A Monthly Publication of the Hiawatha Chapter of Trout Unlimited
october 2014
Hiawatha TU Board
From the President
This September and October is a very different fall than any I’ve
experienced in Southeastern Minnesota (SE MN) and I believe that
is true for most people who fly fish in this area. I am talking about
the catch and release season, extended two weeks to October
15. After years of debate, it just happened. In hindsight, it almost
seemed too easy. Now to fish it!
To fish this extended season is like fishing a completely unknown stream. Fly fishing is based
on knowledge, skill, and experience. Success at bait fishing and spinner-bait fishing is mostly
based on expertise (skill) with a few proven techniques (experience). In Bait fishing, you
can throw the same types of bait and lures successfully whether it’s spring, summer, or fall.
Expertise is everything. Fly fishing does not work that way. Many, if not all, fly fishing people
depend on a season’s hatch chart to predict what insects are swimming and hatching. This
gives us some idea what insects the fish are eating and which fly patterns mimic these insects.
Hold on there! Wait one minute! The new season ends October 15. That is two weeks later
than anyone has ever fished trout streams in SE MN. It has to be generations since fall trout
fishing in SE MN has been allowed. When Wayne Bartz developed and wrote the Bartz Hatch
Chart 20-25 years ago the season ended September 1. What hatches out between September
1 and October 15 in SE MN is very unknown by most fly fishing people! We have no hatch chart
that covers October. I think this is a very unique circumstance.
So, what are the insects that trout feed on from September 1 through October 15 on our
streams? We can make educated guesses. Ann R. Miller’s book “Hatch Guide for Upper Midwest
Streams” is probably the best source to start with. The book suggests: Tricos, Batis (BWOs sz
18), Pseudos (BWOs size 24), Hebes, White Mayflys, and the Apricot Cahill. For caddis, the list
is shorter. There are Dot Wing Sedges (size 16, 18), and the Great Brown Autumn Sedge (size
8, 10). The Great Brown Autumn Sedge is an eastern caddis and should not be confused with
the western October Caddis.
It is actually kind of incredible to realize that almost all fly fishing people in SE MN, other than
perhaps the biologists for the DNR, don’t know what to expect. . Now is the time to find out.
With the huge popularity of digital cameras, I am asking our fishing public to send me photos
of the insects that you find while you’re fishing this fall. And please, only send me close-up
pictures of stationary insects and a description. Or you can send me a brief email describing
what you saw. We will post this information on our website.
If matching the current insect hatch is not possible for you fly fishers, I think that the next
best fall fishing strategy will be streamer fishing. If you are new to this technique, there are
two rules. : 1) Avoid fishing in bright or direct sunlight (do not frighten the fish.) and 2) Cover
a lot of ground (do not spend a lot of time fishing the same spot). You will find that big fish
feed on minnows, as long as they don’t know that you are there.
VICE PRESIDENT
Seth Knight
[email protected]
931-434-2694
SECRETARY
Frank Angelotti
[email protected]
507-289-1688
TREASURER
OPEN
EX OFFICIO
Scott Steffens
[email protected]
507-398-2500
WEBMASTER
Vince Robichaud
[email protected]
Membership Coordinator
Frank Angelotti
HABITAT Coordinator
Ray Ricketts
[email protected]
507-282-2666
YOUTH EDUCATION Coordinator
Kelli Schmeling
WOMEN’S INITIATIVE CHAIR
Marlene Huston
[email protected]
507-208-5013
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Phil Pankow, NTLC Liaison
[email protected]
507-208-4410
Deb Angelotti
[email protected]
Tight Lines and Good Luck this Fall!
Carl
• Presidents Message
• UpComing Meetings/Events
• Meeting Line Up
• Fall Trico Flies
• Secretaries Report
PRESIDENT
Carl Berberich
[email protected]
507-951-2916
HTU BOARD members
AT large
Mike Carpenter
[email protected]
Paul Krolak
[email protected]
Fall is upon us and that means meetings are back at the Izaak Walton League Cabin.
October 6 will be our first meeting of the season with Vaughn Snook of the Lanesboro Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Division. Vaughn will be discussing fisheries population, assessment, winter 2013 angling creel, summer 2013
angling creel, angling easement review, and regulations review. Vaughn is up for as
many questions on any of these topics you can ask. The meeting will start at 7:00pm
with doors opening about 6:30pm.
The November 3 meeting will be the 2nd Annual Hiawatha Trout Unlimited (HTU)
chili and fly tying night at Izaak Walton. If you were there last year, you know it was
a big success and a lot of fun. Bring a dish if you like and the board will bring different chili recipes for everyone to try. If we sweet talk Monica Willets, she might bring
her cinnamon rolls. November’s meeting will start a little earlier, 6:30pm, with set
up starting at 6:00pm to heat food and set up tables. Please join us.
The December 1 meeting will be HTU’s annual Christmas party. There will be a 6:30
start time with doors open at 6:00pm to set up food, plug in crock pots and set up
tables. HTU will provide the main dish but we invite everyone to also bring a dish
to pass. We usually have anyone with their last names beginning with A-M to bring
a main dish and N-Z to bring dessert so we get an even amount of dishes to pass.
We will have raffles, lots of food, and wine and beer provided by HTU. Don’t miss it.
