SWTU, P.O. Box 45555, Madison, WI 53744-5555 president@swtu.org

Sugar River landowner dinner

By Topf Wells

Let’s hope 13 is the Sugar River’s lucky number.  Thirteen landowners on the Sugar River and some key tributaries attended a dinner sponsored by SWTU, the Dane County Land and Water Resources Department, and the DNR, on the evening of April 16 at the Verona Public Library.  The purpose was to acquaint the landowners about the County’s trout stream easement program and the status of the fisheries in those streams.  Our hopes are that some (what the heck, we hope all) the landowners will consider selling the County easements that permit public fishing and stream restoration. Read More

Wisconsin Women’s Fly Fishing Clinics: 2019

The MOST popular women’s fly fishing clinics in the Midwest

The clinics are coming up fast and guide helpers are needed!  Read More

An update on the Westfork Sports Club

By Tina Murray
A look at restorations and repairs for the club and stream at Westfork.   Read More

Your input needed on the draft Inland Trout Management Plan

You will have an opportunity to review and comment on a draft statewide Inland Trout Management Plan at a series of upcoming meetings (including June 4 in Fitchburg). Learn all about it on the DNR website.

New Members – May 2019

Welcome New Members

We’re pleased to announce the addition of the following new members to our ranks! Read More

Fun and successful “Gals, Gear and Beer” event

Gals, Gear and Beer at Orvis on April 26th was a smashing success. We had 12 women who brought in their gear for a tune up or tried on future wish list items. Read More

Newscasts – April 2019

This issue has lots of great information, including:

Our Great and Growing Local Public Waters

Please join us for our Thursday, April 11 Chapter meeting

In addition to a 50/50 raffle, this meeting will also feature a silent auction for some great sets of flies! Please see below for details.

April’s speaker is an award-winning member of our Chapter and a leader in conserving our local trout streams. Sara Rigelman, winner of State Council’s Bob Hunt Award, will speak on Dane County’s acquisition of land and easements and restoration of trout streams in the Sugar River Watershed.  Read More

Nominating Committee Completes its Work for April Annual Elections

The Nominating Committee has completed the list of candidates for the election to be held at the Annual Meeting on April 11, 2019. The nominees for the open positions are: Read More

The Usual

Fountains of Youth – Classic trout flies that have withstood the test of time … flies that remain “forever young”

by Rusty Dunn

Inspiration in fly design can strike at any time.  A chance encounter … a windfall of road kill … a discovery of a new tying material.  Fly tyers are for­ever searching for new wrinkles on the ancient craft of lashing silk, fur, and feather to a hook.  ‘The Usual’ is an uncommonly effective at­tractor from the creative eye of Fran Betters.  It was in­spired by a mid-winter hunting trip, a forgotten bit of fur, the luck of a rabbit’s foot, and boredom on a lazy af­ter­noon.  Read More