Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited NONPROFIT ORG. 1423 Storytown Road U.S. POSTAGE News and Views from Wisconsin Trout Unlimited Oregon, WI 53575 PAID wicouncil.tu.org PERMIT NO. 1 MADISON, WI Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019

Banquet Time!: WITU’s most important fundraiser February 2 in Oshkosh Wisconsin TU members encouraged to attend and support the TU mission.

By Mike Kuhr, Council Vice-Chair there will be plenty of time to so- and 2019 Banquet Committee Chair cialize, visit the cash bar or simply peruse the bucket raffle and silent The 2019 Annual Meeting and auction prizes. Dinner seating will State Council Banquet on Saturday, begin at 6:30 p.m. After dinner we’ll February 2 is almost here. Please hold a live auction for several dif- save the date and plan to join us in ferent fishing trips with some of the Oshkosh. We will once again return top guides and destinations in the to the Best Western Waterfront Ho- state. We’ll also take time to recog- tel and Convention Center. nize some of the best conservation- This location has served us well ists around with a short awards in past years and we’re looking for- program. The evening will finish ward to coming back in February. A with the announcement of our si- limited block of rooms has been set lent auction and bucket raffle win- aside for both Friday and Saturday ners. nights. Call the hotel at 855-230- The Council would like to thank 1900 to make your room reserva- all of the chapters and individuals tions today. Tell them you’re in who donate prizes for the event. town for the Trout Unlimited Ban- Your generosity makes for a suc- quet. cessful banquet and an unforgetta- The Banquet is our Council’s ble evening for our guests. This year biggest fundraiser of the year. The we’ve assembled more than $15,000 Banquet’s success will allow the worth of prizes and we’re eager to Council to continue serving local give them away!

chapters, fund programs like the Chapter leaders should plan on Oberstadts The Youth Camp and Women’s Fly attending the State Council meet- Fishing Clinic, and help administer ing earlier in the day to discuss COUNCIL AWARDS AWAIT our Friends of Wisconsin and Wa- Council business. The meeting will tershed Access grant programs. start promptly at 9 a.m. and run un- Wisconsin TU will recognize a variety of deserving people and organizations at Tickets are $35 each (See ad on til 3 p.m. Please RSVP to Council the upcoming WITU Banquet Saturday, February 2 in Oshkosh. back page). You may also purchase Chair Linn Beck at chl- tickets online at http://witu.bpt.me. [email protected] if you plan to attend contact Heidi Oberstadt at hei- efforts of committee members Scott While we do plan for a few walk- the meeting so we can prepare for [email protected]. These Allen, Linn Beck, Todd Franklin, ups every year, ordering tickets in lunch. events are a great way to introduce Paul Kruse, Mike Kuhr and Heidi advance or making arrangements to The Council will also be spon- trout stream ecology and the im- Oberstadt. pay at the door and RSVP’ing to soring a Women’s Fly Fishing Clinic portance of TU’s conservation work We’re focused on planning a fun, [email protected] are highly for beginners during the day on Sat- to a new audience. entertaining and successful ban- encouraged. This event is open to urday, February 2. This free clinic Much planning has already tak- quet. We hope you’ll join us in Osh- the public so please consider bring- will run from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 en place and the Council is indebt- kosh on February 2 to celebrate ing family, friends, co-workers and p.m. Registration is now full, but if ed to the work of the Banquet cold, clean, fishable water in Wis- neighbors. All are welcome. you would like to be put on a wait- Committee. An event of this scale consin. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and ing list for upcoming clinics, please simply wouldn’t happen without the WITU focusing on Stewardship Program, stamp increase

By Mike Kuhr, Council Vice Chair Stewardship program come. achieved through the acquisition of reauthorization The Wisconsin State Legislature land and easements, development of As the 2018 election cycle comes Our number-one priority, reau- created the Knowles-Nelson Stew- recreational facilities, and restora- to a close, Wisconsin Trout Unlimit- thorization of the Knowles-Nelson ardship Program in 1989 to preserve tion of wildlife habitat.” ed is looking forward to getting to Stewardship Program, has received valuable natural areas and wildlife Trout anglers should be familiar work on our top priorities: Reautho- plenty of bi-partisan support in the habitat, protect water quality and with one important part of the Stew- rization of the stewardship program past. Recent polls show more than fisheries and expand opportunities ardship Program – the Streambank and a $5 increase in both the Inland 90 percent of voters support re-au- for outdoor recreation. Protection Program. The DNR has and Great Lakes Trout Stamps. thorization. It was last renewed in According to the DNR, “The Both of these items will need to be 2011 for a 10-year period at $86 mil- conservation and recreation goals of See STEWARDSHIP, page 17 included in the state budget. lion per year. That level of funding the stewardship program are Election results show Wisconsin has dwindled to $33 million in re- returning to a period of divided gov- cent years. ernment. Democrat Tony Evers will Wisconsin TU and our partners Diversity/Women’s Initiative serve as governor while Republicans in the conservation community are will maintain their stronghold on asking that stewardship program be Committee seeks members both houses of the legislature. renewed for a 10-year period at $50 The Wisconsin Council’s newly formed Diversity/Women’s Initiative Luckily for us, cold, clean, fish- million per year. This modest invest- able water is not a partisan issue. Committee is seeking members who are interested in developing a more di- ment will go a long way in ensuring verse TU membership base including women and minorities. If you are in- Our coldwater fisheries issues tend public access to quality outdoor rec- to cut across party lines. terested in being involved in this crucial effort, please contact Heidi reation areas for generations to Oberstadt at [email protected]. Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 2

Chairman’s Beck’s Final Column Leadership role was inspirational I think back to when I was 18 and really get involved with the Central my parents talking about how time Wisconsin Chapter that I would flies and it keeps going faster and have ended up here, I would have faster as the years pass. Man, they said that you were kidding me. I weren’t kidding. know being in leadership isn’t for Serving as your Council Chair everybody, but you never know until for the last four years was an amaz- you jump in with both feet and try. ing opportunity, and I thank all of Life is funny and throws a lot of you for putting me in this position. curves as you venture through. If It’s been an honor to serve as your someone asks you to be involved, chair. Words can’t describe how I maybe they see something in you feel. My term as chair will end at the that you might not see in yourself. next meeting in February. All I can say is that my experience It seems like yesterday that the was over the top in all aspects. I adventure started, and now four know we all share a passion for con- years have come and gone. It has servation and fishing. When you ask been a wonderful experience work- yourself if you want to stand up for ing for such a great organization. what you believe, the answer be- Being involved and making deci- comes clear: Do what your heart sions that help our watersheds was feels, and the rest will fall into place. more than I could ask for. The out- Not everyone is ready or wants to doors and everything that encom- take on a leadership role, but there passes it has been a passion of mine are other ways to get involved in forever, and it’s been an honor to TU. For example, consider repre- improve things the best I can. senting your chapter by attending a The people I have met in TU, the Council meeting. Our next meeting DNR and many conservation coincides with our annual fundrais- groups have been inspiring. ing banquet on February 2. Banquet When I began as chair about proceeds help us fund our efforts in- four years ago, our natural resourc- volving coldwater conservation, es were under attack by our legisla- youth, veterans, advocacy and more. ture. I asked former Chairs Kim Consider attending or helping McCarthy and Henry Koltz if this out at one of many chapter or coun- was going to be the norm. They said cil events. Habitat work days, they had never seen anything like it stream monitoring, advocacy ef- and didn’t know what to expect. forts, youth events, veterans pro- Fortunately, TU members pulled grams or fundraising activities are Support Wisconsin TU together, and we weathered the all important aspects of TU, and we Support TU and storm. We didn’t succeed across the need volunteers to keep these pro- and get your Wisconsin show it off! board, but we did get some wins, so grams and events going. Please con- TU license plates now. it wasn’t all bad. I learned a great sider helping where you can. Go to: deal about myself during this peri- Again, thank you for the oppor- od, and I’m a stronger person for it. tunity to serve you. The important www.dot.state.wi.us/ I know I have said it a lot during thing to remember is the journey my term and I am going to say it never ends. drivers/vehicles/ again: Being in leadership with personal/special/ Trout Unlimited is an incredible ex- Tight Lines trout.htm perience. If you would have asked Linn Beck me 12 years ago when I started to Hunters, trappers, anglers unite on wetlands

Wetlands are some of the hardest non-partisan and relies on the active Chapters are encouraged to join by the ecological benefits of wet- working and most ecologically valu- engagement of the broad constitu- the coalition. For membership info lands found throughout our state. able features on Wisconsin’s land- ency of individuals and organiza- contact sportsmenforwetands@ Sport fishing in Wisconsin is big scape. Most take thousands of years tions who value and wish to gmail.com business. Recreational fishing in to develop naturally. Unfortunate- conserve, restore and manage Wis- Connect with the Sportsmen For Wisconsin generates more than $2.2 ly, here in Wisconsin, we have lost consin’s wetlands for the use, enjoy- Wetlands Coalition on Facebook at billion of annual economic impact. nearly half of our wetlands since the ment and benefit of current and https://www.facebook.com/Sports- This economic engine runs on abun- time of European settlement. future generations. menForWetlands/ dant, clean water. In fact, Wisconsin The approximately five million Founding member organizations WITU released the following is home to more than 13,000 miles acres of remaining wetlands in Wis- of the coalition include Ducks Un- statement at the state capitol in of trout streams. These streams rely consin provide valuable fish and limited, Pheasants Forever Wiscon- Madison last month: heavily on wetlands to provide a wildlife habitat, reduce flooding, fil- sin, Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, “Wisconsin Trout Unlimited has steady supply of cold, clean water ter out pollution and recharge sur- Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, more than 5,000 members across that our trout need to thrive. face and groundwater supplies. Wisconsin Wetlands Association the state working to ensure that fu- WITU is proud to be a founding The hunting, fishing, conserva- and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federa- ture generations have access to cold, member of this coalition, and we tion and trapping community recog- tion. These founding organizations clean, fishable water. Our members look forward to working with our nizes the importance of protecting each have one representative on the value the recreational opportunities partners to raise awareness of the these wetland ecosystems, and has Coalition Steering Committee. that the woods and waters of Wis- importance of wetlands among the formed the Sportsmen for Wet- consin offer. We realize that these general public and with policymak- lands Coalition to raise awareness The coalition goals are to: opportunities are greatly enhanced ers here in the Capitol.” among the general public and poli- • Raise awareness of the ecologi- cymakers. cal and economic importance of The mission of the coalition is to wetlands. engage Wisconsin’s hunting, an- • Promote the outdoor recreation- gling, trapping and broader conser- al value of wetlands. vation communities in proactive and • Educate and advise Wisconsin collaborative wetlands education leaders about how wetlands ben- and conservation advocacy. These efit their communities. efforts are designed to advance a • Cultivate a more collaborative common goal of wetland conserva- and strategic approach to conser- tion by member organizations vation, restoration and manage- through education, communication ment of Wisconsin’s wetland and policy development assistance resources. with local, state and federal elected • Increase engagement and invest- officials and policymakers. ments in wetlands conservation. The coalition’s work is strictly Page 3 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019

Wisconsin TU Chapters, Presidents, and Websites Aldo Leopold (#375): Mike Stapleton, W8002 Whitetail Drive, Pard- eeville, WI 53954; (608) 742-3665; [email protected]; aldoleopold.tu.org Antigo (#313): Scott Henricks, 213 Mary St., Antigo, WI 54409-2536 (715) 623-3867; [email protected] WILD RIVERS Blackhawk (#390): Dave Brethauer; 17348 W. Gepler Road, Brod- head, WI 53520; (608) 897-4166; [email protected]; Bayfield Douglas NORTHWOODS www.BlackhawkTU.org Central Wisconsin (#117): Laura Tucker; N5424 Sunny Hill Rd, Sax- Iron Ashland eville, 54976 (920) 622-5401; [email protected]; cwtu.org, Vilas Coulee Region (#278): Dave Krier; 704 Williams St., Viroqua, WI Burnett Washburn 54665; (612)-417-0652; [email protected]; CouleeRegion-

Sawyer Price Florence TU.org Oneida Forest Fox Valley (#193): Nate Ratliff, 199 Taylor Street, Little Chute, MARINETTE Polk Rusk 54140 (920) 851-0502; [email protected]; Barron Marinette www.foxvalleytu.org ANTIGO GREEN BAY Lincoln Frank Hornberg (#624): Matt Salchert, 1800 Minnesota Ave., Ste- Taylor Langlade WOLF vens Point, WI 54481 (715) 321-1394; [email protected]; RIVER St. Croix Chippewa www.Hornberg-TU.org Dunn WISCONSIN Menominee RIVER VALLEY Oconto Green Bay (#083): Staush Gruszynski, 1715 Deckner Ave., Green OCONTO WI CLEAR Marathon Bay, 54302 (920) 216-3793; [email protected]; Shawano RIVER Clark WATERS Door greenbaytu.org Pierce Eau Claire SHAW-PACA Kewaunee Harry & Laura Nohr (#257): Tim Fraley, 2 Pagham Court, Madison, Pepin Wood Waupaca WI 53719; hm:(608) 271-1733; c:(608)220-0762; Portage Buffalo Outagamie Brown FOX [email protected]; www.NohrTU.org Jackson FRANK HORNBERG VALLEY Kiap-TU-Wish (#168): Scott Wagner, 1208 Highway 35 N. Hudson, Trempealeau Manitowoc Waushara Winnebago WI 54016; 715-781-6874; [email protected]; kiaptuwish.org KIAP-TU-WISH Calumet LAKESHORE Adams CENTRAL Lakeshore (#423): Myk Hranicka, N2766 Hopeman Heights, Waldo, Monroe La Crosse Juneau WISCONSIN Marquette WI 53093; 920-627-5779; [email protected]; www.Wisconsin- Sheboygan Green TU.org/Lakeshore Lake Fond du Lac Marinette (#422): Dale Lange, N2095 CTH BB, Marinette, WI; 715- Vernon ALDO LEOPOLD 582-1135; [email protected], marinettecounty.tu.org. Dodge Ozaukee Columbia Northwoods (#256): Richland Sauk Jay N. Joppa; 8570 Oak Park Circle, Minocqua, Washington WI 54548; (715) 499-1022; [email protected]; Crawford northwoods.tu.org COULEE Dane SOUTHEASTERN Jefferson Waukesha Milwaukee REGION Iowa WISCONSIN Oconto River (#385): Tom Klatt; 1677 Forest Glen Drive Green Bay, Grant SOUTHERN WISCONSIN WI 54304 (920) 621-9266; [email protected]; ocontorivertu.com Shaw-Paca (#381): Nate Sipple, 931 E. Fifth St., Shawano, WI Rock Walworth Racine Lafayette Green 54166; (715) 304-7581; [email protected]; Wisconsin-

