by Peter Jonas | December 1, 2025 | Restoration
Sometimes the right place and the right people come together at exactly the right time to create a stream restoration project that is truly remarkable. The place is 7200 feet of the North Branch of Wilson Creek in Dunn County, Wisc., on the properties of Bill Manwarren and Josh Edhlund. Wilson Creek, like many Driftless streams, was straightened on these properties to increase land available for agriculture and to improve efficiency with large…
This summer, Trout Unlimited employed two seasonal technicians to collect culvert and bridge inventory data in Dane County, Wisc. This inventory is part of our larger effort to better understand the extent of habitat fragmentation across the Driftless Area and ensure that we have sufficient information about outdated infrastructure to have ready solutions when it…
by Peter Jonas | November 25, 2025 | Fishing
I get a pretty serious case of the blues after the end of the Wisconsin trout season. The past few years warm weather has lasted well into October, and late season terrestrial fishing has been epic. So, I end the season in a kind of manic flurry because the fishing is great and the sand is falling through the hourglass. When the end comes, it comes hard,…
By Cameron Akers Where legal, winter can be a great time to get on the water, if you’re adequately prepared. Trout are hungry after spawning, but low, clear water can make them a challenge. First and foremost, if you see a redd, which is a trout’s nest, stay off it! Redds are areas, typically near riffles, that trout clear out to lay their eggs. These eggs can…
Seed Savers Exchange stewards America’s culturally diverse and endangered garden and food crop legacy for present and future generations. They educate and connect people through collecting, regenerating, and sharing heirloom seeds, plants, and stories. Seed Savers Exchange has been saving and sharing seeds with gardeners since 1975. To commemorate the Seed Savers Exchange network—and all…
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…
by Peter Jonas | April 8, 2025 | Fishing
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…
