Wisconsin Opener

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
.. .
I don't have any suggestions. I don't know where to fly fish in
Wisconsin where one can expect anything other than abysmal fishing
conditions on the first Saturday of March. And I agree with Wolfie
about Black Earth Creek. It wasn't my favorite stream the last
time ROFFians gathered there for the Wisconsin Opener and it's no
doubt worse now since some idiot poisoned the damn thing.

But, ****ty as it was/is, it was close to Madison with all that
implies in terms of hotels, restaurants and most importantly for
us driving in from a distance, clear Interstate highways.

I'm far past ready to FISH somewhere, and I don't really give a
damn where. Time's a wastin', somebody pick a stream, any stream,
I'm sittin' here watching it snow, AGAIN, and I'm itchin' to make
a hotel reservation somewhere.


My suggestion is for what my feeble memory is for the Green River, plus
another who's name escapes me at the minute. The one who's name escape me
has a spring running into it which even in the dismal winter might make for
a little midge action on top. I might make the reservation in jaynesville
instead of Madison but have not given it much thought yet.

Would you like me to pick you up on the way?

Wayne Knight wrote:

... I might make the reservation in jaynesville
instead of Madison but have not given it much thought yet.

Would you like me to pick you up on the way?

George is suggesting the spring creeks west of Richland Center so
I'm thinking La Crosse instead of Janesville. I'll probably be
traveling with wife and hound, but if they have to bail I may
take you up on that ride offer.

--
Ken Fortenberry

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 01:35:54 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

Wayne Knight wrote:

... I might make the reservation in jaynesville
instead of Madison but have not given it much thought yet.

Would you like me to pick you up on the way?

George is suggesting the spring creeks west of Richland Center so
I'm thinking La Crosse instead of Janesville. I'll probably be
traveling with wife and hound, but if they have to bail I may
take you up on that ride offer.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Plus Wolfgang could guide you. I hear he works cheap.

g.c.

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
news:_VCTb.227

George is suggesting the spring creeks west of Richland Center so
I'm thinking La Crosse instead of Janesville. I'll probably be
traveling with wife and hound, but if they have to bail I may
take you up on that ride offer.


The area I was thinking of was the Fennimore area.

Only thing I would request is that an area that I could drive back to Indy
in about 8 hours on Sun afternoon.

Let me know, will probably bring Ralph, the trout catching golden.

Wayne

Wayne Knight wrote:

The area I was thinking of was the Fennimore area.

Only thing I would request is that an area that I could drive back to Indy
in about 8 hours on Sun afternoon.

Let me know, will probably bring Ralph, the trout catching golden.

OK. We've got one recommendation for the spring creeks west of
Richland Center, which to me means staying in La Crosse. Jeffie
recommends Timber Coulee, ditto on staying in La Crosse, and one
recommendation for south of the Wisconsin River which means the
hotel room is where, Fennimore, Boscobel, Prairie du Chien ?

MapQuest says La Crosse is 7.5 hours from Indy, 6 from Urbana
and 4.5 from Christian in the north suburbs. Of course, having
chased you up the Tri-State once, I know that you could probably
get there in 20 minutes. ;-) So time & distance are within limits.

I wouldn't mind La Crosse, but I know absolutely nothing of the
area. If it's to be just us three, that sounds like a long way to
drive to find and fish unfamiliar water.

I am somewhat familiar with the area south of the Wisconsin, but
that's still a long way to drive to fly fish in March and I tend
to worry about traveling any distance on little two lane highways
that time of year.

I look at it like this, we are not going to have great, or even
good, fishing no matter where we go, so we may as well stay close
to home and be as comfortable as possible.

There's a Marriot Residence Inn on the west side of Madison that
is mere yards from Madison Outfitters, a decent enough fly shop.
Black Earth Creek is just to the west and Mt. Vernon Creek is
almost as close.

So I cast one lazy, same old, same old vote for Madison, but like
Iowans and Michiganites, I am always willing to caucus. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
. ..

