BrookieJune 2019

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CWTU

Central Wisconsin Trout Unlimited

Board Meeting & Picnic: Bird Creek in Wautoma Tuesday, June 115:30-6:15 - Picnic Meal Served 6:15-7:15 - Board Meeting 7:30-8:30 - ProgramBeck Shelter at Bird Creek ParkWautoma (west side of town, park entrance is on 16th Ave.)

Board Meeting & Picnic: Picnic at Harvey Jones’ Home on the PineHosted by: Harvey JonesTuesday, July 95:30-6:15 - Picnic Meal Served 6:15 - Board MeetingN5462 Popple Creek Dr.Saxeville, WI 54976(South on A to Popple Creek Dr.)

CWTU River Restoration Work Days• June 15 Bird Creek in Wautoma • July 20 TBD • August 17 TBD • September 21 TBD

UPCOMINGEVENTS

Tuesday, June 11Board Meeting & Picnic: Bird Creek in Wautoma Beck Shelter at Bird Creek Park

5:30-6:15 - Picnic Meal Served 6:15-7:15 - Board Meeting 7:30-8:30 - Program

Program:• Wilcox Memorial Bench Placement• Project Presentation by Shawn Sullivan

A Big HitOur �rst Sip & Grin event at 22 Lakes Brewing Co., a cra� brewery in Waupaca, was a great success!

Special thanks to 22 Lakes Brewing Co.’s John and Mark for allowing CWTU to hold the event. We had a great turnout and our own Streamborn Brown Ale was a big hit. Lots of new friends were made and 4 new members were signed up. �e brewery would love to have our chapter back in for a fall event. �ey really loved working with our members.�ank you to: Fly tyers Wayne Parmley, Ira Giese and Dave Pable. Ra�es John Tucker and Stan Cichowski. Food dispensing Laura Tucker and Grace Pable. Donations: Mike Sandretto, Salas & Wang law o�ces (Chicago), Port Sur LLC, Backwoods press, Tight Lines Fly Shop, Adventure Out�tters, T Dubs, �e Ding Tavern, Niemuth’s Meats and Sulten Belly.

By Michael Salas

Bring your lawnchair and enjoy

Last month, a great man passed away and he will be sorely missed. �omas William Poullette, 86 of Naples, Fla., formerly of Waupaca, and Wautoma, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 in Kenosha.

A�er graduating from Wautoma High School, �omas went on to graduate from Ripon College. He joined the U.S. Army Infantry and served in Germany from 1954 to 1956. Upon returning to Wisconsin, he taught Biology at Elkhorn High School and also coached basketball. In 1957 he married Sylvia Dopp. In 1958 he entered Marquette Dental School and graduated in 1962. He returned to Wautoma where he started his dental practice, and worked there until retiring in

Poullette’s legacy remembered with his passing

Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expo a Success

�e Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expo took place on May 15-16 at the MacKenzie Center near Poynette. �e rainy weather conditions on �ursday may have prevented some students from attending, but there were probably over 2,500 students and chaperones who braved the elements. �e state council of TU provides an opportunity for students to tie a �y, and this year there were 892 kids who tied their �rst �y. (We know that because we count the hooks that were used as we replenish the tying kits.)

We had 17 volunteer tyers on Wednesday, and 15 on �ursday. Out of that group of volunteers, 12 were from the Central Wisconsin chapter. �ey included: Bob Haase, Jerry Smet, Rand Vander Schaaf, Mike San Dretto, Jim Murphy, Robert Burke, Tom Connelly, Bill Millonig, Dave Ehrenberg, Ralph Klassy, Gary Kemnitz and Dave LaPine.

By Dan Harmon III

In these photos, Tom can be seen doing the "River Pool Dance" for a a group of girls at a Stream Girls program, a joint venture between TU and the Girl Scouts. �e group created the song and dance to learn about pools and ri�e runs.

the late 90's. In 1982, �omas married Jo Ann Sweney Howard and the couple resided in Waupaca and Naples, Fla.

In 1971, �omas was a founding member of Central Wisconsin Trout Unlimited. He served as president of the organization for two years. He was also involved with the Wautoma Rotary, Ducks Unlimited and American Legion.

An avid �sherman who loved to teach others about his sport, �omas worked diligently to protect the resources he loved. He especially loved spending time with his family and friends in Wisconsin and Florida.

