Please join us for a great line up of membership meetings this spring on the second Tuesday of each month at Schwoegler’s Bowling. After the fly tying extravaganza in January, you’ll have the chances to learn about some of the best trout fishing in the Driftless Area and buy all the gear and flies economically (often cheap!) to catch them.
February 10. Kasey Yallaly, the DNR Fish Biologist for much of the Northern part of WI’s Driftless Region, will discuss some of the streams she cares for. A short summary: big streams, little streams, lots of brown trout, lots of brook trout, big brown trout, big brook trout, lots of public access, lots of great DNR and TU work. Kasey is a great biologist, a great speaker with good stories to tell.
March 10. The return of the Meicher Auction to its traditional time! We already have some great flies and gear to auction with more to come. Gear up for the season and support SWTU. This will be our only fundraising activity of the year. The February newsletter will have details on donating items. If you wish to donate money to be put toward gift cards to raffle, checks can be mailed any time to SWTU, PO BOX 45555, Madison, WI 53744-5555, or checks/cash/gift cards can be given to Treasurer, Michael Westbury, or President, Topf Wells, at a monthly gathering.
April 14. Jason Freund will be our featured speaker of the year. He is an expert angler, tyer, historian, and scientist. His blogs are fun, his skill and knowledge impressive, and he is one of Wisconsin TU’s most dedicated leaders. Based in LaCrosse, on the faculty of UW-LaCrosse and the President of the Coulee Chapter, Jason knows a lot about the streams we fish and some we should be fishing. This is also our annual meeting with chapter elections.
Posted: February 2, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
New Members – February 2026
We’re pleased to announce the addition of the following new member to our ranks!
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!
Last Updated: February 3, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Wheeler Wilcox Creek? What’s That?
By Topf Wells
Wheeler Wilcox Creek (WWC) is a tributary to the Upper Yahara River. It enters the river in Windsor downstream of the current restoration work in DeForest. A vigilant SWTU member alerted the Board to some concerns about WWC in connection with the proposed data center on 1600 acres west of DeForest.
WWC is not a trout stream but it’s spring fed and provides cold water to the Upper Yahara. Folks were concerned that the data center would discharge stormwater to the creek, which would probably raise its temperature, especially during warm weather. Read More
Newscasts – January 2026
Last Updated: February 3, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
This issue is filled with great information, including:
Last Updated: January 5, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Join in the 2026 Fly Tying Jamboree
A fun and informal chapter gathering on Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Monthly chapter meetings typically start at 7 pm, but for the Fly Tying Jamboree arrive anytime after 5:30 for setting up your fly tying station, ordering food, drinks and socializing. As always, the meeting will be held at Schwoegler’s Lanes.
We’ll hold a brief (we promise) business meeting about 7 and then back to fly tying.
For anyone who has wondered if fly tying is a) learnable, b) productive, and c) fun, please attend this meeting. You’ll see some great and fun fly tying and have the chance to tie a fly yourself. Yes indeed, you can leave the meeting with a fly you tied, guaranteed by SWTU to catch fish.
Schwoegler’s Lanes, 444 Grand Canyon Dr., Madison, WI 53719
Posted: January 5, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Save the Dates! A Strong Lineup of Future Gatherings
Please join us for a great line up of membership meetings this spring on the second Tuesday of each month at Schwoegler’s Bowling. After the fly tying extravaganza in January, you’ll have the chances to learn about some of the best trout fishing in the Driftless Area and buy all the gear and flies economically (often cheap!) to catch them.
February 10. Kasey Yallaly, the DNR Fish Biologist for much of the Northern part of WI’s Driftless Region, will discuss some of the streams she cares for. A short summary: big streams, little streams, lots of brown trout, lots of brook trout, big brown trout, big brook trout, lots of public access, lots of great DNR and TU work. Kasey is a great biologist, a great speaker with good stories to tell.
March 10. The return of the Meicher Auction to its traditional time! We already have some great flies and gear to auction with more to come. Gear up for the season and support SWTU. This will be our only fundraising activity of the year. The February newsletter will have details on donating items. If you wish to donate money to be put toward gift cards to raffle, checks can be mailed any time to SWTU, PO BOX 45555, Madison, WI 53744-5555, or checks/cash/gift cards can be given to Treasurer, Michael Westbury, or President, Topf Wells, at a monthly gathering.
