A “Good Day” Trout Fishing in the Driftless!

Many of you have had the pleasure of meeting Minnesota Driftless area guide Mike Toft during our Altar retreats in Minnesota. Mike has guided our guys during the Altar Retreats for the past four years now.  Many of you have fished with him in the Driftless. Mike has a blog now that anyone can sign up for and read once per week. Here is one of his blogs that discuss why fish count is not the important thing about fly fishing. If interested in receiving his blog then sign up using this link – https://whitewaterguiding.com/driftless-blogger/

The Bible says that we should confess our faults one to another and pray one for another that we may be healed.  I confess to all my clients and readers of this blog that my “fault” or sometimes “besetting sin”  is catching more trout and bigger trout become the metrics  I emphasize and use for measuring a “good day” of trout fishing in the driftless. I think I over react when I know people are not good anglers and they say, well, it’s just good to be out here. Fish count doesn’t matter. If a person does not want to catch more or bigger trout, why improve at all? Why change flies?Why ever hire a guide? My “fault” if you will, is that this metric overshadows some of the other good metrics an angler should pay attention to when evaluating their experience at the end of the day. Here are a couple “metrics” to consider.

Did I learn something new?

I have fished the driftless since 1995.  I can truly say I learn something new every time out on the stream. Or, at very least, reminded of an old lesson.  Recently I saw several brown trout feeding on the surface but saw no bugs. Hmmmmm? Well, upon closer examination and catching a few, I saw they were stuffed with snails.  Snails let go of the bottom of the river with an air bubble and get caught in the surface film.  Who knew? And no, you don’t need a floating snail pattern. See previous blog!

Am I getting better at casting?

I know it’s hard to believe, but I throw drys on a traditional rig, not just euronymph.  I work on my aerial mends and continue to lengthen my leaders to fish “fine and far off”.   With my euro nymphing rig, I continue to increase distance and accuracy.

Did I encourage someone to go down the rabbit hole or further down the rabbit hole of trout fishing?

Most of my clients would probably say in order to quit fly fishing for trout in the driftless, they would need some sort of 12 step program.  But, I see them “getting high on their own supply”.  No help in sight.

Did I get quiet both physically and in my head and then pay attention to God’s creation? This is the metric I pay the most attention to.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”

-Psalm 19:1-3