trout fishing in janaury feels like march

i got out today cause it was really nice and the dane county trout ponds and lakes season opened January 1,
and i had a pond in mind that i thought wouldn't be iced over yet do to the spring creek tributary that feeds it.
i was pleasantly surprised when i got there to see there was absolutely no ice on the pond!
i started off swinging a leach pattern where the trib stream flows into the pond and had one very short subtle take. then i decided to use my brain a little and take the water temperature, it was 48 degrees! i was expecting it to be way colder like 38 or 40! so i switched to an indicator nymph rig, i used a small egg fly as the head fly and i size 18 pheasant tail for the dropper, didnt pick up anything on that.
and about twenty minutes after i switched to the nymph rig midges started hatching, about size 24, so i stopped fishing and started exploring the stream so i know where to look when the stream season opens in march, and i saw about twelve fish in three good looking holes, and a couple more good looking holes where i didnt see any fish, so i cant wait to fish that! it looks pretty good. then i decided to head out, and on the walk back to the car i saw some size 14-16 tan caddis resting along the bank! probably hatched that morning! those shouldnt be hatching for at least another 2 months right?! crazy, anyway, if id known that i probably would have been fishing soft hackles, but i still had a good time in the nice weather, it felt like late march!

selecting a fly

All in all it was a fun little trip.