Fall Is In The Air

Holy Cow! Can you believe it…autumn has arrived. Seems like just yesterday I was sitting in my float tube in a cold spring rain and now my very favorite part of the year is here. Fall is such a fun time of the year for most…but certainly for us outdoor folks.

The autumn equinox will occur on Wednesday, September 23^rd at 4:21am (ET). Twelve hours of light and another equal 12 hours of darkness as the sun crosses over the celestial equator from north to south. All I know is that we are inching closer and closer to the shortest day of the year which will happen on or around December 23^rd; less light with each passing day.

“Just after the death of the flowers, And before they are buried in snow, There comes a festival season, When nature is all aglow-Aglow with a mystical splendor that rivals the brightness of spring, Aglow with a beauty more tender than aught which fair summer could bring”…Indian Summer, a poem by Emeline B. Smith.
We are spoiled here in Indiana to be covered in deciduous forests that will soon start to explode with a myriad of colors that truly you can only ‘get’ while walking or frolicking within them. Whether it be a southern Indiana festival, a walk among the thousands in Brown County or just sitting on your front porch on one of those perfect days watching the leaves flutter down…we are truly fortunate to have Indiana in our backyards.

If you are a deer hunter then you know that bow season is just around the corner and I can only guess that you have been preparing for that crisp, opening morning since…probably the last morning you climbed into your tree stand. While I am not a deer hunter I can completely get the excitement in harvesting a deer whether it be with a bow or gun. For me October means bird season isn’t too far behind. Oddly enough when the weather starts to chill my bird dogs also know that our hunting trips can’t be too far behind. I try not to make the mistake of opening one of the hatches on my dog trailer…for if I do-all heck breaks loose and they think they are on their way out west!

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower”, a quote from Albert Camus. I couldn’t agree more and frankly I’ve had a love for Maple leaves since I was a kid; the multitude of colors that claims their pallet is almost more than I can handle. Once again we are lucky that one of the best places to experience the fall colors is here in our backyard; McCormick’s Creek is a destination for many from all over the country. I love trail 3. Park at the Inn and walk north across the blacktop road and you’ll find the trailhead for trail 3. It is a short walk to the edge of the rim and at that point you can choose to walk down the stairs to the stream itself or even have a seat and take in the views below. If you do choose to walk down then go ahead and wear good shoes and turn east (right) at the stream and follow it a half mile or so upstream whereby you can grab another part of the same trailhead, it will then return you to the top via stairs. A few more yards east and you will run into the falls which is always a gorgeous place to be.
If hiking isn’t your cup of tea…then may I suggests that you take the short drive east on 46 to Brown County State Park. Obviously while there you are immersed in southern Indiana, fall and colors galore. One of my favorite meals is at the Abe Martin Lodge. In fact you can ask to be seated in the rear of the restaurant and have a beautiful, bird’s eye view of the foliage.

Honestly when it’s right there is hardly a bad spot to be during autumn here in southern Indiana. Fall fishing will also soon ramp up as the water in the lakes start to cool and once again ‘turn-over’ (the cool water moves back towards the top). Big bass will soon start to put on the feed bag for winter and through the years I have had some of my very best days in late October and early November. This is the time of the year when I once again fly fish in the top couple of feet or even on top. If you’ve never tried top water action then give it a try as the takes can be quite explosive.

If you can be in the right place at the right time…you can even find the big wipers and stripers bashing shad at Lake Monroe. This is absolutely a complete blast if you can time it correctly. I have had a couple good days and there is nothing like the action and the beauty of the water and fall foliage.

Regardless of your desire or pursuit we are blessed here in Indiana. Make your plans now and you won’t be sorry as we all Enjoy the Great Outdoors.