TR: The Driftless Area of Wisconsin

Left out on Tuesday for the 7-hour drive to the Driftless area of SW
Wisconsin. This are is pretty much centered on Viroqua, WI which is
home to the Driftless Angler Flyshop http://www.driftlessangler.com/
run by Matt. Matt is a great source of local knowledge and fishes the
hell out of the local streams. He also runs the only full service
flyshop in the area. Got my fishing license and a couple of local
flies (okay, I walked out 90 bucks poorer but much enriched).
From Viroqua, I headed East over to Avalanche on the West Fork of the
Kickapoo River to camp. There’s a campground, the West Fork
Sportsmans Club http://www.westforksportsmansclub.org/ there in
Avalanche. Ten bucks for membership and another 10 to tent for the
night. Not too bad a deal as many of the places around there charge
up to 20 bucks just to put your tent down. Also has a spring coming
out of the hill across from the entrance with great water for drinking
and cooking. Campground has your standard amenities with the addition
of free wireless.
The West Fork is about 20 yards from the tenting area. Okay, I’m
still getting used to Midwest meadow streams. A ten-foot-wide stream
running through a cow pasture does NOT look like it can produce 20+
inch trout to my jaded eyes, but it can.
Set up the tent and headed out to the stream. REALLY hot and the fish
were sulking. I also had yet to figure out how to fish here. Caught
about 6 little fish, but nothing over 8 inches. These hit on a size
16 black foam ant.
Got up early to fish on Wednesday. Right as I was getting dressed,
the heavens opened up. Torrential downpour that lasted from about 6
a.m. to 8. Went out to fish when this was done, but was paid back
with a 16 inch chub and 2 little fry. Now the temp is up into the
90’s by 10 a.m., humidity is really climbing and the skeeters are
climbing into my vest to get at the Deet. Discretion is the better
part of valor and all that crap. Stripped to my shorts and lay down
in the stream to cool off. Didn’t help. Time to pull chocks and head
North.
Packed up the tent and went to meet Wolfgang at a friend’s tree farm
outside of Sparta, WI. Wolfie wasn’t there yet so I worked with some
researchers there at the tree farm studying chestnut blight. Pretty
cool work.
Wolfie rolled in at about 2200, so we chatted a bit and then I went to
bed. Thursday was a rest day. Wolf’s friend Becky showed up and,
since the hot wx had seriously broken (80 degrees and low humidity
vise the 94 with a heat index of 110), we decided to drink heavily and
catch up whilst sitting on the deck.
Friday, okay, time to hit it. Kit up bright and early and I head down
to a spot I had seen on the way up to Sparta. It was on the Little
LaCross River next to highway 27. “Stream Restoration Project” and
“Public Lands” declared the sign. Get there and the gate is closed
but there’s a path running in front of it. Go down the path and I
find the open area (no fence) to go through and head to the water. I
brush bust through chest-high grass and promptly fall into a swamp. I
slog through and the mosquitoes do NOT care about the Deet. I get to
the stream after about 200 yards of this and it’s a 30 foot shear drop
to the water. I climb down holding onto roots and rocks, only to find
out that there’s less of a breeze down there. I can’t even get my
line on my rod before the mosquitoes drive me out. I slog back to the
path and, at the parking spot, pee on the DNR sign. I get bit by four
more mosquitoes.
I go back to the house dejected. Wolfie explains the way of the world
of trout fishing in WI. Look on the map http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/species/trout/streammaps.html
for a stream, find a bridge, park, jump in and fish. As long as your
feet wet, you have access if the stream is at anytime capable of
supporting a canoe. We look at the map of Monroe County
http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/species/trout..._landscape.pdf
and find a spot on the little LaCrosse within 5 minutes of the tree
farm. The piece I’m going to fish is between a railroad track and
I-90. Climb down to the stream and the second hole I get to, I’m into
fish. Found out that a Pass Lake fished wet with a split shot and a
strike indicator will do just fine. Spent 6 hours walking ½ mile of
river and had a blast. Okay, getting chased upstream by the bull was
not fun (really hard to run upstream in waders). This is truly a cow
pasture. 15 fish to hand, the biggest was about 16. Another 20 plus
got the LDR treatment. I couldn’t understand what was going on. I
would hook a fish and then he would just as easily spit it.
Wayne Knight called as I got off the stream. He had left work to come
and join us, but blew a water pump. Crap.
Saturday morning, since Wolfie and crew were heading home, I packed
out and decided to make it a two day trip home. Fished Spring Coulee
in Coon Valley on the way out. About 15 fish in 45 minutes. Hmm,
kinda like this place.
WI Driftless Area fishing Factoids and info:
Fish abundencies map: http://infotrek.er.usgs.gov/wdnrfish/map/index
Type in the fish type and the county you want then go!
Trout stream classifications: http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/species/trout...ification.html
Class 1: High quality trout waters that have sufficient natural
reproduction to sustain populations of wild trout, at or near carry
capacity. Consequently, streams in this category require no stocking
of hatchery trout. These streams or stream sections are often small
and may contain small or slow-growing trout, especially in the
headwaters. There are 4,136 miles of Class 1 trout streams in
Wisconsin and they comprise 40% of Wisconsin's total trout stream
mileage.
Class 2: Streams in this classification may have some natural
reproduction, but not enough to utilize available food and space.
Therefore, stocking is required to maintain a desirable sport fishery.
These streams have good survival and carryover of adult trout, often
producing some fish larger than average size. There are 4,644 miles of
Class 2 trout streams in Wisconsin and they comprise 45% of
Wisconsin's total trout stream mileage.
That’s 8600+ miles of trout stream in just those two categories!

I hit it in the toughest time of the year. Streams were full due to
heavy rains (all are spring creeks) and the mosquitoes were the worst
in 30 years. Never the less, I will be back.
Frank Reid