�omas did so much for the environment in which our beloved trout live and provide us with places to while away our minds and bodies. His tireless e�orts were countless, and there are many we will probably never know of. He was a man of true conviction in preserving the world around us and saving its beauty for future generations. When the sorrow of his passing subsides, the aurora of his accomplishments endure.

By Bob Haase

�is is a great event for fourth through sixth graders who are bused in from all over the state. Most are from the southern part of Wisconsin, but there was even a bus load of kids from Ashland, Wis., who attended. �ey can shoot BB guns with the conservation wardens, shoot archery, identify animal tracks, dog �eld trials, identify aquatic insect, identify �sh, tie a �y and many other activities. �is year there was also a mobile display of �sh and wildlife sponsored by the Midwest Outdoor Heritage Foundation and the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. �is mobile trailer is also available for other events around the state such as fairs, or sporting events, or to be placed at schools. �ere are two trailers now, and there are plans to provide two more. Trout Unlimited has an opportunity to be part of this, showing trout and the conservation work we do.

Fly tying classes that were put on by John Gremmer and now by Dave Pable and the volunteers who helped them, and programs like the Master’s class, have provided a source for volunteer help for activities like the Expo. �ank you to all the volunteer tyers, and the volunteers who helped with the classes and activities that over the years have enabled us to help thousands of students tie their �rst �y.

Dave Ehrenberg (lower le�) and Robert Burke (below) help a few eager girls tie their very �rst �y at the 2019 Heritage Education Expo in Poynette.

So, what was your best idea 10 years ago? I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I even had a good idea back then. But Shawn Sullivan remembers his, and a�er 10 years it’s beginning to come to fruition. Shawn is the DNR Fisheries Operations Team Supervisor, and he and his team, based in Wild Rose, have developed that idea into a working plan. �e plan is the Bird Creek Restoration and Improvement Project. �e vision for the project, Shawn says, “…is to reconnect Bird Creek to the park, the school and the community of Wautoma.” Bird Creek is actually the boundary between Bird Creek Park on the west and Wautoma High School on the east. As Shawn explained his vision to me, he noted the rarity of having a setting where a Class 1 trout stream �ows between a city park and a schoolgrounds. In addition to the natural beauty involved here, there is also on display the beauty of cooperation and support between the WDNR, TU chapters, the city of Wautoma and the high school.

Work on this project started this winter, when, on frozen ground, Shawn and his team attacked what Shawn calls” … rampant old growth buckthorn, some over 60 years old.” �ey used a FECON unit, which is a grinder with 200 carbide teeth to knock down the worst of it. Buckthorn is an invasive species plaguing the country, crowding out native plants and, in this case preventing access to Bird Creek and even damaging the stream.

Enter CWTU, which on May 18 held its �rst workday of 2019. A great turnout included members of Elliott Donnelley (EDTU), Fox Valley, Frank Hornberg and Shaw-Paca TU chapters; 37 people in all. EDTU donated $4,000 for future stream restoration projects. CWTU earlier had raised a total of $8,000 to support the Bird Creek Restoration work. �is includes a TU Embrace-a-Stream grant and a Trout and Salmon Foundation grant, along with matching funds from the CWTU and EDTU chapters.

A�er rolls, co�ee and greetings, we were divided into four teams, each headed by DNR Habitat Managers Steve DeVitt, Jamie Rupple, Trevor Hinz and Kyle Kossel. My wife, Mary Jo, and I were in Jamie’s group, and we were joined by Vince Schmitz of the South-Central Station in Madison. Vince was there to see our program in action with the idea of duplicating our methods with his home team. Each DNR leader had a chainsaw, which was used to cut more buckthorn, willow and honeysuckle that was either choking the stream or presenting obstacles to access and/or �shability. As the leaders cut, volunteers stacked brush for rabbit cover or handed branches to volunteers in the stream who jammed them into the bank to create shelters, erosion control or �ow de�ectors, some of which were staked in place. (Lacking a hammer, Jamie fashioned a Fred Flintstone-type club a�er we got tired of pounding with a 4-foot long piece of log.) Some logs were removed, then strategically repositioned to divert stream �ow or provide �sh shelter.

