Casting, tying and flying in Iowa waters

11/4/2026

Plenty of fishing can be done in the Des Moines area. Massive catfish populate the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, making for gaudy catches. Lakes and ponds are strewn about, ready to be cast into. Most people think of a standard way of fishing, but there is a community of fly fishers in Iowa who truly enjoy the lesser-practiced technique.

To gain perspective and insight on the hobby, we spoke with the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association president, Kirk Rosenow. Rosenow is usually resigned to a desk working in IT, but when he’s not, he gets into the water and catches fish.

“I love it, but it’s kind of the complete opposite of being outside and fishing. I’m indoors all the time by a computer. For me, fly fishing’s always been a great stress reliever, and it’s always been just a way for me to escape and find not only enjoyment but just relax,” Rosenow said.

Being able to get outdoors for a sport and hobby that, outside of the base equipment and fishing license, is largely free does serve as a great stress reliever.

“I’ll tell you, trout do not live in ugly places. I was just up in northeast Iowa fishing, and there’s some places so beautiful that you don’t really care if you’re not catching a lot of times,” Rosenow said.

He got his start fishing at a young age. 

“My grandma started taking me when I was 4 or 5. It was a cane pole, maybe bullheads, bluegill, and I loved it. Fly fishing, I picked up when I was around 20. Like most people, you get better as you get more time in the sport. But it was just a different way to fish, and I enjoyed it,” Rosenow said.

Fishing and fly fishing, while sharing the same goal, get to that point in different ways. Rosenow encourages and enjoys both, but the intricacies surrounding the sport keep him more engaged.

“There’s something special about tying a fly and catching a fish on it — there’s an art form to tying flies,” he said. “I will put it that way. Fly fishing tends to be a good way to do a very delicate presentation.” 

He says fish in the area have likely seen a lot of the same lines and might be more likely to bite on a fly fishing line.

“A lot of the bass and bluegill in the metro have probably seen some big plastic worms, a lot of heavy lures. A lot of them probably haven’t seen a delicate fly being presented. So it’s just a different way, another way, to fish. You can be more subtle, and you can be more creative in some cases doing fly fishing,” Rosenow said.

Rosenow likes to fish regardless of the time of year or the weather, and even, at times, prefers the fall weather we’re currently experiencing.

“Northeast Iowa trout streams are open year-round. If I can get away, I love fishing a good 40- to 50-degree day. No bugs. No poison ivy. I do ice fish, too. It’s really whenever I can get out,” Rosenow said.

He said the northeast Iowa region is his favorite. 

“That Driftless region would be my first choice. But you can’t always drive three and a half, four hours. There are a lot of ponds in the metro that I love to get out on. I would say ponds in the metro are second. Outside of Iowa, you have the proverbial West. Colorado’s fun. Wyoming. Yellowstone. Grand Teton. Black Hills. I love the Black Hills, just beautiful areas,” Rosenow said.

Some of his favorite memories fishing don’t even include catching a particularly rare or big fish.

“Being out with my son, he was working on his fly fishing merit badge, and he and my wife and I, we hiked up to Alpine Lake, and his first fish on a fly rod was a native cutthroat trout. To me, that was a special experience. I’ve caught big fish, but a lot of times, it’s more about the location, too,” Rosenow said.

As mentioned, Rosenow is the president of the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association. The HFFA was founded in 1975 and is having its 51st annual fly fishing show, which Rosenow is also the show presenter for. 

“It’s not because I’m the best flycaster or the best tyer or the best fisherman. It’s because I just love it. We all kind of take our turns because we do a lot of good work. It’s a lot of work I’ve enjoyed,” Rosenow said.

The association meets monthly in various areas across the state with one in central Iowa, one in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Dubuque and the Quad Cities. Presenters teach about catching different types of fish or help members tie flies.

“Our two main missions are education and outreach. We want to see more people fly fishing. The second mission is conservation work. We do a lot of work with different partners for fishing access and for conservation. This year, I think we donated $10,000 to a project up at Spring Branch by Manchester,” Rosenow said.

Few hobbies exist that have as much open access, different avenues to try and things to learn as fishing. Rosenow likens it to golf.

“You can always get better, and you can make it your own. If you want to get better at something, you can really deep dive into fly tying, or you can just focus on fly fishing. Over time, you can see your progress. I enjoy a hobby the more years I put into it. It’s a great excuse to get out in nature,” Rosenow said. ♦

Cyote Williams was born and raised on the south side of Des Moines and writes about entertainment, sports and personalties across the Des Moines metro for CITYVIEW. Phone: 515-953-4822 x333.