Rip Rap – Nov 2024
  The Drift: The solution to any problem – work, love, money, whatever, is to go fishing, and the worse the problem, the longer the trip should be.” As many of you are aware, John Gierach recently passed away. I have enjoyed many of his books and writings and will miss his quarterly article in the TROUT magazine published by TU National. Rest in peace John. Our trout season is now closed and the browns and brookies are now or soon will be on their spawning redds. In the next few months you will hopefully have plenty of time to wash and hang-up your waders, clean your wading boots, clean your lines and inspect them for any damage, oil your reels, and maybe check those rows in your fly boxes for empty spaces that you can fill during the up-coming tying season. This is an exiting time for our chapter. The Annual Holiday and Chapter Awards Banquet will be held on Tuesday December 3rd, at Juniors Restaurant and Tap House in River Falls. Menu items have been selected by our Banquet Committee and details regarding event time and ticket purchases will show up in your email in-box via Mail Chimp. We will have live entertainment as well. Chris Silver, an outstanding local musician, will be playing and singing during the buffet dinner. As roots music renaissance performer and multi-instrumentalist, Chris Silver has made a name for himself as a songwriter and is known throughout the U.S. for his virtuosity on guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. His music is soulful and innovative and takes the listener to a musical space where Americiana roots music is fused with jazz, blues, folk and country with the sensibility of a contemporary singer/songwriter. So mark your calendars and be looking for further details and ticket purchasing options. Fund-raising efforts are in full swing with the Hap Lutter Memorial Fund. In late January/early February, we will be conducting an on-line auction coupled with a 4 x 2 chance offering featuring a Norling 5wt bamboo rod and an original painting by Josh Cunningham. The DNR sprayed and cleared the willows on the South Fork of the Kinni. Randy and some volunteers also helped with the cutting down of some large willows. The rock from Haas Trucking that was selected in September for the bank restoration and installation of ERO structures will be delivered and stored on site. Randy has already started his volunteer brush and tree clearing season and is gearing up for more projects as the winter progresses. Please watch your email in-box for his announcements and join Randy for some good quality outdoor work and fun. If you stick around at one of his outings, he may even offer you a couple of hot dogs and a few cookies to boot after all your hard work. Suzanne  Summer Fieldwork:Volunteers from Kiap-TU-Wish assisted Nate Anderson and his crew with seeding and mulching on three restoration projects this summer. The first was the newly restored stretch of Parker Creek downstream of the Pleasant Ave. bridge. Helping out were James Patterson, Chip Robingson, Dan Wilcox, and Tom Anderson. In late August we helped out with the newly restored Martin Easement on Plum Creek, immediately upstream of the Von Holtum easement. Volunteers assisting at the Martin easement were Jeff Dahl, Tom Anderson and Dave Gregg. In mid September volunteers were out again helping with the seeding mulching at the new Moody easement, over 4,000 feet of single bank restoration immediately downstream of the Main Street bridge on the Kinni as you enter River Falls from north. Those helping at the Moody easement were William Doherty, Tommy Doerenbush, and Tom Anderson. Josh Kucko (WDNR) and I installed “kissing gate” stiles on both the upstream and downstream sides of the bridge at the Gutting easement on the Trimbelle. Volunteers turned out in late July and early August to help Kasey Yallaly and her crew with their annual shocking surveys of both the Rush and Kinni Rivers. Helping out were Ben Toppel, Chip Robinson, Rainbow Barry, Tom Anderson, Mathew Chaplinsky, David Brockway and Brent OHara. On Sept. 8th, Loren Hasas, Jeff Himes, Chip Robinson, Ed Constantini, Bob Diesch, John Skelton, Dan Donahue, Sally Noll, Tom Anderson and Cary Wood turned out to help me with this years Pheasants Forever Youth Field Day held at the Game Unlimited hunt club in Hudson WI where we worked with over 50 youth having them each tie a fly, receive fly casting instruction and finally taking a stab at catching a fish at the small lake which is on the club grounds. I met up with Kasey two weeks ago where we visited sites on the Kinni in need of buckthorn, box elder and other invasive management. We identified the stretch of the Kinni between the Main ST. bridge and the Hwy 35 bridge as a site to use for the 4th grade class at Greenwood Elementary School in River