HARRY & Kenosha TU.org/ShawPaca; www.facebook.com/shawpacatu LAURA NOHR Southeastern Wisconsin (#078): Todd Durian; 4724 W. Blue Mound Road, Milwaukee, 53186; [email protected]; 414-403-5670; BLACKHAWK SEWTU.org; facebook.com/southeastwisconsintroutunlimited Southern Wisconsin (#061): Amy Klusmeier; 608-215-1228; [email protected]; P.O. Box 45555, Madison, WI 53744- 5555; www.swtu.org Wild Rivers (#415): Bob Rice 74355 Kaukamo Road, Iron River, WI 54847; (715) 292-1143; [email protected] Visit the Wisconsin State Council’s www.wisconsintu.org/wildrivers Wisconsin Clear Waters (#255): Dick Duplessie, 335 Corydon Road, web site at wicouncil.tu.org, or find Eau Claire, WI 54701 (715) 577-5805; [email protected]; WisconsinTU.org/ClearWaters Wisconsin River Valley (#395): Doug Brown, R4800 Timber Lane, us on Facebook. Ringle, WI 54471; [email protected]; 715-899-0024; www.wrvtu.org Wolf River (#050): Andy Killoren, N1493 Hwy 45, Fremont, WI 54940; (920) 667-5385; [email protected]; WolfriverTU.org State Council Leadership Are you getting emails from TU? State Chair: Linn Beck, 160 W. Education: Bob Haase, W7949 19th Ave., Oshkosh, WI 54902 Treptow Ln., Eldorado, WI 54932 If you are currently not receiving news and event-related email (920) 216-7408; (920) 922-8003 (H); messages from your chapter, the state council and TU National, [email protected] [email protected] then you are truly missing out on what’s happening at all three lev- Vice Chair: Mike Kuhr, 6103 Friends of WITU and Watershed els. TU National manages the mailing list for the council and chap- Queensway, Monona, WI 53716; Access Fund: Doug Brown, R4800 ters, so update your address by going to www.tu.org, log in, then go (414) 588-4281; Timber Ln., Ringle, WI 54471 [email protected] (715) 899-0024; to “Email Preferences.” You can also call 1-800-834-2419 to make Secretary: Tom Lager, 1700 Spring [email protected] these changes, or to ask questions about making the changes via Hill Ct., Neenah, WI 54956; Legal Counsel: Open the web site. (920) 540-9194; Legislative Chair: Henry Koltz [email protected] Treasurer: Gary Stoychoff, 1326 Membership: Chair Paul Kruse, 14th Ave., Green Bay, WI 54304 500 Saint Jude St., Green Bay, WI WISCONSIN TROUT [email protected] 54303 (920) 639-2361); [email protected]; Vol. 31, No. 1 — Winter 2019 National Trustee: Henry Koltz, 2300 N. Mayfair Rd., Ste. 1175, National Leadership Council Wisconsin Trout is the official publication of the Wisconsin Council of Milwaukee, WI 53226 (414) 331- Representative: Kim McCarthy, Trout Unlimited and is distributed to the members of Wisconsin’s 21 5679 (H); [email protected] 736 Meadowbrook Ct., Green TU chapters. Non-member subscriptions are $12.50/year. Publication Vice Chair, Central Region: Bay, WI 54313 (920) 434-3659; dates are the first weeks of January, April, July and October. Dead- To m L a g e r , s e e a b o v e [email protected] lines for articles and advertisements are the 10th of December, March, Vice Chair, Northeast Region: Trout In the Classroom Coordina- June and September. For a current advertising rate sheet, contact the Doug Erdmann, 2418 Woodview tor: Greg Olson, 16370 Division editor. Lane, Marinette, WI 54143; 715- St., Lakeland MN, 55043; 735-7407; [email protected] Photo/article contributions, letters to the editor and advertisements [email protected] Veterans Services Partnership Co- are welcomed. Submit to: ordinator: Mike Kuhr Todd Franklin, Editor Vice Chair, Southern Region: Jim 1423 Storytown Road Wierzba, 2817 Country Club Website: Brandon Schmalz, 1229 Goss Ave., Menasha, WI 54952; Oregon, WI 53575 Drive, Mequon, WI 53092 (262) (608) 516-3647 238-0282; [email protected] 920-851-8129; [email protected] Vice Chair, Western Region: Gary [email protected] Horvath, 623 W. Pine Street, River Women’s Initiatives: State Council Officers Falls, WI 54806 (715)425-8489; Heidi Oberstadt, 456 Wadleigh St., Executive Committee includes officers and vice chairs [email protected] Stevens Point, WI 54481; 715-573- Awards: Bill Heart, 29450 Verners 5104; [email protected] Linn Beck, Chair Mike Kuhr, Vice Chair Road, Ashland, WI 54806; (715) 209-0431;[email protected] Tom Lager, Secretary Gary Stoychoff, Treasurer Communications: Open Page 4 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 Oneida County voters say Extraction Handbook “no” to sulfide mine helps groups deal with By Allison Werner, flowage that would be impacted if River Alliance of Wisconsin the Lynne Deposit is mined. potential mining The Lynne Deposit is only a half By Kim McCarthy groups can be caught by surprise Thanks to the hard work of Onei- mile away from the Willow River. and have difficulty organizing a re- da County residents, business own- Community members know how vi- A few years ago I became chair sponse. They can be overwhelmed ers and sporting groups, including tal these waterways are to the $305 of the TU National Leadership when battling major corporate enti- the Northwoods Chapter of TU, 62 million tourism industry in Oneida Council’s Mining Work Group. Our ties. percent of the voters in Oneida County. Healthy and scenic lakes first task was to begin a project that The handbook will help prepare County said they do not want a sul- and rivers are one of the main rea- would benefit TU chapters and chapters and councils in their ef- fide mine in the Town of Lynne. sons locals and visitors alike have councils for years to come. We de- forts to oppose a poor project. It The referendum question from chosen to spend their time and mon- cided to create a handbook for covers the basics of what successful the Oneida County Board during ey in Oneida County. chapters and councils facing an ex- oppositions look like and the steps the November 6 ballot read as fol- While some Oneida County traction project that could poten- needed to be successful. lows: “After performing their due Board Supervisors are on record tially damage their coldwater The Mining Workgroup Extrac- diligence, should Oneida County al- that they are taking this vote as a resources. tion Handbook was released at the low leasing of county-owned lands mandate to not pursue sulfide min- TU is not opposed to mining, as last TU Annual Meeting. It is avail- in the Town of Lynne for the pur- ing in the Town of Lynne, other su- we need materials for our modern able on the TU web site at TU.org/ pose of metallic mineral explora- pervisors are still interested in lifestyle. But sometimes the wrong NLC. Select “Mining” and the Min- tion, prospecting, bulk sampling and pursuing sulfide mining. mine is proposed in the wrong loca- ing Workgroup page will pop up. mining?” Protect the Willow, River Alli- tion. Then, true to our mission, TU The handbook link is located at the Just like in all of the other com- ance and other conservation organi- needs to take action. top of the page. munities that have faced potential zations, will continue to work hard Often when these issues arise, Feel free to share the handbook sulfide mines, local advocates to make sure the outcome of the ref- local TU chapters and councils with individuals or groups that may stepped up to educate their friends erendum is upheld by the Oneida must rise to the challenge. TU Na- not be part of TU, but are opposing and neighbors about the issue and County Board. It is equally impor- tional simply doesn’t have the staff a potentially damaging project. the risks this type of mining would tant for other communities that to deal with every local mining issue Former Council Chair Kim Mc- bring. want to protect their waters from as it arises. Carthy serves as WITU’s National Business owners and homeown- sulfide mining pollution to stay vigi- When the wrong mine in the Leadership Council Representative. ers in Oneida County created a local lant and learn from this and other wrong location pops up, local campaign called Protect the Willow, sulfide mining campaigns in the re- named for the beautiful river and gion. TU praises legislation to address abandoned mine cleanups WASHINGTON D.C. – A bill “non-point-source” abandoned that would help address the chronic mines, such as moving contaminated problem of pollution leaking from tailings piles away from streams. abandoned mines across the West However, under the Clean Water was introduced recently in both the Act, groups wanting to take on U.S. House and the Senate. “point-source” mine cleanups— “Abandoned mines represent the where toxic drainage is leaking di- least addressed and greatest threat rectly from the mine opening—face to water quality in the nation,” said daunting obstacles, including com- TU President and CEO Chris plicated permitting and legal liabili- Wood. ty in perpetuity for any remaining “Abandoned mines affect fish, mine pollution. WILLOW LAKE, ONEIDA COUNTY wildlife, drinking water supplies and The Good Samaritan cleanup The Lynne Deposit west of Rhinelander is located near the Willow River, which thousands of communities around bill would establish a pilot program flows through Willow Lake, above, and the Willow Reservoir. the nation. Congressional action can for a permitting process adminis- help solve the problem.” tered by the EPA that would enable The Good Samaritan Remedia- qualified nonprofit groups and other tion of Orphan Hardrock Mines Act third parties to tackle cleanups of Back Forty Mine update of 2018 would help address an abandoned mine sites, in part by estimated 500,000 abandoned providing targeted, limited liability On November 13, the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, Inc. mines (mines with no one responsi- protection for so-called “Good Sa- filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking review of the federal government’s ble for clean-up) in the American maritan” groups who undertake handling of the wetlands permit for the proposed Back Forty Mine. West, 33,000 of which are known to projects designed to clean up water As has been well publicized, the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers be causing environmental pollution from leaking mines. have thus far delegated final permitting authority to the Michigan Depart- damage. These mines have State and federal governments ment of Environmental Quality despite the fact that the proposed Back For- polluted more than 110,000 miles of have spent billions cleaning up leak- ty Mine would be located within 50 yards of the Menominee River in streams with acid-mine drainage ing abandoned mines, but there is Michigan, and an environmental assessment completed as part of the appli- and metals such as mercury, lead much more work to do. Good Sa- cation process determined that there are a number of potential impacts to and arsenic. maritan legislation would help get a the Menominee River as well as to Wisconsin residents. Trout Unlimited praised the re- handle on the problem by The EPA did lodge numerous objections to the permit but withdrew newed effort by Colorado Sen. Cory providing an alternative to relying those objections at the last minute, based on Michigan’s decision to address Gardner and Rep. Scott Tipton to solely on federal Superfund clean- deficiencies in the permit by imposing material conditions in the permit. address this chronic problem ups, which suffer from a lack of The coalition’s lawsuit is intended to address two issues: (1) Did EPA through good Samaritan legislation. funding and capacity. properly determine that the proposed wetland permit fell within the author- “We have more abandoned mine “The objective of the Clean Wa- ity delegated to Michigan; and (2) Was EPA’s decision to withdraw its objec- messes than hands to clean them up ter Act is to restore and maintain tions to the permit arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of discretion or right now,” said Corey Fisher, senior the integrity of our nation’s waters; otherwise not in accordance with applicable law. policy director for Trout Good Samaritan legislation will “With so many potential issues affecting Wisconsin, decisions regarding Unlimited’s Sportsmen Conserva- move us closer to that objective,” the proposed mine shouldn’t be left to a Michigan state agency. When you tion Project. “We need the help of said Steve Moyer, vice president have a boundary water and impacts to more than one state, the federal gov- Good Samaritans like Trout of government affairs at TU. “This ernment should be in charge of making permitting decisions and should Unlimited and watershed groups bill is a great first step and we thank make those decisions in accordance with the requirements of federal law,” that are experts in river restoration Senator Gardner and Representa- said Dale Burie, President of the Coalition. to help clean up these toxic messes tive Tipton for their efforts to help The Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, Inc. is a Wisconsin non- and restore clean water for impor- solve this vexing problem. We look profit corporation dedicated to educating and supporting citizens regarding tant drinking water resources and forward to working with members of environmental issues affecting the Menominee River, including potential fish and wildlife. Right now, the law Congress and interested stakehold- impacts of the proposed Back Forty Mine. says that if you touch the mess you ers to refine the bill and build For more information contact Dale Burie, president of the Coalition to own it forever and that’s often too strong, bipartisan support to pass SAVE the Menominee River, Inc. [email protected] or 615- much liability for a non-profit Good Samaritan legislation.” 512-3506. organization.” Visit Standup.tu.org or contact You can support these legal cases by making a donation to the Coalition Under current law, good Samari- Corey Fisher at [email protected] or to Save the Menominee River through their website, or by attending a fund- tan parties can and do voluntarily 406-546-2979; Steve Moyer at smoy- raiser hosted by Tightlines Fly Fishing in Green Bay on January 12. Learn undertake projects to clean up [email protected] or 703-284-9406. more at jointherivercoalition.org. Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 5 Update on Clean Water Rule, Farm Bill, Asian carp

By Taylor Ridderbusch, the drinking water supplies for 117 Asian Carp with an electric barrier, an acoustic TU Great Lakes Organizer million Americans, protect commu- The U.S. Army Corps of Engi- barrier and an engineered channel nities from flooding, and provide es- neers has released its final recom- to stop aquatic invasive species, Clean Water Rule sential fish and wildlife habitat that mendation report for improvements while maintaining navigation for Trout Unlimited announced its support a robust outdoor recreation to be made at the Brandon Road shipping. strong opposition to the proposed economy worth $887 billion. Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois, to TU supports the USACE recom- rollback of protections for thousands prevent the movement of invasive mendation as it provides for an in- of miles of streams and many wetlands Farm Bill Asian carp into the Great Lakes. creased array of protective by the Army Corps of Engineers and Trout Unlimited applauded the Trout Unlimited supports the fi- measures for the Great Lakes and the Environmental Protection strong conservation elements of the nal draft recommendation, which its coldwater fisheries. This is a step Agency. new Farm Bill that has now passed includes a few significant changes in the right direction and will allow The proposal outlines an ill-con- out of the House and Senate and from the original Tentatively Select- legislators and stakeholders more ceived approach to applying the Clean awaits the President’s signature. ed Plan report, which was released time to address complete basin sep- Water Act by eliminating protection The new bill provides the follow- in August of 2017. aration, which will ultimately be for thousands of stream miles in the ing benefits: The changes include water jets necessary to ensure that the Great country, many which supply drinking Improves the Regional Conser- being replaced with bubble curtain Lakes are protected. water for millions of Americans. It al- vation Partnership Program technology. Mooring cells have TU believes this is a justifiable ex- so erases protections for thousands of (RCPP), which will allow partners been removed, and the cost has in- pense for protecting one of the acres of wetlands, a critical compo- and producers to expand the reach creased from $275 million to $777.8 world’s largest freshwater systems, nent to functioning watersheds. and effectiveness of landscape- million. which generates $16 billion though The proposal will deregulate a host scale conservation projects, by cut- The USACE maintained struc- tourism and $7 billion via angling an- of development activities, such as ting red tape and increasing flexibili- tural and nonstructural measures nually. pipeline construction that will, over ty to attract new partners and including an engineered lock fitted time, degrade hunting and fishing op- encourage innovation in restoration portunities in every state in the and conservation of trout habitat. country. Makes the workhorse Environ- WITU Northeast Region Using the Clean Water Act to mental Quality Improvement Pro- protect headwater streams is espe- gram (EQIP) more effective at chapters pledge $45,800 cially valuable to Trout Unlimited. remedying western drought by en- At a basic level, 59 percent of rivers abling western irrigation districts By Doug Erdmann, WITU Northeast Region Vice Chair and stream miles in the lower 48 and canal companies to be eligible states are intermittent or ephemer- for EQIP investments in irrigation The Northeast Region Chapters of Trout Unlimited met in December al, meaning they are small or head- infrastructure to conserve water, im- and pledged $45,800 for 2019 projects. Chapters donating money were Anti- water streams that do not flow year- prove reliability of delivery of irriga- go, Green Bay, Marinette, Northwoods, Oconto River, Wild Rivers and Wolf round. However, in the drier south- tion water and improve watershed River. The funding included: west, that figure is higher. In Arizo- health. • $17,500 to the DNR’s Antigo office to fund a two-person habitat crew and na, 96 percent of the waters are Provides mandatory funding fuel for dredging spring ponds. intermittent or ephemeral streams. for the Small Watersheds program, • $15,000 to the DNR’s Lakewood office to fund a three-person habitat EPA Region 8, consisting of Colora- PL-566, at $50 million per year for crew. do, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and 10 years, and makes it another flexi- • $6,000 to the U.S. Forest Service supporting a fisheries technician. the Dakotas, estimates that only ble tool in the Farm Bill toolbox for • $5,000 toward the Great Lakes Stream Restoration Initiative. 17 percent of the waters in its states watershed improvement and west- • $2,300 to the DNR’s Peshtigo office to fund a water temperature monitor. flow year-round. ern drought remediation. The money will be used to improve habitat on several trout streams Headwater streams contribute to across northern Wisconsin. Streams will be brushed to improve fishability and beaver control will continue. Two more spring ponds will be dredged and the barrier-free platforms on the South Branch Oconto will be repaired/re- Volunteers, campers sought placed. Many thanks to everyone who raised money and worked on the 2018 proj- for sixth youth camp ects. Your dedication is greatly appreciated. Support Wisconsin TU We are gearing up for season six fore then. Last year the camp filled of the WITU Youth Camp at the fast, so if you have a candidate in and get your Pine Lake Bible Camp. mind, please register sooner than Wisconsin TU license For the first time, the camp will later. plates now. Go to: be August 15-18, instead of July. We are seeking volunteers to With the new dates we are antici- serve as mentors and fishing part- www.dot.state.wi.us/ pating a more flexible eating sched- ners for Saturday night and Sunday ule that will give us more options if morning. A mentor is there for each drivers/vehicles/ the weather doesn’t cooperate. youth in case they need guidance personal/special/ Last year we participated in a during all the programs. The fishing trout.htm CWTU work day, which was very partners are there to take the youth popular. We hope to do that again and the mentor out to the streams this year. to help with the fishing experience. As before, we are looking for 20 We could really use some additional For Sale youth ages 12-16. Chapters have the fishing partners who are familiar opportunity to send a youth to the with spin and bait fishing. Vernon County cabin on trout stream camp and have until April 7 to reg- WITU will pay for your room Fully finished converted pole building on 1.42 acres with ister their first student. If slots are and board if you stay at the camp. frontage on Cooley Creek. Full bathroom, one bedroom, available after that, chapters will be Please contact Wayne Parmley at open living room/kitchen. Small work shop. Wood pellet able to send additional students. We [email protected] or 920-540- stove. Brand new well and septic tank installed in 2017. will accept registrations for campers 2315; or contact Linn Beck at Includes new aluminum shed. until August 4, unless we fill up be- [email protected] or 920-216-7408. Small DNR parcels on each side and large DNR hunting and fishing area across the street, with Cooley Creek running through it. Brook trout and brown trout. Only 10 minutes to the only bridge between Prairie du Chien and 5,000 LaCrosse, meaning quick access to Iowa trout streams That’s how many trout enthusiasts receive a copy of for year-round trout fishing. Email Todd Franklin at [email protected] Wisconsin Trout. Plus, copies are distributed at for additional information. Serious inquiries only, please. various TU events, fly shops, sporting goods stores and beyond.

Advertise in Wisconsin Trout: Four issues a year. 1/8-page ad for an entire year, as little as $180. 1/4-page ad for an entire year, as little as $360 1/2-page ad for an entire year, as little as $633.50 Full-page ad for an entire year, as little as $1,188

Contact Todd Franklin at [email protected]. Page 6 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019

