Ice Up

[Ernest]

Joe,

Here in the Upper Midwest the small stream trout fishing is over for the year, but we have plenty to keep us busy. There are small trout ponds and lakes that I will be fishing into November. Many of my friends are hunting woodcock, grouse and pheasants in the fall, and getting ready for the deer season. I'll be tying flies again this winter, especially some new patterns using the shed feathers of our own chickens. I don't know if I'll make a rod this year, but last winter I carved a fly rod out of an old hockey stick.

We live on a small hobby farm. I have small carpentry projects waiting, and fences to attend to. When I get a couple of hours, I'll work with the horses to get them ready for the winter sleigh season. I'm hoping for snow this year (we didn't get much last winter) so I can get back into cross-country skiing.

I'll be reading everything I can find about small stream trout fishing, writing articles for a local newspaper, and working on a short story collection.

I have a long commute to a day job in the city. In a few years I'll retire and I hope to then have the time to do what I want to do in the off season. I'm a small stream trout fisherman first, but it's good to diversify, and I don't grieve the end of another good fishing year.

[Lotech Joe]

Well, I put the batteries into cold weather storage today. It's kind of sad to realize that our lowland lakes season is closed for another 6 months. We didn't get any, but we expected to see some snow last night. Hopefully we'll get a more realistic winter this year and next year's lake levels will be healthier. Got lots of flies and jigs to tie this winter.