#ultalight

Since I started spinning for trout about five years ago, I've been reading about the spring creeks in Wisconsin's Driftless Region.  These are fed by limestone springs and the alkalinity greatly enhances the fertility of the streams.  

One of the most written about Driftless area streams is Timber Coulee Creek. I've read that TU rated it as one of the top 100 trout streams in the USA, but I haven't actually seen the list.  A presentation by the DNR a couple of years ago documented that about 80% of the anglers on the stream come from more than 50 miles away (but because of the catch and release regulations, only 7% use spinners or other lures).

I finally fished Timber Coulee this weekend.  Because the river is so publicized, I was a little worried about finding solitude.  To avoid the "crowds", I arrived stream-side at 5:15 AM, about a half hour before sunrise.  My plan worked! There was not another fisherman there at that hour.  Then, I fished for about 4-1/2 hours and never saw anyone else.  You have to love the low angling pressure on our Wisconsin trout streams (at least at the end of July).

Fishing this stream was a transforming experience for me.  Now I have to completely redefine what I mean when I say water looks "trouty".  The slightly milky looking pools held many, many fish.  I caught 3 nice browns before I even got my waders wet!

The high fertility of the stream added a level of challenge.  Weeds and algae were pretty common.  Dragging a spinner under the surface tended to catch more green stuff than fish.  But the trout were there, believe me.

You can bet I'll be back.