Lately I've been wondering if anything I have to say about fishing the Fox has any real substance. I get out, but not much. Usually a weekend at sunrise. All week practically every day I check the river. I live a few hundred yards away, a two minute walk, plus I drive along it daily. I am very aware of it's condition.
So I wonder if past experience counts. I've seen the river in every possible configuration I can imagine. From floods that are down right scary, to the driest the river has been. . . ever.
So does postulating on current fishing success based on past experience have any real merit?
Don't know.
I do know when I will or will not bother fishing. And I won't bother fishing based on past experience if that's all the info I have.
I do know that these down pours we've been having makes the river spike upward sharply and turns it to mud.
I do know that means I shouldn't have bothered fishing the river for the first 24 hours after the rain stopped.
I do know that the river will remain muddy and maybe running fast for a few days.
I do know that means tough fishing unless you get into one of those lucky spots.
I do know that the creeks that feed the river will come down and clear faster.
I know that at 1600 cubic feet per second, which was the flow this past weekend, I can wade quite a few places, but I also know that at some point I will find myself in water up to my nipples getting pushed hard down stream while saying oh shit, oh shit, oh shit over and over again.
SO over this past weekend I went wandering along the river with my oldest daughter, the fishergirl of the two. We went exploring the places along the river where as far as we know, no one goes.
We were standing on the shore looking across the river. No other foot prints around, like usual.
We watched a canoe floating down river.
"No one fishes here do they," she commented.
"Doubt it. Most fisherman won't do that hike. They'd start whining about how heavy their lawn chair is getting."
She laughed. She's easily humored.
"The water looks fast," she said. More question than comment.
"Twice normal, but even now I can probably get across the river. It will just suck a little in the middle of that fast stuff."
"Can I come back and fish it when it's normal," more comment than question this time.
"Of course. We'll stop for lunch in that duck blind."
"Cool," she said.
She's graduating from high school this coming weekend. Divorce and her need to be with friends has kept us from spending a lot of time together the last couple of years. In August, college begins at U. of I. I think she wants to squeeze in some time on the water with dad.
It will be nice to explore some new water with her.
SO, rain the next few days is going to kick the river up to fast and muddy conditions, again.
Based on experience, I think high, fast and muddy fishing techniques will work best for awhile yet.
Based on experience, I think I'm going to find something else to do other than fish.