Southeast Wisconsin Trout Unlimited

2011-08-29T21:58:00.005-05:00

PHW-Milwaukee Works a Day at the Fish Hatchery

Veteran participants from Project Healing Waters Milwaukee lent a helping hand at the Rushing Waters Trout Farm on Monday, August 22. Rushing Waters, located in Palmyra, WI, raises rainbow trout and supplies the fish to local grocery stores and restaurants. Our veterans, armed with their fly rods and an assortment of recently tied hoppers, caddis, parachutes, and foam beetles, took to the waters and proceeded to catch a years’ worth of trout in one morning. TU volunteers on hand raced to keep up with the bounty of rainbow trout being caught. The trout were put in buckets and collected by the hatchery workers to be processed and shipped to market later that day.

While the fishing was easy, (maybe a little too easy) the experience of hooking, playing, and landing dozens of fish in one morning greatly improved the angling abilities of all who participated. Our hope is that these veterans will be well prepared to make the most of future fishing outings when the strikes may not be so plentiful. As always, VA staff provided a lunch featuring chicken, various pasta salads, and dessert, to all who participated. Many thanks go out to SEWTU’s Larry Wirth for organizing the event, all the volunteers for their hard work, and to Rushing Waters for allowing us access to their incredible fishery.

If you would like to learn more about our program or contribute (either through a financial donation or volunteering); contact Program Lead Mike Kuhr at mikek.trout@yahoo.com or (414) 588-4281.

2011-08-04T11:13:00.004-05:00

We're Back!

Quick note - we are planning to revamp our website, so please be sure to check our blog more often for updates on SEWTU workdays, PHW outings, and other associated SEWTU events.

First off, we have a nice write up from our workday out on Rosenow Creek, from Mike Kuhr:

Rosenow Creek Workday a Success!

On Saturday, July 16, 2011, 40 volunteers from Trout Unlimited worked to restore Rosenow Creek, a class 1 trout stream in Oconomowoc, WI. Led by the Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, volunteers broke up logjams and removed elodea (an aquatic invasive species), both of which were impeding the flow of the stream. We worked in the Nature Hill area just north of the new middle school.

The creek had long been cared for by local teacher Mike Olander and his students. Since Mike’s retirement several years ago, no one has been around to clean up after several severe storms washed trees and debris into the creek. Mike reached out to the DNR who in turn contacted SEWTU. It’s not often we get asked to work on a class 1 trout stream in our own area!

After we got the stream flowing again, volunteer took some time to enjoy an SEWTU Brat Fry and share their favorite Rosenow Creek fishing stories. It turns out that many of members have fond memories of catching wild brook trout in years past. Then the DNR crew electroshocked a small stretch of the improved stream and found many brook trout ranging from 4-9”. It’s good to know these wild, native fish are still doing well in a stream so close to urban development.

Thanks to all who showed up to lend a helping hand and until next time, we’ll see you on the river.

2011-04-01T13:46:00.003-05:00

It's been a while...

Early Season Catch and Release is already going, it's time to renew your fishing licenses, and I need to get this blog up to date!

Lots of great things in the pipe for SEWTU for 2011! We've had a great start to the year at our meetings, and some great speakers. This past month's meeting, Tim Landwehr from Tight Lines Fly Shop in DePere, WI braved ice and snow and presented his talk on "Fly-Fishing for TRophy Smallmouth." Tons of great info on throwing flies for Wisconsin's wonderful bronzebacks, and a HUGE THANKS again to Tim for making the trip. Congratulations on your 10th year in business too, Tim! Way to go! There is an open house at Tight Lines May 7th. Give Tim and staff a call for more info on this event, fly fishing gear, or guided trips. These folks know the waters up there.

Our guest speaker for April will be Mat from Viroqua's very own flyshop, Driftless Angler. Our May chapter meeting will host some of SEWTU's own members sharing their own fly-fishing trips.

Pat Elhers' shop The Fly Fishers will also host an open house this April 9th. Give them a call and find out more about the planned festivities, what's hot this season, and any other local fishing tips.

Stay tuned to our calendar for upcoming work days this year.

See you on the water!

2010-11-23T10:49:00.003-06:00

Tornadoes in November?

Hey readers -
We've had some interesting weather patterns on the radar in WI for sure this year, the latest being tornadoes hovering about this past Monday. Crazy times...

Had a great All Chapter meeting Nov 16th. Pat Elhers of The Fly Fishers gave a great presentation on becoming a better Predator. If you have time Dec 11th, definitely stop by the shop for their annual holiday party! See the store calendar for more info.

Other things on our radar:
1. There is a tenative workday on Dec 4 on and around Paradise Spring Creek. The SEWTU website calendar will be updated with more info soon.

2. Dec 14th is our All Chapter meeting - same bat time, same bat channel.
Thunder Bay Grille N14W24130 Tower Place, Pewaukee, WI
6-9PM
This is our year-end meeting, so we'll celebrate another great year of conservation efforts, fishing, and the like. Official business is a minimum, so we'll watch a movie, share fishing stories/lies, and have an optional gift exchange. If you;d like to participate in the gift exchange, bring a wrapped gift valued no more than approxiamately $15. The meeting is not just for the exchange - the exchange is optional, so if you choose not to participate, still come! Gift or not, all are welcome! The importance is on fun - watch a trout or fishing related video and enjoy the successes we have accomplished throughout this past year. Stop by and enjoy the holiday cheer!

