Without willing, conservation-minded landowners, very few stream restoration projects would happen in the Driftless Area. Over 90% of Driftless trout streams flow through private land, so building relationships and educating landowners about the benefits of stream restoration are critical first steps in assuring that stream restoration work will continue. With this reality in mind,…
The summer of 2024 has been busy for Trout Unlimited staff and volunteers in the Driftless Area. Several projects were completed this summer and many more are in the works. There was activity in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa this year, with work to remain underway until winter. The most recently completed Wisconsin project was…
In September, the Wisconsin Clear Waters TU Chapter and Oak Brook, Illinois TU Chapter completed a stream restoration project on Traverse Valley Creek in Trempealeau County, with a focus on educating local youth. The restored section of stream is along highway X, 5 ½ miles from the junction of X and State Highway 93.…
May and June are great months for fishing caddis patterns in the driftless. This year, I noticed many fish receptive to caddis patterns stationed in shallow, fast water in broad daylight. Here are a few suggestions that might help you catch more trout on caddis patterns. I am not a big fan of floating caddis…
Several major restoration projects are on tap for the coming field season in the Driftless Area, one of Trout Unlimited’s Priority Waters. Here are several of the biggest efforts on tap Nohr Chapter – Snow Bottom Stream Improvement Project – Wisconsin The Nohr Chapter was awarded a Department of Natural Resources Surface Water Grant to…
Winter and early spring fishing can be remarkably good in the Driftless Area. However, flexibility is the name of the game in low temperatures. Generally, I favor the classic slow and deep approach. If I see no visible rises, I start out indicator fishing with a scud or a caddis on point and a Brassie…
More than 15 years ago, when Jeff Hastings took over leadership of Trout Unlimited’s Driftless Area Restoration Effort, one of his first priorities was to build his knowledge of restoration techniques. As he dug in, he found plenty of information. He also found that much of it didn’t get wide distribution throughout the area’s four…