As always, you can find out all details and information
at our web site. www.hiawathatu.org
Yours Truly, Phil Pankow HTU Newsletter Editor
Up coming events/
meetings
up coming MEETINGS
October 6th 2014: 7:00 - 9:30 pm
HTU Chapter Meeting
Izaak Walton Lodge, Rochester, MN
October 13th 2014: 7:00 - 9:00 pm
HTU BOD Meeting, Gander Mountain
Conference Room, Rochester, MN
October 14th 2014: 6:00 - 8:00 pm
HTU Newsletter Meeting, Dunn Bros.N,
Rochester, MN
October 14th 2014: 6:30 - 8:30 pm
HTU HI Committee Meeting,
Rochester, MN
up coming events
October 13th - 16th, 2014
TU’s Western Watershed Staff Retreat
Cedar Lodge Resort, Whalan, MN
October 15th, 2014
Annual Stream Project Tour
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
December 1st, 2014
HTU Christmas Party
Izaak Walton Lodge, Rochester, MN
check hiawathatu.org for more information
October
Sun Mon Tue WedThu Fri Sat
1
2
3
4
56
11
HTU 789 10
Meeting
7:00 pm
Izaak Walton
Lodge
HTU BOD 141516
Annual
Newsletter
1213
1718
Meeting Meeting 6:00 pm
Stream
7:00 pm
Project Tour
HI Committee
Gander
Mountain
Meeting 6:30 pm
TU’s Western Watershed Staff Retreat
19 20 212223 2425
26 27 282930 31
Fall Fly Favorite
One fly I use often, especially in fall and winter, is the Copper John by John Barr. I will include
the recipe below. I don’t personally like using extra weight unless I really have too, so I use
weighted nymphs like the Prince Nymph, Bead Head Gold Ribbed Hares Ear, and the Copper
John. If you have John’s book “Barr Flies” you will also find the recipe and tying instructions
on page 1, Chapter 1. If you don’t have the book, there are plenty of U-Tube videos. Tie a few.
The Recipe: Copper John
Hook: John recommends the TMC 5262 nymph hook or any heavy wire hook sizes, 10-18.
Bead: Gold to match hook size
Weight: Lead Wire 13 wraps
Thread: Black 70-denier Ultra Thread
Tail: Brown goose biots
Abdomen: Ultra wire, color of your choosing (I have found black, red and blue very effective)
Wing Case: Black Thin Skin and pearl Flashabou covered with 30 min. epoxy
Thorax: Peacock herl
Legs: Mottled brown hen back
I like to fish tandem flies. I will attach a Copper John as a dropper fly to a bigger point fly
like a hoper pattern towards the end of fall. In winter I will tie on a Pink Squirrel as the point
fly and a Copper John the dropper. I have found these combos to be very affective. Casting
tandem flies can be challenging so what I do is widen the loop on my cast by dropping the
rod lower on the forward cast. Another technique is to do what I refer to as a lob cast. Swing
your cast wide as if you are putting the finishing touches on a reach cast and lob it across your
body upstream then let it drift through the lie you are aiming for. Two years ago at the falls
in Lanesboro right on the last day of September I put on a hopper pattern and black Copper
John and hit a 12-14 inch Brown on almost every cast. It was truly a blessed day of fishing that
you dream of. The fall air was crisp and the day was primarily sunny. Red and orange covered
the trees as my wife and I looked towards town and the sky a brilliant blue with a few puffy
clouds floating around. What a way to end the season. Hope this helps as everyone goes out
for the newly extended fall season of catch and release.
Yours Truly, Phil Pankow Hiawatha TU newsletter editor
Driftless Area Geology/
Ecology Bus Tour
Saturday, Nov. 1st
Sponsored By: National Trout Center
120 St. Anthony Street, Preston MN
507-847-8801 | [email protected]
10 am - 3 pm | Box lunch included
$30.00 per person | Bernards Bus Service
Please join us for an informative and
enlightening bus tour, which will
highlight the geological history, the
ecology and the historical significance of the Driftless area topography in S.E. Minnesota. While having a
significant beneficial impact on local
trout fishing in our region, the Driftless area geology also has many other remarkable impacts on the topography, the ecology and the history of
S.E. Minnesota.
Tour highlights include:
Forestville State Park Mystery Cave
this part is optional and will cost $8 per person
Root River Valley Karst Sites
Sink Hole Formations
Iron Mines
Trout Streams and Springs
Tour Guides:
Jeff Broberg - Geologist
George Spangler - Biologist
Please make your reservations soon,
before all of the seats are gone.
Only 40 seats available.
Cash or check only.
September 2014 HTU Board Meeting Minutes
In attendance: Seth Knight, Frank Angelotti, Phil Pankow,
Byron C.,Carl Berberich, Paul Krolak, Kelli Schmeling and
Mike Carpenter
• Barth const finished the 2014 Cold Spring Brook project and got started on the
‘extra’ Camp creek section so the funding for that section would not be lost
• Bennett const is on Pine Creek, East Indian HI should be finished, Willow is ready
for contractor walk through.
• Kelli has created a TIC application form that is on-line we need to create a link to
it from our web site and direct future TIC applicants to that form.
• The rest of the meeting was taken up in planning logistics for the fly fishing
rendezvous.
respectfully submitted by Frank Angelotti, HTU secretary
http://bit.ly/LaughingTrout
Non-profit organization
u.s. postage
paid
Rochester, MN 55901
permit No. 281
P.O. Box 7168
Rochester, MN 55903
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
507-288-5554
800-314-WELL
507-288-3224 fax
507-696-7191 cell
[email protected] www.TheinWellRochester.com
7025 HWY 63 N. Rochester, MN 55906
DLF Custom Fishing Rods
6747 19th St SE
Eyota, MN 55934
Shop (507) 289-7680
Dan Fryer
Matthew Like
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.dlfcustomfishingrods.com
Paul Myhrom
Rochester, Mn
Sales & Service
Open Tuesday-Saturday
44 4th St. SE
Rochester, MN 55904
507-288-8888
www.minnesotatrout.com
Guide: J. Mark Reisetter
Lewiston Area Trout Guides
165 Whispering Pines Court
Lewiston, MN 55952
(Fifty Streams Within Twenty Miles)