We look forward to seeing you all!
Cheers,

SEWTU

2010-11-13T22:14:00.002-06:00

We're Back!

And we have a lot of great news!

First off, a little note from Michael Kuhr - our Project Healing Waters Program Lead:

Project Healing Waters programs in the Upper Midwest have a new and improved website to help promote our programs. I will be keeping the WI Calender and the Milwaukee Photo Albums up to date on the site (I just added new photos from our recent Salmon Fishing Outing).

Check It Out: www.phwmw.org

I've been out to a PHW outing and have to say it is immensely rewarding. If you have an interest in helping some of our Nation's Veterans take on fly fishing, definitely contact Michael. I am not sure if there are any more trips planned for the winter months, but there are definitely fly tying classes. Check out the website above for dates/times.

There is also a Chapter Meeting Nov 16th (not the standard 4th Tuesday due to holiday/hunting) at 6pm, with the presentations starting 7:15ish. Make the trip to Thunder Bay Grille (N14w24130 Tower Place, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. Immediately behind the Mobile station, just north of County Highway J's intersection with I-94). We'll kick off this month's meeting with Captain Pat Elhers, owner of The Fly Fishers in Greenfield WI, speaking on the topic of "How To Become a Better Predator." This will be my first time attending a presentation by Pat Elhers, but I have heard they are top notch. I am looking forward to this for sure!

One last note: this meeting will be the last one at which you can order SEWTU gear and get it BEFORE the upcoming December Holidays. If you are interested, be sure to bring your checkbook. Jim Wierzba will be on hand to take orders. Click HERE to check out the goods

If you haven't been to a SEWTU meeting lately, come on out and catch up with everyone. If you want to see what SEWTU does for our local fisheries and are looking to join, come on out. We would be happy to have you!

Cheers,

Josh

2010-08-24T19:21:00.000-05:00

Scuppernong River Workday and Healing Waters Outing

As part of our ongoing work in the Southern District of the Kettle Moraine, on Saturday, August 28, 2010, the Southeast Wisconsin Chapter of Trout Unlimited (SEWTU) will construct LUNKER structures with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Gary Borger Trout Unlimited, and Oakbrook Trout Unlimited, at the Southern District of the Kettle Moraine Fisheries Building. The wood is ordered and paid for, and we will definitely be constructing fish structures.

These structures will be full sized, and will be used as part of an exciting new project being commenced by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Specifically, this project involves approximately 2 miles of the Scuppernong River being moved from it’s current, unnatural ditch, and being replaced into its natural stream bed. Using aerial photography, and confirming inspections, the DNR has actually located the original stream bed of the Scuppernong River, and we’ll be helping to move the river back where it belongs.

These structures will be used to stabilize the newly restored stream channel’s banks, and to provide trout cover from overhead predation.

We’ll also have additional crews removing invasive in-stream vegetation, gathering native prairie seeds, and one elite crew will even perform beaver dam removal.

This will be one heck of a workday, and one that you won’t want to miss. We’ll meet up at the DNR Fisheries Building, and the workday will begin at 9:00 a.m. sharp.

To get to the location, take Highway 59 west out of Eagle, WI, until you see the DNR sign on the south side of the road. Turn by the sign, and follow the road back, across the train tracks, to the fisheries building (take the first right turn when you cross the tracks). A map to the location is available under the "Calendar of Events" at www.sewtu.org.

As always, we’ll work for ½ day, and end with a lunch provided by Gary Borger TU at noon.

Volunteers should bring eye protection, gloves, and if you’d like to work in the water please bring waders or a change of clothing.

PLEASE RSVP to Henry Koltz at hek@sdelaw.com, or by phone at 414-258-4300 (please RSVP, as we need to calculate food preparation!)

--------------------

Project Healing Waters Milwaukee will be holding our 5th fishing outing of 2010 on Monday, August 30 from 8:30 til 1:00. We will be fishing for bass and bluegills in the pond at Cabela's in Richfield. We'll probably be doing a little shopping as well. I'm looking for about 10-12 fly fishing mentors to help coach the veterans through a morning of fly fishing. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please let me know via email or phone. Thanks again and I hope all is well.

Mike Kuhr
Southeast Wisconsin Trout Unlimited

Project Healing Waters
Milwaukee Program Lead
(414) 588-4281

2010-08-03T20:36:00.005-05:00

Project Healing Waters, 2010

Michael Kuhr's notes from the most recent PHW outing:

Project Healing Waters Milwaukee holds its fourth Fishing Outing of 2010 Veterans participating in the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee enjoyed a day of fly fishing on Monday, July 26. The event was held at the Wern Valley Sportsmen’s Club, located just west of Waukesha. Eight veterans were partnered up with volunteers from SEWTU. The volunteers served as fly-fishing mentors for the veterans, who are learning the skills of fly fishing as part of their recreational therapy at the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee. The ponds at Wern Valley are home to many bass and bluegill, and veterans wasted no time in hooking several nice big bluegills early. Just as the anticipation began to swell, a yellow popper was cast out over the weeds into the pond. Two strips of the line and an explosion of water later, hoots and hollers began echoing across the small pond. “Get the camera” cried one of the vets. “We’ve got a real nice bass here” shouted one of the mentors. A few photos were snapped of the smiling vet and her 17-18” largemouth bass before it was quickly released back into the water. Many more bass and bluegill were caught throughout the day although a few managed to get off in the weeds. Wern Valley is quickly becoming a favorite fishing spot among the veterans. This is already our third trip since the program started holding outings in 2009. The ponds are well kept, easily accessible, and filled with hungry fish. Summer weed growth and bright sunshine provide a bit of a challenge as well. Thanks again to all those at Wern Valley for allowing us to access their ponds. As always, a picnic style lunch was provided by the VA staff who accompanied the veterans. Previous outings took place in April at Greenfield Park, in May at Wern Valley, and in June at Menomonee Park. Future outings are being planned for Monday, August 30 and date TBD in September.

