For me, River Falls, Wis., holds special meaning; my life journey began here and, as it seems, so has my fly fishing.
I went to college in this town. These were my stompin' grounds, as it were. I have experienced most of everything this town has to offer -- from "River Falls Days" to the annual tractor pull. But what I did not know at the time was just how well known this place was for fly fishing.
The Kinnickinic River runs south from Hudson, Wis., through River Falls. It is divided into the upper Kinni and the lower Kinni separated by a dam within Glenn Park. I have focused my fishing on the upper part of the Kinni at two areas reserved by the Wisconsin DNR.
Working upstream from the limits of each of the DNR reserves, I fished nymphs and streamers. At the first location. I was not productive. I basically watched my strike indicator float down the river for a couple of hours. At the second location, a little further downstream (marked on the map) I found a "honey hole". It was right at the edge of a small step rapid which dumped into a deep pool (picture below).
I positioned myself downstream and to the left of the pool. Quartering my cast upstream and to the right directly on top of the pool, I started to notice my strike indicator bobbing ever so slightly. My first impression was that I was ticking the bottom, which is good as the nymph should be as deep as possible. But then on one of my last casts at that pool I waited for the ever so slight bob of the indicator and gave a quick, light jerk to the rod. My face lit up as I felt that familiar wiggle of the fishing rod -- I had a fish!
It was pretty light -- the rod was only slightly bent -- but it was something. As I began stripping the line back in to land it, another familiar feeling traveled from the rod tip to my hand. The gentle back snap of the rod.....I lost it! I could not believe it. With all of the work, reading, and fishing I finally snagged one and it got away.
I do not have a picture, only a memory. A "Fish Story" as my grandpa would always tell me when I told him of my past fishing with no given proof.
I went to college in this town. These were my stompin' grounds, as it were. I have experienced most of everything this town has to offer -- from "River Falls Days" to the annual tractor pull. But what I did not know at the time was just how well known this place was for fly fishing.
The Kinnickinic River runs south from Hudson, Wis., through River Falls. It is divided into the upper Kinni and the lower Kinni separated by a dam within Glenn Park. I have focused my fishing on the upper part of the Kinni at two areas reserved by the Wisconsin DNR.
Working upstream from the limits of each of the DNR reserves, I fished nymphs and streamers. At the first location. I was not productive. I basically watched my strike indicator float down the river for a couple of hours. At the second location, a little further downstream (marked on the map) I found a "honey hole". It was right at the edge of a small step rapid which dumped into a deep pool (picture below).
I positioned myself downstream and to the left of the pool. Quartering my cast upstream and to the right directly on top of the pool, I started to notice my strike indicator bobbing ever so slightly. My first impression was that I was ticking the bottom, which is good as the nymph should be as deep as possible. But then on one of my last casts at that pool I waited for the ever so slight bob of the indicator and gave a quick, light jerk to the rod. My face lit up as I felt that familiar wiggle of the fishing rod -- I had a fish!
It was pretty light -- the rod was only slightly bent -- but it was something. As I began stripping the line back in to land it, another familiar feeling traveled from the rod tip to my hand. The gentle back snap of the rod.....I lost it! I could not believe it. With all of the work, reading, and fishing I finally snagged one and it got away.
I do not have a picture, only a memory. A "Fish Story" as my grandpa would always tell me when I told him of my past fishing with no given proof.