Connections By Bill Vance

As lunchtime neared, a cold rain began to fall, driven by the wind. Climate change deniers must have had a �eld day on Saturday with temperatures 30 degrees below normal. (Where’s the global warming?) We all huddled under a park pavilion and enjoyed a great lunch of fried chicken, potato salad, slaw and cookies. �e meal and the whole workday were organized by Dennis Drazkowski, our workday program coordinator. Dennis also handles communications, signage, logging of volunteer work hours, forms and safety equipment. Dennis does a great job of making the workdays run smoothly.

�e Bird Creek Project is underway. �e physical work in the stream not only improves conditions for �sh and anglers, it increases �ow which �ushes the cobble, improving spawning in a stream that is already a nursery for the whole White River watershed. It is our hope that the native brown trout will be joined by increasing numbers of brook trout, and perhaps, one day, rainbow trout, too.

Now that access to the stream is improving, Wautoma High School students are getting involved with monitoring Bird Creek. Dave Bartz, DNR Fisheries Biologist and Scott Bunde, DNR Fisheries Technician, are instructing students in the WAV monitoring program, using the same techniques that our River Keepers use. �is work will develop a data set that will instruct us on the health of the stream, which will hopefully improve as the stream responds to restoration work.

Future phases of the project will see plantings of cedar, maple and tamarack to replace the ash that will inevitably succumb to the emerald ash borer. Shrubs like dogwood and ninebark will replace the invasive honeysuckle, and hiking trails will provide access for anglers, birders and nature lovers in general.

Bird Creek - May 18th Work Day CrewCentral Wisconsin, Elliott Donnelley, Fox Valley, Frank Hornberg & Shaw-Paca Chapters

An Evening with Linn Beck WAV Training Event Held in May�e May program was an entertaining and informative evening with Linn Beck, a past president of CWTU and WITU council chair, who is now on the National Leadership Council. Linn traced his involvement with Trout Unlimited, his commit-ment to the environment and the cold water �shery of Wisconsin. He reminisced about growing up in Oshkosh, his dedication to the community and his plans for the future with his new role at Trout Unlimited National. Phyllis Hunt, Lynn, and Chelley Beck

Aldo Leopold Center Outing Considered �e Aldo Leopold Center is located between the communities of Portage and Wisconsin Dells. �e center sits just 1 mile down the road from the Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm, designated as a National Historic Landmark not only for its role in inspiring “A Sand County Almanac,” but also to recognize one of our nation’s earliest attempts at land and water restoration. Guided tours for groups share the story of transformation initiated by the Leopolds in the 30’s and 40’s. �e site is on 600 acres of prairie, savannah, wetlands and woodlands and is carefully stewarded year around.

We are considering a �eld trip to the center on a Saturday in September. We would go on a guided tour of the land and shack and have a lunch on the grounds in one of the meeting halls. In order to gauge the interest in this event, please either send an email to tmeyer@centurylink.net and just type on the subject line “Yes to the Leopold Center Field Trip.” If the response is adequate we will book the event and publish the details in a future Brookie newsletter and on the CWTU Facebook and Instagram pages.

Wild Rose Fish Hatchery

F LY F I S H I N G S C H O O L They Came and Discovered Fly Fishing!Recap article and more photos coming in the July Issue

Monday Evenings: October 14 & 28 / November 4 & 11

For questions and to register contact:David Pable at 920-233-2939email: dandgp@sbcglobal.net

Fly TyingA New Experience

A Series for BeginnersMonday Evenings in January 2020

Janu

ary 2020

Michael Salas How long have you been a TU member? 3 years.

Are you a chapter board member and/or officer? Very excited to become a CWTU board member as of March 2019.

What drew you to joining TU? While investigating a run in the Pine River, I happened to run in to a gentleman by the name of John Tucker who is very persuasive and passionate about CWTU. I joined a day later.

First fishing catch and/or memory? Not my first memory of fishing, but will never forget my first brown trout caught in the Pine at about high noon in 90-degree heat.

Favorite lure or fly? Woolly Bugger.

Favorite fish species to chase? Any kind of fish.

Dream trip? I would love to fish Cuba.

Most enjoyable TU activity to attend or participate in? I love TroutFest.

Where do you call home? Kenosha.

Other activities you enjoy? I also enjoy traditional archery and bird hunting.

