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Riffles are magic: ‘Choppy water’ is paramount to trout production

Here’s an example of riffles in a trout stream in southeastern Minnesota. Riffles are essential to the productivity of a trout stream. They provide oxygen, food, and habitat for spawning. (Photos courtesy of Minnesota Trout Unlimited)

The steep valley eventually led to a winding trail that subtly stair-cased down to a breathtakingly beautiful and utterly secluded section of trout stream in western Wisconsin.
This was the late 1990s, an era during which I knew next to nothing about fly fishing, let alone the anatomy of a trout stream. I could identify a pool, but beyond that, not much else. That “choppy water” … I had no idea what it was or why it was important.

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