Thank you to all of the mentors for volunteering their time, equipment, knowledge, and patience. Project Healing Waters would also like to thank the supporters who have made generous donations towards the program. This would not be the success that it is without the contributions of these folks. SEWTU will continue “healing those who serve” through the implementation of the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee.

Here are some great photos of PHW in action:

For more information, please contact Mike Kuhr by email (mikek.trout@yahoo.com) or phone (414) 588-4281.

2010-06-30T20:45:00.003-05:00

Hello SEWTU Readers!

We just had another great Project Healing Waters outing. SEWTU's very own Mike Kuhr heads this program, and shared this write up with us. Thanks Mike and all volunteers who gave some of their time to assist our veterans in a great day of fishing! And an even bigger thanks to all veterans for your service!

Project Healing Waters Milwaukee Holds its Third Fishing Outing of 2010

Veterans participating in the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee enjoyed a morning of fly fishing on Monday, June 28. The event took place at the old Lannon Quarry in Menomonee Park, located in Waukesha County. Eleven veterans were partnered up with volunteers from SEWTU. The volunteers served as fly-fishing mentors for the veterans, who are learning the skills of fly fishing as part of their recreational therapy. The lake in Menomonee Park is home to many bass and bluegill, as well as rainbow trout which are stocked every spring by the DNR. The vets and their mentors quickly spread out around the lake and began casting their streamers, wet flies, terrestrials, and nymphs. Bright sunshine pushed the rainbow trout down too deep for flies, so all attention turned to the bluegills and bass lurking in the weeds. A stiff wind made casting difficult and many were forced to brush up on their roll casting skills. Numerous little bass and bluegill were caught and released but the larger bass evaded the participants. Maybe the bass were burned out from the seemingly endless wave of storms that have hit Southeast Wisconsin lately. The camaraderie between the participants and volunteers continues to develop. Awkward introductions are giving way to the “how are you doing” and “good to see you again” greetings of old fishing buddies. As always, a picnic style lunch was provided by the VA staff who accompanied the veterans. Previous outings took place in April at Greenfield Park and in May at Wern Valley Sportsmen’s Club. Future outings are being planned for July 26 and August 30. Thank you to all of the mentors for volunteering their time, equipment, knowledge, and patience. Project Healing Waters would also like to thank the supporters who have made generous donations towards the program. This would not be the success that it is without the contributions of these folks. SEWTU will continue “healing those who serve” through the implementation of the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee. For more information, please contact Mike Kuhr by email (mikek.trout@yahoo.com) or phone (414) 588-4281.

also in SEWTU news:

The summer 2010 edition of "TROUT" magazine, the Journal of Coldwater Fisheries Conservation, featured our very own President, Henry Koltz. Grab a copy (or join TU and receive this awesome mag - see www.tu.org) and check it out. Pretty cool! Congrats Henry - and if you want to come out and see Henry and other TU members in action, check out the www.sewtu.org calendar for upcoming work days. Right now, the next planned work day is July 10th at Paradise Springs in the Southern Kettle Unit.

Help us restore some of Southeast Wisconsin's streams, grab a brat, and throw some lines with us!

2010-06-15T07:36:00.002-05:00

Event Update!

Hey all

From 6pm-8pm on June 17 (this Thursday), you will be able to find SEWTU representatives bumping elbows with the fine staff at the new Orvis Milwaukee store. Orvis CEO Perk Perkins will be there, as well as Woodford Reserve who will have free tastings of their small-batch Kentucky bourbon. Some if you haven't been to the new ORvis store, this is a great reason to come out! If you want to learn more about SEWTU's presence and programs in South Eastern Wisconsin's trout streams, lakes, and other initiatives - stop by and talk to us.

And 5% of all proceeds will benefit South Eastern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited. How great is that?

Hope to see you there!

Orvis Milwaukee is located at Bayshore Town Center -

585 W. Glen Bay Avenue Space N108, Glendale, WI 53217

414-963-8709

2010-06-10T12:25:00.003-05:00

SEWTU will hold its annual ALL CHAPTER FISHING OUTING at the West Fork Sportsman Club grounds locted in Avalanche, WI on June 18, 19, 20. This looks to bea really great event, so be sure to check the www.sewtu.org Calendar here for all pertinent info. Be sure to note that this event is 100% BYO Everything - food, beverages, tent, sleeping gear, etc.
First thing in the morning on June 19th will have some instruction available for novice anglers covering the prevailing techniques in SE Wisconsin, as well as a generic course on reading water. If you plan on making this trip, please RSVP to Henry Koltz at hek@sdlaw.com or by phone at 414. 258. 4300

Look forward to seeing folks out there!