Who are the people close to you, family? I enjoy my mom, Ann and my kids, Jeff, Amy and daughter-in-law, Maureen. And, of course, my granddaughter, Charley, and my grandson, John Henry. Love them!

Recent book read or favorite? “River Music” by James Babb.

Favorite movie? “The Shootist.”

Favorite food? Any Italian food my mom makes.

A hidden talent you have? Stand up comic for the last 5 years.

Guilty pleasure? Eating mac 'n' cheese.

Get to Know CWTU MembersJim Murphy

How long have you been a TU member? 12 years.

Are you a chapter board member and/or officer? Not currently, but I have served as a board member for 7 years and resigned 3 years ago. Mar and I travel both summer and winter and did not feel I could contribute to the board or the chapter year round.

What drew you to joining TU? Long story, but basically life got in the way and after a long layoff I just wanted to get back into fishing and fly tying. Somehow I heard about John Gremmer’s Fly Fishing Class and followed that up by attending Dan Harmon’s Fly Fishing School in 2007 and... I was “hooked”... joined CWTU and the rest is history.

First fishing catch and/or memory? Catching Crappies on a cane pole, (not to be confused with a split bamboo fly rod), bobber, and minnows sitting on a concrete wall above the spillway at the Eau Gallie feed mill. I guess I was about 5 years old and closely supervised by my mom.

Favorite lure or fly? That is a tough one. When chasing trout I have several caddis patterns that I really like but over the years a Parachute Adams is my go to on the surface and a Woolly Bugger when I can’t tease them to the top. When fishing smallmouth I am a big fan of the Sheep Minnow.

Favorite fish species to chase? I guess I’m turning into a trout snob but smallmouth are still high on my list.

Favorite place to fish? Here in Wisconsin it is any one of many streams in the Driftless. But, when traveling West it would have to be the Tongue River. The South Fork of the White River near Meeker Co. is a close second.

Dream trip? I’m only 4 generations away from ancestors who made Ireland their home. I’d love to do a 2-week guided trip traveling and fishing for salmon and brown trout on some of the famous Irish rivers.

Most enjoyable TU activity to attend or participate in? After over 40 years in the classroom, teaching is still on the top of my list. That said, I enjoy an active role, as a teacher, in the chapter Fly Tying Classes from the Introductory Level to the Masters. I have also included Tying With the Kids at the Outdoor Expo in Poynette on my annual to do list. And, I dig “guiding” at the Dan Harmon III Fly Fishing School. And, I still love to learn so the Masters Fly Tying class is on my yearly calendar.

Where do you call home? Mar and I have lived in Wisconsin all our lives and currently reside in the Village of Fox Crossing.

Do you have a pet, if so name and what? We have a great little English Setter named Ellie... who rules.

Other activities you enjoy? Traveling, hiking, camping, canoeing and spending several weeks in the Florida sun during February and March.

Who are the people close to you, family? Mar and I have been married for 54 years and counting. Obviously she has become more than just a woman around the house. She is my wife, my soul mate and best friend. We share a common lifestyle, chase common dreams and are very proud of our adult children Mike, his wife Shelly and Chris and her husband David. And of course our three grandchildren are the smartest, best looking, universally talented young people in the world.

Recent book read or favorite? C.J. Boxx is a favorite author.

Favorite movie/TV? “Breaking Bad.”

Favorite food? Chicken anything.

A hidden talent you have? Wood working.

Guilty pleasure? Love craft beer.

Work Day Coordinator NeededThis will be Dennis Drazkowski’s last work day season. CWTU is looking for our next work day coordinator. Could it be you? He welcomes anyone interested to shadow him throughout this season to learn the duties. Contact Dennis at 262-409-0558 for more information.

CWTU Board of Directors Minutes 5-15-2019Meeting Location: Fin ‘N’ Feather, Winneconne, Wis.

President Stan Cichowski called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m.

Minutes of 4-9-2019 Board Meeting: The minutes were reviewed and approved.

Treasurer’s Report: Presented by Treasurer Joe Peikert was approved. There was also an additional discussion aboutthe consideration of using some of the unrestricted funds to acquire easements. It was then brought up that easements werenot as popular or needed as they once were and that the need really gets driven by the DNR. As an additional idea, it was noted to maybe put some funds toward education, such as getting Trout in the Classroom going locally.

