BrookieJanuary 2019

Fond du LacGreen LakeMarquetteWaushara

Winnebago

CWTU

Central Wisconsin Trout Unlimited

By President Laura TuckerStreaming from the Pine

Board Meeting & Program: Nymph Fishing by: Jim BarteltTuesday, Jan. 8, 20196:15 - Board Meeting 7:15 - ProgramFin ‘N’ Feather22 W. Main St., Winneconne

A New Experience Fly TyingA Series for Beginners by: David PableMondays in January 20196:30 - 9:00 pmFin ‘N’ Feather22 W. Main St., Winneconne

Central RegionPlanning Meeting Presentations by DNR & TUSaturday, Jan. 12, 20198:30 am - 1:00 pmFin ‘N’ Feather22 W. Main St., WinneconneNOTE: Contact John Tucker if you would like to attend.

Cabin Fever Day Fox Valley TUSaturday, Jan. 19, 20199:00 am - 3:00 pm The Grand Merridian2621 N. Oneida St., Appleton

State CouncilBanquetSaturday, Feb. 2, 2019Doors open at 4:30 pmDinner at 6:30 pm Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel andConvention Center1 N Main St., Oshkosh

TroutFest Saturday, Feb. 23, 20199:00 am - 4:00 pm Fin ‘N’ Feather22 W. Main St., Winneconne

UPCOMINGEVENTS Sitting in a warm kitchen watching the ice �shing. Sun is out.

2018 has ended and there is a lot to be thankful for.

CWTU is especially appreciative of: • CWTU volunteers and benefactors

• CWTU board members

• TroutFest committee

• Beginner �y tying course coordinator

• Master’s �y tying course coordinator

• Dan Harmon III Fly Fishing School committee

• CWTU support at the WI TU Youth Fishing Camp

• River Restoration Work Day volunteers and coordinator

• River Keeper monitoring volunteers

• River Keeper coordinator

• Picnic sponsors

• Past presidents involvement and advice

• Awards committee

• River Keepers award dinner coordinator

• Banquet committee and successful banquets

• Banquet donors

• Educational program committees

• Treasurer’s dedication and knowledge

• Secretary support

• “Brookie” editors

• CWTU website revision managers

• Facebook revision managers

• CWTU watchdog and advocate

• CWTU historian

• Fox Valley Chapter TU work day support

• Shawn Sullivan/crew and the DNR endless e�orts

• UW Extension services

• Elliott Donnelly TU Chapter support

• CWTU member support @ the Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expo at MacKenzie Center at Poynette, Wis.

• �e Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

• Contributors to the “Brookie”

• Educational contributors to CWTU’s monthly educational meetings

• �e Fin ‘N’ Feather support

�ank you for another great year of success and accomplish-ments. We cannot do it without your support!

Looking forward to 2019 and another fun year full of activities.

New and used gear neededfor prizes and sale.

(Consignment arrangements welcome)please contact Ira Giese at:

iragiese@gmail.com

Spring Creeks Trout Secretsof the Driftless Area:Presenting the Moving Fly�e program “Spring Creeks of the Dri�less Area: Present-ing the Moving Fly” kicks o� CWTU’s monthly program series in 2019. It

January Program

will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 upstairs at the Fin ‘N’ Feather, 22 W. Main St., Winneconne.

Presented by Jim Bartlet, the program details various presentation techniques for the spring creeks including ways to move a caddis pupa, and a may�y nymph, or an

emerger to represent their ascension to the surface. In addition to showing various spring creek �shing situations, he will show some of his favorite �y patterns and discuss conservation e�orts and best practices for releasing and photographing trout.

Jim is a retired educator and has been teaching �y casting and �y �shing, as well as guiding the Dri�less spring creeks since 1990. �e program is free and open to the public.

