Lakes And Streams

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A GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGANA GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGANA GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGANA GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGANA GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGANA GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGANA GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGANA GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGANA GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGANA GUIDE TO RECREATION AND FISHING ON THE WATERS OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN

Boating Safety Tips

MemorableCanoe Trips

Family Camping Ideas

Stream Etiquette

CAN’TMISSFLYS10

& much more!

inside:

for fly fishing

plus

2 • 2011 Northern Michigan Lakes and Streams Magazine www.WeeklyChoice.com

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www.WeeklyChoice.com 2011 Northern Michigan Lakes and Streams Magazine • 3

by Duane Snook

Of all the questions I’m askedabout fly fishing, the most com-mon has to be what are theyhitting on? There are thousandsof patterns available. To helpyou narrow down the choices,here are ten can’t miss flys forNorthern Michigan. About halfare flys that mimic specific in-sects the others are attractorpatterns. In no way should thisbe taken as the only flys youneed, but if you have them youwill be ready for anything theheadwaters area can throw atyou.

The first is an attractor. Theexam was developed as a testat the end of my father’s flytying class. Deer hair body anda thick fox squirrel tail make itfloat high on the eater. Calf tailwings provide extreme visibility.It can be tied anywhere from asize 14 for daytime brookies toan 8 for big browns during thehex hatch.

Next on the list is a relative

newcomer. TheKlinkhammer needs to bedressed properly to maximizefish fooling potential. The“klink” has a body tied of pea-cock herl and the under furfrom the base of a grey squir-rels tail. The tail of the fly is rip-pled crystal flash. A white wingtied parachute style finishes itoff. The proper way to dressthis fly is to gink only the postand the top of the hackle. Thebody should sink giving you theappearance of a stillborn oremerging fly.

Michigan hillbilly is my thirdchoice. This down wing fly witha chartruse floss body andwoodchuck wing is finished offwith a generous grizzly hackle.The hillbilly is the adams of thedown wing patterns imitatinganything from a black stone toa skittering caddis. It can beused from opening day rightthrough the end of September.

Karsten Ziemmer introducedme to the impala. This all whitefly with a gold rib attracts brooktrout like no body’s business. Ihave used it to imitate moths,

hoppers, and in small sizes tri-cos. The best use of this fly

though is as a prospectorwhen there is nothing onthe water. Big brookieswill launch themselvesfrom the bottom of the

river to get a piece of thispattern.The most exciting fishing of

the year undoubtedly is the hexhatch. These huge nocturnalmayflys bring big trout to thesurface for where they throwcaution to the wind. Rays hexmay not look like a true imita-tions but its streamlined profileallow accurate casts. Giving thefisherman the ability to targetthe larger and most timesharder to get trout.

Mid June is browndrake sea-son. These size 10 mayflyshatch in the afternoon bringingbig fish to the surface duringthe daylight hours. Snooksbrown drake uses a turkey herlbody that accurately imitatesthe color and segmentation ofthe natural. Brown badgerwings and a brown hackle workduring the hatch or the eveningspinner fall.

There are as many grasshop-per patterns as there are flyty-ers. For my money though thebest is one of the simplest. TheLetort hopper has a yellowwool body with a turkey wing. Itis finished off with a deer hairhead that extends back overthe hook. The letort floats lowand fools fish when other moreexact replicas won’t bring astrike.

No list of must have flys is

complete without Michigan’sown adams. My favorite varia-tion is the female adams. Likeits namesake, it has a gray woolbody grizzly wind and a brownand grizzly hackle. The differ-ence is in the back. A singlewing of yellow chenille in frontof the tail seems to bring morestrikes. This pattern can be usedin all sizes to imitate egg layingfemales or brought out whennothing else is working.

No fly is on the water morethan the blue winged olive.From tiny size 18 to size 12 thisfly works from June to Septem-ber, even longer on streamswith extended seasons. Mostlyimitating betas there are a lotof bugs who have olive coloredbodies and dun wings. It can befished from sun up to sun downand is one of the most impor-tant flys in any anglers arsenal.