ing to this day.” one of the cars belonging to the FICTION I took a long sip of the refreshing work-foreman had every bearing re- beer, and continued to listen, alert moved from it overnight, even in the to his every word, and nuanced ex- wheels, and no sign it had been do- pression. ne. Every time something hap- The Stand “In 1931 a logging company be- pened, it happened in darkness gan driving a road up the valley to- overnight. At first the company By Erik Helm were lumber towns. The valleys grew ward the pines. There were no turned inward and looked for sabo- tobacco, and the hills provided lum- conservation groups in those days, tage within their ranks. A logger Author’s note: This is fiction. The ber, floated down the Kickapoo Riv- and permits were easy to come by. who was half-Indian nearly got settings and background are historical, er to towns like Soldiers Grove, The first inkling that anyone had hung, until one of the mechanics but the events were inspires by a stand which back when logging was big be- that these hills were to be logged pointed out that it was physically of pines on a small stream full of wild fore the civil war, was named Pine was probably when the graders impossible for anyone to soundless- brook trout here in Crawford county in Grove. The logs were sawed up into showed up with the bulldozers and ly remove bearings from vehicles, the Driftless region of Wisconsin. lumber and shipped off to the cities. dozens of men. Anyway, nobody especially in the darkness and time- These hills probably re-built parts of asked the locals. They cut all sum- frame of overnight. Rumors and Part One: The Cutters Chicago after it burned in the great mer until they removed most of the murmuring began amongst the fire. Anyway, some of the hills were pines on the south hills, and then workers, and some speculated that still covered with the last of the pine moved up here in the early fall. this was the work of spirits of dead My fly-fishing partner Henry growth in the 1920s and 30s, but log- ‘Heck’ Bounty and I had made our That’s when the troubles began. The Indians from the Black Hawk war. ging them presented a problem, as no company had about fifty workers, How else could the impossible be way upstream through a road-like access roads existed, the hills were cut, the bushes and grasses scrapping mostly town-folk, some of them lo- explained?” steep, and the individual stands of cal. They had a base-camp at the “Soon enough the equipment and plunking off the underside of his trees were small. The last of the log- old Ford pickup. We were in Craw- bottom of the valley with a mess and vehicles were overhauled and ging was delayed for many years until tent, and even cabins for the work- fixed, and the men went back to ford county Wisconsin fishing a pris- it became economically viable for tine stream for brook trout; the day ers. My great uncle Thomas was the work. It was a Monday morning overcast and cool, the trout coopera- when the crew was ready, but before tive, and the scenery immense but breakfast was even served, some of quiet and bucolic, as farms gave way the guys noticed little ornaments to hills, and valleys carved by flowing hanging from the trees, and all waters twisted and wound, separated around the camp. Hundreds of four- and joined, offering eagles overhead, inch long little mayflies constructed wildflowers, and a gentle humming of from a strip of birch bark curled in bees. the back, and with duck-feather The path we were following wings tied in with a blade of dried curved uphill to the headwaters of grass were suspended from the trees the creek through a narrow opening by tiny vine-cuttings, and moving in a valley, and the hills rose on both with the morning breeze. The fore- sides as the temperature slowly man ordered the things removed, dropped and the sound of flowing but several of the workers had had water burbling and trickling provided enough, and left with their equip- a counterpoint to the wheels crunch- ment, and the rest silently grumbled ing on gravel and vegetation. over breakfast. Their pay was based We had spent the morning catch- on the amount cut by each crew, and ing native trout up to 10 inches, as since nothing much was being cut, wild and old as the land when the gla- no pay was being earned. Smelling ciers covered Wisconsin, but missed trouble, the company foreman gave this corner of the state, preserving each worker remaining the equiva- towering vistas of limestone, and a lent of two-weeks pay to compen- land full of rivers. Heck decided to sate them. The company also hired drive to the source of the creek to a retired sheriff and two local hunt- provide shade for our lunch, and to ers to provide security and investi- show me the springs that formed this gate the strange happenings. Each little gem of a stream that he had guard was armed, and the company fished since he was a little punter so provided a hefty bounty if they many-many summers passed. could catch the culprits, for by now, He stopped the truck at the end of the men and the bosses were con- the cut, and we set up a little camp vinced that a whole range of natural table under a large shade tree and and supernatural enemies and boo- began making sandwiches and serv- gie-men were behind the sabotage.” ing the cool beers. As we ate and “The next morning brought new poured the hissing cold beer down mayhem. The guards were up half our parched throats, I looked into the night patrolling, but retired the distance at the top of the valley when by three A.M. nothing had where it merged with the surround- happened. At dawn the cook came ing hills and remarked at the enor- out of his cabin and was welcomed mous stand of white pines by animals all over the camp. dominating the view. Skunks and raccoons were every- where. Small piles and trails of corn “Those pines mark the very head- some company or another to come in water springs of this valley and her carpenter that built some of the cab- mush and sardines mixed with rai- and cut. The streams in this whole ar- ins and all the outbuildings.” sins intended for breakfast criss- braided streams,” Heck reminisced. ea were often warm and full of silt “There is a story in that stand of “The company had cut about an crossed the camp, and the animals and suckers back then due to the acre of pines beginning by the ox- were following the trails devouring pines, something very few people bare hills where the logging oc- know anymore, more local folklore bow of the stream at the bottom of the free bounty. Two workers got curred. The floods began around that the hill when things began to go sprayed, and the cook, armed with a than actual history, but the historic time too, as the Kickapoo was and is part… well… that is for the record. wrong. The first occurrence was that frying pan, was bitten by a ‘coon a relatively small and very crooked the saws all went dull overnight. It when he tried to wade into the fray It’s the other part that my grandfa- river, and the rain that used to be ab- ther told me one evening when we didn’t delay them much, as they had frantically swinging at the animals. sorbed by the forests just ran off the sharpening tools, but the company As he was being bandaged, the were camping in this very spot. I hills and through the row-crops and probably have forgotten some of the had to bring in more saws and guards examined the food-store tobacco fields carrying mud and rock equipment as the problem contin- shack, which they assumed he had details, but the essentials… well, and too much water for the river to those are too powerful in image ever ued. There was even a local lawsuit left unsecured. The padlock was in- carry. Nobody knew any better in that never went anywhere when the tact, and no footprints or sign of en- to forget. If you have a like for a those days. The very land the towns good story, I can provide one for you company tried to sue the hardware try was discovered. One thing was were founded on was destroyed by store that supplied some of the certain though; someone or some- right here, as we rest… that is, if you the town’s livelihood. The fishing was are up for another beer.” saws. That went on for over a week, thing had crept into camp, and with- poor too; except for this hidden val- and very little was cut down in that out leaving any trace, had once I nodded in contentment as well ley and its old growth pines and wild- as with curiosity. Another cold beer time. Eventually the problems grew. again brought the work to a stop. flowers and prairie grass. There were Some of the dozers and the trucks The retired sheriff demanded the would go down well, sipped slowly only a few farms up this way, and all with a background story. As the broke down after a few hours of key to the lock from the injured of them hardy Germans and Norwe- morning activity. The mechanic they cook, and upon opening the store- breeze gently shook the leaves over- gians. There was one dirt road in and head, I nodded and slowly sat back in had with them to service the equip- house, was greeted by dozens more out. Grandpa Bounty and his friends ment couldn’t locate any problem, of those little mayfly creations dan- the camp chair, closing my eyes. used to drive up here on Sundays af- “Those pines mark the end of the until a local guy who worked at an gling from the ceiling.” ter church for a picnic of fresh bread, auto-shop took one of the engines “One wonders what must have logging road, or the remains of it that fried chicken and freshly caught we drove in on” said Heck. “Back in apart. One of the dozers was miss- been going through their minds, brookies. He is the one who told me ing all the ball bearings in its trans- since none of the sabotage acts the day, 1931 to be exact, this hill, the story of the valley, and the little and all the surrounding hills were mission. On further inspection, the seemed capable by human hands. war that was fought here. That con- other vehicles were similarly trou- The whole crew and the guards be- covered in old growth white pines. flict is why those pines remain stand- Many of these towns in the county bled by missing bearings, and even came jumpy, and arguments and Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 7 fights began to break out. The fore- with raised eyebrows and a quizzical man even ordered one of the truck expression. drivers to load all the liquor supply “There was an investigation by and the cases of beer for the work- the Sheriff of the county, but noth- ers and take them away for storage ing came of it. Officially, the case somewhere. He was taking no was closed with a note that the most chances. That evening saw silence in likely cause was a disgruntled work- the camp, and as the workers er or two. They worked them pretty smoked after dinner, many of them hard in those days.” brought out knives and began sharp- “Unofficially, my Grandpa fig- ening them. The guards retired in ured it out. He was fishing one day shifts, with one guard being on pa- when he ran into a tall thin fellow trol at any time that night. The cab- on the creek. The guy was fly-fishing ins were locked and secured that with a bamboo rod he made himself, evening.” and with hand-tied flies. He intro- “The final meltdown began the duced himself as Earl. Grandpa ran next morning. The retired sheriff into him several times and they talk- woke up just before dawn to relieve ed. Evidently the guy was some sort his junior for the watch. His holster of educated gentleman from back containing his colt revolver was east… college and so forth. He draped over the bedpost near his owned a cabin in the woods at the head. When he reached for the belt top of the hill above the springs, and to strap it around his waist, the hol- hunted and fished in the surround- ster disgorged a dozen of those little ing land. Now Grandpa was a farm- hand-tied mayflies. His gun was no- er, but he was also a reader, what where to be seen, and the door was you might call a self-educated man, MAYFLIES CREATED FROM BIRCH BARK AND MALLARD FEATHERS padlocked from the inside… The always with a newspaper or book As Grandpa described it, Earl’s cabin was full of interesting stuff: a large funny thing is that the guy had seen and a slow pipe to smoke while he library, a wine cellar all home-made, bottles of herbs, and antique firearms and service as a sheriff for something read in the evenings. Somehow he even a wooden long-bow. It also featured a mobile with dozens mayflies like 20 years down here and had and Earl got to talking, and Earl in- created with birch bark, feathers and legs of grass. seen it all, from murderous drunks, vited him back to his cabin.” knife-fights, car crashes, farm im- “As he described it, the cabin was plement accidents, bar-fights, and full of interesting stuff: a large li- thing or two most men don’t know, mains of a wood cabin. Hanging whatnot, but he had never encoun- brary, a wine cellar all home-made, and never will. Most folks can’t think from a small apple tree next to the tered a foe that crept in on the pre- bottles of herbs, and antique fire- beyond their own nose, much less ruins were a dozen or so of those lit- dawn mists, and had no face, no arms and even a wooden long-bow. imagine things and ways that may tle hand made mayflies, looking name, and left no footprints. He and He had artwork on the walls too. exist beyond our little mundane fresh and newly created, and blow- the hunters turned guards just up Not just everyday Saturday Evening world.” ing in the breeze like they were and left the camp. He never spoke a Post cutouts badly framed, but actu- “That is one amazing story… too dancing. word to the foreman. He just looked al art from Europe and back East. bad there is no real evidence that it “Earl must have left several years at him with a long stare, and shook He served grandpa imported chees- was true.” after that stand he took. Nobody ev- his head slowly as he turned to es and home-baked bread and veni- Heck smiled and turned to me. er saw him again anyway, Grandpa leave. He never did collect any mon- son sausage and he talked of his “Come on, I will show you some- included. He may have left those 85 ey or pay.” love for the poetry of Robert Ser- thing. Just a short hike up the hill.” or so years ago, but part of him, that “The driver that carried all the vice while a phonograph played op- We slowly ascended the steep in- special part must never have left. booze and beer away was never seen era, La Boheme he remembered it cline in the shade of the pines, pass- Something of him is still here, look- again, although there seemed to be as. That sort of thing was kind of un- ing the springs and seeps that ing over his pines and the creek, a a few rather oddly jubilant local heard of back then. Some guy living formed the creek, and found our- sort of river-keeper spirit… and family picnics in the area for the in the woods who was educated and selves in a sort of clearing near the watching his little mayflies… danc- next few years… All in all, the crew cultured, and who turned his back top of the ridge. At the center ing into eternity.” was only in camp for less than two- on the world. Apparently he was al- amongst the raspberry bushes and weeks. After the beer and guards so some sort of amateur magician cow parsnip were the foundation re- left, the workers followed, until the too, for while several bottles of wine only remaining workers were two disappeared legitimately, Earl also old stoic Norwegians, the boss, and made several vanish into thin air a truck-driver. They took turns saw- and then made them appear again. ing one tree at a time for a few days Who knows why he turned his back until they were halfway through a on society, or what made him pull tree and the saw stopped with a me- up roots and move to a hill in Craw- “The meaning of life is to find your gift. tallic grating noise. Thinking that ford County, my Grandpa never did the tree was ‘spiked’, an old trick find that out.” The purpose of life is to give it away.” used against loggers where large “What made your Grandpa think William Shakespeare nails and railroad spikes were ham- it was him?” I asked. mered into trees to cause the saws “It was those little mayfly things to fail, the tree was attacked with ax- that gave him away. See, Earl had a es until it fell. The source of the ob- sort of thing… a mobile I think you struction proved to be a metal call it, full of dozens of those birch Remember TU as Part of strong-box, which was quickly recog- bark, feather and grass legged may- nized as the pay safe for the opera- flies hanging from the ceiling over tion. There were no hollows in the his table. Every time the breeze Your Legacy tree, and no way in hell that it could blew in, they danced up and down in reason have gotten in there. De- and twirled. Earl said he liked to Have you considered making Trout parting for camp, the four of them watch them late in an evening. Said visited the office, where sure they reminded him of spring on his Unlimited part of your legacy? For loyal TU enough, the safe was not in the little stretch of river.” locked desk, but instead found in- “Did your Grandpa ever report members, making a bequest to TU in your will side the live pine tree. The money him, or tell anyone?” I asked. was not missing, but a single one of “Nah…” Heck smiled… “No- or trust is a wonderful way to continue those eerie little mayflies sat on top body would believe him anyway, but of the cash inside the locked box.” he only told dad and me, and that supporting clean water and healthy trout “Well, that was it. The camp was after a few pulls of local whis- broke the next morning without fur- key. See, Earl did some good for the populations. Help assure that TU is able to ther incident, leaving the final pines valley. Those pines are still there be- shading the headwater springs un- cause he took a stand. He single- continue its good work now and into the future. touched to this day.” handedly defeated a logging compa- I whistled low, popped the cap ny, and did it all non-violent. Other Should you decide that TU is worthy of a on another cold beer, and leaned than the damage to equipment and back in the chair as the afternoon the bite the cook got from the rac- legacy bequest, be sure to specify in your will clouds darkened and the sound of coon, nobody ever did get hurt. He the rushing waters of the headwa- haunted that valley and those hills or trust if the bequest is intended to benefit ters seemed to increase not in deci- himself. He was a one-man conser- bels, but in clarity and intensity. vation group. How the heck he did it National TU, the State Council or your local One could hear voices in them, if nobody will ever know, but Grandpa one took the time to listen. always referred to him as ‘special’. chapter. “Did anyone ever find out what That magic he knew must have been or who was behind this?” I asked. special too, but anyone who read as Thank you for considering Trout much as he did, and knew about Part Two: The Interloper math and architecture, plants, and Unlimited in your estate planning. built all his own tools and fly-rods, “Good question…” Heck replied and the cabin too probably knew a Page 8 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 2018 flooding data Symposium to focus on Stream data loggers in several Driftless Area dealing with floods streams captured an amazing rise and fall By Duke Welter recently damaged projects in antici- during last year’s flash flood events. pation of future flooding events, Recent floods across the Drift- and on how fisheries are holding up less Area caused serious damage to after recent catastrophic rainfalls. By Matthew Mitro, DNR feet at 8 p.m. to 3.4 feet at 11 p.m., habitat projects, dams, roads and Scientists have been assembling peaked at 8.1 feet at 3 a.m., and fell communities, totaling several hun- a white paper on the science and In late August and early Septem- to 3.4 feet at 11 a.m. dred million dollars of damage. techniques of watershed restoration ber of last year, heavy precipitation In the North Fork of the Bad Dramatic events and significant in the Driftless Area, and will re- events caused flooding and damage Axe River, downstream from the damage took place in the Kickapoo, port on it at the symposium. to infrastructure, property and Esofea and Springville branches in Baraboo, Little La Crosse rivers Other topics include the latest in streams across portions of the Drift- west-central Vernon County, the and Black Earth and Coon Creek brook trout genetics across the ar- less Area. You can view a summary water level peaked at 8.4 feet at 3 watersheds. Government leaders ea, brown trout resiliency, impor- of the rainfall and flooding events of a.m. on August 28 and at 8.2 feet at are scratching their heads trying to tance of human dimensions August 27-28 at the National 11 p.m. on September 3. The rise in find ways to address the many chal- research in stream restoration and Weather Service website at https:// flood levels happened quickly (e.g., lenges tied to climate change. more. Other attractions include a www.weather.gov/arx/aug2818. from 2.8 feet at 8pm to 7.8 feet at “Building for Resiliency” will be social hour at a nearby watering Here I present water level data 11pm during the first flood) but the the theme of the 2019 Driftless hole and a showing of the movie from a few Driftless Area trout fall in flood levels was slow and Symposium February 5-6 at the “Decoding the Driftless.” streams to show the magnitude of drawn out over several days. Radisson Conference Center in La Online registration is available the flash flood events. Water levels are defined by the Crosse. Speakers will address many at https://gifts.tu.org/driftless. The I have been collecting continuous volume of water in the context of topics related to current challenges, location is 200 Riverview Plaza, La water temperature and water level the physical constraints of the including University of Iowa Engi- Crosse. A block of rooms is being data from a selection of Driftless stream. Mormon Coulee is highly neering Professor Larry Weber talk- held at the Radisson Hotel (1-608- Area streams in a project I began entrenched and the increase in wa- ing on “Assessing Water Quality and 784-6680). More information and with Dave Vetrano in July 2007. Our ter volume had nowhere to go but Flood Risk with the Iowa Water- an agenda will be posted at daresto- original intent was to document up. The peak water levels measured shed Approach.” ration.com. For more information trends in stream base flow, but as we in Timber Coulee Creek and the Stream restoration specialists contact DARE Project Manager quickly found out following the Au- North Fork of the Bad Axe River will report on their work to rebuild Jeff Hastings at [email protected]. gust 2007 floods, the data loggers, put the water well above the banks, when they survived flooding events, spreading out across the flood captured the rapid rise and fall of plains. floodwaters. Not all data loggers survived the Upper Midwest Regional Water level is measured by a six- flooding. Spring Coulee Creek up- inch by one-inch cylindrical data stream of the Spring Coulee Road Rendezvous March 29 - 31 logger anchored to rebar near the bridge was hit particularly hard. A stream bottom. The data logger has stream data logger at this site was Weekend of dialogue, presentations, fishing, a sensor set to measure water pres- either washed away or buried. The sure every hour. When combined air data logger attached to a tree camaraderie will be held in Zion, Illinois with air pressure data from a similar away from the stream channel was data logger placed nearby the missing because the tree was Join fellow anglers and TU one another. The Illinois Council stream, water pressure data are con- washed away. members and volunteers from will host a fundraiser to support lo- verted to a measure of water level Despite the intensity of the dual across the Upper Midwest on cal efforts. above the data logger. A rating flood events, the trout likely fared March 29 - 31 in Zion, Illinois curve is used to convert water level well overall. We surveyed two trend for some great steelhead fishing, en- Sunday: Wrap Sessions & to water flow, but only for water lev- sites in Spring Coulee Creek in Oc- lightening presentations, inspiring Conservation Tour els where we can safely wade to col- tober about two months after the dialogue and engaging camaraderie lect flow data. floods. We saw plenty of trout, but with those who share your dedica- Sunday's morning sessions will In Timber Coulee Creek, near could not reach them. A 200-meter tion to TU and our mission. conclude the weekend's formal ac- the access at County G and County site further upstream was still wade- TU regional rendezvous are oc- tivities and wrap shortly before P, at the northern edge of Vernon able and sustained significantly less casions to be inspired by the work of lunch. A boxed lunch will be provid- County, the water level peaked at damage from the flooding. TU staff, lessons from chapter and ed to all attendees and an optional 17.9 feet above the data logger at 3 We captured 44 young-of-year council volunteers and conversa- off-site conservation tour and a.m. on August 28. The water level brown trout and 305 age-1 and older tions with newfound friends. They hands-on discussion will be offered increased from 2.5 feet at 8 p.m. to trout (including a 19¾ inch female are also an excellent opportunity to to all who are interested. 10.7 feet at 11 p.m., peaked at 3 brown trout). A year earlier in Oc- discuss the unique issues facing the a.m., and fell to 8.0 feet at 11 a.m. tober 2017 we captured 160 young- region as well as a chance to net- Lodging On September 3 we witnessed a of-year and 225 age-1 and older work and build relationships with Accommodations for the Upper second flash flood event, only some- brown trout at the same site. The fellow TU members and volunteers Midwest Regional Rendezvous are what less in magnitude. The water observed year-to-year increase in who share your passion. provided by Illinois Beach Hotel, lo- level increased from 2.9 feet at 8 older brown trout numbers could be cated right on the shores of stun- p.m. to 6.3 feet at 11 p.m., peaked at a combination of higher recruitment Friday: Hosted Fishing ning Lake Michigan. Call (847) 625- 16.0 feet at 1 a.m., and fell to 5.4 from the 2017 year-class (which was 7300 to reserve your room. feet at 11 a.m. a good recruitment year) and a re- Free day of hosted steelhead fishing in Wisconsin and Registration is available online at The stream at this location held distribution of trout following the www.tu.org/Midwest-Regional up quite well. Stream restoration flooding. no-host dinner with local Illinois and Wisconsin TU volunteers. The total cost of registration is work from more than a decade ago We expect large-scale flood $125 and includes: included sloped banks that open the events to reduce the survival of Participation in all seminars and stream to the flood plain, thereby small, young-of-year fish, and that Saturday: Workshops and workshops on Saturday and Sunday minimizing flood damage to the may have been a factor here, though Seminars Breakfast and lunch on Saturday streambanks. we did see similar year-to-year de- Saturday's full-day session will and Sunday In Mormon Coulee Creek, just clines in young-of-year trout in oth- include breakfast networking, group Group dinner and networking west of Timber Coulee Creek in La er Driftless Area streams less discussions, concentrated work- event on Saturday night Crosse County, the water level affected by flooding. A relatively shops and opportunities for council Optional, free hosted fishing trip peaked at 18.6 feet above the data small flood event in early May could and chapter leaders to share suc- on Friday logger at 4 a.m. on August 28 near also be a contributing factor to re- cesses and discuss common chal- Optional conservation tour and the Justin Road bridge. duced numbers of young-of-year lenges. site-walk on Sunday afternoon The water level increased from trout this year. A benefit of the You can register for the entire 2.5 feet at 8 p.m. to 6.6 feet at 11 flooding, however, was the increase weekend, or register for one day on- p.m., peaked at 4 a.m., and fell to in available gravel substrate suitable Saturday night: Dinner and Illinois Council Fundraiser ly at a discounted rate. Attendees 4.9 feet at 11 a.m. During the sec- for spawning, which could mean may bring spouses/guests to the din- ond flash flood event about a week higher young-of-year production for Following the day's meetings, ner on Saturday night. later, the water level peaked at less 2019. join your fellow TU members, vol- For more information go to than half the level of the earlier unteers and staff from for a great www.tu.org/Midwest-regional flood. The water level rose from 2.9 dinner and chance to network with Donate to Wisconsin TU via Thrivent Lutheran Financial If you are a TU member and have investments with If you are a Thrivent member and have the ability to Thrivent Lutheran Financial, you may have the ability to make Thrivent Choice donations, we would be honored if make charitable donations to groups of your choosing you’d consider including the Wisconsin Council of TU through Thrivent Financial’s Thrivent Choice program. within your charitable planning, and making a donation The Wisconsin Council of Trout Unlimited is now a to our cause. listed entity within the Thrivent Choice program. Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 9 Wisconsin’s Fly Tyers Rich Osthoff … Guide, author and fly tyer Recognizing some of Wisconsin’s great fly tyers, this series provides soft hackle woolly worm that I tie erties of the materials. Playing information on the role they played and are currently playing in the art quite a bit commercially. That fly around with different natural and of fly tying. We will learn more about them, the flies they tied and their you really couldn’t tie like I do now synthetic materials has a lot of ad- tips to make us better tyers. until they came out with genetic hen vantages. necks that were long enough to palmer four or five times around a How important is it to learn how stout nymph hook. to fish your fly patterns based on There are a lot more synthetics the pattern itself and the condi- now than there used to be 30 years tions? ago. I once used natural rabbit dub- How you fish them, how you bing, but now I often blend it with a weight them and how you tie them synthetic such as ICE dubbing to is critical, especially on certain flies step up the translucency and sparkle like buggers. I tie my soft-hackle in a fly. I blend a lot of my own dub- buggers with weight on the hook bings using a standard coffee grind- shank and a cone head, and when I er. fish it, I actually slip a tungsten bead on the tippet and let it go right Many of us have a confidence fly against the cone head. I want that that we prefer to use most of the fly to be head heavy so when I im- time. Would you mind sharing with part a little slack it drops right back us one of your confidence flies? to bottom. Overweighting a fly like That would vary with the fishery. that allows the fly to get right down In the Driftless Area I really like the into pockets quickly. On small squirrel nymphs such as the Pink streams I often weight my flies Squirrel. I do a series that I call the heavier than I do on big water. On squirrel bead heads which are based big water you have a long enough on this fly, but I do some altera- drift to sink a fly and on small wa- tions. I customize them to my own ters you often have to drop the fly fishing such as size, color, weight vertically to get in the pockets to be RICH OSTHOFF AT HIS TYING BENCH and the way I tie them. If you are effective. I also want that fly to look prospecting in the Driftless Area, wounded and vulnerable. By Bob Haase Doug Swisher and Carl Richards those patterns are pretty hard to were kind of a natural match for me beat. Do you have any tips for anyone Rich Osthoff is a good example because they were midwestern tyers, just starting out tying flies? of a fly tyer who uses time spent on and I also read books by Jack Den- You guide and spend a lot of time Set your vise up where you can the water to design and tie flies that nis. Dick Talleur was pretty influen- on the stream. Do you think the use it regularly. You will end up ty- attract fish. He spends more than tial to me with his book, “Mastering time you spend on the stream helps ing more often and improve your 100 days a year fishing and guiding, the Art of Fly Tying,” which was an you with designing and modifying skills much faster. Don't pack it up mostly in southwest Wisconsin. He actual fly-tying book that was more flies? in a box where you have to take it has also made more than 150 trips technical and very useful. I think one of the big advantages out every time to tie. When you tie a to the western states fishing all of spending more than 100 days on well proportioned fly and it turns kinds of waters, from mountain Many tyers develop a preference the water is that over time you get a out the way you want it, set it aside streams to high-elevation lakes. to the styles and kinds of flies they feel for what really works. Some- and save it as your reference fly for Rich brings the knowledge tie. Do you have a preference on the times in two or three modifications that pattern. When you sit down to gained on the water to the tying styles and kinds of flies you tie and you kind of nail things down and tie a Hare's Ear, don't just tie one. bench, where he creates new pat- fish? perfect them. Many times they don't Tie two or three dozen and compare terns and modifies flies to catch fish. It depends on the fishery. In the change that much from the original, them for size and proportion. It will Rich is also the author of three Driftless Area I have a reputation of but little changes made based on help you become more uniform and books. His first book, “Fly Fishing being more of a sub-surface guy. I your observations on the stream consistent in your tying. Also keep the Rocky Mountain Backcountry,” believe that you are going to catch helps you tweak the fly. your tying fun. is based on more than 150 back- more and bigger fish sub-surface packing trips in the wilderness areas than on top. I catch most of my fish Do you have any tips on design- See how to tie Rich of the Rockies. It covers where to in the Driftless Area on just 6 or 7 ing or modifying existing fly pat- fish, how to fish and is a good book different patterns. I might take terns? Osthoff’s beadhead for anyone looking for new waters something like the beadhead squir- I like to play around at the vise squirrel nymph on to fish in the western states. rel and run those in different colors using a lot of different materials and “No Hatch to Match” and “Ac- and sizes from 10-16, but it is all one learning the characteristics or prop- page 14. tive Nymphing” are technique style of fly. books that include information on fly selection, fly patterns, fishing People often ask why I tie my techniques and where to fish. These own flies rather than just purchase books are based on sub-surface them. Do you think there is an ad- techniques more than top water vantage in tying your own flies? fishing. From a functional standpoint, ty- For more information on these ing your own flies puts you in con- books, custom-tied flies and guid- trol of every aspect of that fly, from ing services, check out his website at the quality of the hook, how you richosthoff.com. weight it and the type of materials you use. You can control the design, How long have you been tying weight, size, color options and flies and how did you get started? things like that. You get a degree of I have been tying for around 40 control in your flies that you just years. I started out fishing trout with can't get when you purchase them. live bait, switched over to spinning Many talk about the satisfaction gear and then got into fly fishing in in catching a fish on a fly they tied. my early twenties. Fly fishing quick- The next step up is to catch fish on ly dovetailed into fly tying and I flies you designed for your fishing. have been tying ever since. A lot of the articles I have written revolve around taking established Do you remember who taught patterns and tweaking them to some you how to tie your first fly? extent. If you look critically at fly I took a TU fly-tying course in design, you can often make a fly fish Madison with Dick Berge. He was better. Fish don't care who designed the first person to teach me how to the fly. They care what it looks like tie a few flies and get me started. and how it performs, and tying your own gives you control over this. Do you remember any of the oth- There have been a lot of changes er tyers who helped you develop the in fly-tying materials and tying tying skills you have today? techniques over the years. What are In the beginning I was probably some of the changes you have made more influenced by books. We didn't based on these changes? have as many shows where you Certain flies are really based on could learn by watching other tyers. improvements in materials like the Page 10 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 Bob, bob, bobbin’ along Looking to get involved? An overview of today’s strike indicator Tell us about your skills. options. And, no, they’re not “bobbers.” Wisconsin TU membership skills inventory By Jonathan Jacobs position with a piece of a toothpick. Craig pointed out that a sphere had “1982: Gary Borger and George the least surface area for any given TU’s strength comes from volunteers like you. Wisconsin TU is Anderson publish the article “Strike volume, which translated into good creating a list to inventory the skills of our members who want to Indicators” in the April 1982 issue of flotation and ease of casting. share their time with their chapter or the State Council in support Fly Fisherman. Howls rise from tradi- Both the corkys and the Palsa in- of the many activities that TU performs. By completing this tionalists about what is, and is not, dicators are still on the market, but questionnaire you are not obligating yourself to volunteer. You “proper fly fishing.” The rest of us a plethora of other options have be- can also remove yourself from this list any time you want. suddenly begin catching a lot more come available over the years. There trout.” are two basic types; either their Your chapter and the Council will use this inventory to develop a – From an article by Ted Leeson leader passes through the indicator list of people to call when help is needed. in a recent Fly Fisherman magazine or a loop in the leader holds the in- on significant developments in fly dicator. Even if you can only help one time a year, every little bit of fishing in the last 50 years. Advantages and disadvantages volunteerism helps your chapter and council accomplish even accrue to both types. The loop on more. Volunteering is a great way to meet fellow members and I was among the rest of us those style indicators are easy and quick to find new people to fish with. who suddenly began catching more install and adjust easily, but often trout. I took up fly fishing for trout put a nasty kink in the leader. They Please consider completing this Skills Inventory form. one year before the referenced arti- may cast awkwardly, too, due to cle and, like most beginners, I strug- poor aerodynamics and a hinging ef- Name: ______gled. I didn’t learn about indicators fect on the leader. The “pass Chapter: ______until I began hanging out with my through” styles don’t kink the lead- friends Andy Lamberson and Craig er, but may be awkward to install or Address:______Mason, who were, in the modern remove, particularly if you use knot- _ parlance, early adopters of indicator ted leaders. Pictured are several City: ______Zip: ______technology. Lucky me, both for the styles of each with brief comments Phone: ______friendship of these boon compan- about them. E-mail: ______ions and for what they taught me. You may have noticed that the Let me stake out some territory monofilament in the photos is fluo- right now: I have no use for the ar- rescent red. It’s Sunset Amnesia and Please put a “C” on the line in front of the volunteer activity if you gument that fly fishermen say “indi- it’s also available in fluorescent yel- are willing to volunteer to help on a chapter level. Put a “S” on cator” to avoid the use of “bobber” low. My friend Larry builds his nym- the line if you are willing to help volunteer for that activity on a and that word’s baitfishing connota- phing leaders out of these materials, statewide basis. Put a “C” and a “S” if you are willing to volunteer tions. A true bobber controls depth using the contrasting colors in the to help with that activity on both a chapter and statewide level. of float while most indicators are set first two sections. The blood knot An “S” also means you would be willing to help out with activities up in a way that has little effect on joining the two sections serves as his in nearby chapters, as chapter cooperation seems to be a the depth at which the fly runs. Also, strike indicator. growing trend. I spent my formative years marvel- Because there are endless varia- _____ I would like to help with stream work activities. ing at the mystery of some unseen tions on the theme, not pictured animal source connecting to me via here are dry/dropper combinations. _____ My age and health would allow me to perform most a bobber. These most often involve some sort physical activities. One evening Andy took me out of highly buoyant dry fly, such as a _____ My age and health might limit my physical activities but I to the Race Branch of the Willow. Humpy, foam beetle or grasshopper could do light duty activities and things like preparing or serving He attached a piece of fluorescent- with a length of tippet tied off the food, etc. coated foam tape from a company bend to which is attached a nymph. _____ I have photographic skills and could take pictures to named Palsa to the upper section of This setup is wildly popular in the document the work performed. my leader, which had a weighted mountain West and can be adapted _____ I would like to attend a work day to see what is involved nymph on the tippet, and had me to use on our local waters, but it’s before committing to help in this area. toss the setup up into the current. not for deep nymphing. As the rig proceeded downstream, I mounted a defense of strike in- _____ I would like to help with stream water monitoring to help Andy would say, “I’d hit that” when- dicators in my opening paragraph, assess the health of our streams. This would be part of the State ever there was any hesitation in the but while researching for this article Water Action Volunteer program and training would be provided descent of the indicator toward us. I I found an indecency that’s beyond for those that are interested. was gobsmacked, as these hesita- the pale for even an angling repro- _____ I tie flies and would like to help teach others to tie flies. This tions were mostly imperceptible to bate like me. That abomination might be at chapter activities, youth fly tying programs, me. Eventually, I picked up on it, would be a fly called Griffin’s Stimu- workshops, shows, etc. This might be at activities like our Youth though, and was gobsmacked again cator, which is an ordinary stonefly Trout Camp, Milwaukee Sentinel Sport Show, Outdoor Heritage when I had a trout on the end of the imitation with an orange foam ball Education Expo in Poynette, or other programs like this. line. mounted at the head of the hook, _____ I fly fish and would be willing to help teach others how to fly Craig, one of the most analytical making it sort of a Rudolph the fish for trout. anglers I’ve ever known, used as in- Rednosed Stimulator. It’s not for dicator a “corky,” a small brightly the genteel angler, to be certain. _____ I can help teach others how to fly cast. colored sphere with a hole in its cen- Author’s note: I thank my main _____ I fish with spinning gear and would be willing to teach ter that was originally developed to man Paul Wiemerslage, a world- others how to spin fish for trout. suspend bait off the bottom when class angling appurtenance junkie, _____ I fish with live bait and would be willing to teach others how used in some fishing method that I for the loan of several of the arti- to fish with live bait for trout. don’t understand. He threaded it facts pictured here. _____ I would like to help out with special events such as Chapter onto to the leader and fixed them in See photos on Page 15. Banquets, State Council Banquets, Shows, Workshops, and other fund raising activities. _____ I am a photographer and would be willing to take pictures of work days, stream monitoring, and other chapter activities to be used for publicity and promotional activities. _____ I am a writer and can help write articles about chapter activities, trout fishing, and other educational activities for publicity and promotional activities. _____ I use and am familiar with social media as a means of communications and can help others understand and use social media for publicity and promotional activities. (Facebook, Twitter, Snapshot, etc.) _____ I have experience in writing for and working with grants and other funding sources and would be willing to help write for grants to help TU fund programs to preserve, protect, and enhance our cold water streams. _____ I have skills in other areas that might help with the mission and activities of Trout Unlimited and have listed them below. Get your WITU license plates! ______Support Wisconsin TU and get your Wisconsin TU license plates now. Please return completed forms to your local chapter. Chapters should forward information on state-level volunteers to Bob Go to www.dot.state.wi.us/drivers/vehicles/personal/special/ Haase. His contact information is on page 3. trout.htm Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 11 $15K in 2018! Thank you for supporting Friends of Wisconsin TU!

