March 2016Central Wisconsin Trout UnlimitedConserving, Protecting and Restoring Coldwater Fisheries

2002 Wisconsin Trout StampBy Bill Millonig

Upcoming EventsSaturday, March 19, 2016Ice Age Trail Annual Meeting“A River Runs Through It”1:00 pm. Shawn Sullivan discusses flora and fauna of area woods and water. Wautoma Library, 410 W Main St, Wautoma, WI 54982. www.iceagetrail.org.

Tuesday, April 12, 2016 CWTU Board Meeting“Steelhead Spey Fishing”6:15 board meeting, 7:30 program.Jeff Treu discuss rigging and offers local panel to discuss and answer questions. Fin and Feather, upstairs banquet area, 22 W Main St, Winneconne, WI, 54986. cwtu.org.

Saturday, April 16, 2016 “Spey Fishing the Sheboygan”9:00 am. Jeff Treu and panel fish the river River Wildlife in Sheboygan. 1116 West Riverside Drive, Kohler, WI 53044. cwtu.org.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 “Bob Hunt Memorial Lecture”6:15 board meeting, 7:30 program.Fin and Feather, upstairs banquet area, 22 W Main St, Winneconne, WI, 54986. cwtu.org.

Saturday, May 21, 2016 CWTU stream restoration7:45 am to 12:00 pm.Breakfast and lunch is available.cwtu.org.

Riffles, Runs and PoolsBy President Mike SanDretto

Welcome to the new Brookie News format! We are hoping this is an easier format to read and you find the information exciting and beneficial. Jeff’s good friend Mark Allen has done and will continue to do graphic design and layout to which we are very grateful for his help. We have also changed the logo of which we are very excited because it has been supplied by chapter member Bill Millonig. Thanks Bill for the use of his 2002 Trout Stamp image that will grace the front page. I also want to thank a number of Brookie contributors for their articles and stories; a great addition!

After many years of putting together Masters Fly Tying, Ira Giese is passing the baton to David Pable. Ira found many knowledgeable fly tiers to instruct the group on a wide variety of fly patterns and techniques. Always fun, there was never a dull moment. David Pable is excited about continuing the group and bringing in new members. There are some “Masters” in the group but there are also many intermediate tiers such as myself who just enjoy tying and getting better at it. Thank you Ira and David. If improving your fly tying sounds like fun, contact David Pable dandgp@sbcglobal.net.

How does TroutFest happen? This story starts with Bob Smaglik who organizes it along with an army of volunteers, many who come from our chapter but not all. Other chapter members help us out. Speakers, fly tiers and vendors add life to the show. And most importantly, are all who attend looking to learn, have fun, catch up with old friends and just may make some new ones. Thank you

to everyone who was part of this year’s successful TroutFest.

Trout Unlimited, our national organization supports the chapters such as CWTU in many ways. They advise us on best practices and ways to meet the needs of the future. Again, it’s our members who make it happen. Bob Jozwowski will be Chapter Financial Reviewer, Laura Tucker is now Women’s Initiative Committee Chair and Bob Haase is Youth Education Coordinator. They all gladly volunteered for these positions and we thank them for it.

The March 8th meeting was our Annual Meeting where we elect officers and board members. Elected as Treasurer is Harvey Jones. We are all very happy Harvey is taking on this position. Thank you Harvey and past Treasurers Scott Grady and Mike Schaefers who have helped in the transition. All open positions on the Board of Directors were filled with qualified and dedicated people. We thank them. They are: Steve Fisher, long time active chapter member and youth fly tying instructor, Dennis Drazkowski, new Work Day Coordinator and Wayne Parmley, Co-director of the Wisconsin TU Youth Fishing Camp and before joining CWTU past board member of the Northwoods TU Chapter.

The story of the Central Wisconsin Chapter of Trout Unlimited continues to be about people who care about conserving, protecting and restoring cold water fisheries. Thank you all chapter members for being part of that story. I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve you.

