Woodcock, rainbows and browns

I returned to my friend's farm, where they grow native plants and we'd helped with their spring prairie burn.

The fields were now green, the lupines in bloom.

While walking through the fields, a woodcock flushed  right under my feet and I almost stepped on it's nest.

On their suggestion, I  tried one the lower sections of one of my favorite creeks in the area and a tributary of  of the creek. I didn't get far however, as the water was brown, banks steep with near quicksand in some areas and almost impenetrable vegetation on either side. I moved higher up the creek to a section I hadn't fished for a while, where the water was clear and banks manageable. 

A good afternoon, I run into a bunch of small rainbows and browns. But the little ones always seem to hit before the big ones, dark shadows following behind.  All the larger fish were all browns,no dropback rainbows to be seen I guess they are all back in the lake. The biggest fish of the afternoon was a brown ~ 40 cm, pictured just before it swam away.

Small stream - high noon browns

I avoid opening week and this year with house renovations, work and visitations, it was well into May before  I made it to my local stream. Beautiful day, too bright and hot for browns but I head out anyway. I head out and walk down to the stream, as feared water levels are low and clear. Sigh but it is a nice day. and it's always interesting to come back to a favorite stream after the winter and see how the stream has changed. Are the old holes still there, are there new ones?

Overall, the stream  looks pretty good. I see several fish, including some decent fish, one might even be a rare big brook trout, the follow my lure but no takes. Higher upstream, I switch to smaller lures and darker colors including spinners with black blades or bodies and get a few takes. Then and a decent brown darts from under submerged wood and takes my spinner. And so it goes a good day, several good fish on very briefly, lots more seen and a lot of smaller trout kamikaze darting out of nowhere to test my lures. Small spinners (0 & 1) and spoons (1/8 - 1/4 oz) are the ticket.

I keep the first good brown and a small fish hooked in the gills, keep hoping for another good fish to round out the meal, but such is not to be.

All in all a good afternoon, always nice when the home stream has fish. Only downside is I slip while wading over brush and tear my year old Gortex waders. But it looks like there are reasonable repair kits avaiilable, so it won't be a total loss.