Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Bonus Track! appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Track 6. My final day in the Driftless. Some days are so smooth and effortless, just like this Smokey Robinson classic.

The Last Day

The morning started with a series of goodbyes. Dave packed up and left straight from the farmhouse. We all bid the pig adieu. Anthony & I met a few friends for breakfast, but then he departed as well. I was now by myself, which as an only child, is something I’m quite comfortable with. I actually prefer a bit of a decompression day after I spend almost a week’s worth of social currency. But where to fish?

An Audible

As I left the diner, I decided to visit a stream that I had fished a few times before. It always held some nice trout, and a variety as well. Unfortunately, when I arrived to the stretch I wanted to fish, there were early bird anglers already spread out in several roadside pull-offs, visible from the country road. Wasn’t expecting that on a Tuesday morning.

So instead, I audibled, and ended up on another creek I had fished twice before. Up until last year, I had caught my largest Driftless brown there, and it had been a few years since I had last visited. Fortunately, nobody was parked in the gravel by the bridge. I was in the clear.

Umm, Where Are My Rods?

I had fished my tenkara rods all week, but when I reached into the trunk to wader & gear up, the sling with the tenkara rods in it was missing. I had evidently left them back on the dining room table at the farm. No worries, I did bring my Orvis Superfine Carbon 3-weight & Battenkill reel on this trip, and fortunately, it was in the trunk. Rod & reel it was, a nice change of pace to close out this adventure.

Dry / Dropper

As soon as I made it to the stream I could see the fish rising in the first pool I encountered. It was almost too good to be true. After a few minutes of getting my bearings casting a fly rod once again, the first brown came to hand after devouring a Parachute Adams.

From there, I navigated my way upstream, encountering a lot of different types of water. One stretch would be a shallow riffle, the next a pool deep enough to submerge an automobile. I eventually switched to a dry/dropper rig, suspending a small, size 18 nymph beneath the Parachute Adams. It seemed to be the best compromise to handle the varying water types.

Bliss

Sometimes you just get in the zone while you’re casting. I think it’s maybe more pronounced when this happens with a fly rod and reel. The weight of the line, the load of the carbon, the flick of the wrist to perfectly place the fly in a pocket of open water amongst the grass & rocks. And of course, the take. I’m not one to evoke the word “zen” when describing fishing, so let’s say I was cruisin’ instead.

While the day started with brown trout, I eventually encountered a nice patch of brook trout. My first char of the trip. A relief considering their absence in Track 4. After admiring its colorful spots and topographic vermiculation, releasing the brook trout back into the stream was almost a perfect ending to the trip. (But I did catch a few more…)

Relaxed & Restored

Before you knew it, it was almost 4PM. I had some packing and tidying of my own to take care of back at the farmhouse, so I reeled in my line and scaled the muddy bank back up to the road for the walk back to the car. That walk allowed time for a bit of reflection on the past few days. While it was tough to accept, my 2026 Driftless trip was now over, but what a wonderful experience it was, and today was a lovely way to close things out. Relaxed and restored, it was now time to head home.

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Track 6 – Cruisin’ appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Track 5 ties back to Monday’s adventure in a roundabout way. During the long drive to our destination stream, Anthony was playing the “Hair Nation” satellite radio channel on his Subaru’s stereo pretty much the entire way. That sparked conversations about how Jon Bon Jovi screwed over Sebastian Bach & Skid Row, Cinderella sang a jingle for a local hot dog stand, and how awesome it would have been to see Van Halen live at their early 80s peak, well before “Van Hagar.” Anthony & I enjoyed the flashback, Dave seemed none too impressed.

I could have referenced a Poison, Whitesnake, or even Def Leppard song, but I’m going Twisted Sister. Just because it did play on the drive that day, I like Dee Snider, and fondly remember riding BMX bikes around the neighborhood singing this song as a kid.

The Fishing Blues

Today was going to be the last day Anthony, Dave, & I were going to fish together before the two of them needed to make their exits from the Driftless. We picked a stream Anthony had fished before, but was new to Dave & I. As we packed up the car to head to the stream, a bit of melancholy began setting in knowing it was our finale. Regardless, I was excited to give it a go.

