Flies for the Labor Day trip

Consulting various sources, chief among them being Jim Humphrey & Bill Shogren's excellent Trout Streams of Wisconsin and Minnesota, the best flies for the upcoming Labor Day weekend in Wisconsin should be...

Dark Blue Quill #14-16
Slate Winged Mahogany Dun "
Blue Dun "
Small Yellow Mayfly #20-24
Griffiths Gnat #16-24
Blue Winged Olives #16-24
Gold-rib Hare's Ear #18
Tan, Olive, and Speckled Caddis imitators #14-20
Green Raggedy Caddis Larva #16
Peeking Caddis #16
Dave's Hopper #6-10
Scuds in tan, pink, olive, brown & purple #14-18
Wooly Buggers in olive, brown, and black #6-10
Pale Evening Dun #16
Black Ant #10-18
Ladybug #14-18

I've got a lot of tying to do!

Don't make the same mistake I just did

As I went out to the garage to get my vest. I noticed a gigantic hole in one of my pockets.

Before you put your vest away, make sure you clean the sunflower seeds out of it lest mice chew through the pocket to get at them. Lesson learned.

What's in my flybox 8/23/07

In my nymphs box..

3 green, 3 grey, and 3 pink scuds in #14
3 weighted wet Pass Lake #12
6 Hare's ear in sizes #14-18
5 Beadhead Flashback Pheasant Tail #14
7 Beadhead Prince Nymph #12-14
2 Pink Squirrel #12
4 Beadhead Pheasant Tail #12-14
3 Pheasant Tail #14-16
1 Copper John #14

In my dry box...
4 Blue Winged Olive (BWO) Emerger #20
7 BWO #16
5 Parachute BWO #16
3 Pass Lake #14
4 Royal Wulff #14
3 Blond Elk Hair Caddis #14
3 Black Elk Hair Caddis #14
3 Dark Green Elk Hair Caddis #14
3 Brown Elk Hair Caddis #14
3 Sulfur Dun #10
4 Griffiths Gnat #16
3 Dark Cahill #14
3 Colonel Fuller #10
1 Stimulator #10
1 Mosquito #16

In my terrestials box...
3 Gimp #10
3 Dave's Hopper #8
3 Black Ant #10
3 Black Wooly Bugger #8
3 Brown Wooly Bugger #8
3 Sponge Rubber Ladybug #16

The fly with the blue background is a Gimp. The Colonel Fuller graphic is from an old tums box for sale on EBAY.

Skinner Creek, Green County 07/07/07

DeLorme Map page 27. Southwestern Wisconsin in Green County. Extremely hot conditions at the time of this visit. The state of Wisconsin lists Skinner Creek as a legitimate trout stream in their 2007 Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide. Access is OK via a bridge from Cadiz Springs Road, just north of Highway 11. The bridge spanned a very shallow, possibly wadeable creek, that was quite clear. One had to venture into very tall grass and jump down a steep bank to get there, but it was possible. I didn't try.

Brown Branch Creek, Lafayette County 07/07/07

DeLorme Map page 27. Southwestern Wisconsin in Lafayette County. Extremely hot conditions at the time of this visit. The state of Wisconsin lists Brown Branch Creek as a legitimate trout stream in their 2007 Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide. Fortunately, there is some access of this locally-known creek.

Off old highway 11, there is weedy access, but not great.

Off new highway 11, there is a fine access point below the bridge (see photo) just east of Wayne Center Road. i stopped by Marty's in South Wayne and spoke to an old timer about trout fishing in these parts. He was three sheets to the wind, but relayed how he and a partner had spied a two-foot brown trout below the bridge many years ago and couldn't get the fish to bite on anything. So the two of them grabbed a stout rod and a snagging hook and jerked brownie out of there. Where's the DNR when you need them?

I spent the better part of a day in this spot and did not catch a thing. I threw half my fly box at them, mostly concentrating on wooly buggers. Still, it was good to get out and find access. I encountered extremely muddly conditions and warm water (air temp 95 degrees).

Silver Spring Creek, Lafayette County 07/07/07

DeLorme Map page 26. Southwestern Wisconsin in Lafayette County. Extremely hot conditions at the time of this visit. The state of Wisconsin lists Silver Spring Creek as a legitimate trout stream in their 2007 Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide. Unfortunately, I found only one access point, private property. Plus the stream was little more than two feet wide. Still it could have held a brookie or two. Again, a huge problem for trouters in SW Wisconsin is the lack of public access.

Copper Creek, Lafayette County 07/07/07

DeLorme Map page 26. Southwestern Wisconsin in Lafayette County. Extremely hot conditions at the time of this visit. The state of Wisconsin lists Copper Creek as a legitimate trout stream in their 2007 Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide. There does not seem to be any public access--a big problem in Southwest Wisconsin. Each access point off highway K looked like private property. Still, there was a beautiful looking spot off the highway across from the big white house. Anybody got any insight on Copper Creek?