April 14. Jason Freund will be our featured speaker of the year. He is an expert angler, tyer, historian, and scientist. His blogs are fun, his skill and knowledge impressive, and he is one of Wisconsin TU’s most dedicated leaders. Based in LaCrosse, on the faculty of UW-LaCrosse and the President of the Coulee Chapter, Jason knows a lot about the streams we fish and some we should be fishing. This is also our annual meeting with chapter elections.
Posted: January 5, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Learn What Your Board’s Been Up To
Minutes from SWTU Board of Director meetings can be viewed in this Google Drive. If you have questions on what you read in them, reach out to one of the Board members listed on the last page of each newsletter. (Note that you may need to click the “Last Modified” header at the top to sort the list with the latest minutes at the top.)
We occasionally receive donations from members or supporters via a giving program through their employer and often administered by a third party. We really appreciate those gifts, the generosity of the donors and the opportunities afforded by the businesses and the administrators. We just wish we could thank those donors personally. So, to whoever donated through a program administered by Benevity and the American Online Giving Foundation, thank you!
Last Updated: January 5, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
2026, A Good Start for Black Earth Creek
The Ice Age Trail Alliance and Dane County just announced the purchase of about 100 acres of land just west of Cross Plains. The purchase means the Trail will be moved off roads and cross some lovely and diverse land – great news for hikers. And great for Black Earth Creek. The land contains restored prairies, wetlands and a tributary. Thanks to Kyle, Mitch, and Josh of the DNR we now know this tributary is a source of highly oxygenated and extremely cold water to Black Earth Creek. It’s also a nursery area for young brown trout. Read More
Green Tail
Posted: January 5, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
by Rusty Dunn
On a glorious late April day in England in the early 1800s, daffodils trumpet spring’s arrival and songbirds sing in harmony. ‘Tis Shakespeare’s proverbial “sweet o’ the year”. A gentleman of leisure prepares for an angling getaway on nearby private waters. He consults books authored by fly-fishing’s leading authorities to learn what mayflies might hatch in late April. One book suggests a hatch of ‘Little Dark Watchets’. Another says ‘Dark Bloas’. Yet another, ‘Jenny Spinners’. The next, ‘Little Blacks’. The angler is puzzled and confused, because each book says something different about late April hatches. He wonders which, if any, of them is correct. Unknown to the gentleman, however, all the books are correct. Their predicted mayflies for late April are all the exact same species. Read More
Fall 2025 Workday Roundup
Posted: January 5, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
SWTU had a total of 131 volunteers at our fall workdays. This brings our total number of volunteers for the year to 216! A big thanks to all the volunteers that show up with big smiles and ready to work. The camaraderie is contagious. I especially want to thank Wayne Griffin and Dyan Lesnik for being responsible for the trailer, as well as their backups Josh Reilly and Michael Westbury.
Here is a brief summary of our fall workdays:
Garfoot Creek (9.14.25) – a warm humid day with the smell of bug spray in the air. We cleared small box elders and invasive woodies so the DNR could repair the fence along the easement boundary. Lunch was provided by the landowner, Pam Allen, on her beautiful front lawn which was enjoyed by all. Pam shared some of the history of the farm, as it was one of the first easements by the state. Otto Festge, a former Madison mayor and Dane County Clerk, owned the farm. One of his best friends was Gaylord Nelson. Nelson ran his gubernatorial campaign from Otto’s dining room and created some of his conservation plans there, including a focus on stream conservation. Read More
Posted: January 5, 2026 by Drew Kasel Leave a Comment
Fox Valley TU 2026 Cabin Fever Days
Saturday, January 24, 2026 from 10 am to 4 pm
New location: Fox Cities Exhibition Center, Appleton, WI
This is a tremendous TU chapter that has often supported our chapter and its events. This looks to be an amazing day of informational sessions, lunch, gear sales, auctions and a chance to go home with a stellar bamboo rod. Learn more and plan to attend: https://foxvalleytu.org/cabin-fever-day-2026/
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