Name: Mad Brown Trout
Difficulty: 2 (Hard not to fish on the way to the letterbox)
Near: Urbana, Champaign County, OH
Placed 28 December 2001 by
Flyfisher (geoflyfisher@yahoo.com)

There are only two rivers in Ohio that support trout populations.
The spring fed Mad River is one's choice in southern Ohio. The
section of the river you walk along for this letterbox is a very nice
trout environment. This is where I caught my first ever brown trout.

I have never been here when I did not see someone fishing. Today, it
was 20 degrees and snowing. There were 3 other cars in the lot. I
saw one other fisherman wading the stream, one other besides me!
Water temperature was in the mid 40s, and the waders kept me snug as
a bug in a rug.

Parking is on the Northwest side of the US 36 bridge across the Mad
River about 3 miles west of Urbana. Walk under the bridge and along
the path on the west side of the river. Keeping your eyes open, you
are very likely to see flyfisherfolk regardless of weather or
darkness. Walking down stream, south, about a half mile, you reach
an abandoned railroad bridge. Just before the bridge, several
improvements have been made in the stream to make it easier for the
river to support our local trout population.

Feel free to dip your line. Remember your fishing license (they
check) and the legal limits. Even better, just release the purty
lil' feller you catch and I'll catch him too.

Abandon the path under the bridge and work your way to the northwest
corner of the bridge. On the top of the stone headwall, under a
circular steel disk and 3 rocks, lies the maddest trout you will ever
see.