2010-05-23T21:31:00.002-05:00

SEWTU All- Chapter Meeting - May 25th, 2010

Hey all,

My apologies for not getting this month's meeting info up sooner. I blame getting skunked this past weekend (I never knew trout could laugh...). Without further ado, here's the latest on this month's meeting, Tuesday May 25th:

SEWTU's May Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. Our meetings are at the Thunder Bay Grille, which is located at N14w24130 Tower Place, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. (Immediatley behind the Mobile station, just north of County Highway J's intersection with I-94). Dinner starts at 6:00ish, and our meeting begins thereafter, at 7:15-7:30ish.

May's meeting will be something completely new. We're going to give members a chance to get up and talk about great trips that they've been on. Anyone tech savvy enough to create either a slide show, or a power point presentation is urged to do so. Presentations should be only about 10-15 minutes long (no need to go crazy), and should simply be about where you went, how you got there, travel tips, fishing tips, and the fish you caught (or didn't!). This is intended to be light hearted and vaguely informative (no need to give away holes or rivers, though). If you are interested in carving out 10 minutes, please contact Henry Koltz at hek@sdelaw.com. Secondly, we'll have another gear-exchange, sale, swap meet event. Bring you used equipment, and see if someone else can make it "new to them," and put it to use!

We encourage all SEWTU members to show up, and anyone interesting in learning more about SEWTU and what we do - stop on by!

See you Tuesday!

2010-04-28T09:19:00.008-05:00

Recap of the April 27th, 2010 Meeting

Last night was, yet again, another great meeting.

SEWTU has some great clean-up projects coming in May and June. Project Healing Waters will continue with another outing planned for May 24th, as well as some upcoming fly-tying clinics. Check www.sewtu.org for more information on participating in these events.

two other tidbits:
1. SEWTU now has a work trailer! This will allow us the ability to deliver the needed tools for stream restoration and other projects. We'll have some pics up soon.

2. Our fashion committee has a new line of SEWTU-specific clothing, which should be available in the near future. Plans are to have a link to buy apparel via the SEWTU.org website. Stay tuned...

Guest Speaker:
Mat Wagner's presentation on "Mid Summer Fly Fishing - Tips for Catching Fish in the Dog Days of Summer" contained a wealth of great information for tracking down fish, preparing your mind and body for hot-weather fishing, and getting the right flies lined up for a productive summer day on the water. (Me) Being somewhat new to fly fishing, Mat's presentation provided knowledge on both the Viroqua area waters, as well as great general info for stream fishing.

We'll have information about our May meeting coming soon - and any updates to projects SEWTU takes part in as well.
Cheers -

The folks at SEWTU

2010-04-19T21:47:00.008-05:00

April All-Chapter Meeting - Tuesday April 27, 2010

SEWTU's April Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. Our meetings are at the Thunder Bay Grille, which is located at N14w24130 Tower Place, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. (Immediately behind the Mobile station, just north of County Highway J's intersection with I-94). Dinner starts at 6:00ish, and our meeting begins thereafter, at 7:15-7:30ish. We have Mat Wagner, owner of Driftless Angler, joining us as our guest speaker this month.

2010-04-06T05:56:00.001-05:00

Dear SEWTU Member or Friend:

This Saturday, April 10, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., SEWTU will help at the Washington County Kids Free Fishing Clinic.

This is a yearly SEWTU event, and one that our members have helped to make a truly wonderful tradition. We'll help kids fish for stocked rainbow trout in a pond located withinSandy Knoll County Park.

This will be many kids first introduction to fishing, and this is a great way to get kids tuned in and turned on to what SEWTU is about. Come ready to lead children, help them fish, and hopefully to take some fish off of a line or two!

The location is Sandy Knoll County Park, which is located at 2064 Wallace Lake Road, in West Bend, Wisconsin, 53090.

A map to the location is here.

Volunteers are asked to contact Dan Asmus, at 414-315-2616.

Next All-Chapter Meeting - January 26, 2010

2010-01-19T09:06:00.000-06:00

SEWTU's January All-Chapter Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. Our meetings are at the Thunder Bay Grille, which is located at N14w24130 Tower Place, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. (Immediately behind the Mobile station, just north of County Highway J's intersection with I-94). Dinner starts at 6:00ish, and our meeting begins thereafter, at 7:15 - 7:30ish.

January’s speaker will be Mr. Bill Schultz, of New Berlin, WI. Bill is on a variety of Pro Staffs, including Wilderness Systems Kayaks. He will be giving at talk on, “Kayaking for Door County Smallies”, something he knows a great deal about. Since 1995 Bill has spent 130 days catching and releasing 3,500 smallmouth bass in the beautiful clear waters of DoorCounty. When you add his river fishing he has caught and released over 12,000 smallies during the past 15 years. In his seminar Bill will share what you need to know to have a successful fishing experience on one of the top smallie fisheries in the country. You will learn where to launch, where to fish, what lures produce and how to use them. The bonus is these techniques work on any waters holding smallies. He will also discuss fishing kayaks and related equipment to optimize your Door County fishing experience.

So stop on out, learn a little about fishing one of Wisconsin’s best and largest coldwater systems, and catch up with the SEWTU gang.

