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Fly Fishing Cuyuna Country
 Fly fishing lakes is popular for panfish, northern, bass and trout in the unique fisheries around Cuyuna Country. In the spring you can shorefish, boat, canoe, or use a "belly boat" for trout on the mine lakes (when they are up feeding shallow). This time of year the crappies and sunnies are also up in less than four feet of water awaiting a twitching popper, wet fly or minnow like streamer. Fly Fishing Rivers
Blackhoof Creek (Blackhoof Lake) offers area stream fishing for trout. The best stream in the area is Stoney Brook (Gull Lake).
Don't be surprised if a lunker largemouth explodes on your popper in the spring, summer or fall. There's lots of shallow lakes perfect for hunting old bucket-mouth with top water poppers and hair bugs.
The river fly fishing for smallmouth bass in the Mississippi is largely untouched. The upper Mississippi is considered the finest smallmouth fisheries in the entire United States. The fish in Cuyuna Country never see a fly, much less most other traditional tackle. Try a float trip on the "Ole Miss". We'll wager you'll be back for more soon. For more information on fly fishing for smallmouth check FlyBass.com.
Trout Fishing Cuyuna Country
In the spring and fall surface fly fishing can be excellent as the fish will move near the surface in search of bugs. One word of caution: These fish are tough! Use at least a four pound test tippet and usually six (4X-3X) especially for subsurface. Surface flies can be caddis imitations such as Beetles, Ants, Adams or Henryvilles in a size 12 or 14. These are stocked fish so they are not terribly selective. However, it is harder than it looks since you are throwing at rises and the fish are cruising.
On a calm day simply drift around throwing at rise forms. If surface flies don't work, strip hard and sink them or use a basic hackle wet fly. Then employ various speeds of retrieve until the fish tell you what they like. Keep the rod low, pointed directly at the fly. If you feel the line stop, strip again and you'll set the hook. A "strip set" is better since if the fish misses you can continue stripping. If you sweep set which is the natural reaction, you will pull the fly away and probably out of the water. You will then need to re-cast and the fish may well be gone.
Subsurface flies designed to swim are effective. Start with Hare's Ear nymphs and Soft Hackle Caddis in a #14 and #16. If these don't work, pull out some streamers such as Wholly Buggers or Deceivers in sizes 10 to 6. And always have some small Clouser minnows with you if you want to get deeper than ten feet quickly.
Fly fishing on mine lakes can be some of the very best found anywhere in the midwest. It is largely undiscovered here and awaits the adventurous, willing to experiment and explore. It is seasonal and dependant upon water temperature. A thermometer is extremely useful. As long as the surface water does not exceed 65 degrees, trout can be found in the top ten feet of the water column.
Location - Time of Year
Use this as a general rule for finding trout
Spring (Mine Lakes Open with the General Fishing Opener) - Fish can be very shallow, shore fishing is good and it's the best time for surface fly fishing and shallow running plugs. These patterns hold up into around the middle of June.
Summer - Fish move deeper, but stay above the thermocline which typically sets up at around 35 - 40 feet. Small downriggers work well trolling plugs or live bait rigs. Crawlers are great this time of year. Shore fishing opportunities decrease to only low light periods or cloudy days.
Fall - Typical turnover situation where fish can be anywhere. You can get them surface trolling, or still fishing them 70 feet down over 200 feet of water. Electronics are the key to summer and fall fishing.
The season closes for mine lake trout after Halloween each year.
Fly Fishing Gear
A "5 weight" fly rod with weight forward floating line (#5-6) will work well. Remember these lakes are generally protected on all sides by mounds of mining debris (now reforested) making them relatively calm in almost any ambient weather situation. The "pits" are great places to go when it's too windy to fish elsewhere. This also means shore fly fishing is difficult since the high slopes prohibit backcasting in many areas.
In early and late summer a fast sinking tip can employed to get at fish residing in depths of fifteen to thirty-five feet using a countdown method.
River Smallmouth Fly Fishing
Local fly fishing authority Brad Miller (FlyBass.com) believes the section of the Mississippi from Grand Rapids to Brainerd is one of the least fished, most promising bodies of water in the state.
"This beautiful water just doesn't get hit very hard. Most anglers on it are looking for walleyes. Smallmouth are plentiful and big and most never see a fly!", Miller said recently.
"The water has a brown hue to it, limiting visibilty and making for better day action", Miller continued.
"Common flies for smallmouth include hair and hard bodied poppers, streamers, and Clouser minnows. There is a late August to early September hatch of large white mayflies (ephemeron leukons) that is definitely worth checking out in the evenings.
Fly fishing for smallmouth here is as exciting as any found in the U.S. What's more, the fish are big and great fighters.
Just remember to bring your bug dope when here in the summer. During the day, the occassional hatch of deer or black flies requires preparation with DEET and other protective measures. Other species you will encounter when slinging feathers are northerns, largemouth bass, and even muskies.
Information provided by FlyBass.com
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