My favorite trout fishing partner for many years was Merrimon Hipps, known to all as Mike. Like me, he was a professional musician, a trumpet player in the Minnesota Orchestra. We traveled out West many times together, and took our share of fish from local waters. Now retired, he lives with his wife in Eden Prairie.
One evening, after dinner in Preston, MN and a fine day fishing the South Branch of the Root River, we were heading home in the car, windows open, listening to the Twins game on the radio. The reception wasn’t particularly good, and Mike tuned to Minnesota Public Radio instead. In those days, the mid 80’s, there was only one station, not three as there are today. A familiar piece of music was playing, Franz Schubert’s “Trout Quintet.” Based upon a song that Schubert wrote a year before, it tells the story of a trout caught by a fisherman. The music is full of slippery chromatic phrases in the piano accompaniment. Atypically, the quintet is set for piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. The composer wrote it in 1819 when he was twenty-two, but it wasn’t published until after his death. The radio performance that evening was excellent, and our conversation ceased as we listened.
After the final movement, we discussed the possibility that those of us who enjoyed sophisticated classical music might also enjoy the art of fly fishing, and that fly fishers might find that a refined taste in music might develop in those who knew how to handle a flyrod.
The Phipps Center for the Arts was still in its old building, but just out the door and across the street was the Hudson park and bandshell. I asked four string players from the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra to join me in performing the “Trout Quintet” on the main stage, and Mike got volunteers from both Kiap-TU-Wish and Twin Cities Chapters of TU to tie flies in the lobby and give casting lessons on the lawn afterwards.
We set up our concert and demonstrations on a sunny Sunday afternoon in June, 1985. At 1pm, we played the quintet, and at 4pm there were still people fly casting on the lawn and watching talented fly tiers work. Neither one of us took attendance and the concert was free. Perhaps a few of you who read this might remember the event.
I’m sure many of you are familiar with the movie “Miracle on Ice” that depicted the victory of the United States’ Olympic men’s hockey team over the Soviet Union in the 1980 winter Olympics held at Lake Placid, New York. There is a scene in the movie in which Coach Herb Brooks addresses his team before the game with the Soviets. In his speech, Herb told his players that “Great moments are born from great opportunity.”
A great moment and opportunity for me arrived when the Kiap-TU-Wish board elected me to be your president for the next three years. During my six-year term as the chapter treasurer, my knowledge of trout, and the preservation of our cold-water streams has increased exponentially through the many board meeting discussions I’ve participated in, my association with the Kinni Corridor Collaborative (KCC), and in my numerous interactions with members and friends of the chapter.
I am looking forward to leading our chapter and continuing the great work of my predecessors. Having Greg Olson as our “Ex Officio” president and my wingman is comforting. I know that whenever difficult decisions need to be made, his mentorship will be much appreciated as will the wise counsel I hope to receive from the rest of our board members.
So, with that, I would like to take this opportunity and make my first official act as one to say, THANK YOU, to all of you, for your continued support of Kiap-TU-Wish and the many projects we have completed and for those being planned for the upcoming seasons. During the past year volunteer hours continued to grow and donations and contributions have reached an all-time high of $38,264.
With your on-going support, Kiap-TU-Wish will continue to fulfill our mission to Conserve, Protect, and Restore the cold-water streams that flow through our local and nearby watersheds, while maintaining a strong community presence that benefits both young and old and our surrounding environment.
Kiap-Tu-Wish’s Tree Whisperer: Last spring Don Fritz was one of the volunteers who helped plant trees at both Wilson and Cady Creeks. Don lives on a nearby bluff overlooking the Cady site. Fisheries Biologist Kasey Yallaly was concerned about the survival of the newly planted trees at the Cady site due to the severe drought conditions our area was experiencing. Thankfully, Don offered to keep an eye on them during the summer. Over the course of the summer, he drove down to the site with his ATV, towing a wagon containing a portable pump and hose, and, with the help of his wife Katie and friend Al Schmalz, they kept the trees watered and in good shape through the summer.
