One day this past Spring, a FedEx shipment in a triangular box arrived on my doorstep. At first, I was confused as to its origin, and my wife, Suzanne, who in all our years together has become quite familiar with triangular boxes and their contents, quickly asked “Ed, did you order another fly rod?” I had not. Further investigation of the label revealed that the package came from my good friend Ernie Chupp ,who lives in Omaha, Nebraska.
Over time, I’ve shared with Ernie my fervent passion for fly fishing. I’ve mentioned my fondness for older rods and explained how fly rod construction had progressed over time with the advent of modern materials such as fiberglass and graphite, eventually finding favor over bamboo. I was delighted to learn that one of Ernie’s relatives was none other than Ferdinand Claudio, a builder of premier fiberglass fly rods in the 1940s which are still in great demand today by vintage rod collectors—and Ernie has one of Claudio’s rods.
After opening the box, I was surprised to see a vintage bamboo fly rod. It was a three-piece rod with two tips. Each section was cradled in a slotted holder. The rod was in pretty rough condition, but something told me that it had character and qualities that, if paired with a little TLC, might result in a usable fly rod that would provide loads of fishing fun. I needed to find out more about the rod and whether it could be brought back to its nearly original condition.
My next thought? “I need to go out and see the Norlings.” I contacted Dave Jr. and asked if I could bring the rod out to their workshop, if they’d be willing to help me figure out where and when it was made, and if there was a possibility, we could give it a new life.
At the workshop, Dave Sr. took the rod in hand, and asked “what do you want to do with it?” I told him that I would like to fish with it. He gave me a wry smile; I think he was pleased.
At first glance, Senior thought the rod was made in New York, but he couldn’t verify the manufacturer and said he’d need to do some further research. On closer scrutiny we determined that one section was missing some guides, and that a series of narrow thread wraps, which Senior told me were called “intermediates,” were placed along the sections of bamboo for added strength. Many of these wraps were either loose or missing and would need to be replaced.
The Norlings offered that I could come back out to the work shop and they’d help me get started with winding new wraps and attaching new guides. I left the rod so that Senior could do some additional research and determine what else was needed to get it into fishing condition. About a week later I received a note from Dave Jr. telling me that they would be fixing up the rod at no charge. What a surprise! They had found that the rod was indeed made in New York, by a company called Horrocks-Ibbotson (H&I), and they placed its manufacturing date around 1910. Horrocks-Ibbotson was one of America’s largest production rod companies for many years, competing head-to-head with Montague and South Bend. It later became known as the world’s largest manufacturer of fishing tackle.
I soon got another call to come and pick up the rod. Dave Sr. also informed me that I could likely get a reel on Ebay to match up with the rod, and I was able to purchase a wonderful, small,
single-handed reel made by H&I that turned out to be a perfect match for the rod.
When I arrived, Senior handed me the rod. I pulled it out of its rod sock and was astounded. The rod glistened. He had put fresh coats of varnish on it. There were new snake guides where needed, a new stripping guide, and a set of new ferrules. All of the guides and thin intermediate thread wraps were re-done. The reel-seat was re-glued as well. When I put the rod together, I knew that I was handling a treasure. I felt blessed! I showed Senior my vintage reel, and just the sight of it made his day. Next, Senior’s command: “Let’s go cast it.” He felt that the rod could probably handle a 6-weight line, which Dave Jr. quickly spooled onto my vintage reel. First casting honors went to Dave Jr. As I watched, he quickly began to shoot the most wonderful tight loops imaginable, making clear what an excellent caster he is. Then it was Senior’s turn. It was soon evident that Senior hasn’t lost his touch. I followed and was delighted with the feel of the rod loading and unloading and how effortless it was to throw a perfect cast. The three of us reveled in our success.
I want to thank my friend Ernie, whose gift started the whole experience, and Dave Jr. and Dave Sr. Their generosity has provided me with not just another fly rod, but a treasure that will always have a special place in my heart.
I recently had the pleasure of joining Fisheries Biologist Kasey Yallaly and her crew on a stream survey of a marvelous little Brook Trout stream in Dunn County. Kasey’s crew is made up of three college- and high-school-aged young men—Dustin, Sam, and Parker—who will be assisting her throughout the summer.