Brookie News | Central Wisconsin Trout Unlimited | Conserving, Protecting and Restoring Coldwater Fisheries

Defiance in the Central SandsBy Bill Vance

During these frozen days and nights, it is my hope that this writing finds you enjoying venison from the freezer, friends with whom to share stories of the hunts for feather, fin and fur, and a warm fire before which to count your blessings. The New Year presents us all with prospects for outdoor adventures with friends and family, and/or solitary reflection in the sacred natural temples of our haunts. It is, then, not without reservation that I beg your indulgence for a few minutes to consider the efforts to protect all of the above.

With the support of CWTU and many others, Friends of the Central Sands entered into a campaign to stop the Richfield Dairy. While we were unable to stop the project, our court battle yielded some significant accomplishments, the first against a CAFO in Wisconsin history, I believe. These were, namely, the establishment of the consideration of ”the cumulative impact concept” in the high capacity well permitting process. Also, after limiting the output of the RD well to 52.5 mil/g/y, Judge Boldt directed the DNR to set “reasonable” limits on the herd size, commensurate with the limits placed on water pumping.

Milk Source, the parent company of Richfield Dairy and four other CAFO’s in Wisconsin, then applied for a modification in the WPDES (manure spreading) permit, to allow a herd size of more than 6,200 animal units, claiming that they had developed “new water conservation methods” that would make possible the maintenance of a larger herd on the mandated water capacity. Their prior documentation suggested a limit closer to 4,300 AU. The permit was issued in October with no evidence provided as to the veracity of Milk Source’s claim, and the DNR claimed that they lacked the authority to tie herd size to the water pumping limit. In other words, the DNR has defied the judge’s order.

A motion for judicial review was entered opposing the new permit by Pleasant Lake Management District. The DNR then filed a motion to dismiss the case. PLMD attorney, Carl Sindebrand, countered with a brief citing valid reasons why the DNR should comply with Judge Boldt’s ruling to limit the herd size. FOCS will file a document of support of this brief. Alternatively, FOCS has filed to reopen the original contested case hearing to allow an administrative law judge to determine if the DNR has complied with the judge’s order. Unfortunately, we have just learned that our motion to reopen the case has been denied. Therefore, If the remaining motion asking for review by the administrative law judge is dismissed, it will set, what is in our view, a dangerous precedent of DNR ignoring the rulings of the court on environmental issues. Meanwhile, it’s hard to believe that we’ve held up the building of Richfield Dairy for five years, but the process to renew the original permit will begin by late spring of this year. This could reopen the whole process.

Meanwhile, 2016 opened with a raft of bills being presented, many of which erode water protections. (eg. Budget act 55, AB600, AB603, AB582, SB464). Certainly this assault on the Clean Water Act and decades of zoning protections designed to insure lake and

stream health is troubling on its face, but what compounds the trouble is that each of these actions also directly diminishes local control, and in some cases, public input. I don’t know if I have coined a word here, but I call it the dedemocritization of Wisconsin. Your input into this process will be of the greatest urgent need as we go forward, as will your financial support of FOCS, CWTU and the organizations working on behalf of everyone.

As we all dream of fighting fish in the coming year, Friends of the Central Sands is proud to stand with you in defiance of the attempted theft of the legacy of protected natural resources that we have all worked to ensure. Just as we have all pledged to be stewards of the natural wonders we hold dear, let us also be stewards of the Public Trust Doctrine.

Go to cwtu.org for the latest and to sign up to receive our newsletter via email! | March 2016

Sleepless in Sand CountyBy Jeff Wegand

hatch often find locals remarking “you should have been here yesterday.” I have witnessed this hatch first hand on unimproved sections of Driftless and heard of fisherman experiencing it in the Sands. Often, fishing in March is a different story of humbling times, but these exclusive experiences keep me up at night hoping to experience again this year.

Whimsical fishing days are unforgettable but March is my favorite time to fish brook trout with dries. A little bit of energy and there are BWO’s, stone flies and caddis in the air or riding the film of the river. Often I don’t see a rise but it doesn’t matter. The eastern brooke trout is an opportunistic feeder. You

make a good cast and these fish

usually give you the respect you deserve. I guess it’s kind of like your mother telling you how good looking you are even though you wonder how you ever got a date in high school. Regardless, it still makes you feel good every time.