TroutFest19

What I enjoyed most about the process of putting together “�e Founders and Legends of CWTU” was hearing all the stories from the guys I interviewed. I told many of the stories during the program but had to take out some of them due to time constraints. I wanted to share these two stories that I call “A Tale of Two Big Fish.” �e two stories interconnect in the end.

�e �rst story as told by Doc Poullette occurred about 80 years ago when Doc’s grandfather caught a 10.2 lb. brown trout on Soules Creek outside of Wautoma. Back then, �shermen measured their �sh mostly by weight instead of inches.

“Everyone knew about this �sh and many attempts were made to catch the �sh to no avail. My grandfather used a �y that he crudely and simply tied with white feathers wrapped around a hook,” Doc explained.

Not surprisingly, Doc was inspired by this experience. It was one of the reasons he took on trout �shing as his passion and lifetime endeavor. His grandfather had that �sh mounted and Doc eventually acquired it. He gave to Arling Erickson to hang in his �y shop near Poysippi.

By Tom Meyer

When I talked about this story with Judge Jon Wilcox, a longtime friend of Tom Poulette’s since childhood, the judge said, “His grandfather didn’t catch that �sh in Soules Creek. He caught it in the Wautoma mill pond.” I told Doc Poulette what the judge said, hoping to create a controversy, but Doc stood �rm and was adamant that it was caught in the creek.

In the newspaper article above, his grandfather (also Tom Poullette) is quoted, “I captured the prize winning trout on Soules Creek a few years ago, but the stream is just about �shed out now.” Well, there you have it! Fishermen don’t lie! It’s in the newspaper, it has to be true.

A Ta le of Two B ig F i sh

“I captured the prize winning trout on Soules Creek a few years ago,

but the stream is just about fished out now.”

�e second �sh story was told by Je� Treu. When Je� was 12 years old and living near Pine River, a neighbor gave him a �y tying kit. He didn’t know how to tie �ies so he ended up going to Erickson’s �y shop and Arling Erickson showed him how to use the kit. He also taught him many other things about trout �shing.

“Arling always had time for kids that came into the shop, unless he was with a “customer” sampling some Jack Daniels in the back of the shop,” Je� and others told me. One night in June a few years later, Je� and a friend went �shing on the Pine River during the hex hatch. �ey each caught one nice brown and a�er �shing they were about to hop on their bicycles and go home when Arling Erickson drove by with a canoe in the back of his truck. He stopped and asked the boys how they did and Je� and his friend proudly showed him the two �sh they caught, both 18-20 inches. Arling congratulated the boys and was about to pull away when Je� said, “Did you catch anything Mr. Erickson?” He told Je� he caught just one �sh and it was in lying on the �oor of the canoe.

Je� walked to the back of the truck and looked inside and saw what he �rst thought was a piece of dri�wood lying in the canoe. Upon further observation, he saw that it was actually a huge brown trout that turned out to be 30” long. Je� noted that Mr. Erickson wasn’t going to say anything about the �sh because he didn’t want to “show up” the two boys who were obviously proud of the �sh they caught. Je� said that was the kind of guy he was. Arling also had that �sh mounted and hung it on a wall in his �y shop alongside the �sh Doc’s grandfather caught. Both �sh burned up in a �re at the �y shop some years later.

VERY LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP!

The Tiger Tale

Programs:All About Hexagenia Limbata: A Primer - John Gremmer

Bug Hints to Improve Trout Fishing - Tom Lager

Spey Fishing Basics - Jeff Treu

Double Your Catch with Double the Flies? - Ira Giese

A Curly, Girly Point of View – Part II - Heidi Oberstadt

12 Facets of Spring Ponds - Wayne Parmley

Exploring Chilean Patagonia - Kyle Zempel - Black Earth Angling Co.

Fly Fishing in Fernie, British Columbia - Tom Meyer

Get to Know CWTU MembersTom Meyer

How long have you been a TU member? About 25 years I think.

Are you a chapter board member and/or officer? No, workdays are how I contribute the most and I am currently directing the masters fly tying class.

