The Driftless Area of SW WI, NE IA & SE MN

The Driftless Area of the Upper Midwest is a truly special part of the Upper Midwest fly fishing community.  It's unique geology, huge concentrate of fertile spring creeks, nestled in the valleys and coulees below the hills and bluffs that support local and organic farmers makes it truly unique. I thought that I would compile a listing of some of the resources needed for folks interested in fly fishing the Driftless Area for the first time.  For those who are considering fly fishing these technical spring creeks for the first time, learning them may seem to be a daunting task.  It was for me the first time that I fished them.  Hopefully, this article will help shorten your learning curve.  Once you get to know these intimate spring creeks not only will they draw you back but you will fall in love with the beauty that is the Driftless Area.  The lush vegetation, everything seems to grow with vigor in the Driftless Area, the small family farms, abundant and varied wildlife, the bluffs and coulees, the small towns with their own personality, all add to the pleasure of spending time in the Driftless Area.

The Streams:  Cozy is a good word to use when describing the Driftless Area streams.  The spring creeks run through pastures, farmland, open wild areas; and, canopied woods.  Small by western standards but rich in aquatic life and naturally reproducing trout.  The Driftless Area was spared the onslaught of the glaciers and so retain the natural hills and bluffs character and are and free of glacier drift (debris - rocks, gravel, etc), hence the term, Driftless.  The resulting limestone bluffs and aquifers produce steady cold water year round that does not freeze in the winter. The picture on the right is that of a spring head emerging from a hillside. The streams have also benefited from the long-term and dedicated work of Trout Unlimited, the DNR's of WI, MN & IA; and, other stream improvement groups to create hundreds of miles of gorgeous trout streams.  The spring creeks have riffles, pools, runs, undercuts, lunker structure and change in character as you walk along their banks.  The streams support a large variety of trout food - caddis, mayflies, scuds, sculpins, etc. 

Tackle Recommendations: rods from 6'6" - 9" casting lines 3 - 5 wts all work. However, anglers should be aware that there is often wind in SW WI and some of the streams are intimate and/or have a canopy of tree branches over them. While every fly angler has their own tackle preferences an 8' 4 wt graphite rod or 7'6" - 7'9" 4 or 5 wt cane rod are good configurations to start with. You should also consider taking a rain jacket with you. There are often rain squalls or thunder storms and because of the bluffs you will not see the local storms coming until they are upon you. Hip waders are preferred by many although full waders provide protection against vegetation, particularly, wild parsnips. Finally, Aquastealth, Vibram; or, Streamtread soled boots have an advantage over felt boots because fishing the spring creeks requires walking throughout the day and wet felt is slippery on grass.

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