Trip report Driftless and more!

[BilletHead]

               Here we go. It isn't all about fishing but most of it is. you all should know when the BilletHead makes a report it will be lengthy and picture loaded. Always an adventure. This trip has been in planning for a few months. Lack of help where Pat works led to a full week and two days but normally she tries to take two weeks. Got some intel from friends who had been to the Driftless and did some talking with a fisheries biologist from Wisconsin. Had pre ordered maps from Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. We were mobile and didn't know where we could end up. We did however fish five days straight in Wisconsin only. Worth it IMO. Will go back to the area and Minnesota. Next time with boat in tow to chase the warm water fishes. We called this a cushy trip. No camper just Pat's SUV packed to the brim. Took most of our food, no camping involved. Used my hand held GPS during the drive. Round trip 1440 miles. Pretty nice. Pat did all the driving. The 1440 was up and back only, not including the time running around fishing. Viroqua was the destination. Google maps said approx. 8.5 hours non stop from home. Chip shot drive.  Got there and Driftless Angler first stop. Some purchasing and info. Maps marked for the start and the start was the first and most important thing we wanted to do. Catch a Native Brook Trout. Native to the area and where it was marked on the map was also told to me by the fisheries guy on the phone. If we could do this the rest of the trip was gravy. Then to the hardware store for license. One of the things that impressed me about the state DNR. Get this for a first time fisherperson that requires a license 25 bucks then 14 for the trout extra part. 25 Bucks for a year out of state? Fantastic we have spent 100 bucks other places for each of us other western states. The off to find lodging or should I say pre lodging where Pat had done first two nights on Booking .com. We had waited kind of long to do this but she found a tree house. Said private secure parking, bathroom, kitchen and everything we might need for two nights. Night three it would be a motel and then next three nights a cabin. We found the tree house and from a distance looked pretty nice but couldn't figure on how to get there. Parked at the house host and out comes a guy pulling a wagon like in little red wagon. We ask how to drive back to the tree house. Oh you cant drive back there we take the stuff back there through the front yard which it was 100 yards back to our lodging. Pat says on the advertisement it shows a road.  No he says that's just a walkway.  So we take his wagon and load up some stuff and began to pull the cart back. Hit the long walkway to the ramp up into the tree house. First thing I noticed is the petroleum smell and the color of the gravel. Guy had been dumping old oil I suppose to make asphalt? Who knows it stunk. We dodged the worst of it and went up into the tree house. It was actually kind of neat inside until you look into the bathroom. A very small sink and a stool. Running water but no way to bathe at all. Pat got kind of mad, I was kind of mad. We went back to see if we could get out of our commintment. Guy said it tells you what you get. Hey when it says bathroom I except a bath at least. He says I will put you down as a no show. Will we get money back? Well he said you get what you agreed on then pat chimed in again. He said you will get a refund. I hope so. What glitters is not always golden. Lession learned and we had to stay first three nights at the motel. Oh well same price and closer to town Hickory hills motel here we come. So no fishing day one and because of a big rain event not all creeks had cleared yet.  

   Nice but not so nice tree house,

                   More to come but tired of typing. First fishing day was fantastic so stand by.

  Marty

[fishinwrench]

For 4 months I pooped in the woods and took midnight showers under a garden hose.    Whaddya bitchin'bout? 
😅

[BilletHead]

            So lets get to some fishing,

   The little orange highlighter mark made on my map was on a small portion of seas creek. A creek restored for the native brook trout which was our goal. We drove to the pullout. Crossed a pipe cattle gate and looked at the little crick as the locals called most waters. Each of us had a hopper dropper ready to go. We were early as always before the sun cleared to trees. A dimple or two on the still water showing something good was ahead. We stayed out of the water just working the sides and directly ahead where we could get a good cast. Field and creek side was 12 to 24 inch growth of stuff. Not a bad walk. Water clear with slow deeper places to thin fast water. Some cut banks with undercuts for fish to hide. Once and awhile you would scare one which would take off like a streak up or down stream. We took turns leap frogging up the creek. I had two small ones then scored on a 10 incher.

By this time Pat was wondering if her time would come. I said I'm done until you catch and she went to work.  Getting right down and dirty at times,

    Then it happened. This says it all, this is what drives Pat and I. Greatest pic of that day. 

   Well lets see it Pat,

   The release,    More came to hand that morning,

              Pretty little char. Remnants hanging on in of cold, clean water.    