...one lazy, same old, same old vote for Madison, but like
Iowans and Michiganites, I am always willing to caucus. ;-)


As you noted, the fishing will probably suck even if it's warm enough to
try. It's more about getting out and getting together as far as I'm
concerned. Then too, some of you guys know that part of the state better
than I do. I'm game for just about anywhere.

Wolfgang

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
. ..
recommendation for south of the Wisconsin River which means the
hotel room is where, Fennimore, Boscobel, Prairie du Chien ?


For Fennimore, staying in Madison is OK.

Of course, having
chased you up the Tri-State once, I know that you could probably
get there in 20 minutes. ;-) So time & distance are within limits.


And tripper thinks I drive too slow

I wouldn't mind La Crosse, but I know absolutely nothing of the
area. If it's to be just us three, that sounds like a long way to
drive to find and fish unfamiliar water.

I am somewhat familiar with the area south of the Wisconsin, but
that's still a long way to drive to fly fish in March and I tend
to worry about traveling any distance on little two lane highways
that time of year.

IFIRC, it really was not that far to Fennimore from Black Earth, as far as
the two lane roads that time of year goes, 3 years in Southwest Kansas will
make you over come it. (Tho i do remember one hell of an ice storm in
Madison opening day 1998)


I look at it like this, we are not going to have great, or even
good, fishing no matter where we go, so we may as well stay close
to home and be as comfortable as possible.


Dunno Ken, not gonna guarantee anything, and it's been 4 years since I last
fished the area, but I suggested those streams because of their holes and
the one spring I know of coming into it. Unless the weather completely and
utterly sucks, I can see at least one fish being caught.

There's a Marriot Residence Inn on the west side of Madison that
is mere yards from Madison Outfitters, a decent enough fly shop.
Black Earth Creek is just to the west and Mt. Vernon Creek is
almost as close.

So I cast one lazy, same old, same old vote for Madison,

fine with me, especially if they have a weekend rate. plus they usually
allow dogs. we could use madison as a base and if the weather looks ****ty,
hit black earth, mt vernon or trout creeks, of if not too bad of weather,
could go farther west or north.

On Tue, 3 Feb 2004 21:34:58 -0500, "Wayne Knight"
wrote:

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
...
Of course, having
chased you up the Tri-State once, I know that you could probably
get there in 20 minutes. ;-) So time & distance are within limits.


And tripper thinks I drive too slow

If you two had been driving the wagons, the West would still be
undiscovered...

/daytripper ;-)

"daytripper" wrote in message
...

If you two had been driving the wagons, the West would still be
undiscovered...


But look on the bright side, all those nice spring creeks would not be
private water yet.

On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 21:51:57 GMT, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:

Wayne Knight wrote:

There's a Marriot Residence Inn on the west side of Madison that
is mere yards from Madison Outfitters, a decent enough fly shop.
Black Earth Creek is just to the west and Mt. Vernon Creek is
almost as close.

So I cast one lazy, same old, same old vote for Madison, but like
Iowans and Michiganites, I am always willing to caucus. ;-)

--
Ken Fortenberry



Madison Outfitters went belly up this December. As did Lunde's fly shop in
Mt. Horeb.
If you stay in Madison you still aren't too far from some good spring
creeks. Trout Creek in Iowa county, about 45 miles west of Madison, has
always been a good early season stream. Later on it gets too weedy to fish
well. There are a couple other streams in the same area worth fishing. BEC
has been giving up some decent hold over 'bows plus a smattering of wild
browns, but its still pretty slow. Mt. Vernon Creek is o.k. but the fish
are fussy and a person can fish all day and walk away swearing there are no
fish in the stream.

But actually a person stands a pretty good chance of catching fish that
time of year. Scuds and Pink Squirrels down deep work well as do BWOs and
Little Black stoneflies on top, if the fish are in the mood..

And remember, if there's snow *don't wear felts*!!!


g.c.