Falls to use as they help us with a brush burn to serve as a service learning project for the 80 some students, teachers and parent chaperones. Cutting will begin there in the coming weeks to prepare enough cut brush for the kids to drag to a burn pile sometime in late November or early December Kasey and I also identified several sites where I plan to go in with volunteers in the coming weeks to do a foliar spray application of herbicide to kill off any buckthorn which has sprouted or was missed during recent restoration efforts on those sites. Recently I was out today on the South Fork of the Kinni along with Dave Gregg, Tom Anderson, Chip Robinson and John Skelton as we worked to remove a number of really large willow trees which stand way of some upcoming restoration work. Randy Arnold   Kinnickinnic River Land Trust: Nature NightOn October 5th the community came together on the banks of the Kinnickinnic River at Green Pastures Family Farm in River Falls, WI for a new annual event hosted by the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust called Nature Night. The day was off to a windy start but turned into a beautiful fall evening just in time for the event. Nature Night celebrated the conservation efforts of the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust, partners, and community members within the Kinni watershed and shed light as to why protecting this natural resource is so important. The Stump Grinders opened the event with their foot-stomping old-time music that filled the air with sounds of joy. The event included many activities such as a nature art tent facilitated by KRLT’s Social Media Coordinator, Jane Taylor. Children and adults alike enjoyed painting mini pumpkins donated by the local Leisen Family Farm, creating nature bracelets while learning about the native prairie grasses, and putting together a backyard pinecone birdfeeder for our feathered friends to enjoy. One of the highlights for many was the river ecology station. This provided the opportunity for folks to get up close and interact with the star of the show the Kinni River. Thanks to the help from KRLT, the Kiap-TU-Wish Chapter of TU, and community volunteers, attendees were able to identify aquatic insects, feel the cold waters of the Kinni, and understand the importance of protecting such an incredible ecosystem. It was a joy to see the expression on children’s faces when they realized the underbelly of the rocks pulled from the river were full of life and squirming insects. In addition, Bob Nasby and his grandson provided the opportunity to learn about the skill of casting and fly fishing. Also at the event were the St. Croix Valley Birding Club, WE Co-op, Kinni CC, The Prairie Enthusiasts, Farmer-Led Watershed Council, and The Humble Horse. Each had an opportunity to share their story and bring light to the importance of their role in the conservation story of the Kinni. As the sun slowly started to set, local favorite Chris Silver took the stage as eventgoers enjoyed the views of the Kinni. Nature Night was a huge success, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible support from our sponsors, volunteers, members, staff, and the entire community. From laughter and games to music, art, and science, the evening was filled with joy and purpose. Molly Barritt-Luebke Donor and Community Relations Manager Kinnickinnic River Land Trust  Skips Loose Threads:One of those last of season, beautiful Fall days on the Rush, my dog Java and I had enjoyed fishing tiny imitations to dainty sippers for an hour or two. Java had fun trying to swim upstream with branches in her mouth, until she picked one that was just too big. Her four legs and tail just weren’t equal to the task.I had released three browns, and I was appreciating the superlative action of my Sage 389LL, matched with a Hardy LRH Lightweight. My tippet was a twelve-foot 6X. Just above the run we were fishing, was a stretch with a large boulder sticking its head out of the water. I knew, from past adventures there, that there was a deep hole behind that rock, the lair of one of the biggest Browns in the creek. As I approached, there was a clatter of grasshopper wings from the surrounding foliage, and one of the unfortunate ones fell into the current a few feet above the boulder. As I watched, a dark form rose from thebottom of the pool and the unlucky hopper became lunch, in a showy, splashy rise. As my heart beat faster, I corralled Java away from my backcast space, retrieved my fly, and opened my chest pack to find a suitable imitation. One of Bob Mitchell’s original ‘Jolly Green Giants,’ size 10, presented itself for duty, and I hastily tied it to my tippet. After one false cast, I delivered my offering and the fly landed in the current two feet upstream from the rock. As I watched the fly on the