them was in the spring up on Minnesota's North Shore. Andy was a new one, and Nate came up as well for a little while too!

Ya know, this turned out to be the day everyone hoped for, well actually it far exceeded everyone's wildest expectations. That's what Mid-October does to ya when the fly fishing gods smile upon you with favor! Everyone caught fish. Everyone was exhausted. The day was one of those "intense" dawn-to-dusk non-stop King Salmon days, and to top it off we had the water virtually to ourselves!

The best part is, I don't have to say a word about the fishin. Well, except maybe to mention at least a few lifetime first salmons and the woman-only King (I swear I shouted "GIRL POWER" when Emily netted Renee's fish).

I know you all think I'm copping out, but if there ever was a "salmon enduced haze" I think we were all in it by Saturday night. It's not surprising that the crew slept in to something like 10:00 AM the next day. There wasn't a moment where I wasn't fishing, fighting a fish, netting someone's fish, taking pictures, eating, drinking, or sitting on a rock, waiting for the aches to subside, simply so I could stand back up for another helping. The day was already a blur by the time I sank my teeth into a Garbage Pizza.

The pictures will more than tell the story (I whittled it down from over 100). Words can't describe it. I'm getting too old for this. I'm already looking forward to 2007 with Renee's rag-tag Minnesota Crew ;)

  MP 

Renee is tied up!	GEEZE - look at that Monster - Renee's first for the day.	My fourth, a handsome buck.
This very well may be Emily's first King Salmon ever.	Nick has one one!	One of Nick's first Kings of the year.
Now it's Andy's turn.	I think this is Andy's first King ever.	That makes 5.
The first successful double, Renee and Nick each land Kings.	Emily fights a King.	Another double - Andy and Emily with a pair of Kings.
Renee did an excellent job netting this one for me!
	Will with the clutch netjob just as Emily breaks off.	Will and Emily with the one that almost got away.
	My sixth.	Nate does fly-rod-battle with a King for the first time in his life.
Nate with his lifetime first King Salmon on a fly rod!	Will has been downstream hammering them..it's about time I get a picture of him with a King.	Nick and Andy do the Salmon Dance on the Milwaukee River.
Nick with his King...the look on Andy's face says it all.	Back-to-back Kings - Nick returns the favor and nets Andy's fish!	Renee's viewpoint on an explosive King Salmon battle.
EMILY goes for the net!	Renee's Big Buck and the women who brought it to shore!	Finally, Matt's first King of the year!
The action picked up for Renee in the afternoon!	This one makes 7.	Seriously, Renee is ON FIRE!
Nick brings another clean one to shore!	There goes #8.	Matt and a hen.
Will with the last fish for the group today.	The mostly Minnesota Crew - Matt, Will, Emily, Nick and Andy.