1

SE

PT

EM

BE

R 2

01

6

OVER 500 MEMBERS DEDICATED TO THE IMPROVEMENT AND PRESERVATION OF THE BRULE

Brule RiverBrule River Sportsmen’s Club, Inc.Sportsmen’s Club, Inc.

BRSC Calendar: The next regularly scheduled meeting will be September 26, 2016,

at 6:00 p.m. at Round Up North Restaurant in Brule.

The Brule River has long been

noted for its friendly, courteous

anglers. Over the years, the Club

has periodically published angler

etiquette guidelines to help en-

sure that everyone has an enjoy-

able experience on the river. The

Board decided that since it has

been 10 years since we last pub-

lished them, it is time to revisit

these guidelines.

We are fortunate to have

many miles of productive water

on the Brule to fish, and it is im-

portant to acknowledge the gen-erosity of the many private land-

owners who allow access to parts

of the river through their prop-

erty.

Perhaps the most important

thing to remember when fishing is

to give other anglers as much

space as you can and never, ever

to step into a run or hole below

another angler. Just how much

space is “enough” is subjective

and will depend on how crowded

the river is and where you are

fishing.

If someone is already fishing

the spot you have come to, you

will never be wrong if you take

the time to say hello and ask if

they would mind you starting be-

hind them.

We have all met some nice

people, made some good friends,

and even picked up some helpful

tips by being friendly while on the

river! Of course, if they are in the

tail out and clearly leaving, there is

no real need to ask.

Be aware, however, that many

anglers like to make multiple

passes through a run or hole. So,

if you are uncertain as to whether

they are leaving, just ask.

There are many places to fish on the Brule, and you can always

move on. By all means, if a land-

owner asks you to refrain from

fishing the water along their prop-

erty, respect their request. Re-

member, we are their guests!

There may be locations and

occasions, such as the opening

weekend, when fishing space is

limited, so some of the above

guidelines would be difficult to fol-

low. In these instances, anglers

often stake out a fishing spot, al-

lowing sufficient space so as not to

interfere with others nearby.

When someone nearby is play

Responsible, Courteous Angling by Mike Zicus and the rest of the BRSC Board of Directors

As a responsible angler,

here are a few key

things to remember:

>> Give other anglers their space. Never enter a hole or run being fished without asking permission. There is a lot of water to fish.

>> It is unethical to intentionally disturb fish on their spawning beds.

>> Land your fish as quickly as possible and handle fish you in-tend to release as little as you can. Wet your hands before handling your fish. Steelhead unhooked in knee-deep water may survive bet-ter than those unhooked at the bank.

>> Respect the environment. Pack out what you pack in and pick up any litter you encounter, especially discarded fishing line. Everyone has a little room in their fishing vest!

>> Understand the trespass laws and respect the rights and wishes of property owners. See http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Fishing/questions/access.html. Remember, we are guests when on private property!

>> Be aware that the state forest allows warming fires along the river, but they must be attended and fully extinguished prior to leaving. Never build a fire on pri-vate land without the landowner’s permission.

“Courteous Angling” continued on pg. 3

2

BRULE RIVER SPORTSMEN’S CLUB, SEPTEMBER 2016

President Dennis Pratt called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. at Round-Up North in Brule.

Vote on Recording Secretary and Board Position: A verbal vote was called on both, adding Walt Swanson to the Recording Secre-

tary position and Ron Gaare to the Board. Ken Lundberg made a motion to accept the appointments and seconded by Dean

Wellman. Motion passed.

Officers and Directors Present: Dennis Pratt, Ken Lundberg, Bill Gobin, Ron Gaare, Paul Helbach, Courtney Johnson, Dennis Smet,

Jim Waletzko, Ron Pearson, Dean Wellman, Mike Zicus, and Walt Swanson.

Minutes of the July 25 Meeting: The minutes as written in the August newsletter were approved following a motion by Bill Gobin

and seconded by Dennis Smet.