If the impala is the ivory ofyour fly box the black gnat isthe ebony. On bright days whenyou can’t buy a strike switchingto this all black fly can turn awalk in the stream to an anglingadventure. It is not foolproofbut has worked on enoughtough days that is has earned aprominent spot in my box.

Using these ten flys will notguarantee success but not hav-ing them will certainly depriveyou of the opportunity to havethe best fishing possible. Theywill work from opening day tothe end of the season. Fromdawn to after dark and on anystream and species NorthernMichigan has.

10 CAN’T MISS FLYSfor Northern MichiganFly-Fisherman


303 N. Main St., Cheboygan, MI 49721231 627 7111 [email protected]

Located inside Citizens National Bank

Dave Shotwell, Infinex Investment Execu

tive, is a life long resident of northern

Michigan. Dave joined CNB Financial

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a regional bank’s trust department. He is

a 1995 graduate of the University of

Michigan and is currently working to

wards his Certified Financial Planner

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Do you know your financial planner?

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The Grayling Fish Hatchery was founded in1914 by Rasmus Hanson who obtained theoriginal property through timber rights inCrawford County. In 1916 he formed an out-door protection group called the Grayling FishHatchery Club and they were among the firstto recognize the need to reinforce naturaltrout reproduction in our streams and rivers.Part of the original purpose was to save thenearly extinct Grayling Trout, once prevalent inthe AuSable River. That initiative eventuallyfailed but they were successful in plantingBrook and Brown Trout in the river system.The Grayling Fish Hatchery was sold to theState of Michigan in 1926 for $10,000 where itwas operated until the late 1960’s when it wasclosed down and remained dormant until1983.

From 1983 to 1993 the Grayling Fish Hatch-ery Committee, under the direction of theCrawford County Board of Commissioners,drew an average 38,000 tourists each summer.The operations were transferred to the Gray-ing Recreation Authority in 1994 where it isstill open from Memorial to Labor Day eachyear. Approximately 8,000 trout live in 5 differ-ent raceways where they are fed twice dailyfrom the staff and all day from the public.

The Grayling Fish HatcheryWhen fishing downstream, give the

right of way to the other angler workinghis way upstream. Wading downstream ismore likely to ruin the water for the otherfisherman than vice versa. Although thisold rule originated in the days when a dryfly was fished upstream and a wet fly wasfished down, it still applies today.

When fishing along a stream and youapproach another angler, head for thebank and walk around him to avoid spook-ing his fish. Give him as much leeway asyou can.

An angler has the right to fish to fish hisspot alone. It is never acceptable to castto another angler’s fish or crowd him inany way, even if he is working your favoritespot.

If you approach a fisherman sitting on abank or standing in the water, ask him if heis resting the pool before you fish it your-self. Resting or stalking a fish is consideredthe same as casting to it.

Don’t be a litterbug! Judging from thecondition of some of our rivers andstreams, this needs to be strongly empha-sized. If you see trash along the way, be a

good person and pick it up and throw itaway yourself.

Don’t trespass. It only takes a few tres-passers to give anglers a bad name. Therehave been occasions that waterways havebeen closed to anglers who have askedpermission, but due to a past trespassingfisherman, were not granted this right.The only exception to this rule is in theevent that you come upon a hazardouscondition in the stream, you may exit thestream on private property to avoid thehazard.

Never, Never break a confidence. Whensomeone tells you about a secret spot, ortakes you there, it is assumed that you willnot tell anyone without his permission.

Always follow fishing regulations. Takeonly a fish or two for the table, and releasethe rest. Be conscience of the fact thatmany fisherman practice catch and releaseall the time. The greatest courtesy you canpay your fellow anglers is to help preservethe fishery.

When parking at access sites, please re-member not to block passage to the boatramp with your vehicle or trailer.