After all the hair bands, and much like the other days, when we arrived at our destination we were greeted by cars already in the little parking area. We could see one group of anglers fishing their way away from us upstream, and one angler right by the bridge fishing a downstream hole. The gentleman downstream seemed to be wrapping up, which Anthony confirmed after a bit of awkward conversation. (If you haven’t figured it out yet, Dave & I send Anthony ahead for these interactions).

Now in the clear, the three of us were going to hike downstream a ways and work our way back up to the car.

Consistently Slow

After trudging back through the woods for about 15-20 minutes, the three of us spaced out on the stream. Dave dropped in first, I dropped in second, and Anthony went back in the furthest.

Being in the woods was nice as it was also the warmest day of the trip. The occasional shade tree kept the sun at bay. That said, those branches also claimed a few more flies than I would have liked. On the whole It was an interesting stream to fish. The banks were high in most places, so you wanted to be down in the water. However, the streambed was quite muddy. The kind of thick mud you can sink into up to your knees if you’re not careful. I may have not been careful enough once or twice.

The fishing was what I’d call consistently slow. I picked up a few, maybe 9 or 10 over the course of the few hours, but none were of any size nor put up any sort of ruckus once hooked. From what I understand, Anthony & Dave had similar experiences.

It was likely that this one deep hole that was the best for all of us. It’s where I first caught up to Dave, and where Anthony initially caught up to me. Good fishing usually creates bottlenecks as nobody wants to leave their spot. I probably pulled a third of my trout count from this timber filled sanctuary.

Know When to Fold ‘Em

Eventually, we could tell this wasn’t really going anywhere, so despite the length of the drive, we were going to cut our losses. As we headed back to the bridge where we parked, we fished a little bit more in the more meadowy section and picked out one or two more fish each before we just decided to chill out for a bit, grab some water and snacks, and figure out a plan for what was left of our day.

As we were chatting up on the bridge pondering our next move, I was mindlessly casting my line into the water below only half paying attention. Then my line went tight. Wouldn’t you know it? Likely the best fish of the day. I must have been evoking some Owl Jones powers…

Back To The Farm

I’d pretend like we came up with a good plan from there, but we really didn’t. The plan was to head back towards the farm, grab some food along the way, and give the stream that runs through the property one final farewell. Since Anthony and Dave had to pack up that night, we figured staying a little more local would make things a bit easier on both of them following fishing.

After meeting up with Matt and a few others that remained in the area at a diner, we eventually ended up back at the farm for the evening. So we briefly said hello to the pig and the chickens and then headed to the water. Anthony went downstream, so I went up and fished more or less the same section we had fished the very first night.

My How Things Change

Now, I don’t know what exactly happened, but from then on I found this to be possibly the best fishing of the trip. Some sort of switch turned on just before dusk and the trout were suddenly crazy active. They were not only taking wets and nymphs, but recklessly taking dry flies too. Every little crack and crevice I though there would be a fish, there was. Even in some ridiculously skinny water no more than two feet wide. I only fished for maybe two hours, but they were an absolutely stellar 120 minutes.

Once back at the house Anthony confirmed similar success. I was very happy he was able to wrap up his trip that way. It was more than a little redemption considering the otherwise frustrating day.

The Last Night

The rest of the night was mostly a blur. A mix of watching TV, drinking beer, and a lot of gathering of assorted things and stowing them in bags or suitcases. The finality started to sink in. I had a great time with Anthony and Dave, we were quite the trio for those five days of chasing trout across the Driftless.

Looking ahead to Track 6… Yes, the guys were getting in their cars and leaving first thing in the morning, but I’d have one more day on the water by myself to look forward to. Hopefully, this album ends on a high note…

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

I have a favorite stream in the Driftless. I enjoy all it’s bends and bows, nooks and crannies. Home to browns, brookies, and the occasional chub. While I find it an ideal creek to fish alone, it can easily accommodate two anglers. However, three’s probably a crowd. I only introduce it to close friends. It’s special to me. One might even call it Paradise.

A Tag Team Trip

It was now Sunday, Day 4 of our Driftless adventure. I decided to take Dave to my special stream. Anthony went in a slightly different direction, to fish a creek the local fly shop dares not mention by name, in search of brook trout.

Dave and I took a nice quiet drive northeast from the farm and ended up at the bridge I typically drop in at. Unlike the past two days, nobody was there except us. Perfect.