The 2018 Friends of Wisconsin campaign is February 2. beginning to wind down and this year has been Many of our generous donators want to another stellar year in donations. We are ap- know that their money is spent on habitat proaching 150 generous donations totalling work. Please know that there are no overhead nearly $15,000. costs for this program. 100 percent of the funds Stream project plans are in the works all go directly back into various grants for stream across the state, from the Driftless Area to the work. northeast corner of Wisconsin. Your donations I hope you all had a wonderful holiday sea- are a critical part of this valued work and your son and that your 2019 fishing season treats support goes directly back into the streams. you well. The next round of grant applications will be re- Doug Brown, Chairman viewed and approved at the Annual Business Friends of Wisconsin TU Friends grants support DNR LTE crews like this Meeting and Banquet in Oshkosh on Saturday one with Doug Weber, Kyle Siebers, DJ Loken.

Providing habitat improvement grants since 1991.

$2,000 to the Antigo Chapter for hab- itat crews in 2017 $1,200 to Wild Rivers for habitat crews in Nat. Forests in 2017 $1,000 to Marinette and $2,000 to Wolf River for NE $2,000 to Wisconsin River Val- Region work in 2017 ley for Prairie River Project in Lincoln County in 2015

$2,000 to the Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter for the Upper Kinni in 2014 $2,000 to CWTU for habitat crew in 2017

$2,000 to Wis. Clearwaters Chapter for maintenance in 2017

$2,000 to SEWTU for Little $2,000 to Harry & Laura Nohr Willow Creek in Richland Chapter for Pompey Pillar, 2016 County in 2016

Here are our David Menke Bristol WI Greg Vodak Stoughton WI Friends of Wisconsin TU Cris Meyer Middleton WI Ken Voight Sugar Grove IL Steven Miller Sun Prairie WI Don Wagner GillettWI Jason Anderson Mukwonago WI Steve Musser Middleton WI Denis Wandtke Ogdensburg WI Edwin Barnes MiddletonWI Herb Oechler Wauwatosa WI Stephen Wilke MarinetteWI Charles Barnhill MadisonWI Cheryl and Winston Ostrow De PereWI Paul Williams Madison WI Jim Bayorgeon AppletonWI Donald Persons Janesville WI Dan Wisniewski Middleton WI Jolene Berg Chippewa Falls WI Randall Rake Helena MT Nancy and Roland Woodruff OshkoshWI John and Susan Bleimehl VeronaWI Ron Rellatz MertonWI Norb Wozniak Stevens Point WI Stephen Born MadisonWI Bob Retko Cedarburg WI Robert Wyman Beaver Dam WI Allon Bostwick Port Washington WI Thomas Rogers Princeton WI Frederic Young RoscoeIL Maxwell Burgert Neenah WI Tom Ryan Whitefish Bay WI Rick Christopherson NorwalkWI Michael San Dretto Neenah WI Andrew Cook II Sister BayWI Lisa and Todd Scheel St. Germain WI TROUT UNLIMITED CHAPTERS Bruce Davidson WauwatosaWI Jeff and Mary Schmoeger Cot. GroveWI Kiap-TU-Wish TU Chapter Mike Duren Mazomanie WI James Schommer Lodi WI Antigo Chapter Ed Eggers Genoa WI James School KaukaunaWI SEWTU Chapter Jim Flesch Fox Point, WI Jim and Marie Seder New Berlin WI Jerome Fox Two Rivers WI Robert Selk Madison WI D. James Fruit Jr. Hartland WI John Shillinglaw MadisonWI In Memory of Mike Rands. Scott Geboy Fox Point WI George Shinners Antigo WI Donation from Tom and Nan Siebert Dan Geddes Appleton WI Brent Sittlow HudsonWI John Gribb Mount Horeb WI Michael Staggs Poynette WI Gordon Grieshaber Mineral Point WI Mike Stary New Richmond WI Special Thanks to Todd Hanson for the Dean Hagness MD Custer WI Gary Stoychoff Green Bay WI donation from the sale of his books. Ashton & Stephen Hawk Madison WI Rick Szymialis Waupaca WI William Heart Ashland WI Julie & Todd Templen Dubuque IA Brian Hegge Rhinelander WI Donald Thompson Cumberland WI Wally Heil De PereWI Chuck Urban Wauwatosa WI Bob Hellyer Boulder JunctionWI Dennis, Becky Vanden Bloomen E.Claire Walter Hellyer Egg Harbor WI Eric Van Vugt Milwaukee WI Charles Hodulik Madison WI Jeff Jackson Oconto FallsWI Charles Jorgenson Oconomowoc WI John Kenealy III Waukesha WI Yes, I want to join the “Friends” of Wisconsin TU. Lane Kistler MilwaukeeWI Enclosed is my check, payable to Wisconsin Trout Unlimited. Ralph Klassy Phillips WI MAIL TO: Friends of Wisconsin TU Mark Kraft Madison WI % Doug Brown Barb and Joe Kruse LaCrosse WI R4800 Timber Lane Joseph Kubale Dane WI Ringle, WI 54471 Thomas Lukas Manitowoc WI Thomas and Larissa Lyon Janesville WI Douglas MacFarland DousmanWI Name Brian Madsen Ellsworth WI Anna Magnin MarshfieldWI Address Kevin Mahaney Middleton WI Kim McCarthy Green Bay WI Austin McGuan Green Bay WI City, State Zip Phone # Page 12 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 Stories from the river Montana’s Flathead River float trip of a lifetime Words and photos by Wilderness. Jonathan B. Levine The primitive upper stretch is ac- cessible only by plane, mule or on We broke camp quickly on our foot. Those three options were men- last morning in the Great Bear Wil- tioned in the outfitter’s literature, derness of Northwest Montana. and I hoped for a plane, but, at the This was our last day in the wild and outfitter’s camp at West Glacier, we our tents did not require a shake learned we were walking the six- out. Breakfast dishes were stowed mile Granite Trail through the Flat- unwashed. This morning, I did not head National Forest. The moun- sort my clothes and doodads. Civili- tain snowpack had all but zation would require its own sorting. disappeared on this second week in The upper section of the Middle July and most of the rivulets and fork of the Flathead River flowed seeps still running off the mountain about 10 feet from my tent door. It walls would be dry in a week or two. was quite a view, but I was ready to We forded a few small cold go. streams, and the grade was mostly We had a safe trip, and hot show- gentle at about 4500 feet; still, my ers were close. The fish had cooper- body and I seem to remember the ated every day, the wilderness acted climbs and descents most vividly. wild and folks on the trip were good There was majesty here, but I was MOUNTAIN GOAT MEMORIES companions. working too hard to appreciate it Getting a glimps of these mountain goats added yet another amazing memory The celebration in my raft began much. I will have to return to identi- to an incredible western float trip. as we floated away from camp. Our fy the wild flowers and birdsong. oarsman pulled a boombox from his After several hours of work and organized me! We humans trav- and put in the line just for this pos- dry-pack. “Hendrix was a fly fisher,” sweat, I noticed that my pants began elled ahead, by foot, and I carried sibility. I joked. to fit. Our trail was through subal- too much weight and too little expe- There is a definite protocol “No he wasn’t,” our oarsman pine terrain, mostly on mountain rience. I carried a hydration pack, when a mule train approaches you said. Well, his poetry now suggested ledge, not scary, provided you did filled, an extra water bottle, a fixed on a narrow mountain trail. The hu- he had been here. not look at the valley below. Most of blade knife, a ferro rod and com- mans proceed until they find a spot “Strange beautiful grass of green, the time, the fast way down was pass, sun and mosquito spray, bear on the low side of the trail where With your majestic silver seas masked by shrub and vegetation on spray with holster, a rain jacket and they can step off to make way. We Your mysterious mountains I the low side so, out of sight, out of pants, some first aid supplies and a are to remove our scary looking wish to see closer mind. personal locator beacon, a four- packs, put down paddles or rods, May I land my kinky machine?” Eventually, the path turned right weight fly rod in its tube, a reel and and talk softly to the mules as they (Hendrix, Third Stone From the and a towering mountain face came kit, (to fish before the mule train approach. Sun.) into view directly ahead. We arrived,) a candy bar or two that I The train came to a halt at the I tried to cast in rhythm, not to stopped to look. We knew that the never had the energy to eat small clearing where we stood. Mol- rising cutthroats, but to bass lines Middle Fork ran far below, between About 30 minutes from the river, ly was tall and the stirrups were and drum beats, which bounced off that almost vertical wall of sun-lit I turned my ankle on a gentle in- high. A wrangler instructed me to narrow canyon walls. Jimmy’s riff pines across the way and the shad- cline. This was a preexisting weak- move to the high side and climb a cut through the noise of wind and owed mountain shelf where we ness and was not severe, but I saw couple of yards up the mountain to water. Music in the boat? Don’t be stood. The river was ahead, all right, that the last portion of the hike was gain elevation relative to the sad- too judgmental. This morning, it felt but descent to the valley floor was over a boulder-lined dry stream dle. With a little help from my right. not as close as first thought. Immen- bed. So, I decided to sample mule friends I climbed on board. The trip started without music, sity was a joker. We had a way to go. travel. The wranglers, who were Molly was gentle and surefoot- five days earlier. Wild, protected Tents, packs and provisions went traveling about a half mile behind ed, and she protested not at all that and free flowing, the Middle Fork of in by mule line, led by wranglers us human load bearers, were noti- I violated government guidelines the Flathead rises in the Bob Mar- who carefully gathered, weighed fied by walkie talkie that I wanted a for weight based on age and height. shall Wilderness and flows north- and distributed the loads for each ride. They soon brought up Molly, She got me to the river. Dearest west into the contiguous Great Bear mule at trail head. I wish they had who had apparently been saddled Molly. Montana by train: the Empire Builder

Mike and I had planned to drive to north- which was separated from the main river by had struck up a conversation. west Montana so we could see the country at wooded islands. Breaks in the foliage offered Here is why on-time performance is impor- ground level. Then we had a better idea. At the glimpses of the main river. As the light fell, tant for the Empire Builder experience: Toward Milwaukee Intermodal Station we boarded glassy water changed color and dusk masked an the end of the second day on the train, the Amtrak’s famed Empire Builder, which travels earthen lock dam in the distance. Fishing boats Rockies appear out the window, large and sud- from Chicago to Seattle and Portland. sped along side us, on their way home before denly, ranging north to south. There is no warn- The ticket price was reasonable, especially dark. ing, no overture of foothills or fanfare of after considering the cost of gas, food and lodg- We woke up the next morning to a vast, flat changing topography. Simply, there is flat land ing and also the fatigue we would have arriving land with no trees, hills, cattle, people, farm one mile, and high mountains the next. You at West Glacier after hours of highway driving. buildings, cars or tractors, in short, nothing we don’t want to miss this spectacle because you So, we boarded the west-bound train, broke out had seen from the same windows while crossing arrived after dark. our refreshments and had a couple of toasts Wisconsin the afternoon before. But we saw The train slowed as we entered the Rockies, even before Tomah. Then we went for a walk to bare earth and short grass to the horizon, and the sun having already set behind a mountain to explore. for me, this had a positive emotional effect like the northwest. Our route was along the south- I had reserved the very last “roomette” watching the sea. These were the Great Plains ern edge of Glacier National Park and our des- about a month before our travel. This consisted of North Dakota. tination was the western entry to the park. The of two comfortable seats which fold down into Perhaps there were slight rises on the hori- traverse across the park was about two hours. bunk beds. For two non-amorous (with each zon, and maybe there were rivers in fissures we At one point, looking closely out the window at other) people, the room was snug but okay. Be- could not see. But mostly the land just rolled streams and valley and forest, we saw a small cause we were in a sleeper car, meals in the din- on. Eventually we saw an occasional pumpjack, rectangular sign which said, “Continental Di- ing car were included in the fare. A car the seesaw-like devices which pressurize oil vide.” Sure enough, after that sign, we started attendant made our meal reservations, pre- wells and an occasional shed. Below us was the to descend. pared the beds, helped with luggage, and was Bakken Formation, an important oil source Our station, West Glacier, was simply a plat- available to apologize for deficiencies in the with the advent of hydraulic fracturing. But form. By prearrangement, a Kalispell car rental rolling stock as was sometimes required. Ulti- over a couple of hours at least, I saw not one company had left a car for us with the key in the mately, we only paid coach fare, because the air pump in operation. ignition. The next day we drove to the park, less conditioning failed in our car during the hot Ju- The Plains flowed into Montana and occa- than a mile from our motel, and took a shuttle ly night and Amtrak provided a refund of the sionally the train would stop in a small town and tour on the Going to The Sun Road. This is not sleeping car premium. we could look out the window, or stroll the plat- to be missed. Once again, leaving the driving to But you could see out the windows, and what form, to determine if these traveling westerners others allowed us to concentrate on the gran- you saw was your country, and creation. What a looked any different from us. (They did not.) deur without Mike yelling at me to keep my show. We reached the Mississippi River at dusk Sometimes a small store would advertise dino- eyes on the road. and we followed it, or a tributary, for about half saur bones. A dozen or more young Amish peo- —Jonathan B. Levine an hour. We followed a canopied back water ple traveled the route for a while, and I wish I Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 13

