Tax Break

With a pot of coffee close at hand, I decided this morning to start digging into my 2010 taxes. Not the brightest idea in the world for a Monday morning, but what the heck, they have to be done sometime. After a few hours of gathering all my papers and pondering over why I don't just hire a good tax accountant, I shut the computer down and headed out to the river. The Fox was looking as beautiful as ever, with the bright blue sky and golden sun above, the river bottom shown right through the crystal clear water below.

Fox River, South Elgin, IL

I walked along the banks enjoying the warm weather and fresh air, while looking for a few deeper pools to cast a float-n-fly and entice a smallmouth bass or two into an early season tussle. On this day however, the water was quite shallow and so clear that any fish who dared to be in this area would have been an easy meal for Mr. Hawk as he circled above the river.

For the next couple hours I made a fairly good attempt at fishing, while spending a great deal of time studying the river bottom and it's newly formed structure. Fallen trees from the blizzard of 2011 have strategically landed in some superb locations and I can't wait for the river to rise and create some new homes for Mr. and Mrs. Smallie.

When I first moved to the area in 1994 this creek to the right would flow so hard that it would create a deep pool. Over the last few years the creek flow has been reduced to a trickle and has filled in. No more walleye or smallmouth in this spot!   

       
I like to search the river this time of year for key structure such as riffles, pools, boulders, logs, etc. to familiarize myself where the good locations will be, once the river returns to it's normal stages. Taking a stroll over the South Elgin bridge I could see the base of the bridge pilings and the rocks below. When the spring rains hit and the water clouds up and becomes murky I will have a visual of the hot spots to target for bass, walleye, crappie, pike and muskie. It's a good tip, and I highly recommend you do the same on your local river. The added knowledge you gain at low water stages can be very beneficial later on in the season.

These boulders always hold a fish after a few good spring rains!

Well, I made it back home with no fish, completed the taxes, and gained a better understanding of what lies ahead on my next wading trip in the Fox River! Thanks, as always, for taking a little time to come fishing with us at Cappy's Pond.