What drew you to joining TU? The chance of winning cool stuff at the banquets that I couldn’t afford otherwise.

First fishing catch and/or memory? Fishing with worms on the Pine River with my brother.

Favorite lure or fly? If I had to pick one it’s the larvae lace foam hex pattern that Jeff Treu and Ira Giese showed me.

Favorite fish species to chase? All Trout species.

Favorite place to fish? The Elk River in British Columbia.

Dream trip? Labrador to fish big brook trout.

Most enjoyable TU activity to attend or participate in? TroutFest

Where do you call home? 6 miles northeast of Wild Rose.

Do you have a pet, if so name and what? Not even a goldfish!

Other activities you enjoy? Traveling with my wife. Bowhunting for deer, turkey hunting and playing poker & craps at the casino.

Who are the people close to you, family? My wife Karen, brother Tim and 3 sisters.

Recent book read or favorite? Just finished “Red War” by Kyle Mills. Favorite authors: John Gierach, Michael Connelly, John Grisham, John Sanford and Vince Flynn.

Favorite movie? All Clint Eastwood films.

Favorite food? Pasta.

A hidden talent you have? Drawing and sketching.

Guilty pleasure? Brandy Manhattans.

Scott Bahn

How long have you been a TU member? Since 2006 I believe.

Are you a chapter board member and/or officer? I’m on the Board of Directors, in my third term.

What drew you to joining TU? It was the love of the outdoors and wanting to make a difference in stream habitat. I grew up fly fishing and fly tying, so it was a natural draw for me. I didn’t join, unfortunately, until later in life.

First fishing catch and/or memory? No memory of that anymore! I had a wonderful Dad that always had the time to take me fishing. I started using a fly rod for bluegills when I was probably 8 years old or so. My first catch was probably ice fishing however, hauling a bluegill out of the hole by backing up until it popped out, so I was really little.

Favorite lure or fly? A black ant for bluegills, a grasshopper pattern for trout.

Favorite fish species to chase? It’s a tossup between a big bluegill and a trout, both on a fly rod, can’t go wrong with either.

Favorite place to fish? If you can find my truck on any particular day or evening, that’s the place!

Dream trip? I would love to try my hand at those huge brook trout upin Labrador, Canada.

Most enjoyable TU activity to attend or participate in? Stream work days by far, I was the coordinator for over 5 years. I really feel like I am making a difference for the next generation with all the hands-on work. It’s a great opportunity to get my 2 daughters out of the house and involved in the outdoors as well.

Where do you call home? I was born and raised in Wautoma, but I have lived in Neenah for the last 18 years.

Do you have a pet, if so name and what? We have a very tall yellow Lab named Otis that is 4 years old. He’s loud, but a sweetheart to the girls.

Other activities you enjoy? I make a few bamboo fly rods every year, and anything related to woodworking. I’m trying to get back into fly tying more, but admittedly, I have too many hobbies.

Who are the people close to you, family? My wife Kay of 18 years, and daughters, Olivia (15) and Erin (12).

Recent book read or favorite? Two actually I just completed: The South’s Best Butts (a book on Barbeque) and Grandma’s German Cookbook (trying to get back to my roots!)

Favorite movie? Caddy Shack. It’s amazing how many famous people were actually in that movie, many before they were actually famous.

Favorite food? Pizza. I would probably eat it every day if I didn’t have self-control.

A hidden talent you have? Most weekends if I have the time, I’m in the kitchen baking or cooking. I worked at the Silvercryst Resort in Wautoma or the Honl’s from high school through college and a little beyond and that cooking bug that was planted has never left me.

Guilty pleasure? A chocolate chip cookie.

