After floating the Fox on Tuesday...was disgusted with the color and lack of visibility...read some old reports and needed to find some cleaner water. Drove to the Apple River and arrived around noon. Hit the Boy Scout Camp bridge above Woodbine. thanks Ken for the suggestion...albeit years ago. No foot prints...almost 90 degrees...but CLEAN CLEAR water.

Headed downstream as the boy Scout Camp is upstream. Had success from the get go. Threw a Murdich Minnow streamer on my 5 wt fly rod and found maybe 20 fish in about 3 hours. 3 were in the 16 inch range and the rest were a variety of sizes. Just being able to see the take made it a glorious outing! Most were on the far wall in the deeper parts of the runs. Had some other follows that didn't eat...but seeing them sneak up behind was great fun for me.

I did catch 2 on a yellow Boogle popper...but the Murdich was working so well I had to stay with it.

It was 108 miles from my home in St Charles...and worth every minute of driving. I have some good friends that just bought a home in Galena and maybe if I play my cards right I can do an overnight that would allow me 2 days of fishing for the long drive. Yet, I used to drive 2 hours often in Montana to find the best water.

Thanks again for the posts that got me fired up enough to explore a bit further away from the Fox.

I did continue to expand my horizons and traveled to Morris this morning to fish the Mazon...was very dirty and unfishable.
Do we know anyone down there that I might contact to see the water conditions before I drive down there again. At least I know where to go now...

I've never seen the Mazon high and muddy, must be some remnants of last weeks rain.

I usually fish right downstream from the Rainbow Council BSA camp. Summertime can be great on the Mazon with the few deep pools holding many different species of fish in abundance.

Check this link to the Mazon gauge before you decide to venture out next time and try to fish the river when it's closer to it's median flow: viewtopic.php?f=43&t=729

Some of the best river fishing days I've ever had were at low flow dead of summer.

John, I used to read the reports by fly fishermen that always wondered why they couldn't produce numbers of fish like spin gear anglers.

So I took my fly rod out to the Apple and fished where you were. Caught 35 smallies and lost a bunch more. I have no clue what there problems are.

Sounds like you did well. I love that area and that river. I think I've waded around 5 miles of it, more or less. Had my first 100 smallie day there years ago. Floods have channeled out a few sections since then. Was there last year and I was surprised at how different some sections were and a lot of the fish were gone. Some spots I couldn't wade through any more.

Ken-

I fished the Apple yesterday in that crazy wind...had to use my spinning rod. Caught maybe the biggest smallie of my life. Caught plenty of fish. Lots of crap had blown into the river making it hard to get a good shot in many places. Just love the clear water.

I need to send you a message about the Mazon! Very dirty still...you got me fired up yesterday by talking about flows...very dirty still.

We need to fish soon...drift mabey lower Duper next week?

Headed to the KKK tomorrow to help a guide friend film...