Trip report Driftless and more!

[BilletHead]

Ok where was I ?   

  Oh yea more fishing. Next day we worked up the Boeheim valley along the west branch of coon . Three nice accesses bottom, middle and high ones.  We are early, always early and we got there and it was still darkish. Took our time getting ready waiting for it to get lighter. Finally decided to go upstream and walked down the bank taking a cast or two. Heard another vehicle pull up. Paid no attention to it then Pat said there is a guy coming our way. I looked and he had sandals on but lightweight fishing pants too. Said good morn as we did too. Introduced himself as the head guide from the Driftless angler and wanted to ask us a couple questions. Explained we were here first and wanted to know if we were going to fish downstream. I said just heading up now and had not decided what was next. He than said he would go somewhere else? I said what? He explained we were first and if we thought we might go the other way when done he would not try there. Hey man we are used to combat fishing where we are from and don't mind a bit. Said I'm not like that. He had two women he was guiding. I said take them fishing and catch a bunch. He thanked us and he got them going. I thought that was pretty neat. Will never forget that. So we headed up and good access. Caught a bunch again and went about a half mile. Taking less pictures along the way. Just fishing together. The lower sign,

          Pretty water. Found fish eggs twice. Everything wants these fish. Mink, coons, birds of prey. Nothing seen except the eggs left. Go figure? 

        Even broke out some tiny dries and caught. As we drove out of there seen the young guide and his girls. Gave a honk and there was a big wave back at us. 

      Messed around in a couple more places then done for the day.

 Next and last morning fishing found us back one more time at the brook trout stream. Did i tell you we had one morning of 48 degrees? Light jacket felt good.

               Caught a few more and moved on to another spot. This time found access on Spring Coulee. Dropped in and started fishing. Lots of different water there. 

 

    It was full of fish and we could see them. High sun and fish were in the shade. We hit a place where it went into the timber. Shallow pools full of brown trout. Actually looked like the raceways at a trout park all pointing in one direction. One cast and all would spook looking like a ball of shad going in circles. Being this was our last day of fishing we walked forever until we found a no trespassing sign. Could not figure out which way it was supposed to be pointing. Headed up farther to the road where the creek made a turn and cut across a power line right of way. Took a long way back but blacktop better than fighting what we had come through. 

  This place up in the driftless is neat. I urge you to try it. Had a great time. 

  Were we finished and ready to come home? Nope some neat stuff ahead,

 

[fshndoug]

nice report guys

 

[BilletHead]

So our fishing was done so if you are one of those people that do not like fishing related go away, don't even look, nothing to see here. Again lots of pictures. Some people on here really, really like pictures so here we go.

   So we head up to La Crosse and cross the Mississippi into Minnesota to the town of Winona. In Winona lives a long time friend of ours Scott. We met Scott at a knapp in at Fort Osage near Sibley many years ago. One of those people you instantly connect with. One of those friendly people from the area he lives in. He has been down here for a visit and it was time to see him.  I am so glad we did. He was expecting us and we gave him a call. He answered and was at his favorite coffee shop down town. Got directions and found him standing out front looking down the road like a tree full of owls trying to find us in the traffic. We got parked and the reconnecting began. He is going to be mad because I will post pictures of him and he will be mad. He will be reading this so tell him hi. Friends like this don't come along too often we are blessed to know him.

           We sat down and got to meet his coffee shop daily friends. Good bunch of guys all with interesting stories. Felt like we made more friends there. A guy cannot have too many friends. Coffee, bagels and breakfast burritos were consumed. Scott says wat do you want to do? I said we plan on staying the day and night here it's up to you. Oh maybe we need to check out Latsch island. (links will be attached). Where we crossed a bridge to the island was a tour river boat,

        We were able to drive over a bridge to the island which is a park but not a normal park.  There is a community of people living on the water in floating houses of all sorts. Boats of all kinds tied to these houses. The residents live in some of the housed year round and sleep in some of these enclosed boats. Some of the owners I would call eccentric. Yea that's a good term. Public beach there where we parked getting ready for a walk,

  Looking back towards Winona was the Joyce Hale pushing a barge.

    We walked down the unoccupied side of the island down a trail through the woods. Scott said there was a driftwood garden deal he had heard about down there. As we were going I said this is creepy are we supposed to be here? Oh Yea no problem . All kinds of stuff growing on this island in the middle of the big river. Amazed at the big patches of cardinal flower. We see it here at home sometimes a plant here or there but not anything like this. 

    So towards the end of the island we were greeted with this sight.

    Driftwood stacked with flowers, vegetables and herbs growing all over. I'm not talking a small spot I'm talking a big spot. Then out popped a woman. We asked if we could look around, yes she said in a dialect from Europe. I asked where she was from. She said Belarus I said Russia and quickly she corrected me again saying Belarus. I asked if we could snap a picture and no look at my hair and I said well look at mine  she said sorry as she had bad English.  One of us asked is she had made the garden ans she responded no her daughter had but she was not awake. Sleeps during the day and does all the work at night. Scott later told us he heard the daughter was cute. He wants to go back to meet her working the night shift in the garden someday! More garden pictures,

   Now to the floating mini city. Note here Scott spent one summer on one of these houses!

 We have some neat ones and some real fixer uppers,

   Most folks were really friendly. Scott went out to visit. I asked can I take a picture? Lady said yes go right ahead. To the right of this picture out of view were more homemade watercraft. A guy was in what I call a western drifter. Turned up sides like you see in fast rivers think Oregon and Washington states. A guy was in the drifter which had a tarp over it. I asked if he had built it? Nope but the guy asleep in the floating home had. There was a mosquito net in it. Have you been sleeping on the boat? Yes visiting friends and here is where I sleep. 

 We walk back up island to the higher class  homes with electricity and TV antennas! 

   Meter reading in high water times.

   In the last picture way down the bank if you look hard is a dome water home. This is where Scott spent one summer.

    Living in a Community of Floating Homes (bigrivermagazine.com)

 

[ness]

Very interesting and thanks for sharing it on this forum! I'd never heard of this. 

[Gavin]

Great Travelog! Thanks!

 

[BilletHead]

23 minutes ago, Gavin said:

Great Travelog! Thanks!

 

 

50 minutes ago, ness said:

Very interesting and thanks for sharing it on this forum! I'd never heard of this. 

                 One more excerpt and I will be done, well I think I will be done

[Nick Adams]

Very impressive trip. Great post.

[David Unnerstall]

On 8/8/2021 at 8:03 PM, BilletHead said:

 

You took two women back to the hotel and your wife did not mind?!

[BilletHead]

16 minutes ago, David Unnerstall said:

You took two women back to the hotel and your wife did not mind?!

Not this time.

[netboy]

Great report. Looks like some fun small stream fishing.