Treasurer’s and Financial Secretary’s Reports: Financial Secretary Bill Gobin reported the following expenses: Trevor Keyler (2016

scholarship award) for $5,000.00; Arrowhead Printing (July newsletter) for 272.88; Katie Thompson (August newsletter) for

$200.00; Joe Scaccia (August meeting) for $50.00. There were two deposits of $365.00 and $228.00 in August into general fund,

and $5,000.00 was transferred from savings. The financial secretary’s report was approved following a motion by Ron Gaare and

second by Dean Wellman. Treasurer Ron Gaare reported that August’s beginning balance was $3848.76, and the ending balance

was $3918.88. The treasurer’s report was approved following a motion by Bill Gobin and a second by Ken Lundberg.

Committee Reports

Habitat: Dennis Pratt reported on the second work date last Saturday (July 30th) where club volunteers assisted the DNR in adding

two coarse woody trout habitat structures to the Rainbow Bend area which lies between the Winneboujou and Noyes Camp

properties. The club wishes to thank and recognize DNR Fisheries Biologists Aaron Nelson and Paul Piszczek. Dennis Pratt visited

the site on Wednesday the 17th and fish were living under all four structures. Photos of the habitat work are available on the web-

site. Fly boxes donated by John Rowell Family were presented to the habitat volunteers. Dennis Pratt also reported that the

Beaupre Springs Restoration project still remains beaver free and the East and West Fork habitat repairs are in good shape.

Legislative: Ken Lundberg - nothing new to report.

Scholarship: Paul Helbach reported that thank you letters have been sent to the non-winners. Dennis Pratt suggested that the

Board needs to review how we are getting students to apply. Dennis Pratt issued a challenge to the committee to improve the

way the club reaches out to the community. Ken Lundberg will be in charge of the discussion to review what the committee has

been doing. Committee chairman, Paul Helbach will bring recommendations back to the board. Items brought up for future dis-

cussions include: utilizing a raffle to generate funding, however it was pointed out that State raffle money has to stay within the

state; in the future should the check be written to the individual or to the institution?

Education: Dennis Smet - nothing new to report.

Membership: Jim Waletzko reported that we should have a presence at the Lions Club BBQ.

Budget: Dennis Pratt - nothing new until fall.

Web Page: Mike Zicus - nothing new to report.

Other Business

Newsletter Notes on the Death of Past Members – Ken Lundberg commented that it should be done only if the club is notified

and requested by the family. The information in the newsletter should be labeled “In Memory Of”.

Brule River Sportsmen’s Club

Regular Meeting Minutes

August 22, 2016

“August Minutes” continued on pg. 3

3

BRULE RIVER SPORTSMEN’S CLUB, SEPTEMBER 2016

Challenge Center Canoe Trip – August 6th - Ron Pearson reported that the day was a gold medal day.

No one tipped. Several board of director members were present to help guide the consumers down the river. Katie interviewed

Ron Pearson for a newsletter article. (This article will appear in the October issue). Special thanks to Bob Banks for allowing us to

launch at Wildcat and to the DNR for

canoe usage.

Lower river angler etiquette abbreviated version will be placed at the kiosks. Information pulled together from past BRSC newslet-

ters and the Minnesota Steelheaders’ website by Mike Zicus. The Club received good PR on fall cleanup. Topics of discussion in-

cluded: steelhead disturbance while on redds; dogs in the river; photographing fish and proper fish handling; and fires on state and

private land. Angler etiquette article to be placed in September newsletter.

Club Hat Purchase – Dean Wellman reported shipment should be received on Wednesday the 24th or Thursday the 25th at his

address. The cost to the club is $12.50 a hat. Ken Lundberg made a motion pay the bill and suggested charging $20.00 per hat,

Mike Zicus seconded.

Reading books are available for loan and prizes are available for meeting attendance; all are from the Rowell family.

South-Shore Grade on Nebagamon Creek Issue – Dennis Pratt provided history. Ken Lundberg presented the information to Bob

Banks at Brule River Preservation and to the Douglas County Fish and Game League. Dennis Pratt made a suggestion that Supe-

rior Days could be used to get the message out. Nick Milroy and Janet Bewley are our State senator and assembly representative,

respectively. It was decided that the Board will keep this in the agenda until resolved.

Newsletters – Dennis Pratt mentioned the club is getting close to matching the number of newsletters sent out to those produced.

Ken Lundberg will work on moving to electronic newsletters, likely using Google groups to send them. Ken will report back to

the Board.

