After seeing the weather forecast for the weekend, I made time for a few casts on a nearby lake Friday night; things didn't look promising for the rest of the weekend. I started with a soft hackle and never changed for the 45 minutes or so I was there: it took a real mixed bag-a couple of nice largemouths, some crappies and a single small bluegill. A month from now, bass probably won't even look at such a small fly, but the water must still be pretty cold and they're lethargic-it's worked pretty well on them up until now. I didn't have time to get out on Saturday and I'm not sure how good it might have been anyway, in the mix of snow and cold rain.

Sunday I took a quick look at a place that usually produces some morels (but in the next 10 days or so; the last couple days of April are a little bit early). I got more than a dozen. Finding morels with snow on the ground is a first for me, but it has been that kind of year so far: a couple of weeks ago, I did my first-ever Spring turkey hunt in the snow. Spring hunts are usually more about avoiding biting insects and carrying enough water, not crunching in snow.