This treasure in Rochester, Minn., is just being discovered
ROCHESTER, Minn. - When I lived in Minneapolis and someone mentioned they were going to Rochester in the southeast part of that state, I assumed they were going to the world famous Mayo Clinic.
I never dreamed there was territory here awash in beauty usually reserved for the remote Montana trout rivers.
Much of the outdoors community thinks the call of the loon and the aesthetics of the northern reaches of the Gopher State are where the action is.
But here, in the land of crystal-clear streams, limestone cliffs, towering bluffs and rolling countryside, an angler can wander for months and hardly ever scratch the surface of pure fishing pleasure and great food.
Trout Run is a wonderful spot, and it's just a stone's throw from Rochester itself. This magnificent stream is loaded with wild brown trout.
In fact, guide Dan Butterfass told Mike Seeling and me that Minnesota DNR biologists electro-shocked the stretch of water we were on and estimated the population of fish at well over 1,000 trout per mile. And that is a very conservative count.
I know, you're finding it difficult to swallow, but I swear to you, it's the absolute truth.
Equipped with a 5-weight fly rod, I made my first casts to a slack-water pool cloaked in mist and fog. On my third cast, a scrappy brown grabbed the bead-head nymph fly and valiantly tried to retreat behind some large rocks. The fish measured 12-inches, and I gently returned it to the stream and kept on casting.
To my right, Seeling was aiming his camera at Dan while he laid out the orange-color fly line. The contrast of the line against the ground fog conjured up thoughts of pictures from decades ago resembling famous Field and Stream moments.
I moved upstream , leaving Seeling and Butterfass to the task of finding more fish.
I scoped out some deeper holes and began my casting routine again. On the second attempt, I hooked a bigger brown and watched it zigzag across the stream to where two logs formed another eddy.
I applied as much tension on the line and leader as I could hoping the thread-like tippet wouldn't succumb to the stress of the contest.
Just as the fish came to the surface, it shook its head and jumped, and then saluted me with a flip of its tail. It was far larger than the 16-incher.
It was then I decided to sit on the bank with my feet and waders dangling in the water. I looked back at Dan and Mike and thought to myself that I could handle a steady diet of this wonderful area.
And then I heard Dan announce that it was lunchtime. Both companions landed small fish that were going to be part of our streamside meal.
"One biologist suggested to me that every once in awhile I keep a few small fish for a meal," Butterfass exclaimed while cleaning the trout.
Once that was done, Dan scanned the surface for wild watercress. Armed with the greens and trout, he then chopped some onions and stuffed the fish for the appetizer course before downing our tasty sandwiches.
The next day we drove a short distance to the Root River (not the one in Racine, Wis.), and slipped into this fish-laden aquarium.
"There are big smallmouth and brown trout inhabiting this stream," Dan declared.
Seeling stayed at the entry point while Butterfass and I inched our way over a very rocky bottom.
I tied on my old reliable, a No. 8, bead-head, mohair nymph, and made several casts to the edge of a fast run.
I was about to make another cast when I lifted the rod and felt a fish inhale the fly. Another wild brown trout accepted my offering, and I suddenly felt like a kid in a candy store. Dan and I caught several more fish from the Root as time raced by.
Seeling and I are going back to Rochester, since it's a fairly reasonable drive from the Northwest suburbs.
We'll go and fish some new stretches of these great streams. We'll sleep peacefully in any of the hotels in downtown Rochester, and we'll sup on great food and steaks in restaurants that are as good as any of our Chicago eateries.
And you are welcome to join me. Just drop me an e-mail.
angler88@comcast.net