 |
| January Rainbow in Rapid City |
As I pulled into the EMPTY parking lot of Meadowbrook Golf Course in Rapid City, SD last January, I thought to myself, "This is too good to be true." I was met by the warm embrace of the sun as I left my pickup. A beautiful 45 degree morning in the banana belt of the Black Hills, and I'll be fishing alone. I'd never fished the golf course, but had heard of the nice trout that call it home.
I began wandering about the cart path, checking the water as I walked. Not in any hurry to wet a line, I was actually considering an imaginary approach shot as I came upon a covered green. Then, I saw it. It was beautiful. Some fast water feeding around a bend into a deep holding area. The perfect place for winter-time trout in Rapid Creek.
If you haven't fished golf courses in the winter time, you are missing out. Where else can you find nearly unspookable, unpressured and uneducated (well, relatively uneducated) trout? These fish see people all summer long, many of whom are fishing their golf balls out of Mr. Trout's back yard, and few see flies throughout the "regular season". I'm sure there are some brave fisherman who venture out during the summer months, but very few are interested in messing with a golfers game when there are plenty of other great places to fish within city limits. It's important to understand the rules on your local course, and make sure fishing is permitted on the premises. The clubhouse manager might even have a few water hazards that hold warm-water species as well. Next time you see that big rainbow feeding next to the #4 green on your home course, pay him a visit in the winter. You'll likely be the only one knocking on his door.
No comments:
Post a Comment