Fountains of Youth – Classic trout flies that have withstood the test of time … flies that remain “forever young”
by Rusty Dunn
You arrive at a favorite trout stream on a summer afternoon. The air is heavy and still, the water low and clear. Major hatches are about over for the year. No bugs in the air. No hoppers in the grass. But there, on a glassy smooth pool, downstream of a riffle, in the shade of a tree, fish are rising. Their rise forms seem impossibly gentle. A leisurely little sip … a tiny dimple … a barely visible ring that quickly disappears. Ghostly rises to invisible insects by unseen fish. Looking more closely, you finally see the source of the activity. Tiny black midges swarm above the stream. What should you do?
(A) Start crying;
(B) curse loudly and repeatedly;
(C) take down your rod and head for a bar; or
(D) tie on a Griffith’s Gnat.
The correct answer is (D), but be prepared to follow up with choices A-C. Midges truly are “The Fisherman’s Curse”. Read More
Newscasts – January 2023
Last Updated: March 7, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
This issue is filled with great information, including:
Last Updated: January 4, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Sweet Southern Dreams at the January Meeting
Feel the warmth on Tuesday, January 10
They are going to share some experiences and photos from that trip at the January 10 SWTU meeting. Both the dorado and brown trout are legendary fish who inhabit unique and stunning habitats. For those of us who need some top-notch daydreaming material, fabulous fishing stories, trip of a lifetime ideas, and jaw dropping photos of jaw dropping fish, this is the meeting for you! Read More
2022 SWTU Workdays and Looking Forward
Last Updated: January 4, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
By Jim Hess, Conservation Chair
2022 was another great year for SWTU Workdays. There was a total of 181 participants, 84 in the spring and 97 in the fall. Together we are helping to create healthier trout streams, while getting to know our fellow TU members and having some fun.
There was a total of 11 workdays in 2022, 5 in the spring and 6 in the fall. It is always interesting to see how the weather changes during the spring workdays versus the fall. For example, we started our fall workdays this year on a warm and muggy September Saturday morning at the Falk Wells Wildlife Area and ended on December 3rd, with temps in the 20’s at the Bennett easement on the Smith-Conley Creek (a joint workday with the Nohr Chapter). And that was our highest attended workday for the year. Read More
Last Updated: January 4, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Lie and Tie with our friends at the Nohr TU Chapter
Save the date for this fun fundraiser
Dale Osthoff, guide and tyer with nearly twenty years of fly fishing experience, will be presenting “Fly Fishing Alpine Lakes: How to catch the “Dumbest” trout in the World” and “Active Techniques for Small Stream Fly Fishing.”
You are welcome to bring your vise and join the tying. Stay tuned to the Nohr TU facebook page and NohrTU.com for details and updates!
Read More
Posted: January 2, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Learn What Your Board’s Been Up To – Jan. 2023
Minutes from SWTU Board of Director meetings can be viewed in this Google Drive. If you have questions on what you read in them, reach out to one of the Board members listed on the last page of each newsletter. (Note that you may need to click the “Last Modified” header at the top to sort the list with the latest minutes at the top.)
Last Updated: January 3, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Update on Badger Mill Creek
By Topf Wells
Supporters of Badger Mill Creek are growing increasingly concerned about the creek’s future in light of the Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District’s impending decision on the amount of phosphorus it discharges to the creek. You may recall the article from last month’s Newscasts.
Under DNR regulations the District must reduce the amount of phosphorus over the next five years. One possible solution is to eliminate any discharge to the stream. The concern is that the highly treated and aerated effluent constitutes about 20% of the stream’s flow and probably is helping to sustain Badger Mill as a healthy and improving trout stream. Read More
Interested in a TU Rod Building Class
Last Updated: January 2, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Are you interested in building your own fly rod to use during the 2023 fishing season? Dave Fowler will be holding a class on March 11 and 12, 2023. The class will be held at Dave’s house on Madison’s East side. The cost will be $225, with all profits being donated to SWTU.
Class size is limited to four people. Reservations will on a first come, first served basis andpriority will be given to current SWTU members and those who have not taken the class before. Read More
Griffith’s Gnat
Last Updated: January 2, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
by Rusty Dunn
You arrive at a favorite trout stream on a summer afternoon. The air is heavy and still, the water low and clear. Major hatches are about over for the year. No bugs in the air. No hoppers in the grass. But there, on a glassy smooth pool, downstream of a riffle, in the shade of a tree, fish are rising. Their rise forms seem impossibly gentle. A leisurely little sip … a tiny dimple … a barely visible ring that quickly disappears. Ghostly rises to invisible insects by unseen fish. Looking more closely, you finally see the source of the activity. Tiny black midges swarm above the stream. What should you do?
(A) Start crying;
(B) curse loudly and repeatedly;
(C) take down your rod and head for a bar; or
(D) tie on a Griffith’s Gnat.
The correct answer is (D), but be prepared to follow up with choices A-C. Midges truly are “The Fisherman’s Curse”. Read More
2023 Women’s Flyfishing Clinics – Register now (and recommend it to others!)
Posted: January 2, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
The groundbreaking Women’s Flyfishing Clinics sponsored by SWTU have become a model for others and featured in national TU publications.
Chapter member Tina Murray – our esteemed Chair of Women, Diversity and Youth Education Initiatives – invites our members to register now if interested in attending one of the clinics listed below. The clinic dates and registration links will be advertised widely in December, so this is a chance for SWTU members to secure their spot.
More information is here on our Chapter website or select a registration link below. Read More
Register for SWTU Fly Tying Courses – 2023
Last Updated: February 7, 2023 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Limited space left! Sign up by January 15, 2023
Trout Unlimited invites you to learn fly tying or improve your tying skills this winter. Experienced SWTU instructors will teach both beginning and intermediate level fly-tying courses in Fitchburg starting Wednesday January 18, 2023. Classes consist of instructor-led demonstrations and hands-on tutorials. The courses are completely free of charge, and all materials needed in class are provided. You need only supply fly-tying tools and thread, a list of which is available at https://www.swtu.org/learn/flytying/flytying-classes/. Read More
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