On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 21:16:42 -0500, lid wrote:



I camped for 3 days this week. At various times I decided I'd never
do it again and that I'd have to do it a lot more often. When I
packed up my soaking wet tent (after 12 straight hours of thunder,
lightning, and rain) was one of the former moments.

However I'd gotten to see some water of various kinds, all very high,
and a momma bear and her three cubs. Black bear, of course, it being
here in northeastern MN, but very black. They can be almost any
colour and I've found they're more often brownish than black. Very
cute.

I'd meant to try out my new inflatable Stearns kayak. Then I saw the
river and went away to find a fav State Forest campsite way up north.
Looked at the 'Croix again up there and still shuddered. On the way I
drifted through one of our larger State Parks, which supposedly has a
couple of trout streams. While looking for something else, I found a
creek labeled 'designated trout stream'. It was very high, muddy, and
impossible to see into. It ran for miles above there through mostly
high muskeg, so I was not expecting much. I saw there was some insect
activity above the water and dipping down to it, but saw no rises.
Then I looked at the side of the stream, just below the bridge and
ahead of the alders and willows. Weird currents there. Looked as if
small logs were moving around in the eddy current, but not being swept
away. Brain flash. Ohmigawd, those might be trout. Big trout.
Something would swirl out a ways, leaving a front and then side bow
wave. Big. I shall return.

I'm supposed to go over to Wisconsin toward the end of this week for
some WFFB Clave. I do know I'm not stepping in a stream. I will be
bank fishing, or rather edge fishing, since everything I've seen,
including our local city creek (Minnehaha) has been way over the banks
and spreading. When I looked at the Tamarack ford, I didn't see any
fresh hoof marks, so folks must be using the foot / ATV trail bridges
for their crossing. I don't blame them. I could see it had been a
foot or two higher from bank wash that was left, but it was still very
high.

So, didn't fish, but did see the impressions of fish. Camped, but
sometimes didn't enjoy it and sometimes enjoyed it a lot. Oh, well.
I found I really like my cot, even though I'll not be able to use if
it there's apt to be rain. It bulges the edges of my tent, a sure way
to get wet. I'd not used it the second night, expecting some 'showers'
(not continual rain with downpour thunder bursts). I like my cot.
Maybe I'll just get yet another tent.

Both of the main streams near the Clave site are in very good shape.
They have the reputation for handling rain very well, clearing and
dropping rapidly. In fact there is some concern over the water table
that feeds the one closest to the Cities. The fear is that it is
being over extracted by the ex-urban sprawl since it is still not very
high after all the rain we've had. The Sulphurs, both the invaria (#16
yellow)and needhami (#18 apple green), are coming off mixing with an
occasional March Brown. People are actually doing better fishing the
March Brown spinner fall than the Sulphur spinners in the evenings.


Can't wait to see you.


g.c.