SWTU, P.O. Box 45555, Madison, WI 53744-5555 president@swtu.org

Do you attend a lot of work days or other SWTU activities?

First AidSWTU is looking for members who frequently attend work days and other chapter activities to learn some First Aid and Emergency Care.

SWTU is offering an Adult First Aid/CPR/AED certification training with life threatening bleeding tourniquet application, Taught by the Red Cross.

We work in some rather remote locations, far from emergency services, on challenging terrain and with dangerous equipment. Accidents sometimes happen despite how careful we are or a volunteer could have a medical emergency during a workday. Hopefully neither of these things ever happen, but SWTU plans to be prepared. Read More

Help Support the Southern WI Annual Women’s Clinics

The clinics are full with waitlists for each

Donate your crafts for raffles to raise Scholarships. Each year the SWTU offers 6 scholarships for women to attend the clinics. Ideas include lanyards, nets, rods, art, unique flies, gift cards, etc. Gently used gear others may see value or uniqueness in are also welcome.

If you’d like to mentor a woman on the water; take her fishing and answer her questions, show her your way of accomplishing a new task and have a great time please contact Lisa Wilson to indicate which days / sessions you would like to participate. Wednesday, June 10th 5 pm to dark. Thursday June 11th, 10 am – 12:30 or 2 – dark. Snacks provided and a great lunch on Thursday June 11th. Contact info for Lisa is lawfinnee@gmail.com or (608) 213-6267 Please don’t wait to contact her if interested. We need 16 guides / mentors each of these 3 sessions. The participants get to go out with different mentors 3 different times during the Women’ s on the Water Clinic (Wowsc-i)

We thank everyone who supports SWTU’s Wi Women’s Fly Fishing Clinics. We serve approximately 100 people every June enrolling next generation conservationists and enthusiasts to the sport.

Thank you! Tina Murray swtu.women.diversity@gmail.com

Road Trip!

If you want to hit the open road and find some new water, check out Trout Stream Surveys on the DNR website. Two wonderful fish biologists have recently published some excellent data and analysis on some excellent fisheries.

To the northwest, note Kasey Yallaly’s assessments in Dunn and Pierce Counties including the Wilson Creek, Gilbert Creek, Trimbelle River, Pine Creek, Plum Creek, and Isabelle Creek watersheds. North or northeast, Dave Seibel has just released some helpful information on streams in Langlade and Lincoln Counties, including the Prairie and a key tributary.

Attend the TU Nohr Chapter Banquet

Friday, May 1, 2026 – 5:30 p.m.
Castle Rock Ridge | 15040 Shemak Rd., Muscoda, WI

The Nohr Chapter of TU is an outstanding partner of ours and improves many of the waters SWTU members like to fish. Click here to learn more and register for their banquet, which promises …

RAFFLES   |   PRIZES   |   DINNER   |   HONORS   |   FAMILY FUN

We hope that many of our members are able to attend and help Nohr make an even bigger difference for our cold water resource.

Riversmith Casting Clinic: 2026

Each spring, we hold our Riversmith Fly Casting Clinic (named after Jeff Smith, who was the driving force behind this event for many years). The clinic is free and available to anyone interested in learning how to cast a fly. Beginners are especially encouraged to attend. This year, we will be holding two clinics.

The clinic will be held in conjunction with Trout Days in Cross Plains on Saturday, May 2nd from 10 to 2 p.m. at H.M. Zander Community Nature Park in Cross Plains. All comers are welcome to this clinic.

Click here to view our flyer for the clinic.

Anyone who is interested in learning about fly fishing is welcome. The clinic is free and open to anyone ages 6 and up! Beginners are especially encouraged to attend. Equipment will be provided for those who don’t have a fly rod. Learn about equipment, how to cast a fly rod, how to read the water, what trout eat (aquatic etymology) and any other questions you might have! Please join us and also pass the word along to anyone you know who is interested in learning about our sport. You can show up to learn or help teach or provide encouragement. Read More

Vets on the Fly Activities

By Dyan Lesnik
Veterans on the Fly meets most Wednesday’s at The V (VFW Post 1318, 2740 Ski Ln, Fitchburg). Fly tying starts around 5:30 but come early and have dinner at the VFW grill. We do a different fly each week, and all veterans and their families are welcome. Even if you are just curious about tying or fly fishing come on out – there is never any cost. Learn more at their Facebook page.

Learn About and Help Out Project Green Teen (PGT)

SWTU has long supported this important program at Madison’s Malcom Shabazz High School. Brian Counselman runs the program there and has shared a great summary of the program’s accomplishment – as well as key dates of fly tying, fly casting and, of course, fly fishing! They could use some help so give this two-page flyer a look and reach out to the contacts listed at the end of it if questions. Many of our members have volunteered for PGT in the past and found it enormously rewarding.

New Members – April 2026

We’re pleased to announce the addition of the following new member to our ranks!

  • Neil Ferris
  • Charles Johnson
  • Michael Cibulka
  • Brant Sonzogni
  • Andrew Jensen

We are honored to have you among us. Please join our next meeting. We’d love to get to know you better, answer any questions and give you some free flies! If any questions about the meeting, please contact Dyan Lesnik.

* Note that some longer-term members may be captured in the list above. A glitch in the excel file has made it harder to sort … but it’s better to be inclusive and we’re happy to have your continued support!

Newscasts – March 2026

This issue is filled with great information, including:

Meicher Madness Auction Returns to March Meeting

Our only fundraiser of the year: Tuesday, March 10, 2026

AuctionThe Meicher Madness Auction was SWTU’s traditional start to the fishing season: an excuse to comb through the gear, donate stuff, buy the cool stuff for the new season, and hang out with old and friends. A fun evening and a boost to the SWTU checking account for the year’s expenses. We’re back to that schedule with all those goals in mind. Be sure to see below for some items of interest!

The auction occurs on Tuesday, March 10th, at Schwoegler’s on Grand Canyon Drive. We hope to start the auction by 6:30. Sales are hurt if the auction sputters along after 9, hence, the earlier start and, we hope, a quicker pace. Think of arriving close to 5:30 for food and drinks. The room might be crowded. Let’s not have your hamburger and beer spilled by someone jumping to bid for premium flies. We’ll have the briefest business meeting possible. Read More