GREENS AND STREAMS BLOG
Somehow this got missed..... Cozad's 1 Fly 2017
Sometimes, when you overthink things, you get in your own way.
When it comes to my photos, I really do enjoy taking photos as much as I do fishing. Being able to capture that moment of shear joy when a big fish is landed, the beauty of a fall brook or brown trout dressed for the spawn, or the silent moment on the stream - it’s all just as enjoyable for me as landing a fish. So when I’ve got the chance to spend a few days with some buddies, I tend to take a lot of photos. Somehow, this was a weekend to remember, that never made through the editing room.
Here’s the Driftless One Fly that Pete Cozad puts on every year, all the way back to 2017. I wasn’t able to make it here in 2018, but looking back at these photos makes me excited at the hope of taking part again in 2019.
Last Trouty Dance of 2018
I’d normally ensure I spent the last weekend of the Wisconsin Trout season on the water, but this year it wasn’t meant to be. When I say it wasn’t meant to be, I mean really, it seemed like Mother Nature and our social calendar were going to do all they could to conspire to keep me home.
For those not in the know, it seemed like for most of August and September a good part of Wisconsin, and the Midwest for that matter, were under heavy floodwaters, or forecasts of heavy storms. Bridges blown out, towns underwater - ton of damage everywhere.
We managed to find a small window, as things returned to normal, and took full advantage. In three days we managed to hit five streams, and I fished another solo. That solo mission was the most productive four hours of fishing I’ve had with a hopper in years. They were keyed in on the foam, and I took full advantage. I found a few of decent size, but more importantly, the fish I found were dressed in their Sunday best - shimmering in that buttery brown, with their blue cheeks and bright red spots. Unfortunately, I also went light weight and left the camera in the car. Though I missed some amazing fish, and the photos they’d have produced, the results have me wondering if I should be trying that more often.
From there, it was your standard buddy trip, hole hopping our way around the Driftless and finding fish every where you’d think, and in places you might never consider. Using the Gazetteer as our guide, it was great picking a blue line and finding a bridge, and starting another adventure.
It’s amazing how much fun end of year fishing can be - when the fish are keyed in on big hoppers, the brush is taller than me, and every cast could produce a giant. Though we weren’t able to dial in on anything of size, we had a blast, drank some good beers, and worked a ton of new water. As a guy strapped for time, it was exactly what was needed. (And Frank, see I told you I’d post the pics.)
When you’re looking at the pics, notice the banks and the impact the flooding had. The amount of water that passed through some of these smaller streams is insane. To see how quickly some of these watersheds recovered is absolutely amazing.
Yep, I'm still here.....
Wow, how time can fly.
It’s crazy to see my last post was January of 2017. I struggle to wrap my head around that. It seems like it was yesterday, and with the number of times I regularly think about throwing up another post, makes it feel like it could have been.
Though my life has taken many turns for the better, including our addition of a beautiful baby girl, this blog has been relegated to the shadows - much like my free time.
With more success in the office, comes more time needing to be spent with customers and new employees. As my daughter grows, so does the need to watch her, interact and engage, and spend quality time. These two account for a lot of time that used to be spent chasing trout, bass, steelhead and any other cold and warm water fish that may linger in the Midwest. It’s crazy, lately I’d rather spend time changing diapers and picking up crushed Cheerios out of the rug than bushwhacking my way through the Driftless every weekend.
Even with life getting in the way, I have made it out here and there. I’ve managed to get on the water with my pops, and some good friends. Made new friends and showed them my favorite places, and even snuck out with my new little fishing partner. By the way, she’s just like her dad, loves watching bluegill crush topwater flies.
I’m hoping to get a few posts up here soon, to show you where my little free time has taken me.