For official event information, click 'Learn more' above

Trip Details:

Location: Westby, WI 

Accommodations:  Old Town Motel – Westby, WI

Contact: Tom Chmielewski: Thomas.w.chmielewski8@gmail.com 

Event details are still being finalized and are subject to change. Official event details are managed above. 

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Join fellow members for a weekend of fishing, fun, and food in classic Wisconsin fishing waters on our annual fishing trip to the Driftless region of Wisconsin. This trip is a great introduction to fly fishing if you are new to the sport, or just new to to the area. 

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We typically stay at the Old Town Motel in Westby, WI. The trip usually starts on Friday and ends on Sunday. Some members extend the trip by a day or so in either direction. We pair up our new fishers with experienced members so you can get a better understanding of the area and how to fish it more effectively. There are many quality streams located within 30 minutes of the motel, and there is an excellent fly shop in nearby Viroqua. The Driftless Cafe in Viroqua is a favorite dinner spot for many members.

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The trip includes a Saturday night drinks and dinner get-together with our trip members and, usually, some friends we have made in the area. Terrific local fishing guides are available and should be booked in advance, so please ask me for their contact information. If you bring any non-fishers, there is a great park for hiking, a small winery, a pheasant hunting lodge, and other attractions in scenic Amish country.

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The cost of the trip has historically been $220 for a single room and $160 for a double, which includes two nights lodging and Saturday dinner. We will stay at the Old Town Motel in Westby, WI. Contact Tom to RSVP and please tell him if you want a Double or Single room. If you want a double, please let him know the name of your roommate. If you don’t have one, he will assign you a roommate. We have a block of rooms with limited availability so be sure to RSVP. Most years we have to get extra rooms.

Typical Schedule:

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Friday Day/Evening:

• No events, but most people come up early enough to fish the afternoon and we all end up meeting in the bar of the OLD TOWN INN (right across the parking lot). Please stop in

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Saturday Day/Evening:

• 7:30-8:00 am: Meet in the lobby to get paired up with members and get a sense of where everyone will be going and to pair new members with more experienced members of the area

• 8:00 am until dark: Fish like crazy

• 7:30 pm: Dinner at the Old Town Inn​

• After Dinner: Drinks at the bar, if you are so inclined, and tell lies about your day of fishing…

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Sunday: Travel home (Maybe fish some on your way home)

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The Driftless Streams:

The Driftless Area is a unique 13,000 square mile geological area located mostly in Southwest Wisconsin, and extending into Southeast Minnesota, Northeast Iowa and Northwest Illinois. The continental glacier which covered most surrounding regions did not touch this area, sparing it the land-altering effects of glacial drift. 

The area is filled with caves and sinkholes and has residual, well-drained soil. It also has an abundance of spring creeks with water characteristics similar to Pennsylvania spring creeks.

This is a prime destination for trout fishers. Solid populations of naturally reproducing brown trout and the native species, brook trout, along with stocked rainbows provide an exceptional fishery. Popular rivers and streams include Castle Rock, Big Green, The Blue and Timber Coulee to name a few. The West Fork of the Kickapoo is listed in Trout Unlimited's Guide to America's 100 Best Trout Streams.

The Henry and Laura Nohr chapter of Trout Unlimited has done extensive work in stream and habitat restoration in this area. EDTU has participated with the Nohr chapter in many of these projects.