The Course of Action

The reason I like this stream so much is its variety. As you fish the first few runs and pools, you traditionally encounter brook trout. As you follow it through a nice stretch of wooded section, you can escape the direct sun. That came in handy last year when Anthony & I fished here.

Eventually the brook trout transition into browns. At first, the brown trout are on the smaller side, but as you proceed they get larger and decidedly more feisty. Suddenly the trees recede and you’re fishing in a grassy meadow section that bobs and weaves and forces you up and down its banks. Eventually, the terminus and your exit back to the road runs along farmland that is finely manicured and easily navigable. It also happens to hold the largest fish.

We Started Slow, But Heated Up

The brook trout section wasn’t what I expected. In fact, the brookies didn’t present themselves at all, which was highly disappointing. However we did catch a few of those small brown trout in their place, almost immediately after coming down the bank from the car.

From there Dave and I hopscotched each other upstream navigating casting lanes around the trees from the lightly worn fisherman’s path. I was really having success with a small Khill Pink Squirreltail nymph that my friend Ty ties for me. Dave was struggling a bit, so I gave one to him and he was instantly into fish too. He even may have started outfishing me! I guess sometimes the fly does matter.

And on We Went

As we continued on, the fishing seemed to only get better. The fish were where they were supposed to be, they were actively taking flies, and it was just a great time of slow and steady wading, casting, and laughing. Dave’s a really funny guy, I could stand next to him and listen to him talk while fishing all day.

Mike The Hammer

Nicknames are also funny. You can’t give one to yourself. That’s poor form. And sometimes the names that are given to you by others are a bit silly. Most friends I’ve known for a long time call me “Ags”, a shortened version of my last name.

Dave… well, he started calling me Mike “The Hammer” after I fished a section and caught 2 or 3 fish in rapid succession. I actually thought he was calling me “Mike Hammer“, like the fictional detective made famous in books and 1980’s television. Perhaps I need to grow a moustache like Stacy Keach?

The Prime Cuts

If the brook trout let us down early on, the prime meanders of creek later in our session certainly did not. There was a point where the brown trout were coming to hand fast. I guess it was Hammer Time… LOL.

The Exit Point

The final section of water we fished is out in almost the wide open. Contrary to what you may think, this section also has some very healthy trout. Both Dave & I tried our hands at some of the large fish we saw, but just couldn’t fool them into taking our flies. I guess that’s why they’re big.

Instead, we each caught a few “walk off” fish before collapsing our rods and hiking back to the car. We also received a text from Anthony that he was having a good day as well, and just slaying the brook trout on a Pass Lake fly. (Dave doesn’t like fishing Pass Lakes).

Time For A Cold Beer

After fishing all morning and into the afternoon, Dave & I needed a pick me up. Unlike yesterday, there were no A&Ws nearby. Instead we opted for some cold beer and bar food. It was a wise choice. The ambiance in this place was amazing. Welcoming bartender, comfortable bar stools, the Brewers game on TV, assorted taxidermy on the walls, and some damn good eats. I had a beer brat, Dave enjoyed a burger. It was kind of a perfect way to cap off what was an excellent day of fishing.

Thought this Track was Over?

Nah, not quite. Once back at the farm, we met up with Anthony, but then he went into prime real estate mode. He was in the process of buying a house. I won’t get into the rest of the details of that transaction, but let’s just say he kept quite busy on the phone and laptop.

Dave & I lounged a bit on the sofas while Anthony was virtual house hunting, but as idle anglers do, we got itchy. After a quick huddle, the two of us decided to go out one more time and fish the hour and a half before sunset, and then reconnect with Anthony, along with our friends Matt & Rob (and some of the other holdovers from the campout) for a late dinner at another local bar. Greedy to sneak in another trout session perhaps, but that’s why were in the Driftless, right?

A Cow Country Finale

Let’s just say that hour and a half at dusk was good, but not great. And certainly not as good as the earlier part of the day. We went to a stream that is highly regarded amongst our group of friends and fished through the cow pastures.

I caught a few, Dave caught a few more, and we fortunately escaped without pissing off a momma cow too much. Even though we tried to keep a wide berth, she was none too fond of us walking past her and her calf. You could see the agitation in her face as her eyes locked on to us and she began excessively salivating from the mouth. However, despite that brief moment of tension, we survived to fish again tomorrow. Little victories I suppose.

And with that, yet another day of fishing was complete. More beers and food were consumed that night at the bar, but nothing much more to report here.

