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Inside Outdoors Rainbows Waiting For Southern Indiana Trout Fanatics |
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Nobody
ever said southern Indiana is a trout fishing Mecca, and so far as I
know no native trout existed here, except maybe at the end of the last
glaciation, about 10,000 years ago, but if you have that salmonid itch
you can scratch it without driving north. Stream
fishing opened yesterday, the 26th and continues through
Dec. 31. Trout fishing in inland
lakes is open all year. The
Div. of Fish and Wildlife stocks several thousand rainbow trout every
spring, and this year’s dose is out there waiting for you in the following
area waters: *Jackson
Creek at Yellowwood State Forest, five miles west of Nashville; 700
fish stocked in the 1.2 miles of stream above Yellowwood Lake. Jackson
Creek offers the only stream fishing in the area, and it is usually
heavily fished on the first weekend.
Go during the week to avoid crowds.
*Airline
Pit in Greene Co. was stocked with 700 fish. This 24.4 acre pit is located
inside the Green-Sullivan State Forest, five miles south of Dugger on
St. Rd. 159. Airline Pit is
remote and not heavily fished, but having a successful trip is very
iffy. This is an exposed body of water where wind
will cause you lots of problems in a boat. *Little
George Pit in Clay Co. received 260 rainbow trout. It is a 2.4 acre pit within the Chinook State Fishing Area, located
2 miles south of Staunton. This
is another remote strip pit that experiences little fishing pressure. It is small and you might have a better chance
her than at Airline Pit. *Island
Lake in the Minnehaha State Fish and Wildlife Area received its usual
dose of 3,000 rainbow trout. This 48 acre pit is located just off Ind. 54
between Sullivan and Dugger. This
is best spot in our area. This
pit is deep and cool and some fish do survive from one year to the next,
so you might catch a larger rainbow.
I have seen lots of 12 to 14 inch trout come out of Island Lake.
Locals use corn and worms. I
have tried fly casting for them to no avail.
The
season opened yesterday, so there should still be plenty of fish for
you die-hard trout masters. Canned
corn and worms are the best bait, but you can catch them on flies in
Jackson Creek when they are in the mood.
Don’t bet on dry flies to do the job.
Bring some streamers and nymphs. MORELS
HAVE RISEN As
predicted here last Sunday, the spring rain arrived and the morels popped
up all over southern and central Indiana. “Just
wanted to share my mushroom story after reading your Easter Sunday column
about the same. I was with my father at his cabin on a small lake
in southeast Lawrence Co. I decided to try my luck in the woods
around the cabin, but, like those folks in your column, I
wasn't too optimistic because I had not heard of anyone finding many,”
said William Moore of Bedford. “One
area I looked around was a dead elm with lots of bark on the ground.
I left that spot with 26 yellow morels, 3 and 4 inches
tall. Wow, I thought, so I tried an old fence row where I had
found them before. I left the fence row with 31, all about the
size of the first group. I tried one more patch of woods I knew
and found five more. One was six inches tall (along with 6 turkey
feathers). All in all I thought I had a good day for about two
hours of work. The area I was in was still
moist from the mid week rain we had down here. Just thought I
would share my success. Looks like they are coming up. My
dad, wife and sister-in-law made quick work of the 'shrooms.” Although
some hunters reported finding lots of black and gray morels, there were
plenty of those prized yellow sponges collected last week. As long as the ground stays moist and warm, you can expect to find
morels for at least another week. If
it rains this week, be sure to check your favorite spots the next day. Remember, as the season progresses and ground
vegetation begins to sprout, it gets harder and harder to find morels.
You
can email Don Jordan by clicking the email link at http://realindy.com
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