Predicted Winners

Fishing doesn't begin till tomorrow, but having landed in the Black Hills and being settled in Deadwood, you can bet that I'm daydreaming about the next few days on the water.

 I really don't know whether I'll do any spin-fishing in trout waters. We may strictly fly-fish in the creeks. However, I brought along 20 Ugly Bugs, just in case. Of those I toted, the two pictured above are the ones I believe are the most likely to connect me with some pretty rainbows and browns. Both are tied on 1/32 ounce heads. The one the left is just black craft hair with a bit of Flashabou. The other has a marabou tail and a peacock body. Like a Woolly Bugger, both are designed to look a little like a lot of things trout eat.

Last I knew, tomorrow looked like the most likely stream day and might include time fishing within Spearfish Canyon, which looks absolutely spectacular.  The next day, we're supposed to fish Pactola Reservoir, where we'll use much bigger offerings for pike and lake trout. Other days are more up in the air and may include casting to shallow trout or bluegills, fishing for walleyes or various other things. The variety of offerings around here is astounding, so stay tuned!