Community first, but fishing a close second for Wells

Growing up in Western Kentucky surrounded by Kentucky Lake and a pond on every farm, it's not hard to grow accustomed to fishing.

Michael Wells did. These days Wells not only brings his love for fishing to Cape Girardeau, but he also brings a well-sought desire to help his community.

"Growing up it was always a baseball game and then going out with teammates to fish," he said.

Wells heads up SEMO Trout Unlimited, a group he started in the area recently. After moving to Cape Girardeau in 1996, Wells founded the group and started to make things happen in May 2001.

"It started to take shape, and things started to fall into place as far as us establishing ourselves as a club," Wells said.

The group started out small but is making progress. It become an official chapter of trout unlimited in August and now coordinates fishing and events that help make local streams and lakes better environments for humans and fish.

"Every month we have meetings and talk about goals and regular business, then we also have someone from the fishing community come and give a program," Wells said.

The group decides on a stream meet, which is a fishing trip planned every month to a local stream.

"Anyone who wants to take advantage of it can, they just have to contact me," he said. "We basically just go fishing together, it's nothing extravagent but a good way for us to get to know each other."

The group has been involved with work to improve many small creeks and streams in the area. Most recently, they helped in work on the Barren Fork Creek in Shannon County.

"We just love to help. It's our primary organizing idea that got everybody excited," he said. "We want to make the place better for not only us, but everybody and everything."

The group also teaches a few classes at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center.

"We're helping with a fly-tying class there that has about 10 students," he said. "And I can tell you, when those students leave they are going to be some good fly-tyers."

As for Wells himself, he likes to fish the White Water, Castor and St. Francis rivers for bass.

"Hopefully that will happen until they put me in a box," he said. "I don't forsee many things stopping me."