Beiträge von LenHarris

  • OT: Wife wants a "Dirndl"

    Harris Fest 2011



    Jo Ellen Rott "Wife Best Friend From High School"



    My wife Barb


    The Bavarian Outfits are ready for "Harris Fest"


    The women have their dirndls and the husbands
    have their authentic Bavarian garb also "Beer Bellies"

  • Lions, Tigers and Bears

    Lions, Tigers and Bears


    The wilds of Southwestern Wisconsin are home to four different trout. The native species, the brook trout, is actually from the char family and has been here since the beginning. The other residents are either imports or hybrids. The import is the brown trout. Brown trout were brought here in the holds of ships by European settlers. Rainbow trout are not native to the area and are hatchery rejects. The other resident of the area is the “Tiger Trout”.

    The male brook trout(above)and female brown(below) are the father and mother of the Tiger.


    The tiger trout is a sterile hybrid cross between a female brown trout and a male brook trout. The fish exhibits unusual markings found in neither parent. Tiger trout are rare in the wild, appearing only in areas where brook and brown trout share spawning grounds. The cross can only happen in one direction. Brown trout sperm can not impregnate brook trout eggs due to being too large. Tiger trout follow the same life cycle as a brook trout and die out in three to five years.

    Female tiger above. Male tiger below


    This interspecies cross is unusual, in part because each fish belongs to a separate genus (Salvelinus for brook trout and Salmo for browns). It happens rarely in the wild, but can be (and is) easily performed by fisheries biologists or hatchery technicians.

    This wild (non-hatchery) tiger trout was caught in Southwestern Wisconsin. It was caught on a silver panther martin size six by me in Crawford County Wisconsin. The majority of my 13 tigers I have caught have been caught in Crawford County. A typical tiger caught in the wild is between 8 and 16 inches long.

    Male tiger above. Female Tiger Below


    Tigers are pretty fish. The normal vermiculations (wormlike markings) found on the backs of most brookies become enlarged and often contorted into stripes (hence the name 'tiger'), swirls, spots, and rings. The trout also exhibit a greenish cast, which lets you know, when you hook one, that there is something different on the end of your line long before the fish is in hand. Tigers also get their name from their wild abandon when it comes to feeding.


    Naturally-occuring tiger trout generally appear only in streams that have higher brook trout than brown trout populations. And while they don't appear often, they are becoming more commonly found in the Midwest and New England.


    Many states throughout the United States have active stocking programs for tiger trout. Massachusetts, for example. The state record measured 26 inches and weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces. Angler Michael Shelton caught the fish in Peters Pond, near Sandwich.


    Wyoming also boasts an active stocking program. The state-record tiger was caught on July 26, 2006 by Greg Salisbury. It measured 16 1/2 inches long. The lake was stocked the year prior with 12-inch tigers.


    Tiger trout were stocked in Wisconsin's Lake Michigan waters between 1974 and 1977, but this stopped due to poor hatch rates in Wisconsin hatcheries. The egg sacs were thin and this made a poor survival rate in fertilized eggs. All tigers caught in Wisconsin these days are the result of natural reproduction. They are not hatchery fish. Lake-run tigers had (and still have) amazing growth rates compared to small stream fish. The world record tiger trout was caught in Lake Michigan on an alewive in the middle of the night in 1978. The monster measure over 20 pounds. This is an insane growth rate for four years. Some biologists think it was a blessing in disguise that the tiger were not stocked anymore. They looked at the growth rate and the potential of the tiger trout wiping out many other native species in the Great Lakes and think “What If?”



    Male Tiger above. Female tiger below.


    Wisconsin has a booming population of tiger trout. Many have been caught in the last 12 years in Southwestern Wisconsin. They show no preference for flies or live bait. The best way to find a tiger is to find a stream with a large brook trout population and a stream with many springs. The springs are the key for the water temperatures to be optimal for the hybrid to gestate. Tigers are so rare in Wisconsin, they are not even mentioned in the trout fishing regulations. Most tigers are caught in tiny water and the cover is tight and a small shorter rod is recommended. Happy hunting for your “Tiger” in the wilds of the Wisconsin Driftless Area.

