BIG BIRTHDAY BROWNS

Many have fished the Mother's Day Caddis hatch in the Minnesota Driftless but have you ever participated in the rare February 13th Birthday hatch? Well, that's precisely what I did yesterday! Once again, it was Midges being taken but the Browns were still readily taking my Elk Hair as long as I "skittered" them across the surface. Catching big Browns on the dry fly in the middle of winter - what an incredible Birthday gift from SE Minnesota! With temps in the 30's and 40's through the weekend (a slight dip on Friday) look for more of this action! Unlike in Spring, when hatches are plentiful, winter brings far less of this activity so when hungry trout feverishly feed at the surface, they seem far less discriminating. This  gives cold, wet and numb fingers a break by allowing one to tie on larger dry flies which takes a bit less dexterity :-) When the surface action waned, fish were picked up by nymphing (BH Pheasant Tail & BH Hare's Ear) and slowly stripping Woolly Bugger / Leech patterns. Stop by the shop in Preston, MN and re-stock those fly boxes and check out all the new Orvis gear.

Expo show schedule for The Driftless Fly Fishing Company:
BE SURE TO STOP BY OUR BOOTH

Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association (March 2nd and 3rd) - Bettendorf, IA
http://www.hawkeyeflyfishing.com/newspost/march-2-3-2018-hffa-annual-show/
Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo (March 16,17,18) St. Paul, MN
http://greatwatersflyexpo.com/

Brian Schumacher
If you're on Instagram be sure to follow the shop's page
@thedriftlessflyfishingco