I’m sure it’s no secret that I’m an avid trout fisherman, but it’s been a bit of a challenge for us trout enthusiasts so far this season. For example, one day last week, I managed to get a couple of hours in for trout on one of our local streams; the weather was great, and the stream was in good condition. Normally, the trout streams are getting a little too low this time of year, making fishing more difficult; however, plenty of rain has kept our water levels higher than usual.

I waded out into three feet of clear water and managed to pick up a couple of nice trout on dry flies in a relatively short time. Now that was great, but if I wanted to repeat that experience again this week at the same location, I likely wouldn’t even be able to park my truck that close to the creek, fearing it might take on water.

Needless to say, as I write this piece, some of our trout waters have left their banks and are now flowing over some roads and into yards.

Under more common or normal conditions, we trout fishermen would be dealing with water that was likely too low by this time, making fishing more difficult.

Normally, as we move into those late-summer days, the low, clear water makes wading out more difficult because the trout spook so easily. The warmer late-summer water also tends to reduce trout feeding activity, so I often opt to fish late in the day when things cool down.

Also, as we move into the later summer days, fishing with terrestrials like cricket, ant, beetle, and grasshopper imitations will often produce some pretty good action. With all this high, muddy water now roaring over the banks, I have to wonder if there will be any terrestrials left along our streams. While low, clear water conditions can make fishing for trout more difficult, the opposite — high, muddy, brown water — pretty much wipes out the chance of a successful day on the stream.

Dealing with water that’s too low, clear, and warm, or water that’s too high and muddy, can be a challenge. However, there’s another “high” that can make a fishing outing difficult. I’m talking about high wind conditions. I don’t like fishing in high, windy conditions for any kind of fish, not just trout fishing. Casting a dry fly with a fly rod can be next to impossible during windy conditions, but so is casting light spinning outfits or even bait casting rigs while fishing on a lake for bass or panfish. You can pretty much forget working any surface lures during high winds, and trying to keep a tight line to detect strikes and to control a lure is next to impossible when the wind puts a big bow in your line.

Alright, I’ll admit it; I would like to have some ideal conditions crop up for some good trout fishing and for a good day of bass fishing on a lake. Oh wait! If these conditions pop up, I can’t go fishing anyway; the grass is high and wet, and when things dry out, I’ll have to get the grass cut first. Obviously, I have to get my priorities straightened out.