A sneak peek to Track 5 coming up tomorrow – it finds Dave & I reunited with Anthony again on the water, on the last day the three of us would fish together on this trip…

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Track 4 – Paradise appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Despite the title of this track, we didn’t fish in a park on Saturday, May 2nd. Instead, we fished off a highway. But I’ll get to the significance of the titular song later in this entry. For now, just press “play” and enjoy Richard Harris belting out this gem as some background music while you read today’s post.

Oh no, the Russkies…

The numerous options of waters to fish in the Driftless are practically uncountable. That’s why I like it so much. Today, Saturday, Anthony offered the idea that we go fish a stream that was a little over an hour away. He’s been there, but I’d never had, or anywhere in that area before, so new water sounded great to me. Dave was agreeable too, so into Anthony’s Outback the three of us went.

The odds that someone else would be at the “pin” on Anthony’s map weren’t particularly high, but you know after a long drive and the fact that today also happened to be the first day of harvest season in Wisconsin… well, those odds escalated quickly.

As we arrived, three men were scaling the cement bank back up to their car. Anthony approached them to confirm they were leaving, and in a heavy eastern European accents, they verified they were done. Did I mention they also had a white plastic shopping bag just crammed to the top with fish? Were they over their combined limit of 5 each? Beats me, but they were clearly damn effective with their spinning tackle.

Let’s just hope our Russian comrades didn’t fish out all the good holes.

Divide & Conquer

Similar to the day before, the three of us spaced ourselves out a bit on the stream. Anthony stuck close to the car and fished the big hole under the bridge, I went upstream just a little bit, and Dave ventured even further. As we all fished up, Dave was always in my sight, but Anthony definitely disappeared for a bit. You just knew he was staying back and hammering that hole hard. (Re-reading that last sentence is more than a little nasty, LOL.)

The Fishing Was Better than Friday

With Anthony downstream, I’d say Dave and I were faring fairly well upstream. We’d each pick up a fish or two every 20 yards. There wasn’t a ton of structure in the section we were fishing, but just enough that a well placed fly in and around a rock, downed tree branch, or cutbank would catch a trout’s attention.

Eventually, we came across this really pretty rock wall and an incredibly deep hole situated right in front of it. As I caught up to Dave he told me he had just hooked a huge fish in said hole, but it came off. Not sure if it kicked the hook or broke him off. Either way, I tried to recreate the feat, but was unsuccessful. Those fish weren’t having any of my hijinks.

At this point I leapfrogged Dave who was intent on staying and getting a fish out from that spot. He eventually did, although not the leviathan he previously pierced. I was also lucky, landing three fish of my own at the bottom of a nearby run.

Anthony Returns

As Dave & I decided to walk back downstream, we ran into Anthony finally fishing up. Almost as soon as he came into sight, he was buttoned up on a fish, so we could tell he was having a good day too. He told us he did well down by the bridge, even hooked a fish so big it just wouldn’t move. You know the type. Anthony isn’t one to tell fish tales, so I believe him. I’ve seen him do that too many times to be skeptical.

And Then They Started Looking Up!

Anthony just kept on going upstream, so Dave & I went downstream back toward the direction of the car. As we did, Dave started skating a fly on the surface and the trout really began reacting in a positive fashion. The trout were finally looking up, and after fishing nymphs all morning, some topwater action made the catching even more enjoyable from that point on.

I was fortunate to nab a few as well, but the best was yet to come.

Under The Bridge

So, back near the car, I just had to fish under the bridge too. With Anthony’s report of big fish, who wouldn’t? Now, I didn’t catch that monster he was talking about, but I did catch two solid fish almost back to back just downstream in the hole’s tailout.

I was actually startled when I hooked the first one. After fishing for a few days and catching mostly smaller fish, this slightly larger handful really put a jolt in the rod upon connection.

Which was then followed up by this photogenic charmer.

After those two fish, Anthony had finally arrived and he and Dave were just chatting waiting for me to wrap things up. It’s a weird spot as an angler. Your friends are clearly done, but you’re on a roll and kind of want to keep fishing. A few empty casts later, I packed it in too. We had fished for a few lively hours and had a wonderful time. Back in the Outback we went.