Upcoming Events

Lake Superior Steelhead Association’s Brule River Spey Day - October 8 @ McNeil’s Landing

Great Waters Fly-fishing Expo – March 17-19 @ Hamline University – St. Paul

The business meeting adjourned at 7:19 p.m. Recorded by Walt Swanson.

“August Minutes” from pg. 2

ing a fish, it is courteous for oth-

ers to take their lines out of the

way and allow room for the lucky

angler to play and land the fish.

Never attempt to net someone's

fish unless asked to do so.

The Minnesota Steelheaders

(http://

www.minnesotasteelheader.com/

Etiquette.html) also suggest that if

someone happens to step in and

start fishing in front of you out of

ignorance, you can explain politely the error of their ways.

If that fails and they decide

their fishing is more important

than yours, do not stoop to their

level. Just you move on. First,

you are less likely to catch any-

thing with a person like that in the

spot; and second, the stress of

having to be around this kind of

individual is not worth the trouble.

Remember, we are out there

to have fun! Always think cour-

tesy and friendliness. It is better

than being rude. Everyone knows

the “Golden Rule,” and you will

never go wrong by following it.

Many Brule anglers release the

fish they catch, so proper handling

is essential for fish survival. Land a fish as quickly as you can and keep

it in the water as much as possible.

Remember to wet your hands

before handling any fish. Unhook

steelheads in knee-deep (or

deeper) water when possible.

Some anglers believe fish un-

hooked in this manner may survive

better than those unhooked in the

shallow water at the bank because

they do not thrash around on the

rocks.

If you want a picture, have

someone else take the photo. Ide-

ally, water will be running off the

fish in the photo because you will

have just lifted it out of the water.

Trout Unlimited also has a

number of suggestions to ensure the release of healthy fish. See

http://www.tu.org/blog-posts/how-

to-catch-and-release-trout.

“Courteous Angling” from pg. 1

4

Brule River

Sportsmen’s

Club

P.O. Box 100

Brule, WI 54820

Non-Profit

U.S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 132

Superior, WI

What We Do:

Fisheries Habitat Projects — Club members and others

volunteer during the summer months to restore features

necessary for fish spawning, growing and feeding.

Clean-ups — Keep the Brule clean and beautiful.

Monthly Membership Meetings — Frequently include

guest speakers.

Monthly Newsletter — Helps generate understanding

of fisheries and water quality, and keeps members and

others informed about Club activities.

Scholarship Program — Provides educational support to

students.

Officers

President — Dennis Pratt

Vice President — Ken Lundberg

Financial Secretary — Bill Gobin

Recording Secretary — Walt Swanson

Treasurer — Jeff Stollenwerk

Board of Directors

Tom Bydalek Dennis Smet

Paul Helbach Jim Waletzko

Courtney Johnson Dean Wellman

Mick Killoren Ron Pearson

Mike Zicus Ron Gaare

Newsletter Editor

Katie Thompson -- goirish@cheqnet.net

BRSC Membership Form

Name

Address

City

State Zip Phone

e-mail

Individual, $20.00 Renewal (due by Jan. 1 ea. yr.)

Household, $25.00 New Member

This is a gift membership. Please send membership card(s) to:

Name

Address

City

State Zip Phone

e-mail

Donations

Education Fund $ Habitat Fund $

General Fund $ Scholarship Fund $

Visit us online at www.bruleriversportsmensclub.com

All information contained herein is confidential.

The Brule River Sportsmen’s Club, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization

defined by Chapter 501 (C) (3) of the IRS Tax Code.

All but $1.00 of your membership dues is tax deductible.

Donations are 100 percent tax deductible.

Thank you for your support!

BRSC Gift Store Order Form

Brethren of the Brule, book by Dr. William Bauer, $12.00 each (members), plus $3.00 S&H

$14.00 each (non-members), plus $3.00 S&H

Brule River Map (Upper) (same prices as for lower map)

Brule River Map (Lower) $8.00 each (members) - no shipping charge

$10.00 each (non-members) - plus $1.00 S&H

Rainbow Trout Window Cling, $3.00 (members), $4.00 (non-members)

Newsletter DVD $5.00 each (members) - no shipping charge

$6.00 each (non-members) - plus $1.00 S&H

Brule River Sportsmen’s Club, Inc.

P.O. Box 100

Brule, WI 54820