Wolf Creek, Lafayette County 07/07/07

DeLorme Map page 26. Southwestern Wisconsin in Lafayette County. Extremely hot conditions at the time of this visit. The state of Wisconsin lists Wolf Creek as a legitimate trout stream in their 2007 Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide. Access point off Patch Road appears to be private property and did not look navigable. North of there, into Gratiot, access improves greatly.

There is full access to Wolf Creek in Gratiot. Just south of Highway 11 is a meandering bank that affords OK access. North of Highway 11 is a city park with terrific access, with weeds at the immediate bank, but nicely mowed otherwise. The Cheese Country Trail makes a stop in this park and there is the constant buzz of ATVs. It's not peaceful solitude, but there is access, and access is everything.

I fished here throughout the day and encountered very muddy conditions. I threw beadhead nymphs, scuds, and terrestrials out there to no avail.

Trout Brook, Lafayette County 07/07/07

DeLorme Map page 26. Southwestern Wisconsin in Lafayette County. Extremely hot conditions at the time of this visit. The state of Wisconsin lists Trout Brook as a legitimate trout stream in their 2007 Trout Fishing Regulations and Guide. Southernmost possible access point, off South Prairie Road finds a dry creek bed! One access point north, off White School Road reveals a brook two feet wide, but entirely choked with weeds. The next access point, off Dunbarton Road, is OK, affording fishing under a bridge. The property just south of the bridge appears to be owned by a farmers Co-op. Some kind soul has put a bench next to the stream and has made some site improvements (see photo). I am afraid that the stream north of the bridge into Gratiot is inaccessible due to posted no trespassing signs and barbed wire over the stream.

Still, it was enjoyable fishing under the bridge with beadhead nymphs that day. No trout, but sometimes it's good just to find access.

Willow River, St. Croix County 05/30/07

Date: 053007 First access area North of Willow River State Park County: St. Croix Time of day: just before dusk	Weather: pleasant Water: crystal clear Hatches:
Submitted by Phil Newton Comments: Caught a 10" rainbow on a #10 sulfur dun upstream from the bridge and a 9" rainbow on wooly bugger under the bridge in fast water.

Willow River, St. Croix County 06/01/07 part II

Date: 060107 inside Willow River State Park, 200 yards below the falls. County: St. Croix Time of day: just after lunch	Weather: pleasant Water: clear Hatches:
Submitted by Phil Newton Comments: Fished for 90 minutes with my dad and brother (that's my Dad in the pic). None of us caught a thing--except for creek chubs, which were everywhere. We were using everything from wooly buggers to various dry flies. We did however, see an angler using a small rooster tail and a spinning rod. He boasted of great success using such methods.

Willow River, St. Croix County, 06/01/07

Date: 060107 Willow River, accessed by 95th and 140th County: St. Croix Time of day: after supper	Weather: pleasant Water: clear and fast Hatches:
Submitted by Phil Newton Comments: Very fast water. Caught a 12" brown by dropping a ladybug imitation in a quiet pool next to shore. As you may have figured out, we were wading. No more than mid-thigh deep in most places.

Kinnickinnic River, Pierce County 05/31/07

Date: 053107 Kinnickinnic River, downtown river falls County: Pierce Time of day: 9 am to noon

Weather: pleasant Water: crystal clear Hatches:

Submitted by Phil Newton Comments: Just below the waterfall that has the footbridge high above it. Accessed by the tennis courts off of 29/35. Caught two browns one was 12" and two brookies less than 10". Caught them on beadhead prince nymphs, beadhead pheasant tails, and pink squirrels. As you can see, this section of the Kinni is one of the most picturesque of any trout stream in Wisconsin. With the abundance of brownies and brookies and the beauty of the spot, it is amazing that we don't see very many other anglers when we visit.

Kinnickinnic River, Pierce County 05/31/07 part II

Date: 053107 Kinnickinnic River, residential area in River Falls County: Pierce Time of day: after lunch	Weather: rainy Water: clear Hatches:
Submitted by Phil Newton Comments: We accessed this section of the Kinni by turning right into a residential area south of where you turn off for the tennis courts access. My dad caught several browns and brookies with a Stimulator.

Kinnickinnic River, Pierce County 06/01/07

Date: 060107 Kinnikinnic River, downtown river falls County: Pierce Time of day: 9 to noon	Weather: pleasant Water: clear Hatches:
Submitted by Phil Newton Comments: Fishing below the waterfall with the footbridge high above it. Using mostly #12-#16 beadhead prince nymphs my brother and I caught 8 brookies and browns between us. The lighter the tippet the better, we are finding with these fish. That's my brother with a modest brownie.