Enter MacArthur Park

Satellite radio is awesome. It can also be necessary in some parts of Wisconsin. As we headed back to the farm and were recollecting our day’s adventure, MacArthur Park came on the car stereo. Don’t recall exactly what Sirius station we were listening to. Let’s just say we were overwhelmed by the nuclear-charged vocals that define Richard Harris.

Mr. Harris masterfully belts out this tune with such passion that’s unmistakable and immediate. This is not the Donna Summer or Four Tops version. And the song is just so damn wonderfully (and comically) long. It felt like it was playing for 1/3 of our drive back to the farm.

After the 3rd or 4th chorus, we were all singing along in the car. Anthony lamenting that “someone left the cake out in the rain”, me mournfully expressing that “we’d never have that recipe again”, and Dave, with his deep voice bellowing, “Ohhhhhh nooooooooooo…” from the backseat. Like really, it was amazing. You had to be there.

It was in fact so majestic, Anthony had to pull up the video of Richard Harris performing it on the TV once we got back to the farm. We watched it enthralled as he captivated us possibly more than his live audience. I just had to embed it here too, so you can take in his lyrical sorcery.

A&W Pit Stop

After all that singing, we did make a quick pit stop at A&W for some mid afternoon snacks. I mean, how can you not stop for such a friendly bear?

Oh, Yeah, and then the Midwest Tenkara Fest Too!

Once more, I did an absolutely horrible job of documenting the Midwest Tenkara Fest, but Saturday evening was the main gathering of the weekend. We cruised into Esofea to find there were probably upwards of 50 people present for a big BBQ feed, raffles, and if you’re our friend and International Man of Mystery, Bill, randomly running off into the woods to hunt for wild ramps.

One of the more humorous raffle prizes was this pack of camel fur dubbing that claimed to be “Smooth to the touch, yet extremely kinky.” Rawr. My friend Jared was very amused by this and I believe will be appropriating this slogan as his own.

After that, it was just a good time with like minded anglers around the fire pit. Lots of great stories were told late into the night. I’d tell some here, but they’re best kept at camp.

In Closing

I do have to give a big shout out and thanks to A.J. (& his wife), Art, and the aforementioned Jared for organizing this wonderful social event for the tenkara community. The Midwest Tenkara Fest is always a highlight of my fishing calendar and these “Tenkara Chums” really went out of their way to make everyone feel welcome. Well done guys!

So what’s that? 3 Tracks down and at least 3 more to go? You won’t want to miss the next one. Sunday was a good day for sure…

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Track 3 – MacArthur Park appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

After a good night’s sleep, we took our time on Friday morning before heading out. With more than a little chill in the morning air, the fish weren’t going to get moving until the sun got a little higher in the sky.

One Creek on the Agenda

Most days in the Driftless mean hitting a creek in the morning, taking a little siesta, and then possibly a second stream in the afternoon. It didn’t quite play out that way today. With our bit of a delayed start, paired with a promise to meet up in the evening with the larger group that was assembling over at the Esofea Campground for the Midwest Tenkara Fest, we were going to fish one creek, and one creek only.

This particular creek has been very bi-polar to me in the past. In 2021, I may have had arguably my best day ever fishing in terms of numbers and quality of fish. In 2023, the last time I fished it with Dave, it was 90 degrees by 11:00 AM, the water was low, and fishing was slow. But Anthony, Dave, & I were going to give it a go and see what personality it had taken on this occasion.

Upon Arrival

After the 40 minute or so drive rockin’ down the highway from the farm, we were a bit dismayed to see three anglers at the tailgate of their SUV slipping into their boots and waders when we arrived at the bridge; the de facto entry point. Luckily, after a short chat they revealed they were going to walk downstream and fish back up to the car, so we were clear to fish upstream. A gentleman’s agreement, just as it should be.

How Was The Fishing?

I’d probably say somewhere in between the two prior trips I referenced earlier in this post. Not the worst, but far from the best. It really didn’t matter much though. We all caught fish. And of course, it was really quite fun to spend time with the guys on water.

We fished what I like to call “accordion style”. The three of us spreading out on the stream a bit to start, giving each other a fair amount of distance to fish alone for a bit, before occasionally coming together to trade updates and fish alongside each other for a spell.

The resident brown trout were mostly where you’d expect to find them, either at the bottom of shallow runs, or in the deeper holes created by bends in the creek. They just weren’t always eager to take your fly. Like the previous day, it was a bit on the windy side and deeply drifted nymphs ruled the day.