  From there we drove North to the town of Coon Valley and up the various branches to the East. Picked up the center branch of coon creek looking for clear water. Still pretty dingy down lower. At the branch of where Rullands Coulee and Timber Coulee meet we took the fork up Timber coulee. At every water crossing was signs where you could enter into Private land through a trespass deal with the land owner. Some of these places were clear open pastures with dairy cows some were overgrown with all kinds of plants and brush with timber and willow growth. Darned near impassable. I actually lost Pat in this crap. We wore ourselves out trying to negotiate passage. Mixed in this junk is some pretty bad weeds. A mix of these things,

Don’t touch these plants! Six lookalikes you want to avoid (fws.gov)

         Worst of all was the wild parsnip. We wore waders and long sleeved shirts and held our hands high to keep safe. 

  The wild parsnip,         One brown caught we took a break and went to town for a bite of lunch.

 

 

[BilletHead]

                 We had seen on this creek way up the valley a sign of public access at the base of the Westby gold course. So back in town after a late lunch we reported to Matt at the Driftless Angler our luck and to ask about this access at he golf course. He grinned and said yes there is access there. TU had done some stream work from the bottom of the course up to the Ski Slope mid course. We should though go to the club house and get a drink and ask permission first. So after the brush workout we thought a mice walk might be a bit better to finish the day. We pulled in the lot and into the door we went. Club head quarters was a bar and grill . We ordered a couple iced teas that ended up canned raspberry teas. Asked permission to fish the course. The bartender lady had a puzzled look to her. Oh I have never had anybody ask that question so I am not sure. I said there was access down there and she said OK but fish at your own risk. No problem mam we will keep our head down. So we wadered up again an instead of walking the course we startered in the water. It was wide and slower for a ways then narrowed down and became swifter.  As we walked here came a golf cart full speed to the creek. A guy jumped up and walked to the creek and began to unzip his pants to take a leak! I said good afternoon and he jumped and looked about. Then he seen us turned and zipped up. Oh Im so sorry he said. Ill leave. Not bothering us do what you have to do as Pat said laughing I will turn my head. No its ok he said. Then we talked a bit asking where we were from. I told him and he said I hope you don't think we are all like that in Wisconsin.  We got closer and asked if we could play through then he laughed and joined his bunch on the green and they all laughed.

    Did we catch fish? Oh yea got out of the water and kept out of the way. We through hoppers and the browns took them fury.

    Oh what is this. Japanese beetles all over the jewel weed. Lets match the hatch.

   Then the beetle attacked me and right in the palm of the hand it went,

   String trick and out it came  Thanks Pat!

    These are not turtle eggs  I scooped a few out and pitched to the edge of the rough. That got old so left bunches more in the creek.

     We caught a bunch of browns here between the 5th and 8th hole friendly folks stopped and visited so funny. 

 

     So we pulled out of there  and headed farther up the creek. Next to the golf course was the Westby rod and gun club. Again this creek went right through it. Not far but a bit. We pulled in and talked to a fellow who was keeping the grounds nice. Had a good visit asking if there was a good pizza place in town. We were ready to call it a day. He thought a bit and said they have good pizza at he Westby Lanes bowling alley and bar and grill. So we decided to get a pizza. Before we left asked what a good local made beer might be. He responded I drink bush and like it and sometimes  a Michelob. Pat laughed quietly and I explained something local made in Wisconsin. Oh lots on tap at the pizza place. We thanked him and headed to the Westby lanes for pizza and then to a quickee mart to check out the beer cave. Decides on two women by New Glarus. New Glarus only sells in Wisconsin.  Then to the motel for a nice outside dinner.

[Ryan Miloshewski]

I honestly didn't read lol. But what streams did you get the brookies out of?! 

Are you seeing the flooding up there?

[Ryan Miloshewski]

Make sure you guys go to the Driftless Cafe for dinner or lunch one day! It was absolutely one of the best meals I've ever had. And they had Blanton's..

[BilletHead]

1 minute ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

I honestly didn't read lol. But what streams did you get the brookies out of?! 

Are you seeing the flooding up there?

           Only the one mentioned Ryan,

  We are home and missed the deluge they have been getting last couple days. La Crosse got almost 7 inches I think yesterday or day before. Winona Minnesota across from La Crosse where we visited a friend got 3.5. Viroqua got some but not sure how much. We picked a good week to go as you also. Like you we had to wait for the run off. 

[BilletHead]

                 More reports coming tomorrow. 

[Ryan Miloshewski]

1 minute ago, BilletHead said:

           Only the one mentioned Ryan,

  We are home and missed the deluge they have been getting last couple days. La Crosse got almost 7 inches I think yesterday or day before. Winona Minnesota across from La Crosse where we visited a friend got 3.5. Viroqua got some but not sure how much. We picked a good week to go as you also. Like you we had to wait for the run off. 

Good deal! Wish we could've met up, up there. Let's do some waterfowling this fall..

[fishinwrench]

If I get up there, I wanna do a campfire foil bake with some of those little brookies.  😋