Smallmouth on Stony!

After experiencing the joy of taking brown trout on the Kinni I took my fly rod up to Northern Minnesota to Stony Lake. Growing up, Stony Lake was always full of largemouth bass but I had never caught, or even seen a smallmouth out of that lake. Apparently things have changed. My first evening there, while fishing from shore, I took this 14 inch bronzeback on a rubber legged fly off the surface! It was a great fish... unfortunately it was the only smallie I took on the fly this trip.

 

My first smallie on a fly.

Later, my sister Leah solidified the fact that there was a solid smallmouth population blooming in Stony Lake when this monster slammed her mimic minnow (unfortunately not on a fly rod). Turns out that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has basically determined the smallmouth in Stony to be an invasive species and anglers claim that they are decimating the walleye population. I just think they're fun!

Turned out to be a great trip up north and it was the last time I would use my fly rod before arriving in Loveland, Colorado and taking to the Big Thompson River for the first time.