Fishing was excellent. The water dis on the water then, we asked? was green and blue like the Carib- Abby pointed out the lack of aquat- bean and the crystal clarity meant ic plant life and said that because of you could see a fish swim a distance the sterility of the mountain water, to attack. There was no excuse to there were very few species of cad- miss the eat. Unless, of course, you dis present and this one wasn’t missed it. ready to rise Throughout my fly-fishing ca- The third day was time for hel- reer, I have found that the best way mets and a safety briefing, which to raise a fish, anywhere, is to day our trip leader called “the price of dream and look at scenery. This ac- admission.” We had arrived at a se- counted for a few missed fish, but ries of class IV and V plunge pools there were other things not to miss. known as Spruce Park. At each Canyon walls above clouds, snow on pool, the guides hiked down river to the peaks, white-spotted buffle- scout and confer. What were the hy- head ducks swimming down river. draulics? What is the best line of at- Mountain goats, forest and moving tack? Where can an oarsman catch water. Sometimes the wind changed an eddy to rest, if necessary? What direction suddenly, or had the river is the rescue plan and who will changed direction? The power of shoot first, to wait downstream with winter avalanches, seen now, in Ju- the rescue line and throw bag? ly, by the broad ski-slope shaped Should the customers take the ride THE REWARD! HUNGRY WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT! paths they had scoured through or walk the mountain? The fish are opportunistic, and the best dry fly was whatever you liked, which mountain forest. Evidence of past We were advised to kneel in the usually meant any large bushy concoction, or a Wulff-style. To imitate the burns. Sometimes, a guide could raft and use the rope handrails. We sparse but usually present gray drake dun, a somewhat less visible size 14-16 state the name and the year of a learned what to do if we fell out of parachute worked well. fire. The green regeneration on the the boat, if our partner fell out or if avalanche path and the forest floor the oarsman fell out. We learned plunge pool. It was obvious he did ment. To rest? Big Paw continued were more good reasons to miss a the oarsman’s hand commands not intend to be there. When he up, slowly. Eventually, with a small fish. should we get stuck in an eddy or, reached quiet water below the pool, extra push of its fat furry rear legs, I caught as many fish as I want- even worse, trapped by a sweeper. he swam behind a boulder just the bear crested the lip of a ridge, ed. It did not take great technical We learned hand signals if we fell downstream from our raft. He con- perhaps 200 feet above the beach. skill. These fish, mostly westslope overboard, and instructions on how tinued to chirp, presumably calling The edge crumbled some under the cutthroat, were takers, not sippers, to swim the rapids. As the trip lead- for mom and dad. Every 20 seconds weight and there was a small rock and typically 10 to 15 inches. Still, er showed me how to tighten my or so, he would swim out from his fall. Then it disappeared. The ridge combatting drag with frequent helmet, I mentioned that I had ne- boulder into the main current, look ran down river. We were down river. mends was important in a moving glected to sign his company’s re- up stream, and call out. Then, he While we sat in our rafts, stunned raft. One time, I caught two cut- lease of liability back at West swam back to his boulder shelter. and mostly silent, I noticed that throats simultaneously, on two dry Glacier. I think he laughed. We assume he eventually found his there was a gully from the ridge flies. Occasionally we would see the The pools were taken one raft at way up and over land to rejoin his down to the gravel beach next to our shadow of a large bull trout follow- a time and, once through, the rafts family. At least that’s the happy end- raft. Why, I asked myself, would a ing the hooked cutthroat. Bull trout would congregate at the bottom to ing we hoped for as we pushed off bear climb all the way up that cliff are in the char family, rare, storied, wait for the rafts which followed. down river, distress chirps still con- simply to descend again? Still, as we and in trouble for various reasons. You had to look up hill to see up- stant. waited for the upstream rafts, I kept It is illegal to target them. stream. A raft would come into view Our group was congenial, mostly looking over my shoulder. Another fisherperson caught a and we could watch as it descended from nearby Kalispell, two father- On our last day, our oarsman brook trout and this was discussed the steps of the pool, one level, then daughter pairs, a couple celebrating worked much harder as a gusty wind later, among the guides. Brook another, sometimes disappearing their anniversary and a couple of funneled up canyon. Sometimes, it trout are trash fish in this water- for a moment and sometimes twirl- guys from Milwaukee. Each day, the was all he could do to keep us from shed, feared as invaders and dis- ing as the oarsman prepared his or pack raft oarsman would float ahead floating upstream, and sometimes, placers. For one thing, a brookie her angle through the next chute. In and set up our camp before we ar- we were blown upstream. I could will mate with the bull trout, yield- my Western white-water experi- rived. I had never had someone just sit there and listen to the music. ing sterile offspring. This disrespect ence I have noticed an interesting pitch a tent for me, but I can get We knew we were close to put for the brookie was understandable, gender difference. Male oarsmen used to it. Food was cooked on a fire out when we started to see folks but unsettling. To each his own na- shoot white water with brute pan which we carried, and our Wis- walking the shore up river. We tive range. strength and sometimes they need consin craft beer compared favor- turned a corner and there was an as- The Flathead, at least our all of it. Women oarsmen, less mus- ably to Montana brews. I was not phalt boat ramp where the river stretch of the Middle Fork, is not cular and powerful, rely on tech- amenable to St. Louis beer, howev- meets U.S. 2, the southwest corner fertile. The fish are opportunistic, nique. Their execution is almost er. We had lunches on the small of Glacier National Park on river and the best dry fly was whatever always smoother, straighter and beaches along the river, and I right and the Flathead National For- you liked, which usually meant any true. The male oarsmen I have talk- learned to like Hormel peperoni est on the left. The trip was over, ex- large bushy concoction, or a Wulff- ed to agree on this. Do not fear a even though we were paying hand- cept for the feeling in my heart while style. To imitate the sparse but usu- woman oarsman. carved prosciutto prices. Happiness remembering and writing this jour- ally present gray drake dun, a some- One time, we were waiting for sometimes means you go with the nal. what less visible size 14-16 the other rafts to descend when a flow. parachute worked well. bewildered-looking otter pup came The Great Bear Wilderness is A five-weight rod was ideal, giv- riding down the pool, head up, aptly named. Several guides carried en the wind and size of the barbless chest erect, paddling, but at the bear spray on their belts and at least flies. At camp our expedition ento- mercy of the river. He looked right two guides holstered .45 semiauto- mologist, Abby, produced a bright- and left, right and left, chirping matics. No scrap of food was ever green caddis larva, well segmented, loudly, a natural swimmer, of knowingly left on the ground and say size 12. Why didn’t we see cad- course, but not in control in this food was stored in metal boxes. Al- so, pursuant to forest service regula- tion, at least one guide always slept outdoors with the food. We heard a few stories about bears in camp, but none which involved shots being fired. Someday, I would like to be so in tune with my surroundings that I am the first person to spot an anomaly, the deviation in the wild which re- veals something exciting. A tailing fish, perhaps, or nervous water, a fish shadow, or in this case a head too large to be a typical swimming mammal. “Yes, that’s a bear,” I an- swered. Of course, there was noth- ing subtle about the yellow/brown head making way toward our side of Elevate your fly fishing to a new the river, about a football field up- level. The Original BlueSky stream. The matted hair emerged as about 500 pounds of grizzly, slow Furled Leader. Sizes for all fish & LAST SET OF RAPIDS. THROW BAG AT THE READY. moving, graceful and oblivious to us. fishing conditions. BlueSky - the At each pool, the guides hiked down river to scout and confer. What were the It crossed the narrow beach and leader in furled leaders.TM hydraulics? What is the best line of attack? Where can an oarsman catch an started a slow climb up the steep eddy to rest, if necessary? What is the rescue plan and who will shoot first, to scree face of the mountainside. FurledLeaders.com Midway up, there was a scrawny [email protected] • Ph/Fax 920-822-5396 wait downstream with the rescue line and throw bag? Should the customers tree, the only tree on the cliff, and take the ride or walk the mountain? the bear stopped there for a mo- 1237 Yurek Rd., Pulaski WI 54162 USA Page 14 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 Rich Osthoff’s Beadhead Squirrel Nymph Tied by Rich Osthoff

Hook: Nymph hook of your choice #14,#12, #10 Step 2 - Tie in a strand of copper Step 4 – Wrap the tinsel through Thread: Tan or brown colored oval tinsel. the dubbing and tie down. Bead: Rainbow color sized for hook used Tail: Krystal Flash (4 strands) Body: Dubbed natural squirrel Ribbing: Oval tinsel copper color

Rich’s Beadhead Squirrel Nymph is fairly simple to tie and has that “buggy” look that the fish like. It is one of his favorites for prospecting the streams in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin. A natural squirrel color dubbing is used for most of the body and squirrel belly Step 3 – Dub the body fairly Step 5 – Using a lighter color color is used just behind the bead. After it is tied, it is picked out to heavy with natural squirrel such as squirrel belly hair, make it look even more buggy. You can tie these in a number of dubbing. You can blend in some continue dubbing up to the bead different sizes and color patterns. Consider changing the weight by ICE dubbing into the squirrel and tie off. using brass beads or tungsten beads, and even adding wraps of lead or dubbing, if you desire. Stop lead-free wire to the hook shank. about 1/8” before the bead. Step 6 – Pick out the dubbing to make it even buggier looking. Step 1 – Place bead on hook and insert in vise. Start thread You can use a brush as shown, and advance to middle of shank. or any other dubbing picker. Tie in 2 strands of Krystal Flash folded over to make 4 strands. You are now ready to get it wet Tie down on back of shank and and catch some fish. trim.

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INDICATORS, FROM PAGE 10

Above, from left: A Palsa foam indicator. Palsas are easy to use but may lose their grip on the leader. They are strictly a one-use item and appear to have Above are “loop on” style indicators. At left is a New Zealand Strike Indicator. A about the same half-life as Carbon 14 when discarded at streamside. Next is a small piece of wool is affixed to the leader in a loop retained by a short section Thill Ice n’ Fly. It’s durable, casts decently, offers good flotation and the of vinyl tubing. I’m impressed by them, primarily because they cast superbly contrasting paint scheme is easy to track on the water. There is no slot in it, so and land more quietly than any other indicator I’ve tried. They also kink the installing it or removing it can entail some effort. In the center is my personal leader less than one might imagine. An explanatory video that’s also fun to favorite, adapted from a Lindy Rig component. I buy a pack of these for next to watch is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuMkTyGfyHU. The nothing at the local “Man’s Mall,” saw a slot down the length with an Xacto two indicators to the right are variations on a theme. The big yellow fuzzball is saw and pin it to the leader with piece of flat toothpick. They’re easy to install, synthetic yarn while the miniature whiskbroom is comprised of foam strips. In adjust or remove, hit the water quietly and cast well. Durability is so-so, but, practice the yarn is treated with floatant, while the foam floats unaided. They again, they’re cheap. The fluorescent raspberry “football” next to it has a land quietly, but present considerable air resistance while casting. Next, we length of stretch tubing through its center. The tubing grips the leader and hold have the classic Thingamabobber. They are available in several diameters and the indicator in place via a friction fit – theoretically. I’ve seen several of them colors, have incredible buoyancy, are easily adjustable but stay put decently fly off in vigorous casting. On the far right is an Air-Lock strike indicator. This is and are durable. They’re great for flinging heavy nymphs and split shot, but an offshoot of the nearly ubiquitous Thingamabobber. It has a slot in a don’t hit the water with much grace. On the far right is a Bentley’s Ball. It’s a threaded extension through which the leader passes. A small plastic nut hard foam indicator that offers typically good flotation. It attaches to the leader threads down atop the assembly to hold the indicator in position. This via a double length of rubber band that drawn up into the indicator. I believe indicator offers tremendous flotation and doesn’t kink the leader, but the slot is these are available from chapter friend Andy Roth at Gray Goat Fly Fishing. narrow and it’s easy to drop and lose the plastic nut in the heat of battle. We come now to two highly specialized indicators. On the left is a length of Kahuna LT indicator material from Rio Products. It’s a specialized kind of level floating flyline with extra flotation built in. It’s sold in lengths of approximately two feet. On the right is a ball formed from strike putty (The material pictured is from Orvis and is no longer available, but Loon Outdoors markets a functionally identical product under the trade name Biostrike). The salient feature of both materials is the delicacy with which they land on the water. This can be critical in specific situations. My friend Craig was masterful at recognizing when fish rising in thin, flat water weren’t taking naturals on the surface as it appeared, but instead taking, say, emergent blue-winged olive nymphs from just under it. He’d rig a small unweighted soft hackle nymph on a light tippet and put just the smallest dab of strike putty 18-24 inches above the nymph. It was amazing to see how well this worked.

Scott W. Grady Rodmaker

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NPSF TU and get your Local Speaker: Wisconsin TU David Rowe, Fisheries Supervisor, Wi DNR license plates now. 'DYLGLVDQDWLYHRI0LGGOHWRQ:LVFRQVLQDQGEHJDQKLV FDUHHUZLWKWKH:'15LQDVD)LVKHULHV5HVHDUFK Go to: 7HFKQLFLDQDQGLVQRZWKH)LVKHULHV7HDP6XSHUYLVRUIRU WKH)LWFKEXUJ)LVKHULHV7HDP+HLVUHVSRQVLEOHIRU:'15 ÀVKHULHVPDQDJHPHQWIRUDOORI6RXWKZHVW:LVFRQVLQDQG www.dot.state.wi.us LVKDSS\WRVKDUHWKHVWDWXVDQGWUHQGVRIRXUORFDOÀVKHULHV /drivers/vehicles/ For more information: swtu.org personal/special/ trout.htm Page 16 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 Chasing TU’s Utah Cutthroat Slam By Heidi Lewis the slam, and came up with a plan. Brian and Brooke Harris were also When Heather Hodson calls I in on the planning. They have each know things are about to get good. I completed the slam multiple times don’t see her often, but when I do, it and their help was invaluable. often means an epic fishing adven- I wouldn’t say any location was ture is in the works. “easy,” but everyone caught fish. As Heather volunteers as TU’s we continued to the last day, and the Western U.S. Diversity and Wom- most technical fishing, for Yellow- en’s Initiative Ambassador. She also stone cutthroat, we were almost do- started United Women on the Fly, ne with our adventure. The streams an online community helping wom- where the Yellowstone cutthroat en anglers and would-be fly fishers live are tiny. We fished for the connect with other women for fish- Bonneville, Colorado and Bear Riv- ing trips, advice and fun. er cutthroat. They are eager to eat a Heather was taking a cross-coun- dry fly, but setting the hook under a try trip from Tennessee to Montana blanket of brush is challenging. with Jen Ripple, editor of DUN The day was drawing near. I magazine, and Geri Meyer of The wanted to make sure the others Driftless Angler in Wisconsin. They caught fish, but I had to finish. As

wanted to spend some time in Utah the other gals were focused on land- Brian Harris along the way. The Utah Cutthroat ing their fish, I walked down stream. Slam immediately came to mind. I needed to get a fish in the net to UTAH CUTTHROAT SLAM GANG TU and the Utah Division of complete the slam. Wildlife Resources created the The only unfished water in walk- Heidi Lewis, left, took her friends Heather Hodson, Jen Ripple and Geri Meyer Utah Cutthroat Slam to encourage ing distance was limited, and the (left to right) on a Utah Cutthroat Slam adventure this summer. anglers to explore new places in brush was beyond thick. Memories I had a minute to reflect on what casts. These fish are not necessarily Utah while fishing for the state’s of my childhood in Wisconsin and I had done: I caught four distinct picky, but they like a gentle presen- four native cutthroat trout species in fishing with a stick, line and a worm cutthroat trout subspecies in their tation of a dry fly and a natural their native range. I was only one cane to mind. native range. drift. fish shy of completing the slam, and I grabbed a stick, tied on a 5x tip- The real bonus of the slam is the I think the next time I “guide” fly I knew where to take these gals to pet and sailor ant pattern. I swung experience you can have with your fishers on the slam it will be my two fish. The only kicker here was that the ant upstream over a small log friends and all the amazing places daughters. I may even make them we only had 72 hours to catch four and let it drift. As I twitched it up- you get to visit. I know there is so use a streamside stick like I did. different cutthroat in their native stream I felt a hit, but could not see much more of Utah to explore, and Heidi Lewis is the diversity and drainages. anything under the log. Miss! I tried next time I attempt a slam I will do women’s initiative leader for the Utah If you know fly fishing, you know again, and missed again. It turns out it in entirely different places. That’s Council of Trout Unlimited. She lives why it’s called fishing and not catch- you can’t quite feel the hit with a exciting. in Salt Lake City with her husband ing. There are no guarantees, except streamside stick. I twitched the ant Sharing my home state and the and two daughters. She also started that we’d have fun along the way. upstream and the fish ate again. many dirt roads that led us to these the Utah Women Flyfishers group. That I didn’t doubt. This time I set the hook a bit harder beautiful trout was the biggest joy. Heidi ended up becoming the I brainstormed with TU staffer and landed a beautiful little Yellow- It was a bit of a challenge catching 300th participant to complete the Brett Prettyman, who helped create stone cutthroat. It worked! fish in small streams with technical Utah Cutthroat Slam. Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 17 Invasives update By Natalie Dutack, Watershed Groups addition, will be introducing our Manager, River Alliance of Wisconsin “Adopt-a-Wader Wash Station” ini- tiative. To make this program a suc- We have had great success part- cess, River Alliance needs your nering with TU chapters to build help. and install wader wash stations across the state. How can you help? In 2017 we partnered with the Upper Sugar River Watershed As- • Find stations near you: Using our sociation, DNR and the SWTU to current inventory, participants in build and install 30 wader wash sta- this station scavenger hunt will tions in Dane County to prevent the help us confirm locations in the spread of New Zealand mudsnails field as well as their conditions. (NZMS) and other invasive species. • Report the stations you know We have helped provide educational and/or maintain. If there is a sta- signs, station designs and materials tion that is not on our inventory, to groups seeking to add stations at we need to know. Reporting sta- access points on priority waters. tions you know exist will help us This work is increasingly impor- find any “lost” locations. Similar- tant, as we end 2018 with news of ly, if your chapter has stations NZMS spreading to two new they help maintain, we are work- streams. ing on matching these two pieces NZMS was first discovered in together. Black Earth Creek in 2013, and has • Orphaned stations: Some sta- now spread to five new locations, all tions need stewards. We will seek within Dane and Columbia coun- to place these candidates with ties: Badger Mill Creek (2016), groups who can maintain them Rowan Creek (2017), Mount Ver- through our “Adopt-a-Wader non Creek (2017), and most recent- Wash Station” program. ly the Oregon Branch of Badfish • Build more stations: We are Creek (2018) and Brewery Creek looking for groups interested in STEWARDSHIP, from page 1 grants and private groups (like TU) (2018). building wader wash stations for to maximize the impact. While steam is the only effective 2019 and recommendations for used funds in this program to secure While the funding generated in way to kill NZMS, implementing new station sites. more than 230 miles of public fish- the Trout Stamp account has been clean angling practices is critical to ing easements on streams and rivers flat for more than a decade, the cost preventing the spread. Building If you are interested in volun- throughout our state. Indeed, trout of doing stream improvement proj- wader wash stations across the state teering for any of these efforts or fishing and the stewardship program ects continues to rise. A price in- is a critical step in this fight. would like more information on our go hand in hand. crease in raw materials, labor and As we move into 2019 we are clean angling programs, please con- It’s time to re-authorize the equipment results in less restoration looking to “re-boot” the wash-sta- tact Natalie Dutack at Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Pro- work as more of the budget is eaten tion program, adding more options, [email protected] or gram and make the investments up by these costs. updated signs and station maps. In 608-257-2424 x 111. needed to maintain Wisconsin’s A $5 increase would put the pro- proud outdoor heritage. gram back ahead of inflation – and more in line with the cost of a trout License fee increase stamp in Iowa ($14.50) and Minne- sota ($11). This modest increase, Wisconsin TU (along with 14 about the price of a spinner, a cou- other sporting organizations) is sup- ple of flies, or two dozen night portive of a fee increase proposal crawlers per angler, would generate that would raise the state’s Inland more than $700,000 of stream resto- Trout Stamp fee to $15. Under this ration funds. proposal, other user fees would in- It will be imperative as we move crease as well, such as the Great through the budget process that we Lakes trout stamp, waterfowl stamp make our legislators aware of the and trapping license. benefits these fee programs provide. Wisconsin’s inland and Great Please watch for Wisconsin Trout Lakes trout stamp fees have re- Unlimited Action Alert emails with mained at $10 since 2006. These more information about reaching self-imposed user fees provide valu- out to your representatives regard- able funding for much of the trout ing these issues. Thank you for stay- stream restoration work happening ing informed and speaking up on in our state. These trout stamp dol- behalf of our coldwater resources. lars are often matched by federal