surface, I again saw that dark shadow of the hungry trout rise out of the gloom behind it. All of a sudden, therewas a terrific splash as my Jolly Green Giant disappeared in the fish’s mouth. I set the hook with much too much enthusiasm, and my line and leader came flying back to me, without the fly, and without the fish. I had a word or two to say at that point that I was glad no one else was around to hear, but the lesson I learned, and that I should have learned much earlier, is that you don’t fish a size 10 hopper on a 6X tippet! But alas, what a thrilling way to end the season and knowing that same fish will still be there next May, when everything is green, fresh, and new. Leyton “Skip” James Editor’s Note: Skip informed me that Java died on March 19th, 2012 at age 15 and her ashes are buried under a beautiful dogwood in his back-yard.  Views From My Side of the Vise:In some of my recent articles I have made reference to taking some fly tying classes at a fly shop in the Twin Cities when I was first getting started. It was at one of those classes that the instructor sparked my interest that has since grown into my love for Yellowstone National Park.On my many trips to Yellowstone I have always based out of Gardiner, Montana. During these trips, I spent a lot of time hanging out at Parks’ Fly Shop, where I first got to know and to fish with Walter Wiese. At that time, Walter was the head guide at Parks’. Walter now operates Yellowstone Country Fly Fishing out of Livingston.From those early trips, it was obvious that I could learn a lot from Walter’s books, website, and also his YouTube fly tying videos. Several years ago, Walter did a video of a nymph he calls the “Gussied Lightning Bug”. For some reason or another, this was a fly that looked to me like it would catch a lot of fish.After watching the video, I headed right to my vise and started to tie up a half dozen or so. The next time I went fishing, I tied one on and guess what? It caught fish, so I headed back to my vise to tie more. That was when I started to make some very minor changes to the fly and actually simplified the tying process. That is how my Gussied-Up Lightning Bug was created. (Have you noticed how creative I am when I name a fly pattern?)This fly is now a mainstay in my fly box. I fish it throughout the season either under an indicator or as a dropper below a hopper. The fly has a very slender profile so it sinks pretty quickly.Until recently I always tied this fly with micro tubing for the rib. I found that the micro tubing was kind of slippery on the tinsel body, so I have now switched up and started to use wire for the ribbing because it makes the fly a little easier to tie. I have also added a silver-bodied variation that has fished well when the water is a little off-color. You should put some of these flies in your fly box. I think you just might like them as much as I do! As always, please let me know if you have any questions / comments / suggestions.Hook: Size 14 Scud Hook Bead: 2.8 mm Tungsten in Gold Thread: 14/0 Red Tail: Brown Improved Micro Zelon Abdomen: Red Holographic Tinsel size Medium Legs: Red Midge Tinsel Thorax: Super-bright Dubbing in Peacock Paul Johnson Paulwaconia@gmail.com Editors Note: You can watch Paul this pattern on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ_u8QOu11A  From the Archives: Elevated Riparian Optimization (ERO) Structures: What are they?In 2020 we witnessed three individual storms that dumped over four inches of rain with the epicenter of the storms within 150 miles of each other. With every major rainevent, tons of sand are moved from the highlands to the valleys and much of it ends up in our trout streams. Many streams, particularly those containing brook trout, are small and move much too slowly to endure the onslaught of the resulting sand load. The job description of a stream is to move the mountains to the ocean one grain of sand at a time. Most small streams can’t keep up with a constant influx of sand and a number of previously renovated streams have again filled in. It takes a specific amount of water, at a specific velocity, to move the sand and sustain deep scoured streams.Sand is a desert, and few insects can live and reproduce in it. When introduced into a stream it can easily fill in man-made lunker structures, naturally occurring deep holes, and pocket water. Lacking food and deep-water hibernaculum to winter in, brook trout die or are forced to move down stream to bigger water. Typically, brown trout inhabit and dominate the lower big water stretches of our streams making it difficult for the brookies to compete and survive. After witnessing many small renovated streams fill in with sand,I began looking for a solution to this problem. It took many days on skinny water, lugging equipment up and down stream, and