Don volunteered again to assist with the tree planting last week at Gilbert Creek and trailered over his ATV and watering setup. With an assist from Tom Schnadt, the two of them followed behind those of us planting trees and gave each one a good soaking. Don has volunteered to keep an eye on this new batch of trees over the summer to make sure that they survive this critical first year after planting.
So all of us at Kiap-TU-Wish would like to say “Thank You” to Don for making sure the trees at Cady and Gilbert Creek will get a chance to thrive in their new environment.
Hook: Firehole Outdoors #419 16-18 Thread: Magpie Materials Red 72D Shuck: Straight Zelon, Caddis Tan Body: Antron 100% pure, Hare’s ear color Wing: x-Caddis hair
From the Editor: Since it’s Spring here in the Driftless, I felt that it might be a good idea for a bit of education on the life cycle of an important trout food source the Caddisflies: Order Trichoptera.
I contacted my good friend and fly fisher Jonathan Jacobs and asked him if he would consider putting together a brief video-based treatise on Caddisflies. Naturally, Jon, being the good guy that he is, consented. So, we have for your viewing pleasure, two enlightening videos that will give you a pretty nice overview of Caddisflies. You can find them by going to Jon’s YouTube channel at these addresses. https://youtu.be/in3Lm6wSZPY, https://youtu.be/KkRpN8ZVZmA
The first video covers the life cycle of the Caddis and Jon shows us a bunch of patterns that mimic every stage of Caddis development starting with the larvae and progressing to the pupa, and finally the adult. In the second video, Jon ties his version of the x-Caddis, a fly every local angler should carry.
So thank you Jonathan for taking time to do this for us. I’m sure every one viewing will find a few nuggets that will up their catch rate over this coming season.
Habitat Update: Activities in Fall through Winter 2023- 2024
This past season I posted MailChimp notices for 33 events encouraging individuals to get involved with boots on the ground habitat related projects. Volunteers participated in 3 seeding/mulching events involving projects on both the Trimbelle River and Parker Creek. We conducted one tree planting day where volunteers helped plant bare root seedling at both Wilson and Cady Creeks. Volunteers turned out to assist the DNR shocking crew at 3 events in August on the Rush, Kinni, and Willow Rivers.
There were 4 different opportunities to work directly with school age children, two Greenwood Elementary School service/learning days where 60-80 3rd grade students turned out with their teachers and adult chaperones to help burn cut brush from a site on Quarry Rd on the Kinni and, just this spring there was the chance to turn out and assist while 50 some Ellsworth High School FFA students and their instructor helped burn brush and slash from box elders on a stretch of the Trimbelle just downstream of the GasLite Bar. One of the FFA students was also a boy scout and he requested that I hold another brush burn for his fellow scouts two weeks later where 5 scouts along with 7 family members and 4 Kiap-TU-Wish volunteers conducted another burn on this same stretch of the Trimbelle.
I held 26 separate brush/tree cutting work days this past calendar year. A lack of snow cover dictated when, where and how we worked. Brush and trees were cut at the Quarry Road. site in the month of October in preparation for the Greenwood event. Following that, we moved our operations upstream on the Kinni and gained access to the north bank through the Patrick Traynor’s property. With the lack of snow cover in December and January, being able to park in Patrick’s outlot and hike and haul equipment the short distance down to the Kinni made life much easier. The lack of snow cover also necessitated the need to bring along a pump to each workday in order to extinguish the fires before leaving. After working at the Traynor location, we moved to the opposite bank gaining access through the handicap fishing pier access.
Further cutting opportunities this past season were at the Red Cabin site on the Kinni, the Trimbelle location downstream of the GasLite and finally on Steeple Drive on the upper Kinni where we got a head start on work which I hope to resume this coming winter.
I did post looking for volunteers to assist with opening blue bird nest boxes in the fall and closing them up again this spring and always found volunteers willing to assist. There are currently 283 individuals who receive my Mail Chimp postings seeking volunteers. Out of that number, 72 turned out to help with at least 1 workday event. On the other hand, there are individuals who are disappointed on the rare weekend when I don’t provide a work opportunity over the winter months. Among those volunteering by name and number of work days were : Jim Tatzel 22, Dave Gregg 20, Tom Anderson 16, Jeff Dahl 14, John Skelton 13, Scott Wagner 11, Steve Cox 10, Matt Janquart 9, Dave Kozlovsky 9, James Patterson 8, Ted Higman 8, Loren Haas 8, and Chip Robinson 7. The highest turnout for any one workday was 16 volunteers. In the pre-Covid years, attendance at workdays was occasionally as high as 30.
