I fly fished a stretch of Timber Coulee in the Driftless which had a cliff along the far shore. One spot featured this spring emerging from the cliff. You can see the water dripping into the stream in the photo below. 
I fly fished a stretch of Timber Coulee in the Driftless which had a cliff along the far shore. One spot featured this spring emerging from the cliff. You can see the water dripping into the stream in the photo below.
27th Street 
If you look at the cliff you will see that it appears to be formed from sort of layers of large rocks. Where the layers meet there will be horizontal narrow fissures. Some of these fissures will be big enough and deep enough that you can stick much of your arm into it but that isnt a very good plan and really you want to be careful climbing around those cliff formations. The reason is that Wisconsin is known for the timber rattlesnake which apparently just loves those fissures.
I didn’t see any snakes on my trip, not even the gentle ones
You know, your response to sledpress’s comment is terrific. A beautiful description.
thank you
Even if I’m a vegetarian and would always leave the fish in the water, I get the fascination of these amazing places. My god, look at the drowned world in the bottom fifth of that image.
Exactly. When I’m on a stream, it’s all about slowing down and seeing the mystery unfold. The way the stream braids its way along. The aquatic and terrestrial insects in all aspects of their life cycle. What exactly are the trout eating? Are they being selective or opportunistic. I can see insects are coming off the water long before I see them by watching the swallows swoop and grab the bug out of the air over the stream. The trout like edges. The edge of the undercut. The edge of the current. The edge of the shadow. The larger ones have the best spots, deep into cover, less exposed. If I catch a few trout, it’s really just an affirmation I was paying attention, that I understood what was going on in the whole crazy phenology. I stand in the river and wave my fly rod, trying to find the rhythm of the moment. That moment is magical for me.