Starting out with temperatures in the low nineties and finishing with the mercury hovering around the century mark, survey conditions were clearly less than optimal. Luckily, the stream temperatures were satisfyingly below the air temperature, making conditions a bit more tolerable. Mind you, I was just an observer and perfectly happy bringing up the rear as I watched Kasey and crew swipe their magic wands back and forth beneath the stream’s surface, and under tree roots and logjams, to bring the stunned trout to the surface for capture and measuring.
Being a casual observer allowed me to see just how much work goes into surveys of this type. There is a lot of bull work involved, the hardest of which is towing a small boat loaded with a gasoline generator and a sizable washtub fill with water that serves as a temporary aquarium for the soon-to-be-measured trout.
Once all the equipment is readied, a typical survey starts out with one of the crew members setting the amount of current that will be generated by the electrical control box that sends a current into the water through the hand-held wands. The electricity briefly attracts the fish and temporarily stuns them so they can be easily captured. After additional safety checks are made and the wands are activated, the crew members hook themselves up to the boat in a fashion that reminded me of a team of horses pulling a hay wagon. Each member is armed with a net and a wand as they progress upstream in a well- choreographed display of quick reflexes and hand-eye coordination. The fish dizzyingly come to the surface and are quickly scooped up and transferred to the holding tank. It was quite amazing to observe the number of trout that could be netted from a deeper pool or deep pockets along the shore, often with a tree root thrown in for good measure.
At a predetermined stopping point, the net results (pun intended) are examined for disease and measured for length, then quickly released. I particularly enjoyed this part of the survey—not only seeing these beautifully colored trout up close, but watching Kasey’s quick-handed aides pull each specimen out of the tank to try to get the wiggly creature to hold still long enough to be measured.
Fish surveys of this type are essential for building successful management programs. Each survey provides biologists with insight into how fish populations are responding to current management plans and environmental changes. Collected data enhance knowledge of water quality, riparian habitat, and stream degradation, allowing biologists to craft unique management techniques for each system and to achieve sustainable fisheries now and into the future. Climate change will necessitate continued vigilance and well-conceived planning in order to sustain our quality fisheries. From my perspective, our streams are in very good hands, and we are fortunate to have an abundance of well-managed streams from which to choose when we decide to wet a line.
Trout Unlimited describes it’s STREAM Girls program as one that “builds confidence and breaks down barriers in science and the outdoors. Through the eyes of a scientist, artist, and angler, girls make a personal connection to their home waters.”
The KiapTUWish Chapter of Trout Unlimited conducted its first STREAM Girls event on May 21, 2022. The Ellsworth Rod and Gun club donated use of their facility for the event which was attended by ten Girl Scouts from Girl Scouts River Valley. The girls participated in a multi-faceted program which included eight core activities; STREAM walk, Go with the Flow, Fly casting, Macro-invertebrate survey, Fly tying, STREAM scavenger hunt and bracelets, and Reflection and Discussion. Linda Radimecky and Michele Bevis served as the program leaders and were supported by a host of volunteers who offered their expertise as the activities unfolded.
The girls were welcomed by Linda and Michele who provided the ground rules for the event along with writing materials and the STREAM Girls Handbook. Girl Scouts staff member, Meghan Belanger, coordinated the logistics and recruitment of the Girl Scouts who represented several Scout chapters from different regions of eastern Wisconsin and central Minnesota. The four Team Leaders, Ellody and Emilene Nemeth, Holly Wandersee, and Lindsay Maxfield, helped each Girl Scout get fitted and put on the waders and boots they would wear for the day.
The girls divided into 4 teams and completed each event with their respective youth Team Leader.
The first event was a STREAM Walk, hosted by Kasey Yallaly (WDNR) and Missie Hanson (MNDNR, Ret.). During this time the girls learned about the make-up of the river, its water clarity, what type of bottom it contained and if it was composed of riffles, runs, and pools. The Riparian Zone (streamside plants) was studied to determine the different types of vegetation growing along the streambank and if there was any evidence of wildlife. As an aftermath, the girls were asked to discuss their impressions of the stream and to write down what they observed.
