By: Karson Mulvihill
Imagine, you are in some of the states most pristine waterways. It is a beautiful sunny day and you are casting into a pool of water directly under some rapids in the river. All of a sudden, you feel a tug on your rod. You pull back, set the hook, and boom you have a fish on. As you reel the fish in you can’t help but notice the beauty in what you are doing. You land your trout and celebrate with a picture before returning to it to the water. I believe trout fishing is one of the most enjoyable things you can do in the outdoors because you never know what you will catch and it’s a great way to get outside.
Dunn County and the surrounding areas have some of the best trout streams in the state of Wisconsin. With over 13,000 miles of trout streams in the state, no matter where you are, with any luck you will be catching fish. These streams hold a variety of trout, the most common being brook trout, Brown trout and Rainbow trout.
Brown Trout (Hatchmag.com)
Rainbow Trout (kraa.org)
There are two main ways to fish when you are fishing for trout, fly fishing and spinning reel fishing. The main difference between these two is the way they are cased. Spinning reel fishing or traditional fishing is what most people think of when they think of fishing. Spinning reels allow you to fish much smaller streams and creeks where fly fishing would not be practical. On the other hand, when fly fishing, the weight of the line is used to carry the hook through the air. This is achieved by using a heavier and thicker line called fly line. The Fly line will float in the water and is connected to a leader. This leader end of your fly line is then connected to a lure called a fly. The main advantage of fly fishing is you will be able to cast very small lures much farther than you would be able to traditional fishing. However, fly fishing takes much more skill and time to master.
spinning reel and rod (Bassfishermansguide.com)
In Wisconsin there are two different seasons for trout fishing, Early Inland Trout Season and General Inland Trout Season. Early trout takes place from the first Saturday in January to Friday preceding the first Saturday in May. Early trout season is strictly catch and release season only. It is recommended that you use barbless hooks to not cause as much damage to the fishes’ mouth. General Inland Trout season takes place from the first Saturday in May to October 15th. During this season you can keep fish to eat. Daily bag limits and size restrictions vary from location to location so you will want to check the regulations before keeping fish.
To get started in your own adventure of trout fishing you will need some gear. The first and most important piece of equipment is a rod. Whether that be a spinning rod or fly rod. The second necessary thing you will need is a license. The state of Wisconsin requires you to have a normal fishing license and a trout stamp. These can be purchased at your local bait stores or places such a s Fleet Farm. The next thing you will need is bait and lures. If you are spinning reel fishing you can use a bobber and some worms, or you can go for something artificial like a Rooster Tail lure. For fly fishing you have the option to use dry fly’s, wet fly’s, poppers and streamers. To store all your tackle, you will need a good tackle box or bag. One optional piece equipment is as a pair of waders or high waterproof boots. This will make you much more mobile because you will be able to walk up the stream or river and cross when necessary.
dry fly (murraysflyshop.com)
waders (ebay.com)
Now that you have your gear you will need to know where and how to fish. To start, you will want to work your way upstream until you come across an area where trout will be holding. This consist of things such as slow-moving pools, structure such as rocks or logs and steep or undercut banks. Trout usually feed by sitting in slow moving water and waiting for their meal to float down the river before striking. You will want to work your way up the river casting upstream and working your bait back downstream.
I interviewed a close friend of mine and fellow UW-Stout student Myles Fish to see what his take was on this wonderful sport. Myles says that he enjoys trout fishing because it gets him out into nature and away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Myles prefers to use spinning reels and rods because of the simplicity. When I asked Myles what his favorite all around bait to use was, he stated “A 1/16-ounce red Rooster Tail is my go-to for fishing local rivers”. I also asked him what local waterway was his favorite to fish. He told me that he enjoys fishing the Rush River in Ellsworth Wisconsin because that is where he has had the most luck. Myles also stated he likes to fish the early trout season more than that main season because he sees it as more of a challenge.
Overall, Trout fishing is a very enjoyable thing to do. With all kinds of options for places to fish in the state and a relatively cheap starting cost, it is a great sport to get into. Good Luck and tight lines!
Edited by: Cory Hoglund
RIPE Magazine | Volume 1 