DATE/TIME CHANGE FOR FLY TYING CLASSES

2010-01-13T11:58:00.003-06:00

***UPDATE*** Due to scheduling issues, the first two fly tying classes will be combined and held on January 21. The Jan 14 class has been canceled. If you have questions or would like to RSVP for either the Jan 21 or Jan 28 session, please email or call Henry Koltz at hek@sdelaw.com or 414-258-4300.

Fly Tying Classes at The Fly Fishers

2010-01-08T12:49:00.000-06:00

SEWTU will be holding three Fly Tying Classes, on January 14, 21, and 28.

These events will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at Pat Ehler’s The Fly Fishers. A link to The Fly Fishers’ web page is here.

These classes will be limited to 10 participants for each class, on a first come, first served basis. The first two classes (on January 14 and 21) will each be introductory in their scope, and will provide instructions to those who are new to tying, and would like to learn fly tying basics. We’ll work on what tools exist, how to use them effectively, how to use basic materials effectively, and how to tie several basic fly patterns. In short, if you’d like to get your feet wet in this noble art, this a great opportunity.

There is NO FEE for these classes. Attendees are asked, to the best of their ability, to bring their vises, tools, and basic materials (dubbing, thread, hooks, hackle, etc.). Some equipment and materials will be available for use as well. In short, there is no reason not to sign up and come on out if you’d like to learn about fly tying.

The final class, on January 28, will feature a presentation by Pat Ehlers himself, concerning new materials, equipment, and techniques, at which time Pat and other members will provide further tying instructions. Attendees from both the January 14 and 21 sessions will be welcome to attend this final meeting.

Please RSVP to Henry Koltz at hek@sdelaw.com if you would like to attend, or by phone at 414-258-4300. Please specify which date you would like to attend!

2009-10-28T17:02:00.003-05:00

Project Healing Waters Milwaukee holds its second successful Fishing Outing

Bluegill fishing puts veterans’ skills to the test.

Milwaukee, WI - Veterans participating in the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee enjoyed a morning of fly fishing on Thursday, October 1. The event took place at the Wern Valley Sportsmen’s Club, located in Waukesha County. Eight veterans were partnered up with volunteers from the Southeastern Wisconsin and Aldo Leopold Chapters of Trout Unlimited. The volunteers served as fly-fishing mentors for the veterans, who are learning the skills of fly fishing as part of their recreational therapy.

Wern Valley is the setting of several spring fed ponds which hold good numbers of bluegill and bass. The vets and their mentors soon spread out around two of the ponds and began casting beetles, wet flies, and nymphs. Fishing was slow for the first hour with a several hits and a few small bluegills landed. With a warm front forecast to roll in later in the afternoon, hopes remained high that the fishing would turn on. It wasn’t like someone flipped a switch, but as time went on more and more bluegills were being caught. It’s possible to attribute this to the rise in temperature but more likely due to the fact that the vets were putting it all together. With confidence building, casts became longer. Red turned out to be the hot color, making fly selection easier. Anglers were setting the hook just at the right time, resulting in more hook ups.

A strong camaraderie has developed between the participants in the program and the volunteers. Everyone cheers for the others around them, creating a great support network. A picnic style lunch was provided shore side by VA staff who accompanied the veterans. Many took a quick break to eat and tell some stories, then head right back out to the ponds to get a little more fishing in. No one caught any of the large bass that are said to be lurking in the ponds but a fair number of bluegills were caught. As rods were being packed up, one of the vets asked “can we do this on the ice?” Several volunteers replied “you could but you’d need to get a lot better at casting to get the fly through a hole in the ice!” All shared a good laugh and started thinking of the next trip.

Project Healing Waters would like to thank the Wern Valley Sportsmen’s Club for providing access to the ponds for the participants in this program. Thank you to all of the mentors for volunteering their time, equipment, knowledge, and patience. The program would not be the success that it is without the efforts of these volunteers. SEWTU will continue “healing those who serve” through the implementation of the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee.

Upcoming September Events

2009-09-03T05:48:00.008-05:00

Van Slyke Creek Workday, in Fontana, WI

WhenSaturday, Sep 19, 2009

Where300 S Main St, Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, Walworth, Wisconsin 53125 ()

DescriptionOn Satuday, Septemeber 19, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon, SEWTU will once again join forces with the Blackhawk and Gary Borger Chapters of TU to complete our work at Van Slyke Creek. As most know, Van Slyke Creek is a coldwater stream located in Fonatana, Wisconsin, which runs in to Geneva Lake. This stream is within SEWTU's Chapter area, and one of our rare coldwater gems. Last summer, we aided the Village of Fontana, and leader Wes Milner and Jill Wegner in restoring a huge stretch of river -- removing impoundment, obstructions, downed timber, encroaching vegetation -- which ultimately led to the replacement of a culvert that had been an absolute barrier to fish passage. This year, we'll complete our work, and work downstream, through the Abbey Resort, which has generously agreed to partner with us on this project. Workers should bring adequate eye protection, hats, protective clothing to guard against scratches, etc., and hand tools sufficient to cut and remove encroaching vegetation. Waders are encouraged. We'll park in the gradeschool parking lot, off of Spring Street, and shuttle to the worksite (at the Abbey Resort, across Highway 67). We'll start at 9:00 a.m. and work for one-half day, as always, and finish with a free lunch. This is a wonderful chance to help the resource, partner with some incredible chapters, and continue the work that we started last summer. Let's keep it going! Volunteers are asked to RSVP to Henry Koltz at hek@sdelaw.com, or by calling 414-258-4300.

