Anglers share many characteristics. They tend to overestimate size and quantity. They will fish in conditions they will otherwise claim would keep them from doing yardwork. And they love to tell stories. However, ask them for details, and their memories get fuzzy. Ask what lures they used, and you will get a muttered answer such as 'spinners' or 'dry flies'. Ask where they caught fish, and they will change the subject altogether, usually to a hunting story.
There is a simple reason why anglers are cagey about their fishing spots. The saying is that in a given body of water, 80 percent of the fish are found in 20 percent of the water. The trick is to find that 20 percent. Drive by any lake in the winter, and you will see shanties grouped together, rather then uniformly spread across the ice. An experienced fisherman can narrow options down based on observations such as weed beds or dropoffs, or weather conditions. Most of the time it is simply trial and error to learn where fish like to congregate. Fishing is hard work.
The driftless area is well-known for trout streams. Wisconsin has over 13,000 miles of classified trout streams, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issues a separate set of regulations for trout fishing. A quick look at the maps included with the regulations will show that many of those streams are located in the valleys, or coulees. of the driftless area. With so many to choose from, it can take a lifetime to explore them and find good spots to fish.
I have fished in coulee country on and off for many years, and Maggie and I set off to explore some local steams on a recent weekend. Armed with the WDNR's maps and a Wisconsin Gazetteer, we spent a rainy Sunday driving the back roads to find potential candidates to try. My tattered Gazatteer has circled stream crossings from past years of fishing, and I added to those notes as the afternoon wore on. In Wisconsin, access to streams can be gained at bridge crossings and on public land. The rain kept anglers away, but had the weather been better, every bridge crossing with a decent stream would have been occupied by a car. The process of trial and error continues for my fishing stories. Just don't ask to see my map, or you will hear about the time I was pheasant hunting and the guide pulled an opossum from a wood pile.
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