Fly fishing: a hidden gem

Photo by Libby Glaser, TU 5 Rivers Costa Coordinator

Fly fishing is like kayaking — most people know of it, maybe even have done it, but do not actually know how the equipment works or how technical it can be. Both activities can be extremely simple, but there is a variety of skills and knowledge that go along with each. Flyfishing is a passion, a hobby, an art and a sport. 

April 22-24, Trout Unlimted Costa 5 Rivers hosted a regional meet up for midwest college fly fishing clubs to fish and learn. Duluth's developing club brought four members down to Viroqua, Wisconsin to further explore the sport. 

The UMD group: 

Brice Lauwers, club president, is a passionate fly fisher and accounting major. Anna Early is an finance major, rustic outdoorswomen and intermediate fly fisher. Grace Carleton is currently exploring majors, a full time adventurer and fly fishing virgin (but not anymore).

 Friday:

Three college clubs embarked on a road trip to experience the outdoors. Many of the students came from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a few from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The event was held at the West Forks Sports Club. As students arrived, they had the oportunity to fish right on the West Fork Kickapoo River flowing next to camp. The evening included a late night bonfire, late arrivals, tent camping and car camping. 

Saturday: 

Sunday Service Project Team. Photo by Libby Glaser, TU 5 Rivers Costa Coordinator

Around 5:00 a.m., the excited moring-folk awoke. I stumbled out of my car quietly and Brice jumped out of his tent, tired of pretending to sleep. Brice and I were two of the 25 people who saw the fog suspended above the river and heard the morning sounds of cows and birds. Brice started fishing right away and caught a brown trout after about 10 minutes of having his line in the water. Brice is fully committed and passionate about the art of fly fishing. He ties all of his own flies and embraces the full process. 

“Maybe there are people out there growing their own worms to fish with … but [the process of creating flys is] more challenging,” Brice said.

I on the other hand am not dedicated to fly fishing and did not fish right away. I sat by the river and enjoyed the nature and studied the flow. By 6:00 a.m., my impatience and excitement was uncontainable. I woke Grace up, and we drove down the road a bit to go for a quick run. After Grace pulled on my waders, I gave her a quick casting lesson. I only have a base knowledge of the sport, but I attempted to teach by example. Even though Grace had never held a fly rod before in her life, her excitement to learn and improve showed through. The concepts of fishing while standing knee-deep in water and having the ability to walk through a river chest-deep, feeling the cold water surround you, but remain completely dry, was new to her. 

By 8:30 a.m. we were back at camp to eat breakfast. Trout Unlimited, a nonprofit conservation organization, had a caterer to prepare all meals for us. After breakfast and small conversations, I was aware of how much diversity of knowledge and passions was in the room with me. I was surrounded by individuals from diverse educational backgrounds but similar mindsets. Many students were biology-related majors, but there was a range from machine operator to interior designer. 

We had the opportunity to learn from and listen to many knowledgeable scientists and fishers at the event. One of these people included Mike Miller, an ecologist with the Wisconsin DNR. He brought us to the headwaters of Seas Branch where we saw crystal-clear water flowing from a hillside. 

We performed kick test survey to see what organisms were living under the rocks. By kicking up sediment and catching it in a net, we were able to capture hundreds of tiny organisms, such as mayfly larvey and nymphs. The tiny insects we identifed are often what flys are tied to represent. At the core of fly fishing, presentation is key. Fishers create flys that represent natural food sources.  

After stream sampling with Mike, we all spit and went fishing. The stream options are endless in the Driftless area of southern Wisconsin, so I lost track of everyone but Brice and Grace. Brice took time to further teach Grace casting techniques. As beginners luck would have it, Grace caught three fish, one sucker and two brook trout. I myself saw a few fish bite, but I could not hook them. I simply enjoyed casting, wading in the river and being around other like-minded individuals. 

Unfortunately, I had to leave early, so I missed out on all Sunday activities, including community service projects, fly fishing gear giveaways (provided by donations from Costa, Simms, Yeti, Shenanigans Fly Fishing, Trout Routes and Trout Unlimited), fly tying and of course, more fishing. The resources and opportunities at this event were amazing. 

Major Takeaways:

Fly fishing is a mystery to some but loved by many. There are an unbelievable amount of resources through organizations such as Trout Unlimted to get involved in river conservation and fly fishing. Fly fishing is available to all. There is always more to learn. 

Special thanks to event organizers: Libby Glaser and Franklin Tate (Trout Unlimited), Mike Kuhr (Wisconsin TU council), Mike Miller (Wisconsin DNR), and Tina Murray (West Fork Sports Club)