TIM BROWN, a public radio business sponsorship representative from Oregon, Wisconsin, has been fishing pretty much his whole life. On May 3 – the first Saturday of May, widely celebrated as opening day of fishing season in Wisconsin – he’ll be in waders casting for brown trout in a secluded stream in the Driftless Area, away from the crowds.
– As Told to Kevin Revolinski
When I am fishing, I’m not thinking about any other concerns or news or climate change or anything. I’m just there in the moment, connected to the wild, enjoying what I do.
I first went river fishing with cane poles when I was 4 years old. My mother used to take me fishing in a city park in Illinois after swim practice, and that really lit my fire. She taught me how to skin a catfish.
My family moved to Florida in ’78, to a subdivision with ponds full of largemouth bass, and I learned to love bass fishing. I bought a little johnboat when I was 12 and fished every day I could.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
When I moved back north in ’96, I got into bass tournaments, and now I go canoe camping and fishing in the Boundary Waters and in the U.P.
But it’s the same through line: Whether I’m in the Driftless Area trout fishing in the streams or downtown in Madison with my niece, watching the bobber go down for a little bluegill and seeing the smile on her face, I just love catching fish.
Pioneer Airport is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Passengers must be at least 16 years old to ride in the biplanes. (Minors require waivers co-signed by a legal guardian.) No appointment necessary. Throughout summer, there is rarely a wait; just pull right up to book a flight. The cost is $95. They also offer free Young Eagles Flights – introductory rides for youths ages 8-17 in a closed cabin plane. See Airplane Rides under Visitor Information at eaa.org/eaa-museum
I have a little bass boat, but I also love wading in streams, surrounded by nature and wildlife, and just being in the water, stalking and being stealthy. I’ve got some close fishing friends that I go with, otherwise I go alone.
I mainly do catch and release. My favorite fish to catch are smallmouth bass, brown trout or large bluegill because they fight really hard. Because I’m fishing all the time, opening day is not as big of a deal for me. Open season only means you can keep certain fish you couldn’t earlier.
Whenever I go fishing, I feel better. I feel refreshed. I feel life is short, and fishing is the way I like to build memories – and I have 54 years of them. I won’t forget helping a buddy’s daughter catch her first fish; she was just so intense. We named it Ella and we let it go. But every time out is a good memory.
My wife, Kim, always calls and says, “Are you catching fish? Are you having fun?” She’s very supportive of my habit. And if I’m being an ass, sometimes she tells me, “You need to go fishing.” It’s therapy for me.
