Jackson: A watery day to remember in the woods

It was a day to behold, an almost clear-blue sky and a decent October temperature. Toss in a few splashes of orange and red and once again the palette of autumnal life was laid out before me.

I decided I was not going to waste the free time, so I grabbed a medium-light, Grandt spinning rod and reel, my new Orvis zipper-front chest waders, wading boots, a wading staff and a small box of Mini-Mite jigs and two light surface poppers.

Bristol, Wisconsin, is just a whisper over the northern Illinois state line. Over the past three years I've managed to “stumble” upon several cold-water creeks in the area that hold a variety of different species of fish.

I parked my truck on a gravel side road a few yards away from the stream and slipped onto my gear, and then over the bank.

There was a slight current edging its way past my legs. A redtail hawk watched me hook my small landing net to the backside of my waders as I inched my way upstream.

Fortunately for me I was able to immerse myself in the streamside aromas. The fragrances of grass fields and trees mixed in with an earthiness that had escaped my sharp senses on my last visit to this tranquil spot were now evident as I inhaled the gifts.

A half-dozen casts to the opposite side of the stream and a deeper hole brought me a goose egg of action. So I kept slowly walking upstream, all the while probing the sand and mud bottom with my staff.

I finally saw a rise, an indication of something feeding on something else topside.

I retied my line so I could flip a surface lure to where I assumed a fish was eyeballing an afternoon meal.

I made another half-dozen casts without any takers.

The next cast sailed a good 30 feet beyond the original rise. I created a huge amount of surface noise with the plug, and as it glided past the original spot a fish charged the surface and grabbed part of the lure's back end.

I won't bore you with details because it was just a big shiner with a big appetite.

I kept moving upstream while the sun warmed the water and my hands and neck.

The next cast brought a channel catfish out of hiding and to my net.

Channel cats and shiners kept me busy for slightly more than an hour. This action was a wonderful treat because it came as the result of my previous wading excursions with both a fly and spinning rod.

I did my due diligence, gently removing myself from the clear water and walking back to the truck, where I changed back into my short boots and light jacket.

My last stop was the Fox River just a stone's throw north of Highway 50.

Once again I dressed in my “battle garb” and slowly found firm ground, which allowed me to enter a shallow section of the river.

I wish I could report success with this venture, but, alas, all I had were three strikes and no glory.

The real story on this day was about the sun, the colorful trees and the solitude of another solo shot at stream exploration while wading without expectation.

Fishing report:

Area fishing results have been nothing less than spectacular.

Fox River smallies greatly improved near Batavia. Try the night bite for walleyes on the Kankakee near the main dam.

There's fantastic crappie fishing on the Chain, including Pistakee and Fox Lakes.

There are quite a few fresh fish (salmon) being taken close to the end of the Government Pier in Waukegan.

Banana Lake in the Lake County Forest Preserve near Wauconda has some excellent bluegill action.

Fly guys:

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Mayslake Peabody Estate at 1717 W. 31st St. in Oak Brook is hosting the fourth annual Early Show, Chicagoland's only fly-fishing only exhibition, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 9.

• Contact Mike Jackson at angler88@comcast.net, catch his radio show 7-9 a.m. Sundays on WGCO 1590-AM and get more content at www.mikejacksonoutdoors.com.