We’re Celebrating 25 Years

By partnering with conservation groups we protect and enhance quality lake and river fishing. Through our fundraising efforts, we donate to children’s fishing programs, conservation groups such as The River Alliance. We fund boat ramp improvements and work in cooperation with the Fisheries Bureau, Conservation Congress, and the Natural Resources Board. Wisconsin Smallmouth Alliance Join the fun - wisconsinsmallmouth.com Page 18 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 Chapter News

Aldo Leopold Chapter

At our October board meeting, with beaver activity on both Bear we approved, for the second time, a and Rowan Creeks. While squeez- pledge of $500 to the Riverland ing in an end-of-season angling ses- Conservancy for a wetland restora- sion on Bear Creek, I ran into tion project on the Merrimac Pre- Dalton Herold, who works for US- serve, through which Manley Creek DA’s Animal and Plant Health In- runs. A grant proposal for this proj- spection Service (APHIS), doing ect failed to secure funding in 2017, beaver control. He was checking on and the Conservancy, under the a dam on Bear Creek where beavers guidance of new Director Jessica had been removed and the dam had Renley, is submitting a new applica- been breached. He said several bea- tion for this proposal. We were hap- vers had already been trapped on py to add our support to this new Rowan and that dam had also been grant application. opened up as well, just in time for On November 3 I attended the fall spawning activity. Conservation Field Day at the Mer- Although we are lucky to have rimac Conservation Club to speak the APHIS responding quickly to to a group of young hunters about beaver problems on our streams TU, the activities of the Aldo Leop- and their excellent work is much ap- old Chapter and the wonderful op- preciated, we are disappointed to SPECIAL AWARD portunity available to them at the report that a recent viewing of the At the Central Wisconsin Chapter’s recent banquet, Dan Harmon III received a 2019 WITU Fishing Camp in Rowan Creek dam revealed that it Special Appreciation Award from the State Council. Waushara County. I handed out has been rebuilt and water is being copies of Wisconsin Trout with its impounded again, though not quite timely feature article on the 2018 as high as before. Central Wisconsin Chapter camp. I encouraged them to consid- In addition to that discovery, er the camp, and that our chapter DNR Fish Manager Nate Nye just CWTU is having a stellar year Workday committee members would sponsor them. informed us of a new dam located thanks to our volunteers. include Dennis Drazkowski, Tom We recently pledged $250 to- just upstream from East Street and CWTU has been busy maintain- Meyer, Laura Tucker and Chris ward a River Alliance grant applica- the Poynette Village boundary. ing and restoring our precious water Northway. Restoration projects tion aimed at preventing, More trapping is called for before so the next generation can enjoy. have now been completed on those controlling and monitoring aquatic removal of the dams will be any- We had five work days this year. rivers. Together we are able to make invasive species in Wisconsin thing but temporary. Our volunteers are phenomenal. a difference. streams. ALCTU is once again on the list Workday Coordinator Dennis Draz- Our last workday was in Septem- The grant would provide educa- to fill a fly box list for the 2019 State kowski makes the workdays flow ber on the Pine River in Waushara tion on clean angling practices, in- Council Banquet in February, so smoothly. Our members performed County. Nearly 30 individuals at- stallation of signage and wader chapter fly tyers are once again a total of 922 volunteer work and tended from CWTU, the Fox Valley wash stations at key stream loca- challenged to crank out a half doz- travel hours. Chapter and the DNR. Volunteers tions. With New Zealand mud- en or more of their best stuff so we We are grateful for the leader- were divided into three DNR-led snails already having become can fill a box once again. Flies can ship of the DNR’s Shawn Sullivan work crews. One crew built and in- established in Rowan Creek, we are be brought to our January 9, 2019 and his crew for making the work stalled in-water wood deflectors to definitely on board with in support- board meeting or mailed to Mike days successful. We could not ac- encourage stream flow into the two ing the River Alliance in their excel- Stapleton (address on page 3) by complish the great restoration work bank covers constructed during the lent work to minimize the spread of the date of that meeting. without great leadership. We are August workday. Another crew built these invasives. —Mike Stapleton grateful for the partnerships and fi- brush bundles from the brushing We have had issues this past year nancial contributions from individu- and removal of invasive vegetation, als and chapters dedicated to e.g., glossy buckthorn. And the third Antigo Chapter conserving, protecting and restoring crew placed protective covering and Wisconsin’s coldwater fisheries. fencing and trees that were newly We are finishing up the year-end able to provide $8,000 for these Other TU chapters participating in planted in May during the Trees for things. Just a few weeks ago we projects. the 2018 CWTU workdays were Fox Trout workday. Lunch was prepared brought brook trout eggs to the We are working on our annual Valley, Elliott Donnelly, Shaw-Paca by Dennis Drazkowski. The Pine three high schools we are serving fundraising banquet which is Satur- and Frank Hornberg chapters. River project is now complete. this year: Antigo, Witt-Burn and day, March 30 at the Northstar Habitat restoration projects took Planned workday in 2019 will fo- Bowler. Banquet Center. place at three locations in 2018: the cus on Bird Creek, with restoration We attended the WITU’s North- One project we are working on is White River, West Branch of the efforts beginning adjacent to Bird east Regional meeting in Decem- with the Moose Lake Association, White River (WBWR), and the Pine Creek Park in Wautoma. Work will ber. It was good to see everyone to help fund and replace a culvert River. Special highlights of the year include brushing, building new bank again. The region again did itself on Crestwood Road that is set to included a plant identification con- covers, mending braids and exotic proud in funding DNR and U.S. high and limiting fish movement test created by the DNR’s Jamie and invasive species removal. Funds Forest Service staff to work on cold- and limiting water flow. Rupple, shore-side music by Al for this project were obtained from water projects. Our chapter was —Scott Henricks Sanders playing his fiddle, a black grants awarded by the Trout and bear and the help of the WITU Salmon Foundation, Embrace-a- Blackhawk Chapter Youth Fishing Camp students. Stream, donations from the Elliott

The Blackhawk Chapter held Sawmill, plans for Skinner Creek its annual fundraising banquet in and the Little Sugar River. Chris September at Boundaries in Be- mentioned several opportunities loit. Everyone had a fun evening for Blackhawk to help with vege- full of good food, bucket raffles, tation removal on areas of Dough- door prizes and more. Duke Wel- erty, Sawmill and the Little Sugar ter shared the importance of the River. many conservation projects BTU Ron Machajewski and Don has been part of and the impor- Studt are conducting the chapter’s tance of continuing Trout Unlimit- winter fly-tying classes in 2019. ed’s efforts to protect coldwater Classes will be held on Thurs- habitat in Wisconsin. Thanks to days beginning January 3 from everyone’s hard work, the banquet 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Basics was a big success. Cooperative Natural Foods in At our November meeting Janesville. Classes continue Janu- Chris Newberry, Conservation ary 10, 17, 24; February 7, 14, 21; Technician with the Green County March 7, 14, 21. The low, low Land and Water Conservation price of $20 helps offset the cost Department, provided an update of materials. of conservation projects in the ar- If you’re interested in learning ea. how to tie, improving your skills, Chris reviewed past work on or maybe just telling a few fishing Hefty Creek, the Little Sugar Riv- stories, come out and join the RIVER KEEPERS OF THE YEAR er, Ward Creek and Sawmill group. Creek. He also shared plans for —Phil Kirker Lynn and Frank Druecke receive the River Keeper of the Year Award from by future projects including work on Bob Jozwowski. Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 19 Chapter News

Donnelly TU chapter and the Jef- April 9: “Wisconsin Hatches— is pursuing his M.S. in Biology at ‘N’ Feather, 22 W. Main St., Win- frey Wilcox Memorial Fund. The Bugs and the Flies UW-Oshkosh starting the fall of neconne. This is a day of education The Riverkeepers were busy to Imitate Them,” by Tom Lager 2019. He came highly recommended and fun related to trout fishing and monitoring the streams and rivers May 14: Bob Hunt Science Pro- by Professor of Biology, Robert conservation. Free admission to all. monthly. They are 97 volunteers gram; “A Night with Linn Beck,” Stelzer. Nathan’s Master’s thesis The CWTU Dan Harmon III strong, monitoring 55 sites, thanks with interviewer John Gremmer project will focus on assessing ther- Annual Fly Fishing School will be to the efforts of Bob Joswowski, our mal barriers for brown trout and held at the Riverside Bible Camp on Riverkeeper coordinator. The mon- Our 47th conservation banquet other coldwater fish species in lake the Waupaca River in Amherst June itoring of the streams was complet- was held in October at the Best outflow reaches of streams in Cen- 1- 2. Another great year is planned. ed after the September monitoring Western Premier Waterfront Hotel tral Wisconsin. Emmons Creek near Is there anything better than being occurred. The monitoring kits have and Convention Center in Oshkosh. Fountain Lake will be a starting next to the water, learning about fly been recollected and will be resup- It was an enjoyable event hosting point, but 2-3 additional streams in fishing from some of the best men- plied by Bob and his crew in prepa- 128 attendees. Gerry Strom enter- Central Wisconsin will be included tors? Jeff Treu, John Gremmer and ration for 2019. tained us on the piano. Shawn Sulli- in the study over time. many others work hard to provide a The Riverkeepers appreciation van helped host the event and gave Beginning Fly Tying Class will memorable hands-on experience of dinner was held in November at the an authentic, entertaining and ac- once again start in January 2019 un- a lifetime, carrying on the experi- Fin and Feather in Winneconne. tion-packed review of the 2018 work der the leadership of Dave Pabel. ence created by Dan Harmon III. Frank and Lynn Druecke received days plus an introduction to plans Check the CWTU website for more Thanks again to all our volun- the honor of Riverkeepes of the for 2019. Great things have hap- information and registration. teers for making our chapter awe- year for their hard work. We thank pened under Shawn’s leadership. The Master’s Fly Tying class will some. The chapter would not be them for their donation of time and CWTU is blessed to have Shawn also be held starting in January 2019 successful without the talent and ef- expertise. If you wish to make a dif- Sullivan and the DNR crew, leaders and is coordinated by Tom Meyer. fort of our members. ference, join the Riverkeepers. We in their field, guide us with their res- This class is already full. —Laura Tucker are always looking for new partici- toration plans and projects. TroutFest is Saturday, February pants. You do not need to be a CW- We presented awards to Gerry 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Fin TU member. Strom, Bob Jozwowski and Dan Our educational programs start- Harmon III. This year had a new Coulee Region Chapter ed again in September. The public is format. Instead of the walk-around welcome at no charge. In September raffle, raffle boards were presented we had a presentation on Spring with more winners. Wayne Yoder In December we tried a new ven- This month’s meeting is January Ponds by Jim Hauer and Tony Gar- entertained the crowd with his “soft ue and event for our monthly meet- 16 at the American Legion in vey. October was our Annual Con- voice” during the live auction. Ira ing and gathering. We met at the Viroqua. Duke Welter is the guest servation Banquet. In November Giese won the Kayak raffle. This Pearl Street Brewery tasting room presenter and he will discuss stream Bob Haase presented “Is It The Fly year’s attendees received a neck ga- for delicious beverages, fly tying and projects that are in the works in the Or The Presentation?” In Decem- tor, tick remover and CWTU logo rod building and repair. Cy Post led near future. Dinner and drinks start ber the theme was “Successful Fly window sticker. The 2018 CWTU the demonstrations for tying and at 6 p.m. and then the presentation Fishers and Their Favorite Piece of Stream Restoration Recognition then we had several other stations is at 7 p.m. Jason Freund is our Gear.” award winner is Roger Genske of set up to allow novice tyers to try it guest speaker for the March 20 Upcoming programs include: the Fox Valley Chapter. Many out. Plenty of other folks were there meeting at the Westview Inn in West January 8: Nymph fishing with thanks to Fox Valley for their sup- with their own gear to tie and help Salem. Jason will discuss the use of Jim Bartelt port of the 2018 work days. out the new folks. John Townsell streamer flies in the Driftless Area, February 23: TroutFest 2019 This year’s CWTU Bill Beck gave a nice demonstration on how including which patterns to use and March 12: Steelhead Fishing with Memorial Scholarship/Grant Pro- to build or repair a rod. Pearl Street when and where they are most Jeff Treu gram recipient is Nathan Nozzi, who was a fun venue and we look for- effective. The April meeting is a ward to doing it again. can't-miss event with featured Fox Valley’s TIC students learn about tagging TIC students in the Chilton schools have a feature to add to the learning process and the study of trout in Stony Brook, the last remaining trout stream in Calumet County. Adam Nickle, fish biologist with the DNR in Oshkosh, was able to obtain two pit tag array systems, which will allow students and the DNR to track the movement of trout upstream and downstream from the point where the tagged trout are planted. Students kept back 50 trout from the brood raised last winter. The trout were tagged and released in Septem- ber. We needed $1,500 for the tags and associated materials, cases and batter- ies. Private donations from FVTU members, Calumet County Groundwater Guardians members, landowners along Stony Brook and the president of Or- egon RFID, Inc. (the supplier of the pit tags) provided $1,050. The Chilton school system covered the balance. The next challenge to make this system work was for volunteers to moni- tor the Array System weekly to recharge batteries and download tracking da- ta. Science teacher Tracy Bartels and students would monitor the systems during the school year. Joe Bach from Fox Valley TU and Danielle Santry, water resources specialist for Calumet County, volunteered to manage the systems during school breaks and vacations. However, Bartels obtained solar panels for the system and now it’s easier to manage. Plus, students learn about solar energy systems and their installation. This system of tracking the movement of planted trout adds depth to the education and experience of the TIC program. A system of aquaponics, growing plants using the water from the aquariums, has been installed and plants are thriving. Tagging, planting and electro-shocking, along with WAV monitoring, all add to the educational experience of the students. Signage placed on the Sohrweide property were the trout have been plant- ed for the past three years was developed and built by Chilton students. The next course of study for students will be in the “Stony Brook Classroom.” The course will be called “Stream Improvements 101.” In November stakeholders were really pleased to receive construction de- tails from Shawn Sullivan for the first phase of Stony Brook, where ease- ments are in place off Shady Lane. Three landowners have granted easements to TU and the DNR, while another is in process. The next steps are to create an estimate and solicit funding. There is a considerable amount of work that can be done at little or no cost by volunteers. Steve Devitt from the DNR is applying for permits so we can start the first phase of improve- ments in 2019. It is very exciting and rewarding to see the community come together in an effort to educate our youth about the conservation, restoration and preserva- tion of our coldwater resources. This effort is involving students, teachers, counselors, landowners, businesses, environmental groups, Calumet County, the DNR and TU. FOX VALLEY TIC STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT TAGGING Anyone interested in participating can contact Joe Bach at [email protected] or 920-570-2632. These is a lot of work to do and Adam Nickel WDNR fish biologist and crew tagging trout raised in the funds to be raised. Your help will be greatly appreciated. classroom at Chilton schools. Page 20 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 Chapter News speaker John Bethke, creator of the closets and basements for trout gear legendary pink squirrel fly. John has and books you no longer need. For fished the area for more than 30 questions about the banquet contact years and we look forward to learn- Curt Rees at [email protected] ing from him. This meeting will be or 608-317-3747. at the Legion in Viroqua. All of our We recently received $5,000 from meetings are open to the public, so the Madison Fishing Expo, which feel free to share these events with will be used for the final phase of anyone else you know who might be the Weister Creek project in the interested. Kickapoo Valley Reserve. We are There is no February meeting, very appreciative of the support but we will have our annual chapter from the fishing expo that enables banquet on Friday, February 22. us to finish off this multi-year proj- Tickets will be available for pur- ect. chase in early January. CRTU mem- We would also like to thank the bers will receive a mailing with Ritz Family Foundation for their banquet info and you can also find generous donation to the Coulee the details at couleeregiontu.org. Region chapter. We are on the lookout for banquet —Curt Rees prizes, so feel free to search your Fox Valley Chapter

The Fox Valley Chapter has rainproof packs and sling packs, and started our winter schedule of meet- the technology that is improving the ings and is preparing for the annual performance of fly lines and leaders. fundraiser, Cabin Fever Day. Our December meeting was our Our October meeting featured a annual Tie and Lie Night. Members presentation by Charles Mitchell, a and friends tied flies and told sto- chapter member and a local artist/il- ries/fibs/lies about the past fishing lustrator. Charlie described his life season. There were competitions for growing up in Chicago and his inter- biggest/best lie and most original fly. ests in natural art. His slide presen- All tyers received the same materi- tation included many examples of als and had a 30 minutes to come up his paintings of the various trout with a fly using only those materials. species and pictures of several state Our chapter meetings for the trout stamp and Great Lakes trout months of September through De- stamp competitions he has won over cember and the March meeting are the years. He has been tying flies held at the Capitol Centre in Apple- and trout fishing the streams of ton. Please check our website for Waushara and Waupaca counties for dates and times. years. The book, “Le Shack,” writ- We are also planning and prepar- ten by Jim C. Chapralis and based in ing for Cabin Fever Day January 19 Hlaban Jim Waushara County, was illustrated by at the Grand Meridian in Appleton. Charles. Many chapter members This 18th annual event will have ma- brought their copies of the book to ny new and interesting presenta- FOX VALLEY MEMBERS HELP PLANT FINGERLINGS the meeting to have Charlie auto- tions and vendors. The bucket raffle Jerome Herro and Dan Kastner help scatter plant trout fingerlings into the graph. and silent auction items are some of Waupaca River. On October 11 several chapter the best offerings that we have ever members met with a DNR crew to assembled. plant 9,000 fingerlings in the Wau- This event provides an opportu- Frank Hornberg Chapter paca River. Nancy Rose, who owns nity for us to help fund the DNR some property on the Waupaca Riv- LTE crews that work in northcentral Our chapter’s final work day of Two members of the Frank er and allows TU chapters to gather and northeast Wisconsin during the 2018 was in December. We assisted Hornberg Chapter received favor- on her property, provided coffee summer months. Please check our UW-Stevens Point Natural Re- able mention in recent issues of and some homemade carrot cake to website at www.foxvalleytu.org for sources students and members of Trout, the national magazine of TU. the crew before they started the additional information on Cabin Fe- the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation In the Fall 2018 issue, John Gierach planting process. The stocking had ver Day and our other activities. with a brushing project on the Little describes a day of Muskie fishing on to be completed by hand from the The five plus inches of snow on Plover River. This is a class one na- the Wisconsin River, guided by our various bridges on the Waupaca be- the ground and the homes and busi- tive brook trout stream in Portage own Dan Boggs. In “A Good Year cause the water level and high flow nesses decorated for the Christmas County that has received national for Muskies” John tells us that, conditions made for unsafe scatter and Holiday season that we are now attention recently. On dry years among other things, “Dan knows planting from canoes, the preferred entering remind us of the special over the past 15 years or so, a sec- more jokes than anyone I’ve ever method. times that we will be having with tion of the Little Plover River has met.” Our November meeting fea- family and friends over the next few completely dried up, killing strand- In the Winter 2019 issue, our tured a presentation by Charlie Pi- weeks. Relax and enjoy this great ed trout for the first time in history own Heidi Oberstadt is named as a ette, shop manager of Tight Lines season. Even though you will re- due to extensive groundwater TU Stream Champion. The article Fly Fishing Co. in De Pere. Charlie ceive this after the first of the New pumping in its watershed. On this by Samantha Carmichael needs an talked about the latest gear for fly Year - All of us from Fox Valley TU work day we assembled brush bun- entire page to list all of Heidi’s per- fishing, including advice for the se- – wish you and your families A Mer- dles to be placed in the river at a lat- sonal and professional accomplish- lection and use of switch rods, new ry Christmas and Happy New Year. er time. ments along with her contributions fly line options, improvements in —Rich Erickson Our other December event was to the workings of TU. The Frank our annual Holiday Dinner at Hornberg Chapter is pleased to see Shooters Supper club in Plover. the activities of our members recog- Members of the chapter and their nized on the national level. guests were able to renew old ac- We may not be in the water dur- quantances and meet new people. ing the winter months, but we can Also, the buffet, including broasted still tie our Pass Lake flies, reread chicken, ham, fish, pasta and nu- our copy of “Big Two-Hearted Riv- merous side dishes, was a real treat. er,” sit by the fire and dream of Our thanks to Gene Schulfer, the summer evenings on Flume Creek, owner of Shooters, for making the the Pine River, the Little Wolf and facility available. Gene has a long our beloved Tomorrow River. Holi- history of supporting our chapter, day greetings to all. and we appreciate his beneficence. —John Vollrath Green Bay Chapter John Vollrath John The Green Bay Chapter has got- Thursday of the month. At our Oc- HORNBERG MEMBERS WORK ON THE LITTLE PLOVER RIVER ten back into the swing of our fall tober meeting we had guest speaker Hornberg members worked with UWSP students and members of the and winter sessions. We are once Taylor Ridderbusch, TU’s Great again having our board and general Lakes Coordinator. He spoke about Wisconsin Wildlife Federation assembling brush bundles for the Little Plover membership meetings on the first culvert projects here in Wisconsin, River on December 8. Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 21 Chapter News

growth rate, water changes and on Six Mile Branch and about feeding schedules. $2,600 in donations and prize mon- The seventh graders will focus on ey from the EAS competition. the earth science aspect of the water Thank you to all those who donated cycle and the karst topography of and forwarded the donation infor- the Driftless Region. mation. We received a $3,000 TU Em- —Brian Larson brace-A-Stream Grant for the work Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter

The Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter held served Golden Trout Award. The our annual Holiday Conservation chapter also presented Certificates Banquet at the Lake Elmo Event of Appreciation to Jim Tatzel, Dale Center. Kudos to the banquet com- Dahlke and John Rock for their vol- mittee of Deb and Mike Alwin, Bob unteer efforts the past year. Events Diesch, Allison Jacobs, Greg Dietl, like this are great opportunities to Tom Schnadt, Scott Wagner and share fishing memories, connect Benji Kohn for putting on a very with old friends and support conser- successful event. The new, less for- vation. A sincere thank you to all of mal buffet-station format generated the individuals, retail businesses and a fun atmosphere to mingle with volunteers who made this event pos- friends. An outstanding selection of sible. silent auction items, raffle prizes Last winter about 170 volunteers and games gave the guests ample spent 32 workdays and more than opportunities to support coldwater 2,000 hours removing unwanted conservation with their purchases. trees and streamside brush from The chapter presented well-de- four different project sites. This served Silver Trout Awards to Sarah winter promises plenty of opportu- Sanford, Paul Johnson with Laugh- nities to reach or surpass last year’s ing Trout and Dave Norling Jr. and milestone. In November volunteers Dave Norling Sr. Chapter stalwart began by removing sand bar willows Mike Alwin received a well-de- on the West Fork of the Kinni. After Kurt Meyer

NOHR’S TIC PROGRAM HELPS TEACH LIFE, EARTH SCIENCES Nohr’s tank is set up for TIC in Fennimore. Eggs came in November from the St. Croix hatchery, so the fry can be stocked. They will focus on life sciences with sixth graders and earth sciences with the seventh graders, who will study the sand the karst topography of the Driftless Area. the studies of Asian Carp in the the statistics from their studies. Great Lakes that he and his col- December brought us our annual leagues are working on, and also in- Holiday Party. This was a great eve- formation and facts pertaining to ning at the Townline Pub in How- the Land and Water Conservation ard. The evening is a casual get- Fund. Taylor gave us some great in- together where we can connect with sight and it was great having him members and celebrate the great join us. members we have. There were Gary Richardson Our November meeting had two about 45 attendees this year. This guest speakers. First we had Aled year we gave out four awards, recog- Griffiths present to us about his trip nizing Mike Renish and Mathew SARAH SANFORD RECEIVES KIAP’S SILVER TROUT AWARD and involvement in the TU Teen Norem for our Distinguished Mem- Summit this summer. Aled ex- bers, Glen Tilot of the Brown Coun- Kiap-TU-Wish President Scott Wagner presents Sarah Sanford with the Silver pressed that he learned a lot about ty Human Services PALS program Trout Award. leadership and his responsibilities for our Unsung Hero award. Jeff going forward. He also said the trip Gross was the deserving recipient of to Virginia allowed him and the oth- the Member of the Year award. er teen leaders the opportunity to Thanks to these four gentlemen for fish, which from his pictures proved their hard work. to be quite successful. February 21 is our annual fund- The second speaker for the No- raising banquet at the Stadium View vember meeting was Chip Long, a Bar and Grill on Holmgren Avenue. DNR fisheries biologist. Chip’s Doors open at 5 p.m. with dinner at main discussion was on work being 6 p.m., followed by great prizes. done on Beaver Creek, north of Please consider joining us and sup- Green Bay. This work included cul- porting our chapter. Also follow us vert proposals and other improve- on Facebook and Twitter to keep up ments. He had mentioned earlier with all that’s happening with GB- work on this waterway is proving to TU. be successful and shared some of —Dave Ostanek Harry & Laura Nohr Chapter

Work on Six Mile Branch could the Classroom in Fennimore. Eggs not start in September due to heavy came in November from the St. rains. We may bring in some rock Croix hatchery, so the fry can be

and move some dirt this winter. stocked. They hatched around Gary Richardson Work on the Blue River by and in Thanksgiving. We will focus on life the Snow Bottom Natural Area will sciences with sixth graders, monitor- MIKE ALWIN RECEIVES KIAP SILVER TROUT AWARD have to wait until mid-2019 also. ing water ph, hardness, nitrates and The tank is set up for Trout In performing data collection on Kiap-TU-Wish President Scott Wagner presents Mike Alwin with the Silver Trout Award. Page 22 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 Chapter News

area businesses and individuals ask- of December. ing them to assist us monetarily with We have also recently gone live our restoration projects, Trout In with a new web site at www.lakesho- the Classroom education project retu.com, and an Instagram account and membership initiatives. at instagram.com/lakeshoretu to We have also developed a rela- complement our Facebook page. tionship with a local business, Aven- Finally, our work days on the lo- turon Outdoors. Aventuron is a cal streams are held every second local bike, camp and off-road shop Saturday of the month and if any that is now offering fly fishing gear TU members want to join us please at their store and online. This holi- reach out to our board at lakeshore- day season they committed upwards [email protected]. of 7 percent of their online fishing —Stephen Girardi gear sales to LSTU through the end Marinette Chapter

The Marinette Chapter had a also put on two kids fishing days --

Gary Richardson very good fundraising banquet in one at the end of May in the Cole- April and we also participate in the man pound area and one in June in Family Fun Day in Menominee, Marinette. Both we well attended PAUL JOHNSON RECEIVES KIAP’S SILVER TROUT AWARD Michigan, just across the river from and the weather and fish did their Kiap-TU-Wish President Scott Wagner presents Paul Johnson with the Silver Marinette. We put on fly-tying and part. The kids really enjoyed it. Trout Award. casting demos free to the public. We —Dale Lange Northwoods Chapter

The Oneida County Board of Su- metallic mineral exploration, pros- pervisors placed a referendum ques- pecting, bulk sampling and mining. tion on the November general The state council meeting was Octo- election ballot for Oneida County ber 6 in Rhinelander, and our chap- residents regarding the leasing of ter provided a lunch of brats and county lands for mining and its re- hamburgers. The lunch was a big hit lated activities. with attendees and was much appre- At our September meeting, the ciated. We owe a big thanks to the board discussed taking a position on following chapter members the mining referendum but decided who helped to make the lunch a not to take a position at that time. success: Terry Cummings did most Since then, the board has done ad- of the planning, purchased all the ditional investigation into the Lynne food and helped with preparation. deposit. At our October meeting, Also serving as grill masters, provid- we hosted a presentation by Tom Je- ing grills, etc. were Laura MacFar- row of Wisconsin’s Greenfire on the land, Dave Tipple, Jay Joppa and pros and cons of mining the Lynne John Zatopa. sulfide deposit. A couple of board Our November chapter meeting Gary RichardsonGary members toured the mine site and was a basic business meeting. The NORLINGS RECEIVE KIAP SILVER TROUT AWARD attended a presentation by the Pro- board of directors met at the Blue tect the Willow group. Heron Restaurant in Eagle River Kiap-TU-Wish President Scott Wagner presents Dave Norling Jr. and Dave The Lynne deposit is in a wetland for dinner and refreshments, fol- Norling Sr. with the Silver Trout Award. with groundwater flows to the Wil- lowed by the meeting. We discussed low River. There are also a number planning our 44th Annual conserva- a short break prompted by the Wis- chapter’s volunteer workdays, of designated trout streams in the tion banquet in Rhinelander April consin deer hunting season opener, please do so. It’s a great way to immediate surrounding area that 20 and our upcoming “Trout Sum- work resumed on November 24 spend some time on the stream dur- could be impacted by mining opera- mit,” a joint meeting with our part- when 13 volunteers cleared box el- ing the winter. Although it might tions. For example, in Noranda’s ners from the U.S. Forest Service, ders and buckthorn which had be- seem cold on some days, once a fire proposed development, the waste DNR and others interested in trout gun to re-sprout from stumps which is started and you begin to move rock and tailings disposal areas ap- management in our four-county ar- were never pulled at the lower end around, it can get warm enough to pear to be in the Little Rice River ea. of the Red Cabin easement on the shed your coat and work in shirt- watershed, a designated trout We hosted our annual Christmas Kinni. sleeves. Those operating chainsaws stream. party at the Blue Heron Restaurant On December 2, 12 volunteers need to have completed certified Based on those facts, the board on December 18. started working at the Boyceville chainsaw safety training, but there is voted to take a position to oppose —John Zatopa middle school/high school campus more than ample opportunity to the leasing of county lands in the on Tiffany Creek where the school is drag slash to bonfire piles, working Town of Lynne for the purpose of hoping to transform the stream into at your own pace with nobody to an outdoor classroom. Work at the crack the whip and tell you that you Boyceville site is expected to last aren’t working fast enough. through the end of December. Ef- Camaraderie with hot dogs roast- forts will then turn to the far south- ed over a bonfire, accompanied by a eastern reaches of our chapter cookie or doughnut, awaits if you at territory when we’ll start to clear the the end of the work session. Even if banks on Plum Creek’s Von Holtum you only stop by for an hour or two, easement, about 3 miles down- it all helps and you can say that you stream of Plum City. The DNR crew were a part of it. Contact Randy Ar- will begin bank work there later next nold at [email protected] if summer after completing work at you want to receive future workday the Boyceville site. announcements. If you haven’t been to one of the —Maria Manion Lakeshore Chapter

These are some exciting times for ence on all our area trout streams. Lakeshore TU. For the past year we The project will be managed have been working on creating a through a committee of club mem- long-term restoration plan for our bers with each stream being as- area streams with a goal to improve signed a stream advocate who will fishing opportunities throughout oversee and promote his/her stream our region by creating a mix of res- to the club for a work project each toration projects on five local year. Zatopa John streams. The goal is to work on each Additionally, not only are we ap- stream so that at the end of five plying for grant money, we have cre- years we will have improved enough ated and started a fundraising ONEIDA COUNTY’S LYNNE DEPOSIT IS NEAR SO MUCH AMAZING WATER water to make a significant differ- initiative where we will reach out to A section of the Little Rice River south of the Lynne deposit. Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 23 Chapter News

Oconto River Chapter coming restoration at Tichigan tion site, which has a proven history Creek, which will provide additional of high brown trout abundance and fish and wildlife area adoption op- excellent size structure. Additional- We hosted our annual special White Lake, Menominee Indian H/ portunities for SEWTU to help im- ly, in December Ken Rizzo coordi- needs fishing day on Brunner’s S, Antigo, Witt/Birnamwood and prove brook trout waters in nated a work day on Scuppernong Pond in Underhill. We provided Bowler districts. Dale Halla is coor- southeastern Wisconsin. Creek. We installed biologs at this guests a picnic lunch of burgers and dinating the effort. Eggs began to November’s guest speaker was location in July of this year. This hotdogs. The attendance was about hatch in early December and will Jim Bartelt who is a well-known fly workday was planned to backfill the 40 people including anglers, care- provide a wonderful project for the tyer and guide from Madison. He is biologs with brush matting. In spite givers, volunteers and chapter mem- classes involved. Special thanks to also a veteran fly fishing school in- of a cold wind-driven rain with tem- bers. It was a cool day, but the fish Tim Winkle at Silver Moon Springs structor and a professional fly cast- peratures in the mid 30’s, 14 SEW- were cooperative and 55 fish were Trout Ranch for supplying the eggs ing instructor. His presentation, TU members participated. The bagged. to the classes. “Aniak River, Alaska: A River of brush was cut from areas adjacent Cane poles were rigged up for Members attended the WITU Opportunity,” shared the story of a to the creek with the expertise of those participants who didn’t have Northeast Regional Meeting in Po- rewarding experience of skating members who knew how to identify equipment. Garden worms, corn lar in December. The chapter allo- mouse patterns for Rainbows and the correct species for use as back- and secret baits were used to fool cated $5,000 to projects in the Dolly Varden and connecting with fill. the trout. The fishing went in region. various salmon species and Arctic An additional work day is being streaks after a flurry of early activi- Our board of directors met in Grayling. planned for May. Thank you to all ty. The fish that were caught were November to complete our financial Our December meeting consist- of our Habitat Committee members cleaned and sent home with the par- reports. They will propose a 2019 ed of our traditional “Holiday Par- who helped plan and lead these ef- ticipants. activity schedule at the upcoming ty,” with outstanding camaraderie, forts, and to all of our members and There are always some new fac- meeting and will prepare a budget great food and cheer, some fishing volunteers who showed up to help es, even though many of the partici- accordingly through March 31. movie entertainment provided by get the work completed. pants have fished year after year. We had a Holiday Party at our Henry Koltz, Hunger Task Force SEWTU members continue to They support one another and help December meeting. food drive coordinated by Stan provide educational and outreach each other. They even cheer when Follow us at www.ocontoriver- Strelka and an optional gift ex- opportunities, and there have been someone catches a fish. It’s a very tu.com. The banquet committee change. several events this fall. In October, fun-filled and heartwarming event, leaders were established, and a ten- Workdays have also kept SEW- SEWTU members, led by Vice with smiles all around. tative date was set for April 25. Our TU members active this fall. In Sep- President John Rennpferd, set up at The chapter has kicked off our banquet is our largest fundraiser tember and October, we worked at the 10th annual Salmon Spectacular “Trout In the Classroom” project by event of the year. Bluff Creek, near Whitewater, at the DNR Root River Steelhead delivering “eyed” eggs to the stu- —Tom Klatt thanks to the organization and lead- Facility. The facility hosted its pub- dents at Suring, Oconto, Oconto ership of Andy Avgoulas and John lic open house to showcase the facil- Falls, Lena, Marion, Gillett, Pulaski, Rennpferd. Luke Roffler has been ity and promote Lake Michigan doing a great job identifying habitat fishing opportunities. The open projects and collaborating with house included guided tours, hands- SEWTU to improve streams for on demonstrations of fish spawning, trout. fish and fishing information sta- During these work days we con- tions, interactive fishing, rod casting tinued installing habitat features in lessons, knot tying, fly tying, and an areas where excavation of the for- onsite fishing boat used on Lake mer channel could not be complet- Michigan for trout and salmon fish- ed as part of the re-meander project ing. SEWTU members provided fly because heavy equipment was not casting lessons and had an informa- able to access the stream. The main tional table explaining what we do focus was enhancement of the exist- and signed up several new mem- ing ditch channel. This included the bers. installation of additional coir logs, Also in October, SEWTU had an as well as cutting, dragging and information table and demonstrated placement of cut brush. The place- fly tying and casting at the Shore- ment of coarse woody material and wood Fish and Feathers Event at half logs where necessary to narrow Hubbard Park in Shorewood. Rick the channel, direct stream energy, Frye, chair of the SEWTU educa- increase water velocities, mobilize tion committee, did a wonderful job soft sediments and provide over- organizing for and working this head cover. Other activities includ- event to provide more exposure to ed in-stream weed pulling and the conservation efforts Trout Un- brushing. limited is engaged in. All this work was designed to The fall season also means that BIOLOGS INSTALLED BY SEWTU ON SCUPPERNONG CREEK make the ditch channel more “trout the Oak Creek Fly tying events have friendly” where re-meander was not started. This group, organized by Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter possible. These activities will help Greg Schick, meets two times each restore the function and usability of month at the Oak Creek Communi- the first Bluff Creek habitat restora- ty Center to tie flies. The group is It has been a busy and produc- eryone who contributed items or tive fall for the Southeast Wisconsin purchased tickets to attend. We also Chapter (SEWTU). Our members want to thank Rich Vetrano, who have been busy planning and partic- printed the tickets, invitations and ipating in education and outreach mailed them to the SEWTU mem- programs, improving habitat at bership. workdays and attending chapter We’ve had some great speakers meetings. at our chapter meetings this fall. The largest event, though, was Our special guest speaker Septem- the annual SEWTU Fall Habitat ber was Luke Roffler, DNR senior Fundraiser in October. This is our fisheries biologist for Racine, Keno- major annual fundraiser of the year sha and Walworth counties. His and the proceeds fund the many presentation was very educational projects we conduct each year. A about the work being done to im- special thank you goes out to Stan prove the trout streams and habitat Strelka and Jim Wierzba, who did in southeastern Wisconsin. He pro- an outstanding job organizing this vided updates on the big habitat event for our chapter. We had a projects, the new trout stocking lo- good turnout with everyone enjoy- cations, and exciting monitoring ing delicious hors d’oeuvres, social- projects that are taking place in this izing and being generous with their area.

participation in a silent auction and Highlights included restoration Jim Hess bucket raffles. work at Bluff Creek and Whitewa- This event would not have been ter Creek, which are two streams lo- successful without the generous do- cated in the SEWTU Adopt a Fish nations contributed by SEWTU and Wildlife Area. He emphasized SWTU WORK DAY FROM ABOVE members, friends and local organi- the impressive results that have zations. The number and quality of come from what he describes as “a Here’s a new perspective on work day photos: A drones-eye view of a SWTU the items donated is always very im- fantastic collaborative effort.” He workday along the Steiner Branch. The work was followed by a picnic and pressive, and we want to thank ev- also shared information on the up- stream survey. Page 24 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019 Chapter News currently focusing on midge pat- SEWTU is a strong supporter of ing rods, reels, flies, fly-tying equip- out. It was actually a great meeting. terns for winter fishing. This is a programs that connect veterans ment and materials, and books. Three of our retired board mem- great opportunity to learn some with fishing and fly-tying opportuni- There are at least eight Hardy reels, bers, Dick Berge, Chuck Campbell new patterns and tying techniques, ties. Our chapter is very active in eight fly rods and much fishing and Jim Emerson, brought their ty- while enjoying a pleasant evening the Trout Unlimited Veteran’s Ser- equipment. The total worth of the ing equipment. Four current board socializing. The future dates are vices. SEWTU member John Graba donation is estimated to be more members including Dan January 15, February 5 and 19, and many other members continue than $9,000. The chapter is planning Bloomquist, Bob Traczyk, Kelly March 5 and 19, April 2 and 16 and to organize fishing trips for veterans to sell some of the reels and better McKnight, Bill Heart and one new May 7 and 21. and conduct weekly fly tying. This is gear on line. We will probably sell member, Kevin Seefeldt, also at- Jim Folda is coordinating the an outstanding opportunity SEW- the boat and related equipment, tended. Not one fly was tied, but it SEWTU member support for the TU members provide the veterans. worth about $4,000, in the spring. turned out to be a very nice evening fly-tying classes at the Cabela’s Take a look at our website at Much of the small equipment and just conversing with likeminded Richfield store. This effort results in sewtu.tu.org and Facebook page to flies will be sold at the Wild Rivers TU’ers. donations and discounts on items learn more about SEWTU and our Fishing Expo Auction April 6. I will be taking over as Wild Riv- for our raffle fundraising efforts events. We hope everyone has a Our November meeting was held ers president while Bob Rice takes that go toward our annual projects great start to 2019 and that you have at the Sand Bar in Ashland. We de- care of some personal business. So and community outreach. The ses- a chance to enjoy the early trout cided to have a fly tying event and please contact me at wwheart@cen- sions are scheduled for the follow- season. just a get-together. Being such a turytel.net if needed. ing Wednesdays: January 23 and 30, —Todd Durian wide-spread chapter, we never know —Bill Heart February 6, 13 and 20. how something like this could turn Southern Wisconsin Chapter Wisconsin Clear Waters Chapter

