Hopper Time

As you read this, days are turning to hours, hours are turning to minutes and the hour glass is running out of sand.  There's two more weekends left to trout season in Wisconsin, meaning it's time to throw caution to the wind, pack up the camping gear and head up to the Driftless.  

Over the next two weekends I'm planning on chasing trout all over Wisconsin as Stuart and I are hoping to catch up next weekend in an area I don't get to very often, and the last weekend will be spent fishing my favorite creeks, chasing a couple of trout that haunt my dreams.  It's a lot of variety for me, but I'm looking forward to getting back to couple of creeks I haven't fished in a few years.  I'm also getting the chance to get back on the water with a good buddy of mine, who has been fly fishing for just over a year.  Yet in the last year he's probably fished three to four times more than me, and been all over the US chasing anything he can get to eat.  To say I've been jealous is an understatement.  I'm looking forward to getting to hang out around the camp fire hearing all about his adventures.  

Getting prepped for these weekends means checking out what they're biting on and filling the boxes accordingly.  When I'm looking for the low down on what they're eating, I always head to the Driftless Angler, in Viroqua.  Not only do they have a great shop, chock full of flies, gear and a ton of local knowledge, they always have an up to date to report that's rarely sent me in the wrong direction.  If you're headed up that way, be sure to give them a visit and stop in and say hi.  

As I found a few weeks ago, foam continues to produce in the way of hoppers and beetles and it sounds like scuds and smaller nymphs via the hopper dropper combo are producing.  These are the end of year go-to's and some of my favorite to tie.  With boxes to fill and football to watch, my to my wife's chagrin, we'll be finding some time this week to knock out a couple dozen more.