Few Snapshots

I didn’t take too many photos while fishing, instead I messed around with my action camera and captured a lot of first-person video like this…

The Starring Role

But of all the video I took on Friday, and maybe the trip, this interaction with Dave after he coaxed this trout from this small bend (the first fish of the afternoon for him) was my favorite. I think I enjoy recording other people fish more than I do my own fishing!

In all, it was a solid session. I’d say between the three of us, we probably caught 40 fish. It definitely gave us something to talk about on the long walk back to the car up on the gravel shoulder of the highway.

Postgame

The rest of the day and evening went by fairly quickly. First, we drove back to the farm to freshen up a bit and grab some warmer clothes. And when we arrived, we were greeted by a very large and very round friend.

I don’t know if he’s a pet… or in training to become bacon, but he hung out near our lodge almost every afternoon and evening just munching on anything and everything he could find in the grass, shrubs, and woods behind the house.

After bidding our new pal farewell, Dave drove us over to the campground to say “hello” to all the tenkara folks that were camping there for the weekend. While I didn’t take any photos, it was incredibly nice to see some familiar faces, as well as meet and get to know a few new ones.

Friday night was sort of the first night everyone was filtering into camp, many still setting up tents and hammocks when we arrived. The larger social gathering was planned for Saturday night, but this smaller crowd on Friday was more my speed.

After exchanging pleasantries for maybe two-ish hours – telling a few stories, knocking back a beer and downing a slice or two of pizza – we decided to head back before it got too dark. Dave doesn’t like to drive in the dark, and for good reason. On the winding roads back to the farm not only did a two deer bolt out in front of his car, but a deranged rabbit and suicidal raccoon did as well. Wisconsin is WILD man!

As for tomorrow; where would Saturday bring us? Come back for Track 3 and find out…

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Early Morning Travel

The first day was quite the epic adventure. Actually, let’s call it what it was, a damn long day.

My flight from Jacksonville, Florida to my eventual destination in Wisconsin was scheduled to leave at 6:00 AM. Flights never seem to be punctual, but this one decided to be. I received a notification the night before that departure was going to be moved up to 5:45 AM!

As such, I was up out of bed at 3:00 AM to shower, drive to the airport and check my fishing luggage to be at the gate in time for the first flight to Chicago. Oh, did I mention that I was up until after 12:00 AM watching the Flyers beat the Penguins in a first round, Game 7 thriller?

So yeah, ridiculously exhausted before the trip even began. Let’s just say sleeping on a plane had never been easier.

Fortunately, the connection to Rochester, Minnesota was also on time, so after grabbing my rental car and cruising down the highway a bit, I was in Coon Valley, Wisconsin before you knew it.

Rod’s Farm

The accommodations were a pretty sweet Airbnb. A “trout lodge” on a farm that also happened to have a stream running right through the property. I had stayed on the grounds in the smaller one room cabin a few years ago, but this time we were staying in the larger house. What a score!

I got there around 2:00 PM and started unpacking all my stuff. My fishing buddies Anthony & Dave filed in shortly thereafter. As we exchanged pleasantries and further unpacked, we couldn’t help but notice the lodge was very well stocked. And I’m not talking about the trout… It didn’t take long for the scotch to find a glass.

But We’re Here to Fish!

Once you get three anglers in one spot situated, it also doesn’t take long for the fishing itch to set in. No later than suitcases and duffel bags were emptied, waders and boots went on, and we walked down to the stream that ran through the property, even though we knew we’d only have at best two or so hours of daylight to fish.

Once at the water, Anthony & I went downstream, while Dave started upstream, although we all eventually ended up fishing together at some point in the outing.

Fishing Was Sloooooow

I’m just going to cut to the chase, the fishing was tough. Did we catch fish? Yes. But it wasn’t the typical “Driftless” fishing any of us were used to or hoped for. The trout were more than a little sluggish this particular late afternoon. Clearly not as active as they usually are to a twitched wet fly. It was basically beadhead nymph fishing, and you had to get it down and right in front of the fish for them to take.

It had been fairly windy and chilly both today, and the days prior, so I guess it wasn’t too surprising to see the trout just not interested in playing our games.