  • OT: Wife wants a "Dirndl"

    We have a fest every year in June and my wife always talks about wanting a
    "Dirndl". I have priced them on the internet new. They are more than I want to spend. My wife's mother is pretty good about fixing clothing. Any of you have a second hand "Dirndl" for a reasonable price?






    Thanks
    Len

  • Wisconsin Slam!!!

    Fished for 1.25 hours tonight.


    Landed 15 trout.


    Got a Brookie/Bow/Brown Slam "second of the year"


    Bow was over 20 and I was disappointed when she first surface....she fought really hard. I was thinking


    "Giant Brown"




  • Hooked For Life


    Alec with his first trout he ever caught. His Dad's smile tell the whole story.


    I met Joe Fotjik about 7 years ago. It was back when I guided. Joe had a wonderful time in Southwestern Wisconsin. He was so impressed with me he asked if he could bring his son the next time he booked me. Alec was 9 years old and had never small stream trout fished. I had Joe get his son some lessons before he came that next year and we set out to show Alec the wonders of trout fishing. The trip was set the next year in spring season.


    Alec showed up with all new gear and ready to go. He had not actually wet a line but was really excited about going trout fishing. It is very important to start a kid out correctly. They must actually catch a trout on their first outing or they will become dismayed and lose interest quickly. I knew this quite well from talking to many parents who took out their kids and the kids were disappointed in the outing and set down the rod and never returned. Catching a trout was number one on my list for this outing. I planned the trip where there were lots of brook trout. Brook trout are always easier to catch than browns.


    Alec was just like every 10 year old when they had never actually used a fly rod on stream and this was their first time. There were many trees caught on the back casts and many questions asked. There were a few wind knots and some frustration. At the end of the outing Alec was hooked on trout fishing for life. He caught 11 trout that morning and his proud father was gushing with pride.


    I guided for a couple more years and hung up guiding. During those couple years I took Alec and his Dad out a couple more times. Alec became quite a good caster and it was obvious he was a trout angler for life. Three years ago I decided to quit guiding. Every spring since then the phone rings and it is Joe Fojtik and he asks if I would mind a couple fishing partners. I always say the same thing. Joe I don't guide any longer but I fish 3-5 times a week and wouldn't mind seeing how Alec has progressed as an angler.


    It happened just like clock work this spring. The phone rang and it was Joe. We set it up to go last week. Joe and Alec arrived at nine am and off we went fishing. It was really rewarding for me to watch Alec cast. He had bloomed in to a full fledged "Trout Nut". Alec is 15 years old now. Alec's casts are pin point and his skills very refined. His fishing tails telling had really come a long way too. The banter between he and his Dad was not like it use to be. Alec was talking about all the outings he and his dad went on and how he out fished his dad and how his dad owed him "many" candy bars. Alec and Joe would always bet one candy bar on each thing. The bets were big trout of the day and most fish of the day. Alec told me that his Dad owed him lots of candy bars.


    We fished for 4 hours the other morning. Dad was counting his fish to hand and was giving Alec a hard time about being behind. The outing was not only about catching trout this time. The father and son talked about the environment and being a good steward of the stream. We talked about barbless versus barbed regulations. It was really obvious that Joe had taught his son how to be a "good" angler. At the end of the day Alec had won the candy bar bet times two. Alec out fished his Dad and caught big fish of the day. I have NEVER seen a more proud father.



    I see lots of candy bars in Alec's future. Alec is hooked for life on trout fishing.

  • Wisconsin Slam!!!

    Brookie/Brown/Bow


    Brookie too little to take photo.


    Fished from 10:30am to 4pm and landed 40 trout.


    All non-brookies were above average in size.





    Bright sun and no clouds today. 40 trout quite a surprise.