My Biggest Trout and a Motel in Dorchester, IA

A couple of weekends ago, Zach and I left town for a long weekend in the woods. The deep woods is accurate. Okay, the deep woods and the stream. 

Gosh, it was a lovely and satisfying weekend! In the past, we have spent 1- 1 1/2 days fishing in the Driftless region. 

And we have spent a portion of it setting up camp, and cooking food from scratch. Which is part of the experience! 

But, this trip was soooooo relaxing! We stayed at a little motel that sleeps anglers and hunters due to its secluded location. 
Let me run through the highlights of this extended adventure.

This was our morning view- we were the very very last to leave in the mornings. All of our neighbors were out catching morning turkey and deer. 

Coffee is important. 

We drank Sudden coffee in Scotland (thanks to Logan!) and it was perfecttttt for this trip! Or for a camping trip. 

Biodegradable tubes and not terrible instant coffee is a- okay with me! 

We visited the office every morning to pet the dog and get the lay of the land. There are miles of streams within minutes from the motel. 

We spent a bit of time packing the essentials. So many kabobs and things to take with you when you are stranded in the middle of water and have a duty to perform.

We parked and then hiked a bit. Some patches of land= winter, other patches=sweaty summer. Sooooo, the layers are important here. 

And between hikes, we scout. 

Rule of thumb, if there doesn't look to be any fish in that water, they probably aren't there. Don't waste your time. 

And when we did find a spot with some fish, we casted. 

Cast. Catch. Say "I love you" to each one very quickly as to not tire them out. Release gently into the stream. 

Oh, also naps and lunch by the stream are very important. 

Okay back to the stream. More casting, catching, loving and releasing. 

Eyes are closed because I was in disbelief that I was holding the biggest trout I have ever seen in Iowa waters. 

I truly loved him. He put up a good long fight. And I held him dear (momentarily).

Zach caught a ton of rainbow and brown! He just has the lightest accurate cast and fish go crazy over him.

Look how beautiful they are! This is a cute brown trout.

Sometimes you're holding trout, sometimes you're holding whiskey. 

We spent so much time in some of the most beautiful places I have seen in the world. They are totally amazing and calming and mysterious. 

And after we were exahsted, we would come back home, hang things up and find dinner.

We spent one evening in Decorah (always a treat).

BBQ for cozy dinner, stocked up on stream snacks from the Co-op and hit up Pulpit Rock for a beer and the new Topling Goliath tasting room for a growler - uh, so good.

Half the fun of being outside all day is eating and drinking the best of the best. Luckily, Decorah has all the best.

ANNNNDDD the other part of the fun is not having cell service or a tv. We played cards and read and listened to the radio the rest of the evening(s).

This was our very last moment fishing - finishing our IPA's and just laying by the stream in the evening. It was so quiet and the perfect end. Dorchester, you're cute! Well... the stream and this very old church are cute. 

I love enjoying all of the aspects of the weekend with the best friend a girl could ask for. He took all of the well done photos in this series. And he helps me get better at fishing. And he does absolutely nothing with me and loves it. 

This is a call, however, to all fly fisher women out there! Where are you?! I saw zero women fishing! 

-Emily