A casual, fishing focused chapter gathering on Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Several chapter members are stepping up to share some tips to help you close out the 2026 trout season strong. From streams to flies to knots and overall ways to approach or think about fishing this time of year, you will leave with at least one idea that will help put you on more fish.
This will be a more casual meeting with time to catch up, share fish stories and make plans for fall fishing. It’s a great meeting for more recent members or newer people to this area.
Please join us September 8. As usual, we’ll meet at Schwoegler’s with food and drink available anytime after 5:30 and fall fishing tips will be shared starting around 7. Schwoegler’s is on Grand Canyon Drive on Madison’s west side with ample parking, good food, beverages, and service.
Schwoegler’s Lanes, 444 Grand Canyon Dr., Madison, WI 53719
Newscasts – September 2026
Posted: September 1, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
This issue is filled with great information, including:
Posted: September 1, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Fall Fishing – Trouty Tips and Tricks
A casual, fishing focused chapter gathering on Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Several chapter members are stepping up to share some tips to help you close out the 2026 trout season strong. From streams to flies to knots and overall ways to approach or think about fishing this time of year, you will leave with at least one idea that will help put you on more fish.
This will be a more casual meeting with time to catch up, share fish stories and make plans for fall fishing. It’s a great meeting for more recent members or newer people to this area.
Please join us September 8. As usual, we’ll meet at Schwoegler’s with food and drink available anytime after 5:30 and fall fishing tips will be shared starting around 7. Schwoegler’s is on Grand Canyon Drive on Madison’s west side with ample parking, good food, beverages, and service.
Schwoegler’s Lanes, 444 Grand Canyon Dr., Madison, WI 53719
Posted: September 1, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Good Food, Good Times and Best News
By Topf Wells
Thirty SWTU members and friends gathered for our picnic on Saturday, August 22. Don Golembiewski proved to be the master of brat grill, Linda Dorazio the queen of key lime and pecan pies, and Michael Westbury the pork smoker in chief. Many other Board Members helped and a good time was had by all. Plenty of fish stories, reacquainting with old friends and making some new ones.
We were happy to honor Jack and Bonnie Lawton, stalwart SWTU members and supporters. They had just sold their family property on the Wolf River to preserve it and enable the public to enjoy it. This is the best DNR trout stream purchase in years: 120 acres with over a mile of double bank frontage on one of the best parts of the Wolf River. Don’t take my word for it; read some of the letters to the DNR Board supporting this purchase. (ed. Note: these are well worth your time and we’d in particular point you to the letter from Bill Stokes starting on page 10.) Read More
Full Circles – Workday Report (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)
Posted: September 1, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
By Topf Wells
SWTU showed up, Stihl showed up, Dane County showed up, TUDARE showed up, the WI Chapter of BHA showed up. All to improve the Sugar River at the County’s newest, 640 acre property on the river.
Thanks to TUDARE, SWTU had been granted the services of the Stihl work crew to complete the next step in the restoration of the river at this point. SWTU had spent 3 long work days clearing the invasive understory on a bermed riverbank. Today, Stihl’s job was to clear all the box elders and SWTU’s to help clear the branches. All in order for the County to remove or breach the berms and re-connect the river to its floodplain and a spring complex. The former reduces stream bank erosion and the latter provides a source of cold, clean water to the river. That’s essential for the Dane County trout stream that’s most vulnerable to climate change and warming temperatures. Read More
2026 SWTU Fall Workdays
Last Updated: September 8, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Jim Hess, Conservation Chair
All are Saturdays from 9am to 12 noon and aimed to avoid UW home football games, the 9-day deer gun season, Thanksgiving weekend, and back-to-back workdays:
Sept 26 – Gordon Creek – This will be a Joint workday with the Nohr Chapter at Brue Road on the Trent Nelson easement. We’ll be working with Justin Haglund and Lloyd Meng removing boxelders and willows upstream and downstream of the bridge. There is plenty of parking along Brue Road for volunteers. Read More
Posted: September 1, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Protect Our Lands
By Topf Wells
National TU has asked all its members for our immediate help in protecting our national forests. Please use this link for thorough explanations of the issue and ways to contact the federal elected officials and administrators who can answer our call. This is the most intense effort I’ve ever seen TU undertake to protect threatened resources.
Briefly, the Trump Administration is proposing rule changes that will open the national forests to more roads, more development and more harm to natural resources, like creeks, streams and rivers.
I’m not familiar with western forests but I’ve spent many hours in the Chequamegon part of Wisconsin’s national forest. It already had roads all over the place and precious few wilderness areas. It also contains the headwaters of several Lake Superior watersheds, including part of the White. More roads will not improve the forest and probably hurt it.
It’s easy to make your voice heard. Please use the link and follow its prompts to help protect our national forests.
Gilda’s Club Casting Clinics
Posted: September 1, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Several were held over the summer, including one on the water with many actually catching fish! Andy Morton was also able to give a brief history of fly fishing and a quick demonstration on fly tying. Many thanks to Andy, Dave Fowler, John Strauss, Don Golembiewski, Wayne Griffin, Jim O’Brien and Tom Thrall for being such great instructors. And to Linda Dorazio for coordinating. Here are some photos from the clinics, courtesy Dyan Lesnik, and you can find many more in the story on swtu.org. Read More
Posted: September 1, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Vets on the Fly Activities – Fall 2026
By Dyan Lesnik
Fishing every Wednesday night through September, 6-8pm, then off in October. All Veterans and their families are welcome. Never any cost. A different location each week posted on our Facebook site or contact Dyan Lesnik (dmlgriffin@gmail.com) for more info. Here are some pictures from Dyan, and you can find more on swtu.org.
Posted: September 1, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Musky Fool Shop Closing/Liquidating
Read the note here on their website and note the opportunity to stock up on gear (always a tremendous array of items there) and help clear inventory. They have been a great partner for the community and our natural resources … just earlier this year we thanked them for a generous donation to our chapter. We will miss them as a shop and wish the owners, employees and MF community the very best.
March Brown Nymph
Posted: September 1, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
by Rusty Dunn
Have you ever thought about designing the perfect trout fly? A fly that is simple, tied with readily available materials, and so effective it catches trout regardless of the hatch. A fly that imitates – or is at least perceived by trout to imitate – mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies, terrestrials, crustaceans, and even midges. One that finds trout even when the water appears lifeless. A fly so versatile that your stuffed-to-the-gill fly boxes could all be replaced by one small tin tucked in a shirt pocket. Well, fantasize no longer my friend. Your fly is at hand. It was designed over 300 years ago, but maybe you missed it. Read More
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