I hope to see an increase in the volunteer turnout in the coming year. The DNR no longer has money or manpower in their budget to conduct maintenance work on the multitude of easements which exist. Without volunteer input, these stretches of water would soon become overgrown and a lot harder to access. There are miles of easement which have not seen any attention for years. I’m 71 now and would like to at least make a dent in that before finally having to put my chainsaws out to pasture.
Thank you all for all your hard work this past season.
A Minimal Arsenal of Flies for Fooling Fish in Local Waters All Season Long. By Skip James
I know fishermen who carry every fly they own in their vests, and others who carry only those that imitate the prevailing hatch. There are flies that work well, casting to fish you can see, probably feeding close to or in the surface, and others that you use when you are searching for promising water. Here are the six I wouldn’t ever be without, whether here in Wisconsin or on a big western river. I provided enough material info so you can tie them yourself, and, if you have questions, call me. 715-690-4503 Tight lines!
This is my number one ‘nymph’, for fishing in streamy water, near undercut banks, in deep holes. Back in 1971, I was catching trout in a pool on the Kinni that now is under the Hwy 35 Byway, and another angler, coming downstream, who identified himself as Andy Miner, asked to see my fly. When he looked at it, he said: “What a ‘mother’ that one is” and the name, though pejorative, stuck. This is the same Andy Miner who bred Blue Andalusian roosters for their neck hackles and was the original supplier to Buck Metz in Pennsylvania. I tied flies for Andy, in exchange for necks, for several years.
Weighted “Mother” #8-10
Thread: Gray, 6/0
Hook: standard dry fly, down eye
Weight: lead-free wire on the front half of the hook, under the dubbing Dubbing: Dubbing: Muskrat, complete with guard hairs, well picked out
Rib: Gold flat tinsel
Hackle: Grey Grouse soft hackle
This Caddis imitation is my number two ‘nymph’, for riffes particularly.
Caddis Pupa #12-16
Thread: Dark green, 8/0
Hook: Curved, pupa down eye
Bead: Copper
Dubbing: Medium green SLF or other similar, well picked out Rib: Medium copper wire
These two I use as dry flies, fished to risers, sometimes dead drift, sometimes ‘on the swing.’ I owe a debt of thanks to the author of “Designing Trout Flies”, Gary Borger, for his concept of a ‘wet-dry’ fly. Early season, use the green one. When Sulphurs appear, use the yellow one.
Little Green Thing: #16-18
Thread: Light green, 8/0
Hook: standard dry fly, down eye Dubbing: Medium olive SLF
Hackle: Light grey Grouse soft hackle, sparse, same length as hook shank
Little Yellow Thing: #16-18 Thread: Yellow, 8/0
Hook: standard dry fly, down eye Dubbing: Medium yellow SLF
Hackle: Light grey Grouse soft hackle, sparse, same length as hook shank
On our local waters, you need a great Trico imitation, since that hatch occupies so much of the season. The advantage of this one is that you can see it from forty feet away in riffes, where the trout are rising. The Badger hackle’s black center gives the impression of a solid thorax, although with no additional bulk or weight. The gold edges show up very well in morning light.
Skip’s Trico #22
Thread: Black, 8/0, wrapped over the entire shank Hook: standard dry fly, down eye
Dubbing: none
Tails: 3 strands clear Microfibetts, spread wide.
Hackle: #22 Badger (black center, cream edge) wrapped from middle of the hook to the eye, and clipped flat on the bottom. Whiting Farms sized hackle packs is a good source.
Your favorite Grasshopper pattern, #10, long shank.
My favorite, probably because it was invented by Bob Mitchell, is the “Jolly Green Giant.” But if you have confidence in a different hopper pattern, use it.
