The Brule was low, clear, and about 38 degrees on opening weekend. The river ice was almost all the way down to the mouth, leaving a fair amount of shelf ice along the banks above. The crowds were out on Saturday in force, but I managed to find a few unoccupied runs, and landed a smallish buck on a Muddy Mari nymph. There was evidence of some spawning already. The snow in the woods was about a foot to 18" deep in the shady spots. Nice weather, it was great to get back out on the river after a long, cold winter.