See Tim Holschlag’s memorial page, with photos and stories
Tim Holschlag’s Final Expedition …
James River and Maury River, Virginia
Trip Partners: Steve and Patricia Witham
Date: November 4, 2021
The James River in central Virginia is nationally recognized for its excellent smallmouth bass fishing. The James starts at the confluence of the Jackson River and the Calfpasture River near Iron Gate VA. Flowing to Lynchburg and on through Richmond, the James runs 348 miles to the Chesapeake Bay. The upper section is rocky, with smallmouth and more recently muskies. The lower tidal section features largemouth bass and catfish. Several sections of this river have “scenic river” designation. Tim Holschlag has fished several sections of the James River, some of them with Steve Witham (a client and friend) and with two different local guides.
The Maury River, a tributary of the James, starts at the confluence of the Calfpasture and Little Calfpasture rivers near Goshen VA (north of Lexington) and flows for 42 miles down to Glasgow. The Maury has amazingly good smallmouth fishing for its size, and good musky numbers near Glasgow. The entire Maury River has earned “scenic river” designation (the upper 19 miles in 2020 and the lower 23 miles in 2021). Tim Holschlag fished different sections of the Maury several times with Steve Witham.
On a warm November day in Virginia, Steve and Patricia Witham drove with Lyn Verthein drove to the boat launch near Glasgow, a place where Steve and Tim had put in for fishing trips. There, in the shadow of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, they reminisced about past fishing days and good times they had all spent with Tim Holschlag. Then they sent Tim’s ashes down the Maury near where it joins the James.
At the Maury River near the James
Steve and Patricia Witham at the boat launch near the Maury River mouth
Tim’s ashes join the Maury River near where it flows into the James River.
— St Croix River, Minnesota-Wisconsin border
— Rum River, north of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Trip Partners: Sheldon and Terry Bolstad
Date: October, 2021
The Mississippi River, originating in northern Minnesota, has provided tremendous smallmouth bass fishing for decades in its blue ribbon sections just north of Minneapolis. The St. Croix, on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border is also nationally known for both its fishing snd its beauty. The Rum River, a Mississippi tributary, is also prime smallmouth water. For nearly 30 years, Tim Holschlag worked as a fishing guide on these rivers. Sheldon Bolstad, a long-time friend and assistant guide to Tim, also spent many days fishing these rivers, including some unforgettable days on the water with Tim.
On a scenic day in October, among the brilliant fall colors, Sheldon and Terry Bolstad went out to the key landing on each of these rivers– places where Tim Holschlag had launched his boat countless times. These three rivers were Tim’s bread and butter as a guide. He also fished them with friends like Sheldon, for fun and for “research.”
Sheldon and Terry Bolstad took Tim Holschlag on one more trip down each of these rivers, Tim’s home waters, by adding Tim’s ashes to the never-ending flow.
Joining the never-ending flow
The Mississippi River at Snuffy’s Landing
The St. Croix River at the Highway 70 bridge near Grantsburg
The Rum River at Martin’s landing in Isanti.
Trip Partners: Slippery Winds Lodge guests
Date: May 22, 2022
After taking groups of fly fishers trips to Slippery Winds Lodge in Ontario for 20 years, Tim Holschlag had a special relationship with the guests on these trips. On this year’s trip, the lodge guests gathered on the dock one evening to remember Tim. With adult beverages in hand, they toasted Tim and shared memories.
Several people told fish tales, and amazing things about Tim– like how he could tell the size of your fish, to within a quarter-inch, before it was even landed– just by seeing the fish in the water. One story recounted Tim’s apprehension about a big family event in Iowa. But actually, over his lifetime Tim gathered a much bigger family of anglers, conservationists, and outdoors people from across the U.S. and Canada. This huge family truly loved Tim. Many of them had formed great friendships with each other, too, after Tim brought them together. Key members of this family stood on the dock that evening.
The lodge guests on the dock were joined by the Slippery Winds manager and their fishing guide, because they knew and loved Tim, too. The group was also joined by Tim’s wife, Lyn Verthein, who visited the lodge and stayed one night just to be at this memorial and honor Tim. After plenty of colorful tales, as darkness approached, Dan Johnson knelt to put Tim’s ashes into Yoke Lake. Farewell Tim, you were an inspiration to us all.
A memorial gathering on the dock at Slippery Winds Lodge
Beautiful and fishy Yoke Lake in Ontario
Trip Partners: Dan Johnson and Lyn Domier
Date: June, 2022
The East Wapsi River, in Chickasaw County, Iowa, was beloved by Tim in his early years. The first picture was taken at a place called Dorgan’s Bridge. It is about a mile northeast of New Hampton where Old HWY-63 crosses the East Wapsi River. We are looking upstream from the bridge and towards a sharp bend in the river. This was Tim’s first fishing hot spot. He would ride his bike out there armed with a cheap, makeshift spinning rod and just a few hooks and split shot in his pocket.
Once on the stream, he would dig up some angle worms by hand, and use them to catch a couple of the many chubs or creek shiners that lived there. He would then cut these minnows into chunks and, once carefully placed on his hook, they became his “Cut Chub Lure”. He would then gingerly swim or drift his “lure” around fallen trees and catch larger chubs and bullheads, which he would bring home for his Mom to cook up.
One day a smallmouth smashed his lure, and that changed things for the rest of his life.
Looking upstream from Dorgan’s Bridge
The East Wapsi River
Trip Partners: Dan Johnson and Lyn Domier
Date: June, 2022
When we were In junior high, 7th and 8th grade back then, we would get someone, usually a parent, to drive us over to this river to fish smallmouth. Sometimes just for a day, and a couple of times to camp for several days after school was out for summer and before our summer jobs started. Throughout high school we fished this stretch of river, from the dam and downstream to its confluence with the Big Turkey, about 30 river miles below the dam in Waucoma.
By that time Tim had convinced me that we should be releasing all the smallmouth we caught. We learned that big smallmouth, those over 19”, were rare and too valuable to catch just once. My dad thought we were crazy to release those fish and it caused a rift between us for years. Dad grew up in a large, poor, farming family during the Great Depression, when the local fish and game were a source of low-cost protein. To him, releasing fish was wasting food. Led by Tim, we would tell anyone that would listen that they had a moral obligation to release smallmouth and especially the biggest. We followed this dogma for the rest of our lives, culminating in the forming of The Smallmouth Alliance in the late ‘80s.
Again, so many memories. Setting up our camp under, what we learned the next morning, to be a heron rookery tree. What a mess. Tim’s first big smallmouth caught on a topwater lure. Nearly collapsing from thirst in Growlers Gulch. And many more.
A rocky spot on the Little Turkey River
The Little Turkey near the Waucoma Dam
More of Tim’s Final Expedition:
Trip Partner: Sherri McDermott
Date: Summer 2022
Trip Partner: Dan Johnson
Date: July 2022
Sturgeon River, Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Trip Partner: Brian Younger
Date: August 2022
Trip Partner: Dave and Chris Stoltz
Date: Summer 2022
The Everglades, Florida
Trip Partner: Todd Dary
Date: Summer 2022
Trip Partner: Jay Bunke
Date: Summer 2022
Wisconsin Rivers
Trip Partner: Todd Dary
Date: Summer 2022