They're HeeeeeRrrrr at IDOfishing.com

As I drove down the hill at 4am this morning, the river opened up before my eyes, as flat as I've seen it in many recent moons. Even though the clouds stifeled almost any reflections, I could feel, sense that something was vastly different. I enjoy getting to the ramp in the pre dawn hours so I can take my time launching and also take a moment to reflect on my upcoming journey.
As I prepared the lund for today's adventure things on the pavement were abuzz, bats swirling low, birds seldom seen at night were cruising, as the puzzle became clear to me, I knew from years gone by what was taking place, hmmmm I gave myself a shallow thought will this be worth the trip or should I just go home and back to bed? Hell I'm here I can't let this stop me, the tiny pop...pop...pop as I walked and loaded the boat was the telltale sign, even this old river rat knew they're heeerrrr. It's one of those sounds you only briefly hear, yet never forget not quite music to one's ears but recognizeable yet the same.
I backed the boat into the water and as I walked to it my eyes were fixed to the semi shadows of the river. Even though there was barely a glimer of light I could see them, feel them, yes, even hear them....Mayflies. Not a big hatch that I could see but their floating bodies and transparent wings more than filled my tired eyes, omward I went. My gameplan was to troll the shallow sandbars of the Croix until the sun rose, it produced several shorties but nothing worth keeping, so I moved to the rocky shoreline to try deeper water. I was pulling #9 floating rapalas on lead 122' back to get me about 19' down in 21 fow, the walleyes were there and they were hungry which somewaht surprised me, I made 2 long slow passes .8mph to 1.1mph and boated 3 nice would be keepers, I kept 1 and let the others go, 2 more passes put more eyes in the net and like the lucky others they too are swimming another day. I couldn't help but notice the swirls, mad dashes, and tail flips from the smallies gorging themselves on the newly hatching mayflies, and being slightly smarter than a box of rocks, I broke out the fly rod and tied on a small popper to test the still calm water. Glad I did, the smallies chased my popper almost every cast many times I saw multiple fish darting after my offer and luckily several of them actually ate it they too are still swimming. I've seen the mayfly hatch many times and how the fish react still amazes me, these smallies were gulping down those flies like drunks at white castle after the bars closed for the night.
Ok so I've rambled on way too long, I just wanted to let people know what I saw, did, felt....I hope I never get tired of seeing mother nature doing her thing. When I got back to the ramp about 11ish, the shoreline was full of piles of larve, cocoons, hulls of mayflies for as far as you could see, I'm still going out again tomorrow morning, just curious if the hatch is a major one or not.....btw water temp was 73.8 most of the places i was at today.

They're HeeeeeRrrrr

Re: They're HeeeeeRrrrr

Re: They're HeeeeeRrrrr