A RECORD SETTING DAY!

With record setting high temperatures here in eastern Iowa, reaching the lower 50* mark.  Hitting the stream after school seemed like the right thing to do.

Once I got to the stream I got side tracked.  After hearing the story of a local deer hunter finding a five inch spear point in a cave along the maquoketa river.  I had to hike a few of the trails along the stream to check out some of the south facing rock shelters.

                                                       "Rockshelters"  like these are not an actual cave. The Woodland Culture is the most well known prehistoric culture in the Maquoketa River valley. As early as 2500 years ago,many prehistoric Woodland Indians groups would live in them, at least during parts of the year.

Even when it is very cold in the winter, it is out of the wind and faces the winter sun. It often feels very comfortable here even on cold winter days.  This one overlooked the trout stream and sat about 100 feet up above the hole that holds a few trout.  I ran my fingers through the warm,dry limestone dust hoping to filter out a point but no, luck.

Back in October of last year,  I hit some "new water"  so today I went back to see if I could catch the big one that got a way.  This was about the 4th or 5th time I've returned to the stream. 

Armed with my new  fly rod in hand with a small spinner on the line  I worked on my casting.  The weight of the spinner set up is just a little heavier than I like to use.  But after a few cast I was able to get the timing down enough to make a pretty decent cast.             

The stream conditions were clear and the pool where I had first missed this large trout had some new brush  in the water that I thought would hold a few fish.  After only a few cast I saw a flash of silver rise near the surface an strike my lure.  I let him run with it this time and then I set the hook.  I've got him this time.  Now, to land him.  Played him out, a quick snap shot of my new personal best;  17 inches and about 2 pounds then back into the water.  

  

"The days a man spends fishing or spends hunting should not be deducted from the time he's on earth. " Theodore Roosevelt