It is these days when I cut my teeth fly fishing for trout and learned to appreciate everything that it is. On my way to the stream, I often see the swan migration over HWY 49. It is hard to misdiagnose them as anything else. As I walk through the woods, the sand hills are squawking to keep me away from their nest. When fishing I may kick up a wood duck and or hear the drumming of a grouse. Make the Sand County Almanac your reality.

In like a lion and out like a lamb. Maybe it is vice versa but the ground hog did not see his shadow and winter is breaking up. There are magical March days that stone flies are over-positing and large brown trout are rising. To some that itch is scratched in April by taking a long drive up to the historic Namakagon River. Those of us with

these grandeur delusions to catch large browns

feeding on mystical stone fly

Saturday, June 4-5, 2016

39th Annual Fly Fishing school

Riverside Bible Camp near Amherst

Weekend of fly fishing with 1-on-1 training.

Contact: Dan Harmon III (920) 235-1761

or Russ Bouck (715) 824-3781. cwtu.org.

Dan Harmon

The Meeting Called to Order: 6:20 PM

The Meeting Minutes of January 12, 2016 were approved as circulated.

Treasurer’s Report: No report at this time. Report at next meeting following election of a Treasurer.

Elections: As there were no nominations from the floor, David Seligman moved that nominations be closed. Board approved motion. Mike Sandretto moved for a consent calendar of all nominees listed below. Board approved motion.

For Treasurer: Harvey Jones

For Board of Directors Term ending 2018: Scott Bahn, Bob Haase, Chris Northway, Steve Fisher.

For Board of Director Positions Term ending 2017: Dennis Drazkowski, Wayne Parmley.

TroutFest Report: Bob Smaglik wanted to thank everyone who helped out and played a role supporting Troutfest! New microphone worked well. One hour break in programs at noon also worked well for volunteers and attendees. During the day there were 13 new members that signed up.

WI TU Central Region Meeting Report January 16,2016: Laura Tucker, Scott Bahn, Mike San Dretto attended the 1st meeting of the WI TU Central Region Chapters. Scott Bahn presented CWTU Projects along with Shawn Sullivan. Scott was very encouraged with collaboration from CWTU, FVTU, Shawpaca, Hornberg chapters. 9 DNR employees also attended. The Central Sands Restoration Initiative was presented and was well received.

Elliott Donnelley Report: Bill Wobbekind requested the chapter to create a report of what has been done and what is on the future’s agenda restoration work in the area. Mike San Dretto with help of Scott Bahn, Shawn Sullivan and Steve Devitt referenced work done on Chaffee, White River and next 3 year project on the Pine. Elliot Donnelley has played a big part of supporting our chapter and would like to continue supporting. There is a small but dedicated group that wants to continue to support this chapter and the area.

Introduction Central Sands Water Action Coalition: Guests Marty and Arnie Wilke discussed Senate Bill 239 and its effects it would have on ground water. The organization is a grass roots coalition created to support responsible use of ground water. There is currently a membership drive through the following counties Waushara, Waupaca, Adams, Portage, and Marquette. The group has a steering committee that meets monthly at different times and locations to be flexible with its members. Right now the organization is also hand delivering letters to senators to discuss science based data of degradation of ground water. New bills are giving direction for no periodic review or cumulative impact of new high capacity wells which does not promote responsible use of the resource. For more information see; www.centralsands.org

Annual Meeting: Mike San Dretto discussed returning committee reports to the annual meeting and if so change the annual meeting to a different month than March. Board would like to continue with the Annual Meeting in March and include annual reports. Interim reports are planned for the Fall.

Old Business: John Tucker discussed the Bob Hunt memorial at Lawrence Creek. Dick Krause moved to amend removal of vote to create rock monument memorial at Lawrence Creek. Board approved motion to continue changing Lawrence Creek fishery to Robert L. Hunt but do so without rock or steel monument.

New Business: None

Meeting Adjourned: 7:20 PM

CWTU Board of Directors Minutes 03/08/16

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