September All Chapter Meeting

WhenTuesday, Sep 22, 2009

WhereN14w24130 Tower Pl, Pewaukee, WI‎ ()

DescriptionSeptember will mark the return of SEWTU's regular monthly meetings, after our summer break. Our meetings are at the Thunder Bay Grille, which is located at N14w24130 Tower Place, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. (Immediatley behind the Mobile station, just north of County Highway J's intersection with I-94). Members gather at 6:00 for dinner and refreshments, and our meeting and speaker start at 7:30 p.m. There are raffles, great stories, and a slew of b.s. fishing stories and jokes. It's a great time, so stop on out and have fun with the gang.‎

Project Healing Waters Milwaukee holds its first Fishing Outing

2009-08-26T22:41:00.009-05:00

Milwaukee, WI - Veterans participating in the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee enjoyed a morning of fly fishing on Thursday, August 20. The event took place at the newly renovated Lakeshore State Park, located east of the Summerfest grounds on Milwaukee’s lakefront. Ten veterans were partnered up with volunteers from the Southeast Wisconsin and Aldo Leopold Chapters of Trout Unlimited. The volunteers served as fly-fishing mentors for the veterans, many of whom had never fly-fished before.

Inclement weather created a hectic start to the day. Morning rain showers sent everyone scurrying for raingear before anyone had a chance to make a cast. The veterans quickly adjusted and were soon casting crayfish and streamer patterns into the lagoon with the hopes of enticing a largemouth bass, carp, brown or rainbow trout. Then the weather changed in typical Wisconsin fashion. An hour after heading out to fish in steady rains, winds shifted and the skies cleared in a matter of minutes. The bright sunshine quickly dried out the wet raingear but blue skies seemed to push the fish deeper into the water column, just out of reach of the fly lines.

Despite the lack of fish activity, all of the veterans had an enjoyable experience. Many had a chance to see the flies that they had tied just weeks earlier in the water on the end of their lines. Lunch was provided after the event by VA staff who accompanied the veterans. A high level of camaraderie quickly developed between veterans and mentors. Many are already talking of the “next time we go fishing”. The veterans were appreciative of the efforts made by the mentors. Likewise, mentors from Trout Unlimited came away humbled by the opportunity to give back to those who have served our Country. While the volunteer efforts may seem trivial when compared to the sacrifices made by these men and women, they know that nothing else provides healing quite like time on the water.

Project Healing Waters would like to thank all of the mentors for volunteering their time, equipment, knowledge, and patience. The program would not be the success that it is without the efforts of these volunteers. SEWTU will continue “healing those who serve” through the implementation of the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee. For more information about this program, please contact Mike Kuhr by email (mikek.trout@yahoo.com)

Scuppernong Work Day - 8.29.09

2009-08-24T11:17:00.000-05:00

THIS SATURDAY, August 29, 2009, SEWTU will return to Scuppernong Creek, in order to build another 50 or so mini-LUNKER structures, along with the Gary Borger Chapter of Trout Unlimited, out of Illinois.

As most know, we've worked on a tremendous number of projects with the Gary Borger Chapter, including a large ongoing project at Scuppernong Creek. In July, along with GBTU and the WDNR, SEWTU helped install 57 structures.

On August 29, we'll build another set of structures, so that they can be installed this year, and complete this project.

To get to the service center, get to Eagle, WI. Take Highway 59 west out of Eagle, towards Palmyra. The service center is a few miles outside of town, on the south side of Highway 59. There is a large DNR sign, and Henry's Jeep (it's Silver now, not white!) will likely be at the entrance, waiving you in.

We'll work from 9:00 a.m. until noonish (when we should be done with the structures), and conclude with a free lunch. Come one, come all!

Please visit our website at www.sewtu.org for more details and to contact us.

Tight lines and screaming reels!

Project Healing Waters Summer Update

2009-07-11T06:49:00.005-05:00

PRESS RELEASE: July 9, 2009

Project Healing Waters making a difference at the V.A.

Fly tying classes and fly casting instructions aid veterans’ recovery.

Milwaukee, WI - The Project Healing Waters Program has been showing positive results this summer. Al Dalphonso, Glen Winston, and Royce Dam continue to provide excellent tying instructions to participants during the Thursday morning classes. Royce has been kind enough to donate several of his tying books and his series of DVD’s to the V.A. Now participants can check out the material and learn tying skills outside of the scheduled class hours. Due to increased demand, we’ve started another tying class Thursday afternoons. This tying class is lead by Zoan Kulinski and Mike Kuhr.

On Thursday, July 9^th, Pat Ehlers of the Fly-Fishers Fly Shop came to the V.A. and led fly casting instructions for both the morning and afternoon classes. The weather rewarded the efforts by providing plenty of sunshine and very little wind. More experienced anglers had the chance to tighten up their casting stroke, while many participants had the opportunity to cast a fly rod for the first time. Project Healing Waters would like to thank Pat for donating his time, knowledge, and equipment. His professionalism was on full display while working with individual participants and adjusting to their abilities.

