The desert is getting ready to burst forth in colorful blooms any time now and a little extra rain from the three fronts heading our way might turn the lowlands a lush Irish green well before St. Patty’s day!

Last weekend, my family explored the desert and foothills surrounding Phoenix to discover that most desert washes and perennial streams had sweet clear water running, stock tanks were brimming full, and there were deep carpets of thick, lush green grass growing in the bottoms to accompany a nice green buzz on the uplands.

It looks like spring already. Keep in mind that we are gaining almost two minutes of daylight per day (the Vernal equinox is March 20). It’ll only get better.

I talked to a couple of ranchers who said they have springs flowing this year that haven’t seen much in the way of flows since the early 1990s. Things are looking up.

With back-to-back years of near record winter rainfall, anglers and hunters can expect to reap a windfall this year. The timing couldn’t’ be better.

The record rainfall and runoff of 2005 produced a strong age class of sport-fish in our central lakes, and if you count on your fingers (like me), that was four years ago. You can expect lots of 4- to 6-pound bass at places like Roosevelt, Bartlett, Alamo, and Pleasant, but it will be tough getting your lures past the vast legions of yearling bass.

Also, we have very good numbers of Gambel’s quail on the ground this year, so we might just experience a bumper crop of quail if we get a couple of more strategically timed rains and no surprise cold storms right after the prime hatching time. The Tonto Basin (a Gambel’s stronghold this year) received almost six inches of precipitation in December.

Keep your fingers (or shotguns) crossed. I can just about guarantee a bunny bonanza — again. By the way, rabbit green chili can make you re-evaluate any preconceptions about wild game fare. Plus, you can hunt lagomorphs all year long. Just ask any of the kids from the Junior Jack Kamp in southern Arizona recently (see picture on the left courtesy Jim Heffelfinger).

Okay, so much for the future.

With rain/snow expected this weekend, it’s time to exercise your trout fishing gear. The Lower Salt should be almost irresistible. Tempe Town Lake should be superb for trout, and probably not bad for largemouth bass or yellow bass. A place I love on rainy days is Oak Creek Canyon. The rains keep the tourists in their cars, and watery rivulets and waterfalls coursing over the red sandstone can create excellent photographs.

For those not afraid of heights, narrow roads, and steep drop offs, a drive up the Apache trail to fish Apache Lake might be worthwhile if we get good runoff and Fish Creek Falls gets going at the bottom of Fish Creek Hill.

Keep in mind that the National Weather Service is expecting a very cold front early next week with the possibility of snow levels dropping to around 3,000 feet in some areas, so plan your trips accordingly.

Also, I suspect that the forecasted rains will cause the Agua Fria River to flow into Lake Pleasant. If so, we can expect vast legions of staging striped bass to gravitate into the those flows. I have had some anglers say they have caught stripers with maturing eggs sacs already. Remember, the gate to Pleasant is still closed to vehicular traffic off Table Mesa Road, but you can park and hike into this great spring fishing area.

A great place to fish via boat when rains visit is Canyon Lake. A decent rain can prompt a waterfalls galore along this narrow cliff-sided reservoir. Bring rain gear and your camera. By the way, we stock Canyon with trout this time of year and it is also the land of the lunker bass.

Another rainy weekend special is fishing Roosevelt for smallmouth bass. Try along rocky islands or the rocky areas near the dam.

Farther south, I have had some nice rainy day fishing expeditions to Parker Canyon Lake. Patagonia Lake might be worth a try, and if it’s too wet to fish, stop by the local wineries for satisfying samples from the vine.

Once the three back-to-back fronts pass, expect the warmwater fish to get a little lock jaw for a day or possibly two, and then places like Alamo Lake, Roosevelt and Bartlett could fire up big time for bass and crappie.

By the way, this coming week the National Muzzleloader shoot will begin at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility (Feb. 11-15). There will be folks in coonskin caps shooting Kentucky Rifles, and even some living in Teepees – it’s way cool. Kids love it (or folks like me with an active inner child). They will also have plenty of vendors on hand so you can outfit yourself. I’ve always wanted a buckskin coat with fringe.

So get out and catch some memories. Maybe I’ll see you out there.