Conserving, Protecting and Restoring Coldwater Fisheries

Special thanks to our supporters. CWTU Board of DirectorsPresident: Laura Tucker, 920-622-5401Vice President: Stan Cichowski, 708-362-9001 Secretary: Wayne Parmley, 920-540-2315Treasurer: Joe Peikert, 920-779-5270 Past President: Mike San Dretto, 920-722-8478

Jeff Treu, 920-410-1250Dennis Drazkowski, 262-409-0558 Jack Talin, 920-420-0577John Tucker, 920-475-2271Bob Haase, 920-922-8003Scott Bahn, 920-886-9651

Steve Fisher, 920-921-7336Bob Jozwowski, 920-765-1887 Dan Harmon III, 920-235-1761David Pable, 920-233-2939Two Seats Open

To get conservation events listed or to submit articles please contact: Wayne Parmley at wparmley@gmail or call 920-540-2315

CWTU Board of Directors Minutes 12-11-2018Meeting Location: Fin ‘N’ Feather, Winneconne, Wis.

President Laura Tucker called the meeting to order at 6:17 p.m.

Minutes of 11/13/2018 Board Meeting: The minutes were reviewed and approved.

Treasurer’s Report: Joe Peikert reported on the monthly activity and wrap up of banquet expenses. He also noted that TU is shifting its fiscal year to start on April 1, so we will have a few reporting items to address by March 31 to be in sync. Report approved.

Old Business:

Beginning Fly Tying Class: Dave Pable reported that he is covered with support volunteers and ready to go. At this point, a few have signed up for the class and a few more are thinking about it. So, Dave noted to keep putting the word out. Wayne noted that a press release had been put out a few weeks earlier so hopefully that will reach a few more potential students.

Project Funding Committee Report: Committee Chair Stan Cichowiski noted that there was nothing new to report.

Dan Harmon III Fly Fishing School: Wayne Parmley presented a brochure for final review. It will be going to print in a week or two. An ad will be placed in the next Wisconsin Trout. New graphics will be produced for our table top display in time to be used at Cabin Fever Day and TroutFest. Press releases will be going out in Jan/Feb.

Membership Report: Mike SanDretto was unable to attend so we will push it to next month’s meeting.

New Business:

Invitation to the Central Region Planning Meeting Jan. 12, 2019 (Tom Lager): John Tucker noted this meeting was headed up by Shawn Sullivan of the DNR to address their restoration plans for 2019 and what support they would like from the central region TU chapters. These are the same chapters that make up TU CARES, which is Central Wisconsin, Fox Valley, Hornberg and Shaw-Paca. Collectively, $21,500 was provided last year, $6,500 of which was donated by Central WI. This meeting on Jan. 12 will be held at the Fin ‘N’ Feather, Winneconne, starting at 9 a.m. Please let Laura or John Tucker know if you want to attend.

State Council Chapter Donation Request for the Annual Banquet: The annual request from the State Council of a $500 donation is upon us. A chapter can donate either cash or prizes. Bob Haase noted we will have roughly $80 fly boxes, so it was discussed how we should cover the remaining $420. It was approved by the board to simply provide $420 in cash.

State Banquet Tickets: Laura Tucker had tickets for sale for the State TU Banquet on Feb. 2, 2019, at the Best Western Convention Center Oshkosh. Several tickets were sold.

New Fly Fishing School Idea: Jeff Treu presented an idea for starting or considering a Spey Fishing School as an additional school beyond our introduction to fly fishing school. Many thought it was an interesting idea and would be of interest to new and experienced fly fishers alike since it a bit more involved type of fly fishing. Also, spey fishing has been gaining interest in the fly fishing world and has widened with the advent of switch rods and micro spey fishing. Jeff will continue to explore the idea including locations and possible partners. It was noted this would be more of a state wide/state level event.

Meeting adjourned at 6:50 p.m. - Recorded by Wayne Parmley

CWTU has a new Facebook page. The previous page was tied to a private account and the new one will be easier to maintain. Please visit https://www.facebook.com/CentralWisconsinTU and "like" it. You'll get current news events posted in your feed regularly. Please feel free to share posts to the page as well!