recording multiple water velocity readings in order to find some possible answers. Occasionally I found extremely large deep-holes and deep flats on very small streams. At the same time, I observed pools and deep flats on renovated streams that were either filled or in the process of filling in with sand. Three main factors were related to this difference; the velocity of the water, the width of the stream, and the shape of the banks. The compromised streams needed some type of constrictor,choke point, or narrowing to accelerate the water and scour the sand away. The name I chose for this structure was Elevated Riparian Optimization (ERO). It is a type of Bernoulli structure that narrows the stream, increases its velocity, elevates the riparian, and optimizes the force of the water. Anything that narrows a river or stream is technically using the Bernoulli principle. Credit Bernoulli, he was a genius.That’s it for physics, I promise. Once I had the concept for the structure in my head, I just couldn’t let it go. I would talk about it to anyone who would listen. This kind of explains why for two years, nobody would have lunch with me. My apologies.At a meeting with personnel from the WDNR, NRCS, County SoilConservation, TU DARE, and Kiap-TU-Wish, we received permission to install five experimental ERO structures on Hay Creek in Dunn county. Jeff Kitelinger from NRCS provided the first drawings of these structures.Using the drawings as a guide, we aggressively narrowed the stream in specific locations and rather than pulling back the banks, elevated the riparian with large rock. During low water or normal water flows there is little noticeable effect, but when torrential rains fall, the added water volume and subsequent increased velocity potentially provides enough energy to scour sand from the stream. Within two weeks post installation we got our first rain event on-site. It washed out a lot of stream bank grass seed, but it also demonstrated the structures would work. The result was deep water habitat for about 20 feet or more downstream of the ERO. We are still in the experimental stages with these ERO structures, but so far results have been positive. Brook trout need year-round habitat. As proof, a subsequent electro-shocking survey by Kasey Yallaly with the WDNR, revealed Hay Creek brookies are already using the deep water for cover and there are more of them with better size.A side benefit of the ERO structure is the insect population within the structure. The fast water and cobble-sized rock that dominates just up and downstream of the structure is perfect insect habitat. Lifting one rock reveals hundreds of confused insects squirming around wondering where their water source suddenly went. Replacing the rock exactly where it was found ensures healthy insect populations, and well-fed trout. As a result of sand deposition in recent years, brook trout populations have plummeted in the South Fork of the Kinni. In early October,Nate Anderson of the WDNR installed nine ERO structures on the SouthFork. Sand started moving immediately, the true potential of the new ERO structures won’t be realized until next year’s major rain events. Sand load is only one of the problems on the South Fork; beavers are another. The remains of a beaver dam can slow water velocity andretain sand indefinitely. This can be rectified by total removal of all dam remnants. If you come upon an ERO structure plugged with debris, please clear it as best you can and please report any beaver activity tothe WDNR. The South Fork continues to be choked by willow saplings growing out over the water. Besides making it impossible to fish, willows slow the water down during high water stages, ultimately forcing the sand out of suspension, allowing it to aggregate on the bottom. It takes volunteer labor to fix these problems. So when a notice for awork day on the South Fork of the Kinni is announced by Randy Arnold,please answer his call to help reclaim this treasure of a stream not onlyfor your continued enjoyment but most importantly for the preservation of its Brook Trout population! Loren Haas Editor’s Note: The above article was plucked from the November 2020 edition of RipRap. Its author, Loren Haas, will be the featured speaker at our November chapter meeting. I encourage all of you to attend or stream his presentation on the Kiap-TU-Wish YouTube channel. Loren will be providing updates on the major effects of ERO structures on our local waters.  Upcoming Events: 20241: Chapter Meeting: Monday, November 4th moved from Tuesday November 5th (voting Day). Dinner at 6:00 pm, presentation (ERO Structures: A six-year update). at 7:00 pm. Speaker Loren Haas. Juniors Restaurant and Tap House, River Falls, Wi. 2: Annual Christmas and Awards Banquet: Tuesday December 3rd, 2024. Watch for more details. |
