Fall is Finally Here

The colors of fall are finally showing here in the Black Hills. I know they've been showing up elsewhere, but this year seemed to take a bit longer around here with the warmer start to the month.

The leaves on many trees are showing their hues of yellow, red and orange and it make a trip through the winding roads a sight to see. It also means that fall fishing patterns should be kicking in very soon.

I went out for a drive in the morning recently to look at a couple of small ponds, but I decided to take in the fall colors as I drove and do some short hikes to admire the scenery. While it's tough to beat a northern Minnesota fall (I've been up there the last couple of years) for sheer volume of colors, we do have some great colors mixed in the pine forests.

These short hikes gave me some great scenes and it was just great to breathe in some crisp air. While fishing is what I enjoy most in the outdoors, sometimes just getting out of your vehicle and taking a short walk can lead to some great moments as well.

So make sure you get out and enjoy the colors of fall, be it on the trail or on the water. The air feels cleaner, the scenery is hard to beat and the fishing will get better!

Plus, this time of year really gets you in a hunting mood too, though it is still a few weeks away yet for me. But I'll enjoy the colors while they're around and look forward to what they promise is to come!