Thanks for the fine report. The trees continue to leaf out now. The water is warming and the fishing is even better.

I live near enough to make long day trips to the central Driftless. It's a special place. Some of the biggest fish (and they really are big) are in small streams that see very little fishing pressure, or even in streams that have yet to be designated as trout water.

I don't like to fish in a crowd, but a person can usually find water that is free of other fishermen. If there's a car at a bridge, there's another trout stream just over the hill.

Rather than make too many long day trips, I usually fish the northern Driftless, closer to the house and with excellent fishing, or I fish some freestone streams to the north. There it's not unusual to be the only one fishing a stream; the last boot tracks on the bank are mine, from ten days earlier.

Thanks again.