There are some instances where the word “long” is a good
adjective to place in front of a noun. A long vacation immediately comes to
mind as does a long (healthy) life. All fly anglers appreciate a long, drag-free
drift especially if it results in a grab from a willing fish. However, put the
word long in front of the word winter and you may need to add other, socially
unacceptable adjectives to endure it. That’s the kind of winter we have had. Fortunately
this weekend offered a glimmer of hope that it may end and, as a result, I did
a bit of scouting in preparation for warmer days.
I began my weekend with a stop at my fish camp where I
managed to open up cabins and rake snow from roofs. Then it was off to the
water. First off, let me say that a pair of snowshoes is mandatory. Wading
through three feet of snow is not my idea of a good time and, even with
snowshoes, the task gave me quite an aerobic workout. Streams are just
beginning to open up in the western U.P. and it wasn’t easy to find fishable
water. With water temperatures in the middle 30s, it was even harder to find active
fish.
That being said, it appears we will have to wait a bit
longer for the trout season to get into full swing. Like last year, the snow pack
remains significant. That bodes well for the summer, but certainly will limit
fishing opportunities until we see an extended period of above freezing temperatures
both during the day and at night. I just hope we don’t have to wait a long (@#&$) time
for that to happen.