New Business:

River Keepers Report: WAV training for new stream monitors was conducted last Saturday at the Wild Rose Fish Hatchery. There were 13 new volunteers and 4 new monitoring teams formed: Radley Creek, Carpenter Creek, Willow Creek and Mecan. We are now monitoring at 41 sites with 82 volunteers. Thanks to WAV trainers, Ron Neuman, Fran Druecke and Phil Peterson.

Work Day Report: New work day will be Saturday, May 18, 7:45 a.m. to noon at Bird Creek Park on the west side of Wautoma. Dennis Drazkowski noted to Stan that this will be his last season as work day coordinator. We need to find a volunteer to replace him. He welcomes anyone interested, to shadow him throughout this season to learn the duties.

Membership Comunications: Wayne Parmley and Jeff Treu asked for feedback and suggestions on the best way to reach members. CWTU only does 2 mailings a year, the May issue of the Brookie with a work day donation promotion and then in late summer for the annual banquet. The Brookie for the past few years only gets emailed to members, but only about 70 percent of our membership has provided email address. So, there has been concern how to best to address that to better reach everyone. After a discussion it was determined we would add a call-to-action card in the banquet mailer later this year. The card will ask for members to get us their email address and then also have a better understanding of information they have been missing. Wayne Parmley will design this card for the mailing.

Upcoming Events: The next state council meeting is to be held on Saturday, June 1 in Viroqua, WI. Looking for anyone interested in attending to represent CWTU. Also noted is the 2019 Water Summit set for June 4-6 in Door county. Dan Eagen will be a speaker.

Old Business:

Summer Meeting Proposal to be at the Aldo Leopold Center: Tom Meyer proposed the idea of a summer or fall meeting to be held at the Aldo Leopold Center in Baraboo. It was noted that June, July and August had set picnic hosts in place. So, it was suggested for the fall (September) and perhaps have it as its own event on a Saturday. Eveyone liked the idea, so will present that idea and ask anyone interested to let Tom Meyer know. Then based on the number of people interested plans will be made accordingly. It will be presented in the June Brookie as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

Microbrewery Event - Sip & Grin at 22 Lakes Brewery - June 25, Noon-3:00: Mike Salas presented that things are all in place and moving forward nicely. He showed some of the many raffle price items he had acquired and noted needing a bit more help with food and supplies, Laura Tucker offered assistance.

Dan Harmon III Fly Fishing School Update: Jeff Treu gave a report on the Dan Harmon III Fly Fishing School which will be held June 1-2, 2019 at the Riverside Bible Camp in Amherst and is full at 24 students, with a few on the waiting list. It was noted that this was the earliest it had ever been filled up. Jeff also noted that volunteers were in place and everything is ready to go. Thanks was given to David Pable and Russ Bouke for donating flys, which will be given out to the students.

Summer Picnic/Meeting Dates: The June picnic will at Bird Creek Park in Watoma, the July picnic will be at Harvey Jones’ on the Pine and the August picnic will be at the Tuckers’ in Saxeville.

Wilcox Bench Project: Dan Harmon III reported the bench and plaque were finished. It was suggested and discussed to plan the setting of the bench at our Tuesday, June 11 meeting and picnic at Bird Creek Park in Wautoma. Dan was going to invite the Wilcox’s to this event.

Meeting adjourned at 7:22 p.m. - Recorded by Wayne Parmley

Special thanks to our supporters.CWTU Board of DirectorsPresident: Stan Cichowski, 708-362-9001 Vice President/Secretary: Wayne Parmley, 920-540-2315Treasurer: Joe Peikert, 920-779-5270 Past President: Laura Tucker, 920-622-5401

Jeff Treu, 920-410-1250Dennis Drazkowski, 262-409-0558 Jack Talin, 920-420-0577John Tucker, 920-475-2271Bob Haase, 920-922-8003Scott Bahn, 920-886-9651

Bob Jozwowski, 920-765-1887 Dan Harmon III, 920-235-1761David Pable, 920-233-2939Michael Salas, 262-818-3330Mike San Dretto, 920-722-8478Tom Meyer, 715-281-5767

To get conservation events listed or to submit articles please contact: Wayne Parmley at wparmley@gmail or call 920-540-2315