Wayne Hoelzel
People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish
People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin’s Love Affair with an Ancient Fish showcases the cultural and scientific history of an iconic Wisconsin fish, the lake sturgeon. Throughout the process of writing the book, the authors interviewed community activists, sturgeon-spearing enthusiasts, spear and decoy craftsmen, and scientific researchers associated with the Lake Winnebago sturgeon population. Because of the cultural, social, economic, and scientific knowledge captured in these interviews, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin Water Library preserved the audio files as a collection of oral histories. This collection, People of the Sturgeon, encapsulates perspectives on lake sturgeon as they are reflected in the book. The People of the Sturgeon collection includes interviews with outdoorsmen, scientists, and craftsmen associated with the Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, lake sturgeon population.
The collection was compiled by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin Water Library. Audio courtesy of the Oshkosh Public Museum. Recordings were collected as part of the research for People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish published by Wisconsin Historical Society Press, Madison, Wisconsin.
National Capital Contracting
On October 12, 2007, Dick Koerner interviewed Wayne Hoelzel for the People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish oral history project. Wayne Hoelzel, born on April 12, 1947, in Neenah, Wisconsin, has been involved in sturgeon spearing, a tradition he inherited from his family. Residing in Menasha, Wisconsin, Hoelzel has participated in sturgeon spearing for over four decades, with only a brief interruption during his service in the military. The interview explores Hoelzel's long-standing passion for sturgeon spearing, tracing his involvement back to his teenage years. He describes the evolution of the sport, noting the shift from full-day spearing sessions to the more recent half-day seasons, which he views as a welcome change. Hoelzel reflects on the camaraderie and dedication required in sturgeon spearing, emphasizing the importance of patience and persistence. He shares memories of various spearing experiences, including a season when he observed twenty-two sturgeon at his fishing hole and a particularly memorable day when his son, despite running late for college, managed to spear a fish at the last moment. Hoelzel also recounts harrowing experiences on the ice, including a dangerous snowstorm during which he and fellow spearers narrowly made it back to shore. He emphasizes the unpredictable nature of the sport, where success often hinges on being in the right place at the right time. Throughout the interview, Hoelzel discusses the changes in the sport, his personal spearing strategies, and the social aspects of sturgeon spearing, including the gatherings and stories shared among spearers.
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