It’s Easter season, so I thought it would be appropriate to mention the “bunny hatch.” No, this isn’t about the eggs that the Easter Bunny leaves. This is about flies that use rabbit or squirrel Zonker strips. Now that I’ve done my best attempt at a pun, let’s talk about patterns. Leeches, Slump Busters, Lunch
When I first joined Trout Unlimited and became engaged in environmentalism in the early 90s, the catch and release ethic was so much a part of our ethos that it took on a moral, almost religious quality. Today, I believe it is still an important management tool and absolutely critical in some situations (obviously where we
Over 135 people attended the 2025 Driftless Symposium hosted by the Trout Unlimited Driftless Area Restoration Effort and the Wisconsin Wetlands Association on Tuesday February 25 in La Crosse, Wisc. Several common threads emerged among this year’s presentations, highlighting both threats to watershed health and the countermeasures being developed to face those threats. Threats to
In May of 2024, the Oak Brook Trout Unlimited chapter traveled to the Driftless Area for their annual fishing visit. But in addition to the chapter’s usual fishing and stewarding their section of highway near Viroqua, magnanimous chapter member Dave Carlson also offered to give TUDARE a preview of the eDNA sampling methods the chapter has
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.
