DRIFTLESS-AREA STREAMS
Wisconsin's Coulee Country -- also known as the Driftless Area because the last glaciers bypassed it and thus it is without glacial deposits, or drift -- is home to dozens of fine trout streams. Rich in nutrients and fed by numerous springs, most of these are small hill-country streams that flow through a mix of wood lots and farmland on their way to the Mississippi, Wisconsin or Rock rivers.

Numerous stream-improvement projects have been conducted in the area in the last several decades by DNR fisheries crews and private groups. A large-scale project called the Driftless Area Restoration Effort (DARE) will continue this work. Funded by a conservation grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Sport Fish Restoration Fund and coordinated by Trout Unlimited, DARE will support trout-stream improvement in Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota, as well as Wisconsin.

Driftless Area streams offer some of the best fishing for big wild trout you'll find in Wisconsin, and three Grant County streams are among the best of them. The Big Green River flows northwest along Highway K from Fennimore to the Wisconsin River. The Blue River flows north from Monfort to the Wisconsin River. Castle Rock Creek -- also known as Fennimore Fork -- flows northeast from Fennimore to the Blue River. Sections of all three have special regulations with larger size limits and no-kill artificials-only stretches. I have seen brown trout up to 28 inches caught and released on the Castle Rock.

Contact: Grant County Tourism, www.grantcounty.org.

Three Vernon County streams are also among the top trout waters of the Driftless Area. Timber Coulee, a tributary to Coon Creek, flows west along the Vernon-La Crosse County line. Major in-stream habitat work has produced good holding cover for big trout. Trout over 12 inches must be released, so there is a good chance you'll catch a "photo fish." The North Fork and South Fork of the Bad Axe River and numerous small tributaries offer miles of good trout water accessible at numerous bridge crossings between Viroqua and Genoa. The Kickapoo River, most notably its West Fork, also harbors some big trout. The West Fork Sportsmen's Club has done a lot of work on portions of the river. A long stretch of the West Fork above Highway 82 is no-kill artificials-only water.

Contact: Avalanche General Store, (608) 634-2303.

RUSH RIVER
The Rush River rises west of Highway 63 in St. Croix County and meanders south through Pierce County to join the Mississippi at Maiden Rock. A sizeable stream with miles of riffle-pool water and some delightful scenic valleys and limestone outcrops, the Rush is home to some brown trout that grow to proportions big enough to attract anglers from across the Midwest. Bridge crossings provide good access. Plan to fish on a weekday if you can, because the river sees a lot of anglers on weekends.

The Rush is a fertile stream, with an abundance of insects and other invertebrates to feed the browns, brookies and rainbows that live here. Hatches include Blue-Winged Olives, Sulphurs, Caddis, Hendricksons and Tricos. Spin-fishers should find it an easy river to work, because it is wide and open in most places.