SEWTU will continue to lead the fly tying instruction classes through the summer. A fishing outing is being planned for the participants in late August. This outing will provide participants an opportunity to put their newly acquired fly fishing skills to the test. SEWTU continues to “serve those who have served” through the implementation of the Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee.

Project Healing Waters Milwaukee is dependent on tax-deductible financial donations and the help of numerous volunteers to meet the educational, training, equipment, transportation, and outing needs of the participants. If you would like to contribute financially to this Project, please send a check made payable to “SEWTU” to “5590 S. 45th Street, Greenfield, WI 53220”. Please write “Project Healing Waters” on the description line. If you are interested in volunteering at the V.A. Hospital, please contact Mike Kuhr. Thank You.

Upcoming Events

2009-06-25T18:02:00.007-05:00

Here are some upcoming events for SEWTU. Visit the chapter's main website for a full calendar or for contact info if you have any questions. Tight lines and screaming reels!

JUNE 27, 2009 - Saturday

Scuppernong River and Paradise Springs, 8am - 12noon

We’ll be helping out our good friends at Gary Borger TU, on one of their largest recent projects.

Volunteers should bring old waders to work in, sun screen, bug spray, gloves, eye protection, and tools appropriate for setting mini-LUNKER structures.

Volunteers are asked to RSVP to Henry Koltz, by e-mail at hek@sdelaw.co

AUGUST 15, 2009 - Saturday

Project RED (Riverine Early Detectors) Training at the Wauwatosa Library, 9am - 1pm

Learn about invasive species that threaten our waterways and learn what you can do to detect, properly identify and report invasive species before they spread and overtake our precious resources.

SEWTU launches Wisconsin’s first Project Healing Waters Program

2009-04-10T09:54:00.012-05:00

Project Healing Waters Kick-Off Meeting a Success

Milwaukee, WI - SEWTU formally launched the Project Healing Waters Milwaukee Program with a Kick-Off Meeting yesterday at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center. Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty military personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education. SEWTU has partnered with PHWFF in an effort to provide this service to veterans in Milwaukee. SEWTU volunteers, working with hospital staff, will donate their time to teach the various skills involved in the sport of fly fishing to Project participants.

The Kick-Off Meeting served as a forum to present the Program to interested veterans and V.A. staff. Mike Kuhr gave a presentation outlining the history of Project Healing Waters, the benefits of fly-fishing, and the future of the Program in Milwaukee. Volunteers Glen Winston, Al Dalphonso, Joe Valkoun, and Zoan Kulinski demonstrated fly tying techniques and answered questions related to the art of fly tying. Volunteers Todd Durian, John Knitter, and Ray Weiss were on hand to demonstrate fly casting. For many of the interested participants, this was their first exposure to the sport of fly fishing. Many left with a new fly in their pocket after having made their first cast with a fly rod!

The Project Healing Waters Program in Milwaukee will build on the momentum created by volunteers Glen, Al, Joe, and others who have been teaching fly tying at the V.A. for the last 2 years. Their heroic efforts have laid the groundwork for the future success of Project Healing Waters in Milwaukee. They have developed a relationship with several veterans at the V.A. and have earned the respect of hospital staff. SEWTU would like to thank Pat Ehlers, owner of The Fly Fishers Fly Shop, for his continued support of these efforts to teach fly tying at the V.A. Medical Center. SEWTU will continue to “serve those who have served” with the introduction of Project Healing Waters Program. For more information about this program, please contact Mike Kuhr by email (mikek.trout@yahoo.com) or phone (414) 588-4281.

Project Healing Waters Milwaukee is dependent on tax-deductible financial donations and the help of numerous volunteers to meet the educational, training, equipment, transportation, and outing needs of the participants. If you would like to contribute to this Project, please send a check made payable to “SEWTU” to “5590 S. 45th Street, Greenfield, WI 53220”. Please write “Project Healing Waters” on the description line. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Mike Kuhr.

One heck of a 2008.

2008-12-23T20:36:00.011-06:00

2008 was an absolute banner year for SEWTU. First, and perhaps most visibly, we equalled our largest tally of workdays in a year (with nine). Those workdays, more importantly, involved no less than 8 rivers, in no less than six counties, involved literally thousands upon thousands of volunteer hours, seven TU chapters, and one incredible Eagle Scout (Nic Schmidt) and his troop.

Secondly, SEWTU had one of its biggest funding year ever. We secured grants from the National Fish Habitat Restoration Program, the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, TU Embrace-A-Stream grant program, and Friends of Wisconsin Trout Unlimited. Oh yeah, and thanks to Todd Durian, Mike Kuhr, Josh Harpke and others, and all of our members who got out and voted, we won the first ever Redwood Creek Wines "Greater Outdoors Initiative" grant. All of that funding, along with funds raised at our incredible 2007 and 2008 Habitat Restoration Fund Raisers (thanks to guys like Rich Vetrano and Dan Asmus), and our annual Sports Show Raffle (thanks to guys like Chuck Beeler, Stan Strelka, and Al Dalphanso), added up to make the funding of complete restoration projects at Camp and Melancthan Creeks possible. Those projects accounted for over 2 1/2 miles of complete stream restoration.

Third, we performed more education-related, more science-related, and more policy-based activism activity than ever before.

Finally -- by the way -- we won the State of Wisconsin's Chapter of the Year Award (Silver Trout) in 2008.