Our annual day-long Icebreaker interstate on the east side of Madi- 2018 was a busy year for WCW- start. Hay Creek is a brook trout re- event is Saturday, January 26. son. TU. We saw new faces step forward serve stream and a thermal refuge Local legend Rich Osthoff will Be sure to see our Icebreaker ad to take leadership roles, make con- for trout in Duncan Creek. Grants be giving two presentations. In addi- in this edition of Wisconsin Trout. tributions to multiple stream proj- have been received from the tion to his extensive knowledge of The day-long event will also feature ects, update and improve our Friends of TU, Embrace-A-Sream our Driftless Area, Rich wrote the some of the region’s most innova- website and reinvigorate our Face- and the FishAmerica Foundation, book on backcountry fly fishing in tive fly tyers and a legendary array book presence. Also, in cooperation along with DNR trout stamp funds. the Rockies. He is a terrific teacher of silent auction and bucket raffle with the DNR, we launched a signif- While fundraising efforts continue, and presenter, and will be on hand items including fly collections, craft icant new project on Hay Creek in work on the project has begun with to talk throughout the day. beer, custom-built rods, high-end Chippewa County. completion expected by the fall of Our Wisconsin focus continues apparel, a YETI cooler, fine wood- New faces on the Board include 2019. with our local speaker: Dave Rowe, working, guided trips, artwork and Bill Heth, Lon Christianson, Matt Jim Erickson and Tom Sather fisheries supervisor with the DNR. much more. Wysocki, Damian Budzinski, and have done yeoman’s work updating His “office” is all of Southwest Wis- Kids are welcome, and those un- Steve Gausman. Steve and Lon and invigorating our website and consin, a place known to have a der 12 get in free when accompa- bring expertise from their prior Facebook presence. Kudos and trout stream or two running through nied by a parent. We also again board/officer experience and Bill, thanks to each of them. For practi- it. Dave will discuss the status of our invite both retired and active mili- Matt and Damian bring a new per- cal and financial reasons WCWTU precious coldwater resources and tary personnel to our event. They spective. is trying to do all communication by will be available to take your ques- will receive free admission with Projects financially supported in email or through our website and tions. You are guaranteed to learn their military ID. the last year include the North Facebook page. Please make sure something new. We’ll see you on Saturday, Janu- Brach of Elk Creek in Trempealeau we have your current email address The Icebreaker is for everyone. ary 26 in a friendly, roomy, profes- County, Eagle Creek in Buffalo so we can notify you of upcoming Whether you spin fish, cast a fly 50 sional and relaxed atmosphere. County, Swinns Valley Creek in events. The web page at wcwtu.com yards or never picked up a fly rod, Learn more about us, our events Buffalo County, Hay Creek in Dunn has a calendar and list of presenters this event is for you. It will again be and activities at swtu.org or find us County, Wilson Creek in Dunn and topics for chapter meetings. held at the headquarters of Ameri- on Facebook. County and Sand Creek in Chippe- The annual banquet is scheduled can Family Insurance, right off the —Drew Kasel wa county. for March 21. This is our primary Dunn County streams of the Wil- fundraiser for the year. Banquet son Creek watershed received great tickets and sponsorships can be pur- restoration work this summer. chased on our web site. Please try to Thanks and much credit goes to the attend and bring a friend. Please al- volunteers of the KiapTuWish chap- so consider being a sponsor for the ter work crews, led by Randy Ar- banquet, even if you are out of town nold, who put in countless hours, on a winter vacation or otherwise often in miserable conditions, cut- cannot attend. Funds support our ting, brushing, burning and seeding. stream projects. Work was also aided by the Twin Fly-tying classes have begun and Cities and Clearwater chapter mem- a spring fly-casting class is planned, bers. with dates to be announced later. A major project on Sand Creek The annual chapter camping trip to in northern Chippewa County was the Driftless Area is planned for completed in the early summer May. All are welcome. months. —Dick Duplessie The board approved the Hay Creek project and it’s off to a great Jim Beecher

1, 2, 3 heft! Tree by tree and branch by branch, the SWTU Stream Team makes a difference along the Sarbacher Easement of the Sugar River. Wild Rivers Chapter

Fall was fairly quiet in the Wild chapter was named in his will to be Rivers area. It seemed like it rained recipient of all of his fishing equip- four out of every seven days. Most ment. Bill Esch lived in Iron River of the rivers remained quite high. for a number of years and then The salmon run was quick and short, moved to Muscoda, Wisconsin but I have heard of some nice steel- where he spent most of his time fish- head being caught in the Brule and ing the Wisconsin River and the other Northshore waters of Lake Driftless Area. Bill was asked to Superior. Even the musky rivers in drive to Muscoda to pick up this do- the Hayward-Park Falls area were nation and then itemize everything very high and for the most part un- for the probate. fishable. This turned out to be a very large

In September I received a call donation, including a boat and mo- Jim Erickson from a person whose brother passed tor outfit, a solo canoe and many away during the summer, and our tubs of fly fishing equipment includ- WISCONSIN CLEARWATERS FINISHES SAND CREEK WORK Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 25 Chapter News

Wisconsin River Valley Chapter

In October we assisted Wausau teacher Dave Coenen for putting East High School biology, physics this field trip together and for his and chemistry students on their an- grilling skills, making lunch for ev- nual Plover River Stream Study. We eryone. The day would not be com- had good weather and only a few plete without the DNR staff that kids fell in. A few of the groups of traveled from Wisconsin Rapids to critter collectors always manage to give a demonstration of how they find brook lamprey during our out- shock a section of stream to survey ing, but this year found two that the fish that live there. I am always were so small I was surprised that hoping to see a beautiful brook they did not escape through the trout in his bright fall colors. I was mesh of the net. There were good not disappointed. numbers of stone fly nymphs, mot- We are still doing some presen- tled sculpins and damsel fly tation planning for 2019 so please nymphs. watch our Facebook page for what Many thanks to Al Hauber and is coming up. Kirk Stark for helping the students —Linda Lehman identify aquatic insects. Many thanks also to Wausau East Biology Wolf River Chapter

Mark your calendars for these lar business and elections, Antigo upcoming Wolf River Chapter DNR fish technician Taylor Curran events. The Wolf River Chapter’s will update us about Wolf River annual Fly Tying Consortium is 10 coldwater tributaries. Then Scott a.m. to 2 p.m. January 26 at the Van Laanen, director of the North- Bear Paw Outdoor Adventure Re- ern Oconto County Trout Alliance, sort. Contact Zach Buchanan for will speak about their trout-raising more information at activities. [email protected] or go to our The Wolf River Meet and Greet website at wolfrivertu.org to see our is May 18. Watch our website and flyer. Please bring your own vise Facebook page for more informa- Jim Erickson and materials or just come to watch tion on this fun fishing event and fly tying in action and to hear some fabulous lunch at the Livingston’s really good Wolf River fish tales. on the banks of the beautiful Wolf HAY CREEK IS NEXT PROJECT FOR WISCONSIN CLEARWATERS Our spring meeting at the Bear River. In the last year the chapter worked on the North Branch of Elk Creek in Paw Outdoor Adventure Resort is —Laurie Zen Netzow Trempealeau County, Eagle Creek and Swinns Valley Creek in Buffalo County, at 10 a.m. February 23. After regu- and Hay Creek and Wilson Creek in Dunn County.

David Muresan Middleton WI Chuck Urban Wauwatosa WI Patrick Murphy Pewaukee WI Dennis/Becky Vanden Bloomen Eau Claire WI $10,700! Thank you Richard Neitzel Tomah WI Dr. Condon Vander Ark McFarland WI Herb Oechler Wauwatosa WI Carol Vendt Oconto WI James Olson Oconomowoc WI Karen & Martin Voss Eau Claire WI Cheryl & Winston Ostrow Viroqua WI Craig Pannemann Port Washington WI Richard Wachowski Eau Claire WI Watershed Access Rodd Wangen Oregon WI William Pearson III Eau Claire WI Donald Persons Janesville WI Tom Wasilewski Brookfield WI Ray Piehl Wautoma WI Donald Welhouse Kaukauna WI Fund Supporters! Tom Ponty Eau Claire WI Dennis Wieck Minocqua WI Scott Quandt D.D.S. Green Bay WI Charles Wiemerslage Hudson WI Randal Rake Helena MT Stephen Wilke Marinette WI The 2018 fundraising campaign has come to a close and your gen- Bob Retko Cedarburg WI Paul Williams Madison WI Ken Rizzo Oconomowoc WI Dan Wisniewski Middleton WI erous donations have made it one of the best ever. We received James Robertson Green Bay WI Ron Wojack Greenfield WI Richard Rowe Neenah WI more than 140 donations totaling more than $10,700. These funds Rosemary Ryan Wauwatosa WI Jaren Wunderlich DePere WI will one day secure permanent access to critical properties and Michael SanDretto Neenah WI Robert Wyman Beaver Dam WI David Schiebel Abrams WI Fred Young Roscoe IL streams across Wisconsin. Jeff Schimpff Madison WI Benjamin Ziegler Madison WI The 2019 Watershed Access Fund campaign begins this month. Mary & Jeff Schmoeger Lake Mills WI Richard Schumann Hartford WI Companies/Organizations/Chapters Please look for the request in the mail. John Serunian Madison WI Great Lakes Eco. Monitoring Fitchburg WI I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and enjoy the win- Frederick Seybold Madison WI Kinnickinni River Land Trust River Falls WI John Shillinglaw Madison WI Antigo Chapt. TU Antigo WI ter. Wishing you the best in the 2019 fishing season! George Shinners Antigo WI David Slezewski Sun Prairie WI Marinette County TU Chapt. Marinette WI Nancy Snyder Milwaukee WI Doug Brown, Wisconsin TU Watershed Access Fund Chair Michael Spakowicz Madison WI In Memory of: Michael Staggs Poynette WI Jack Saunders, Beaver Dam, WI,, in memory of Warren Stern West Bend WI Earl Little Juergen Stuebs Wautoma WI Susan Zuege, Eagle River, WI., in memory of 2018 Contributors Robert Tabbert Lafayette LA Thomas Zuege Louis Arata Whitefish Bay WI Dan Grauer Wausau WI Julie Templen Dubuque IA Carol Vendt, Oconto, WI., In memory of Charles Barnhill Madison WI Gordon Grieshaber Mineral Point WI Steven Ugoretz Verona WI parents Jim Bayorgeon Appleton WI Kathryn & James Groves Webster WI Mark Beilfuss New London WI Robert Haglund Green Bay WI Barry Benson Cambridge WI Dean Hagness Custer WI Jolene Berg Chippewa Falls WI Rob Hanson Oregon WI Here is my contribution of $100 or more to Richard Boda Boyceville WI Al Hauber Wausau WI Stephen Born Madison WI Ashton Hawk Madison WI the Wisconsin TU Watershed Access Fund Jim Brawner Pulaski WI John Hawk New Holstein WI Ed Brockner Beaver Dam WI Stephen Hawk Madison WI Damian Budzinski Eau Claire WI Bill Heart Ashland WI Make your check payable to Linda & Dennis Buzzar DeForest WI Bob Hellyer Boulder Jct. WI Wisconsin Trout Unlimited Roger Clausen DeForest WI Cline Hickok Hudson WI David Coenen Combined Locks WI Perry Higgins Stratford WI Dana Corbett Madison WI Dan & Nancy Hill Spencer WI MAIL TO: TU Watershed Access Fund Robert Cowles Green Bay WI Jeff Jackson Oconto Falls WI To m C r a b b M o n o n a WI Jeff Johnson St. Croix Falls WI Attn: Doug Brown Ed Culhane Appleton WI Matthew Jones Oshkosh WI R4800 Timber Ln. Terrence Cummings Rhinelander WI Tom Kammerman Suring WI David Darling River Falls WI Steven Kennedy Amery WI Ringle, WI 54471 Richard Diedrich Grafton WI Lee Kersten Marion WI Bob Disch Madison WI Lane Kistler Milwaukee WI Virginia Dodson McFarland WI Gerald Kobus Milwaukee WI Walter Dowty Big Bend Clifford Kremmer Sparta WI Peter Dramm Manitowoc WI Roger Krogstad Marshfield WI Name Richard Duplessie Eau Claire WI David Kronwall Lake Geneva WI David Egger Madison WI Peter Kurtz O.D. Menominee WI Steven Engelbert Janesville WI Linda Lehman Wausau WI Jay Everson Melrose WI Larissa & Thomas Lyon Janesville WI Address John Ewen Neenah WI Kenneth Maciejewski Fond Du Lac WI Paul Feldhake Port Washington WI Don Malchow Tomah WI Cindy & Alan Finesilver DePere WI Chad McGrath Park Falls WI Joel Fisher Birnamwood WI Peter Meronek Stevens Point WI City, State, Zip William Flader M.D. Madison WI Tom Mertens Oneida WI Dr. James Fruit Jr. Hartland WI Robert Meyer Strum WI Ralph Gaudio DeSoto WI Fred Mikolajewski Franklin WI Phone John Ghastin Richland Center WI Robert Moser Milwaukee WI Thomas Goodmann Miami FL Thomas Mrazek Fond Du Lac WI James Goodwin Sturgeon Bay WI Gene Mueller Monona WI Page 26 Wisconsin Trout Winter 2019

tor Larry Meicher remained a a mid-winter Saturday. Several friend of mine through the rest of chapter meetings will showcase ex- his life. Chuck Amacher died a few pert fly tyers like Fox Valley’s Driftless Rambler years after I took the course. “Stone Fly Socials,” Clear Waters’ A sordid group of hangers-on “Round Robin Tying” nights or Ki- With Duke Welter tied in a corner and occasionally of- ap-TU-Wish's “Dry Fly Dick Frantes fered one of their patterns. They Memorial Fly-Tying night” in April. TUDARE Outreach Coordinator were all former presidents of the Other events seem to gravitate chapter, I think. Dick Berge showed toward places you can tie with a us his Bullet-head Hex, and another beer handy, such as the “Drinking showed us the Chuck Hair Caddis. with Scissors” events from SWTU Henry Haugley's artistic Muddler and Kyle Zempel of Black Earth was the cover of the handbook. We Angling Company. Several other fly had so much fun in that course that shops, including Lund's in River I decided I wanted to be associated Falls and Tight Lines in DePere, with this group. A fateful life deci- have their own classes. Just across sion, one might say. Now, 35 years the border in the Gopher State, Bob later, I've tied something like 12,000 Mitchell's Fly Shop offers classes flies, a seemingly hefty number but and the excellent tyers of Laughing not much compared to some of Trout welcome tiers at the Wayzata these folks who tie thousands each American Legion on Wednesday winter, or tie commercially or for nights. Most are free, but some their own guiding. might ask a charge for materials. After moving to Eau Claire and SWTU offers both beginner's joining the local chapter, I saw an- and advanced fly-tying courses. Phil other excellent beginner's course in Anderson, one of the long-time in- action, with long-time instructors structors, tells me the tying hand- and a basic set of flies that included book is available through the some seldom seen in other parts of swtu.org website at https://www.sw- the state, like the Palmer Cricket. tu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ With snow on the ground, here can get scraps of most anything We didn't have an outlet for experi- Fly-Tying-I-Instructional-Book- in Viroqua the informal fly-tying from their scrap box? Sure. About enced tyers, and so began the "Sin- let.pdf. It still features Henry's nights have kicked in at the Ameri- the only caveat is to make sure that gle Malt Gang," which munched the Muddler on the cover, and has step- can Legion (almost) every Tuesday if you are gifted some roadkill, or host's appetizers or soups and sam- by-step photos for tying 17 useful night. Last evening about 10 of us materials of any nature, you make pled some brown drink as we went. flies as well as other good info. dined on the $2 special burgers and sure they've been stored and han- We had a couple of hiccups with Many other chapters offer begin- one of their 20 tap beers (19 of them dled cleanly with no hitchhikers. My that approach, one that involved ning fly-tying courses. The Eau pretty good) while we tied. corner of the table often smells like pulling a truck out of a snowbank, Claire Fly-Tying Club and Green A couple of guides from the fly moth crystals or borax, but I can say but it was an enjoyable wintertime Bay's Classic Anglers of Wisconsin shop, the real pros, were stocking I've never had to contend with an in- endeavor. It still happens a couple both have tying events scheduled up for winter and spring outings. festation of any sort. So burn some times a winter. for the winter. Winston concentrated on tying a incense, and quit kvetching. There are lots of reasons for ty- One of the most intriguing ad- pile of Griffiths Gnats in several Somehow, in a group of less than ing in these winter periods. Tim vanced classes is Central Wisconsin deadly variations. My wife Kris is a dozen people, we were able to Meyer of the Wisconsin Clear Wa- TU's Master’s Fly Tying Program, just getting started, so she tied no- have more than six conversations ters Chapter, and one of the found- which has five sessions in January hackle caddis. Three of our group going on at once. I can't quite figure ers of the Single Malt Gang, says he and February, each featuring an ex- were pretty much beginners, so they that out, but then I am not a geome- enjoys wintertime tying groups for perienced tyer who demonstrates had plenty of tutoring. trician. reasons all related to aging: two or three patterns. CWTU mem- An eighth grader brought his Throughout the state our TU • You have to keep moving, and ber Tom Meyer, who organizes it, dad, and while we tied we chatted chapters and other partners offer it's harder in the winter to find reports the 25-person class is al- about the stream that runs through plenty of opportunities for tying reasons to leave the recliner. ready full, and usually 80 percent of his family's nursery business. Our flies. Whether you want to learn to • I never did much ice-fishing and its attendees are repeaters. Why new tyer went home with some nice- tie or just get together with others am certainly not going to start not? They can learn a bunch of flies ly proportioned caddis, several who tie, check out your local chap- now. from an expert teacher and have a hooks to keep him going until he ter's website or Facebook page or • It’s nice to socialize with good bunch of fun. Its enduring success finds more in his Christmas stock- ask a TU member what's out there. old friends when fishing oppor- begs the question: why wouldn't an- ing, and plenty of dubbing and other I'll mention a few later in this col- tunities with them are few. other chapter emulate it? materials. He attended the Wiscon- umn. • As the original Single Malt Try as I might, I didn't find a win- sin TU Youth Fishing Camp near My first learning was part of the group realized, you have to get tertime class offered by a TU chap- Waupaca last summer and soaked Southern Wisconsin TU chapter's those older, more experienced ter for making spinners, and I don't up the lessons. Now he may be in- beginner course around 1982. Previ- tyers juiced up a little before know if it's an activity pursued much terested in TU's National Youth ously, I'd owned (and mostly lost) they give out a few secrets. in these parts any more. Chapters Summit, set this June for a site near two dozen flies sold by a little ga- who offer monthly speakers occa- Shenandoah National Park. rage outfit in Nebraska for about Those “secrets” can sometimes sionally feature a spinning expert When you tie with a group, it five bucks. I think it was called "Ca- expose you to new patterns with like author Jay Ford Thurston of seems almost everyone brings more bela's." I wonder where they are which people are experimenting, lo- Viroqua. Staush Gruszynski of materials than they need. Australian now? The SWTU course had two cal patterns effective in your area Green Bay TU reports a speaker Opossum? Someone will have it, in instructors who led a dozen of us streams, and theories about fly de- demonstrated how to build spinners five colors. Fur from the little “Wild through their little handbook of sign or fishing. On top of that, of for GBTU a few years ago. Perhaps Things” shop in Rockton, where you maybe 16 flies, two a week. Instruc- course, is the tremendous amount some of our members who fish spin- of money you can save by tying your ners, and make their own, would be own flies. (“In your dreams,” a interested in sharing their skills at a voice from a prior life tells me.) chapter meeting or class in their ar- Across the state, chapters have ea. They'd certainly be welcome at some attractive offerings. Some in- our Tuesday tying nights at the Vir- formal “Lie & Ties” are potlucks on oqua Legion.

MIKE’S SERVICE AT LANGLADE JUNCTION OF HWY. 55 AND 64 FLY SHOP AUTO REPAIR Fly Shop & Sporting Goods Need a special pattern? Ask Mike! • Custom Tied Flies • Willie’s Elk Creek Caddis was developed over several years of experimenting by Clarence “Willie” Wilson of Eau Claire, who taught Ojibleau (now WI MICHAEL & (715) 882-8901 Clearwaters) tying classes for many years. He used it as an illustration of ALICE KLIMOSKI 4505 STATE ROAD 55 designing with the “Game of Nods” design approach of Ed Marinaro: try it with Owners WHITE LAKE, WISCONSIN 54491 this feature, then without, to see which gets a nod from the trout. Winter 2019 Wisconsin Trout Page 27

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