Rainbow Barry (Biology, River Falls) and Kasey Yallaly lead the girls through the Go with the Flow event. Girls worked together to measure the stream velocity and calculate the area of a cross-section of ’their’ river. Once they had determined the velocity and area, they calculated the flow in cubic feet per second. They experienced the relevance of Math in understanding importance river functions; some girls even liked the Math part!
Instruction on Fly Casting was provided by Linda Radimecky (Mn State Park Naturalist) and Monta Hayner (teacher and certified Orvis guide) with added assistance from some of the volunteers. Each girl was provided a fly rod and reel which allowed them to experience some great hands-on instruction.
Lunch was provided by Judie Babcock and the Kinni Corridor Collaborative (KinniCC). The KinniCC is a public, non-profit, river community development association located in River Falls Wisconsin working with the Wisconsin DNR to restore the Kinnickkinnic river corridor below the Junction Falls Dam following removal of the Powell Dam. Judie and husband Dave delighted the Girls STREAM Team by recording a group picture using a drone to capture images of the group and the surrounding stream environment. You can view this on YouTube at https://youtu.be/uOtAgVCUP5o.
The afternoon sessions consisted of Fly Tying, Macro-invertebrate studies, a scavenger hunt and bracelet making. Grace Glander demonstrated how to tie a Wooly Bugger as the girls tied along with her. Cindy Winslow (retired biology teacher) provided an in-depth study of major insects using multiple visual aids to help the girls with the identification of insects they might capture when in the stream with their collection nets.
The last 2 programs of the day incorporated the “A” for Art in the STREAM Girls program. The Team Leaders led the girls on a Scavenger Hunt to locate and identify nine parts of a healthy stream, parts such as riffles, plants and rocks. Then the girls returned to the lodge and assembled a line of beads that each represented one of the nine stream parts they had learned about that day. This bracelet keepsake would serve to remind them of a healthy stream.
Late afternoon was highlighted with a session of on-stream fishing. Each girl was paired with a mentor who gave instructions on how to fish for trout. The girls were shown where the trout might be hiding and how to cast and present the fly; some were lucky enough to experience catching a trout.
The day closed with the Girl Scout pledge and each girl receiving a certificate of participation and a STREAM Girls Trout Unlimited badge.
KiapTUWish would like to thank the following volunteers who donated their time and knowledge in order to make the first KiapTUWish STREAM Girls program a huge success.
Linda Radimecky, Michele Bevis, Emilene Nemeth, Ellody Nemeth
This Spring, three schools, Amery Intermediate, Malone Elementary (Prescott), and Greenwood Elementary (River Falls), participated in Kiap-TU-Wish’s Trout in the Classroom Program. Trout eggs obtained from the Saint Croix Trout Hatchery were provided to each class and raised to the “fry” stage and then released into the Willow River at a site located in Willow River State Park. Release dates were; Amery Intermediate May 12th, Malone Elementary (Prescott) May18th, and GreenWood Elementary (River Falls) May 27th. Kiap-TU-Wish volunteers helped Dean Hansen with bug collection and identification. Fly casting lessons were also provided.
Happy Spring. As Bob Dylan once wrote in one of his songs, “The Times They Are A Changin.” And so is RIPRAP. The Kiap-TU-Wish board has decided to change the way in which RIPRAP is presented and it will move to a format that will allow for a more web-based publication of news and stories. The plan is to keep a steady stream of information flowing to our website in order to bring more traffic to the site and ultimately give the chapter more exposure to our local and regional fly-fishing communities.
Some of you may not know that the first publication of RIPRAP occurred in 1987. From then on, RIPRAP has grown to its current state and to date has had 11 editors. I am honored to be a part of this group and would like to thank all former editors for their hard work and dedication to RIPRAP and the chapter. I encourage all of you to go to our website and take a trip down memory lane by searching through the RIPRAP archive. It is full of great articles and information. I’m sure you’ll say to yourself, “oh yeah, I remember that.”
~ Ed
The May issue of Rip Rap, our chapter newsletter, is available here.