That's a mouth full.

The point of this post really isn't to salute the people I've shamelessly called out above. Rather, it's to thank and salute those who aren't named. Specifically, this is to thank those of you who have come out time after time, and answered the call every time we've made it, over the past year. Without our regular crew of 30-50 volunteers for our workdays, we wouldn't be nearly where we are today. YOU are who make it happen, and YOU deserve the thanks.

In a more personal bent, I like to toss this around when I talk about our Chapter: It's easy to get motivated to do stream work when you look out and, within your Chapter territory, see "name" trout streams. It's easy to get out and work when it only requires schlepping out of bed, and traveling 15 minutes to a worksite. And many of the brightest stars in the TU constellation have that type of luxury, and to thier credit they utilize the opportunity that they've been given to do the good work, and spread the good word.

But we, too, do the good work and spread the good word. That despite having, to be blunt, no top 100, let alone top 1000 trout streams within our Chapter territory. When we get up and go to a workday, it generally requires over 1 hour of travel each way, and more often than not involves travel of up to 3 hours each way. When we do work in our area, it's on rivers that, after work, will likely sustain more trout than before, but won't likely ever be excessively "fishable."

That fact that you all live up to the Mission Statement and Vision Statement of TU in such a fashion, going above and beyond at literally every opportunity, is a true testament to yourselves, and a true statement concerning your character. You don't do what's easy -- you do what is difficult -- you just make it look easy. And more often than not you don't look for credit, you don't brag, and you instead welcome other Chapters and non-members into our fold, making what we do approachable, fun, and something to look forward do.

That's Midwestern, that's Wisconsin, and that's SEWTU.

Two access decisions define the second half of 2008.

2008-11-19T15:24:00.015-06:00

For those concerned with western water access issues, and notably those falling on the "pro-access" side of the debate, the summer of 2008 was an interesting time.

First, the Utah Supreme Court ruled in Conaster v. Johnson, 2008 UT 48, that the general public has the right to float, fish, hunt, and otherwise lawfully use Utah's rivers. When engaging in such legal recreational activities, moreover, the public may touch the bed of the river in which they are recreating. Specifically, the Conaster Court stated:

We hold that the scope of the easement provides the public the right to float, hunt, fish, and participate in all lawful activities that utilize the water. We further hold that the public has the right to touch privately owned beds of state waters in ways incidental to all recreational rights provided for in the easement, so long as they do so reasonably and cause no unnecessary injury to the landowner.

Id. at ¶ 30.

To my non-Utah-attorney understanding, this marks a large departure from prior holdings of Utah's courts. Prior decisions had held that while the public was free to use all rivers and their waters in Utah, they couldn't touch (other than through incidental contact) the river bed if it was "privately owned." As such, you could float a river, but you couldn't get out and wade if the stretch you were over was privately owned.

The Conaster decision appears, therefore, to be a significant pro-access decision, and one which should aid fisherman who prefer to wade or otherwise do not have regular access to a drift boat.

The second major access decision was handed out this month, and comes from the Montana Supreme Court. That decision, Bitterroot River Protective Ass'n v. Bitterroot Conservation District, 2008 MT 377, is lengthy (54 pages), and addresses multiple issues. Distilled to its essence (and again, with the understanding that I am not a Montana attorney) the decision is important from a pro-access standpoint because it overturned an appellate court's narrow definition of what constituted a "natural" waterway under Montana's Stream Access Law ("SAL"), as that definition concerned the Mitchell Slough.

As many know, the Mitchell Slough has been an access issue flashpoint in Montana. The Slough was heavily restored, partially at the hands of well known and monied individuals such as Huey Lewis and other prominent businesspeople. After restoring the Slough, however, the landowners closed off access, and secured a declaration that the water was not "natural" and therefore did not fall under Montana's stream access laws (effectively prohibiting the general public from fishing on the now-restored Slough). This case was brought challenging the designation of the water as not "natural," and as falling outside the scope of existing access laws.

Whereas the lower appellate court had held that a dictionary definition of "natural" applied when reviewing which waterways fall under the SAL, the Montana Supreme Court found that:

Under a technical or scientific definition of natural, recreational access under the SAL could be drastically limited. We thus conclude that the District Court’s dictionary-based definition, which essentially requires a pristine river unaffected by humans in order to be deemed "natural," results in an absurdity: for many Montana waters, the SAL would prohibit the very access it was enacted to provide.

...

Whether man has impacted a waterway is certainly an appropriate consideration, but a more appropriate statement of the issue focuses on how and to what extent man has impacted the waterway. Evidence of the extent of man’s efforts must be considered in conjunction with all other circumstances in a fact-driven inquiry.

Id. at ¶¶ 72-73.

As such, the Court reveiwed a long litany of historical, statistical, stream flow, mapping, and other such data dating back over 100 years. Based up its review, the Court concluded, as a matter of law, that although man had certainly altered the Mitchell Slough, such alterations were not sufficient to cause the Slough to lose its status as a "natural" waterway. As a natural waterway, the Slough was subject to the SAL, and the public was entitled to access.

The decision is important from a pro-access standpoint because it establishes a broad definition and evaluation standard for use when determining which waters within Montana are "natural," and subject to Montana's SAL.

TU - Montana was an active participant in this lawsuit (acting as a "friend of the court"), standing on the pro-access side of things.