Polk/Burnett counties trout fishing trip

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Hello friends, This week’s column is about a very cool experience where I went with a friend’s advice but lost my information and completely winged it as to where to fish, camp and enjoy life.

Friday, May 6 High 53, Low 36

Quite often much of my life experiences take place real close to a day late and a dollar short. Today, as I filled my gas tank in Cumberland, I realized that my gasoline budget has now hit a minimum of $200 a week and, in reality, it is more than that.

As I drove toward Clam Falls in northeast Polk County, which is an area that I have never seen before, I realized that I had lost my info on creeks to fish but the one name that stuck out was Clam Falls. It was 5:30 in the afternoon and I did not know where I was going to camp today or fish the following morning, which was Wisconsin’s state fishing opener.

I worked my way north on County O and saw a woman harvesting firewood with her children. I asked her about fishing streams and camping ideas. She told me that she was a vegetarian and did not know. Good luck came my way when I saw a man rigging up his bass boat and I stopped and talked to him.

At first he did not not know what to tell me and then he had a brainstorm and mentioned a neighbor that has land on the Clam River that in this section would be in the McKenzie Creek State Wildlife Area.

I drove over to the neighbor’s house, was given permission, did an exploratory hike and oh my God did I like what I saw in the form of both a beautiful body of water for trout fishing and a remote setting.

It’s now 6:30 I have to figure out the camping thing. I headed over to Clam Falls, which is a super beautiful setting, and found Moody’s Wildwoods Campground. I met the owners, Jackie and Rod Moodys, who did not have a spot for me to camp but let me stay in the yard where they have their camper and, by God, I opened up a PBR and built my camp.

Saturday, May 7 High 62, Low 37

Yesterday I found the hole I would fish and it is about a 500-yard walk through a heck of a pretty forest. I did this with my headlamp lit. If I am gonna go trout fishing I honestly believe you should be on the water at first light. My plan would be the usual, number 10 hook, split shot, 6-pound test line and a night crawler. I was literally amazed when, after two hours, all I had caught was two suckers.

I kept seeing fish surfacing down stream, but there were some deadfalls and so I waited. When I made my move it was well worth the effort as I worked a long, fast moving hole that within seconds yielded me a 12-inch brown trout. I am not fibbing when I say the next two hours was a non-stop brook trout catching experience. I landed and released at least 30 and decided to head back to camp, cook a few of them over the campfire and life was incredible considering how this trip fell into place.

Later in the day my buddy Paul Bucher who runs The Cumberland Advocate (buy it/advertise in it, its a great local paper) stopped by for some quality campfire time.

The following day I was exploring before daylight on a different section of the Clam River in both Polk and Burnett counties and I witnessed quite the sight as the suckers were spawning. It was a non-stop show. In many cases the fish were dropping spawn within inches of my feet if I stood real quietly in the river.

I found some stretches of river in southeast Burnett County that I honestly believe, had it been earlier in the morning, would have yielded me a world-record brown trout, maybe even two.

What I like about my style of trout fishing is that once I am fishing, I have nothing but time “kind of like bowhunting.” I make a point of blending with my environment and watching the world around me.

This trip had me doing a lot of hiking in chest waders and my health seemed excellent.

Finally I want to give a tip of my hat to the folks that have done some incredible work on stream/trout habitat reclamation, most likely fisheries people in the Department of Natural Resources and possibly with help from Trout Unlimited.

Sometimes it’s good to live on the edge! Sunset