I met with Winona Senior High students taking the Fish and Wildlife class on Monday, May 24th. I gave a re-vamped version of the trout presentation that I gave last year but this year I updated it and tailored it more to explain the Driftless Area and the trout that reside here. I gave the usual PowerPoint presentation so that the students get some hard solid information regarding the specie of trout, the habitat they require, behaviors exhibited, food and diet, ect… We talk about angler ethics with regard to Catch and Release and we go over locations to fish. For me it is fun to talk to young minds that may perhaps be swayed to go find a trout stream later, maybe that one kid will grow up enjoying our resource and may contribute to it’s preservation in the future. Even with how good this place is now it can always be better.

I brought bugs that I picked from a stream earlier in the morning and passed them around explaning various aspects of their importance to trout, the jar of bugs tends to get kids to pay attention a bit more. This year I included more information on Fly Tying and I demonstrated three simple but VERY effective patterns, a Caddis Larva, Grey Caddis Adult and a Peacock and Partridge (because I had everything handy). I also decided to bring everyone outside for a short casting demonstration with the last ten minutes of the class period. Let me tell you, an hour and twenty minutes is no where near enough time to cover all that I could discuss regarding this subject. I hope I made it enjoyable. Thanks to Brian Sather and the Fish and Wildlife class for having me, I’ll be back the next time you call.

-the w.f.f.

Slide Show

I’ve got a long list of things that need my attention and from the beginning this blog/journal/whatever you call it was supposed to be a semi-organized/semi-scientific approach to the Southeast Minnesota/Driftless Area.  I have organized some of the better photo’s of the natural insects seen on our streams and included a bit of hatch information for the ones I managed to stumble across. This is an incomplete and on going effort that I hope will grow over the years, it can be found here.

Look for more from the Winona Fly Factory with the coming year and the season changes it holds. With the updated and organized photo galleries I will be able to quickly add and compile images that will help myself and hopefully others tie the flies that make the Driftless Area what it is all about. The hatch information presented is based on a combination of first hand experiences, information from other local anglers who truly know this place and entomology texts I’ve read. If you have anything to add or if I made a mistake please feel free to contact me at: winonaflyfactory@gmail.com