Personally, it probably didn’t help that I was having some gear issues I’d need to work through as well. First, I had bought a new action camera to mess around with shooting some video of us fishing. This was the first time I was using it, so I was fiddling around with the camera settings almost as much as I was with my fly box.

Second, I found myself “long distance releasing” far too many of the fish I was hooking. I eventually figured out the problem and slightly widened the gap on the nymphs I was using, but I probably lost the first five or six fish before I remedied that issue.

Despite all that, I would say it was a positive micro session of fishing, if nothing more than to shake off the rust and work through some of the equipment kinks before the longer, and potentially more productive outings of the next few days. The weather was also to get gradually warmer each day, topping out in the mid 70s, which figured to liven things up a bit.

A Nightcap At the Stockyard

After fishing, it was time to find some food. It may come to a surprise to you that there are not a lot of dining options available in Coon Valley at around 8:00 PM on a random Thursday night. We chose The Stockyard Grill & Saloon right along the main street.

I feel like it’s always a gamble if the kitchen is still going to be open when we roll in on the later side of things. Fortunately, they were still serving food. The Stockyard also has some mean outdoorsy taxidermy on the walls, like this trout that was hung directly over our table.

Some combination of burgers, wings, and cold beer were ordered and I think I recall them tasting good, but I really don’t remember much from that point on. Once that Miller Lite hit my lips, I started to crash from exhaustion. See, at this point, I had probably been awake for 33 of the last 36 hours and just wanted to get back to the house and get a good night’s sleep. Yeah, I’m evidently that guy.

And with that, day one (or maybe day 0.5) was done, with much, much more to come.

Tracks on the Driftless 2026 Album:

Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind

Track 2 – Rockin’ Down The Highway

Track 3 – MacArthur Park

Track 4 – Paradise

Track 5 – We’re Not Gonna Take It

Track 6 – Cruisin’

Bonus Track!

The post Driftless 2026: Track 1 – Ride Like the Wind appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Will it be another Hobbit-inspired series of posts? Unlikely, but should be fun to write nonetheless.

In the meantime, here’s a few photos from the trip, with several more to come.

The post I’m Back After Six Days of Driftless Fishing appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

After several rounds of interviews with multiple companies, Lilly was able to get a position this summer to work in wardrobe at the Bard College SummerScape. This is kind of a big deal, as I’m learning lots of Broadway and adjacent talent also work these shows, so it’s a great opportunity for her not only get high end experience, but also build connections and (hopefully) do a bit of networking. Lilly also gets to stay on campus with free room and board and make an hourly rate significantly more than last summer. Win/win/win.

Here’s a link to one of the shows she is going to be working on. The director (Daniel Fish) was the director of the Broadway revival of Oklahoma! that Lilly saw and fell in love with several years ago. Fish’s interpretation of Oklahoma! happened to be part of the 2015 Bard SummerScape, before “graduating” to Broadway in 2019.

As parents, KC & I are really excited. Maybe even more than Lilly is. It’s a cool opportunity right before her Junior year of college. But in the end, it’s her life, not ours. We can only give her encouragement to have fun and make the most of it. I’m sure she will.

Which comes to the fishing… maybe.

Bard College is in New York’s Hudson Valley, right at the foothills of the Catskills. So, when KC & I go to visit Lilly this summer and see one of the shows, we’ve already decided that we’re going to make a week of it and meander around the surrounding area.

I’d expect that July isn’t going to be the best time to go trout fishing, but you better bet I’m going to bring a rod and wading boots anyway. There’s no chance I’m going to be in the Catskills for a week and not get a line wet. Plus, I’ve always wanted to check out the Catskills Fly Fishing Center & Museum in person. I don’t know, I just want to geek out somewhere that has fly fishing history for a little bit… and that area has a ton.

So that’s it. That’s the update. If you have any intel, recommendations, etc… on the Catskills, especially in July, I’ll certainly take any and all. I’ve never spent any time there before, so I’m looking forward to any feedback in the comments below.

And no, the fact that the director of Lilly’s show’s last name is “Fish” is not lost on me either.

The post Lilly’s Got a Big Summer Gig – and I Maybe Got a Fishing Trip to Plan appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

At 16:30, when Jared notes “every place you thought there would be a fish, there was a fish,” I couldn’t help but smile. My fishing friends and I have said almost the exact same thing after a day on Driftless waters. Can’t wait to go back in a few weeks…

Enjoy this one, it’s special.

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