Fly Fishing Anyone?
With the ice breaking up, slowly, and the waters of our wonderful state are starting to emerge from its winter sleep, many fisherman are thinking of the balmy days when they can get out on the lakes and rivers for a great day of fishing.
There are a few dedicated fisherman that enjoy a completely different type of fishing. They disdain the use of boats or fish locators or other types of mechanical equipment and focus on the elusive trout.
These are the fly-fisherman. Often spending the off season tying new flies to use for the upcoming season, or learning how to tie different kinds. Like other fishermen in the off season, they research new reels, rods and waders. They may even brave some cold and venture outside to practice casting, to get it just right, for opening weekend.
Part of the winter months are spent searching for the best trout streams across the Midwest. Perhaps looking for a new place to try their hand. This is where Marinette County Wisconsin shines above the rest.
While most states in the Midwest have trout streams, none compare with the over 13,000 miles found in the state of Wisconsin. Of that, 1,255.57 miles can be found in Marinette County! That’s not a typo- Marinette County has the most trout streams in the Midwest.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), last updated March 4, 2014, the streams are broken down into the following classifications;
“Class 1
High quality trout waters that have sufficient natural reproduction to sustain populations of wild trout, at or near carry capacity. Consequently, streams in this category require no stocking of hatchery trout. These streams or stream sections are often small and may contain small or slow-growing trout, especially in the headwaters.
There are 5,400 miles of Class 1 trout streams in Wisconsin and they comprise 41% of Wisconsin's total trout stream mileage.
Class 2
Streams in this classification may have some natural reproduction, but not enough to utilize available food and space. Therefore, stocking is required to maintain a desirable sport fishery. These streams have good survival and carryover of adult trout, often producing some fish larger than average size.
There are 5,911.6 miles of Class 2 trout streams in Wisconsin and they comprise 45% of Wisconsin's total trout stream mileage.
Class 3
These waters are marginal trout habitat with no natural reproduction occurring. They require annual stocking of trout to provide trout fishing. Generally, there is no carryover of trout from one year to the next.
There are 1,864 miles of Class 3 trout streams in Wisconsin and they comprise 14% of Wisconsin's total trout stream mileage.”
This makes Marinette County a great place for the fly fisherman to come on and try their hand. With all these options, how can you go wrong?
To make it even easier, the DNR have maps that you can either view and download or print. They can be found at:
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/documents/trout/trout_maps/Marinette_color_portrait.pdf
If you’ve never tried fly fishing, this just might be the year for you.
Happy Fishing!
Becky DeWitt
Freelance Writer
Riverside Manor Insights
920-366-3138