Our in-person meeting on Tuesday, May 10 at Schwoegler’s
By Topf Wells

We had a grand gathering in April and look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on Tuesday, May 10, at Schwoegler’s Bowling Alley on Grand Canyon Drive in Madison. The meeting will start at 7 p.m., but please join any time after 5:30 for dinner or drinks and catching up with friends. We’ll meet in Schwoegler’s community room on the southern end of the building. The room is just off the southernmost entryway near the pro shop.

Elsewhere you’ll read about the official proceedings at the April meeting, which included the election of Officers and Board Members and the passage of amendments to the bylaws. This was our first meeting in two years and Schwoegler’s, our new meeting place, provided a comfortable, large room with excellent food and service. I circulated widely through our membership and heard many compliments on the quality of the food and the timeliness of the service.

Besides good food, drink and conversation, we’ll have two superb speakers:  Kimberly Kuber and Camille Bruhn of WI DNR. Both are water quality biologists in our area.

Kim is conducting research on the effects of New Zealand Mudsnails on southern Wisconsin trout streams and will discuss that work and her preliminary findings. Camille and Kim will then describe what water quality biologists do and why trout anglers/conservationists should be interested in their work. All of us have learned of NZ mudsnail infestations and the warnings of how to avoid spreading them. We’ve also wondered to what extent and in what ways they might be hurting our trout streams. Kim’s research is interesting to just about all of us.

While many of us have met DNR fish biologists or heard them speak, the work of water quality biologists is not so well known. They survey lots of streams and rivers of every sort every year. I think we’ll find their accounts of what they do, what they observe, and why interesting and fun.

Kim is the water quality biologist for the lower Wisconsin River Basin. Originally from northwest Wisconsin and a graduate of Stevens Point, she is completing an MS in Fish and Wildlife Conservation Biology at Colorado State. Kim worked as a DNR fisheries technician in the Southern District. She was a vital member of the DNR team that worked with SWTU and Pecatonica Pride to obtain trout stream easements in Dane, Green, and Iowa Counties.

Camille is the water quality biologist for the Grant, Platte, Sugar, and Pecatonica Basins. She grew up near Madison and has graduated from UW-Madison. Among her many recent accomplishments, Camille has discovered trout in the Bacon Branch. I think any stream named after such an important food group should have trout.

As you look at the area and waters Camille and Kim cover, you realize: 1. they are incredibly hard working and 2. they cover just about all the streams we fish.

Kim and Camille will join us for dinner and allow time for questions after their presentation.
For the safety of all, if you or someone in your household is not feeling well, we urge you to stay home. Please also consider the CDC guidelines for gatherings, including staying up to date with your vaccinations. Thank you for your kind consideration. Like most venues, Schwoegler’s does not require masks but we’ll respect any member’s decision to wear one.

 Schwoegler’s Lanes, 444 Grand Canyon Dr., Madison, WI 53719