And...it's over. The view of the river from my front steps is one of a frozen river. It would appear that the 2021 musky season is officially done for me.
Luckily, winter trout season opens on Saturday! High of 3 degrees! Our trout streams, tribs of the Chip, are spring fed, so they stay open whatever the air temp. I love winter trout fishing. It gets me out of the house and into the world of fish. And, on the right days, it's the best trout fishing of the year.
In March, I'm back on the big river chasing pike, weather cooperating. The pike concentrate in certain areas and some years it can be a ball. Most years it's just cold and disappointing. But it gives me something to look forward to.
Meanwhile, in the dark of winter, I get together with friends and tie flies and talk smart and feel very lucky to know people who love this place the way I do.
April and May are smallie time. Pre-spawn smallie fishing can be some of the most fun of the entire year. This is an unpredictable season though, as high water or brutal cold fronts can still arrive to make it a bust. When it's good, though, it's a blast.
June is for muskies. They're post spawn and hungry, and this might be my favorite time to fish for them. I find them in places I might not expect them in October and the bass and pike are also interested in big flies. Fun.
Summer is awesome. Maybe not for muskies as much, but who cares. Smallies are voracious now and then there are the other cool species like drum, mooneyes and white bass. When I think of July and August, I think of a bent rod and smile on my face.
And then fall arrives. I feel pretty damn lucky to live where I live in the fall. That's all I'm gonna say about that.
That's the year I'm looking forward to. As a fly angler, I feel like I live in the best place with the best community of anglers in the United States. I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way in your communities. I hope all you musky chasing fools have the absolute best year in 2022! All the best!