THINGS TO KNOW: Stream Etiquette

by Wayne E. Snyder

Most early pioneers of Michi-gan fly fishing set out to catch ei-ther grayling or brook trout. Thebrook trout is the only native‘trout’ to Michigan creeks andstreams and its pre-1870 rangewas limited to the Upper Penin-sula and only the northernmostLower Peninsula streams-theBoardman to the west, the Stur-geon, the Pigeon, the Black, andpossibly the Ocqueoc River to theeast.

The first hatchery constructedto raise brook trout in Michiganwas built by N. W. Clark of Clark-ston, Michigan in 1867 and thefirst planting of brook trout wasby A. H. Mershon, father ofWilliam B. Mershon. The fry, ob-tained from Caledonia, New York,were planted in the South Branchof the Tobacco River in the springof 1870. By 1874, brook troutwere being planted in severalstreams, including the Pere Mar-quette, the Little Manistee, andthe Manistee Rivers. In 1879,

brook trout were planted in sev-eral streams in Berrien, Cass, andKalamazoo Counties. Rube Bab-bit, the guide and trapper re-leased 20,000 brook trout fry intothe East Branch of the Au Sable in1885, transporting fish from theJordan River.

Eastern brook trout are re-garded by many to be the mostbeautiful of the fresh-waterfishes. It is a fish deserving of de-scription by poets rather thanichthyologists, jewelers ratherthan anglers. The peat-stainedwaters of Michigan’s creeks,headwater streams and beaverponds only lend the fish a sump-tuous patina unmatched in theworld.

The eastern brook trout is achar, and its bloodline makes itmore directly related to laketrout, arctic char, and Dolly Var-den rather than rainbow orbrown trout. Chars are salmonidsparticularly adapted to the frigid,clear water fringing on the ArcticOcean and below to certainranges. The most noticeable dif-

ference between chars and othernative North American trout liesin its spots. Brook trout and otherchars display light colored bodyspots on darkish body back-ground colors while other troutsand salmons have dark to blackspots on light body background.

Michigan’s native squaretailswere of the smaller of two dis-tinct strains basically distin-guished by life span. Being theshorter-lived, earlier-maturingfish, they never got to the lunkerclass dimensions of their Cana-dian cousins above the St.Lawrence, and this fact is proba-bly the primary reason for theireventual “replacement” with themore robust rainbow and browntrouts. Brook trout populationsbegan to diminish in Michigandue to the same loss of habitatand water warming effects of log-ging that devastated the grayling.The loss of habitat was magnifiedby the fact that female brooktrout rarely yield more than 600eggs per season. This obviouslymade re-population in damaged

areas a much slower process thanfor browns which typically yield2,000 eggs, or rainbows whichyield up to 6,000 eggs.

At the beginning of this cen-tury, the daily take for brookieswas fifty with a six inch minimumsize limit. In 1925 brook troutpopulations statewide haderoded to the point where thefishing season was closed until1933 in most Lower Peninsulastreams. When the season wasre-opened the daily creel limitwas set at fifteen. All said anddone the brook trout remains,somehow, the most revered of alltrouts. It was the common troutof New England that fed the earlyexplorers and English colonists. Itwas the aristocrat that the Fa-thers of American fly fishing sawsport to cast a dry fly to and socan be credited with fosteringmuch of the enthusiasm by whichfly fishing as we know it todayevolved. It was the prize of NewYork’s Beaverkill and Pennsylva-nia’s Brodheads, as it was thecrown jewel of Michigan's Board-man, Black, Pigeon, and TwoHearted. Thankfully, unlike thegrayling, the brook trout stillcruise Michigan waters but notnearly to the extent or with thesuccess that has blessed the rain-bow or the brown trout. Sadly,Michigan’s streams have been forthe most part re-populated fromstocks originating in New York.The natives are all but gone.

Wayne Snyder is the author of “The

Golden Age, Fly Fishing in Michigan –

1860 to 1960”.


Gates AuSable Lodge

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The Manistee RiverDestination spotlight

If you seek a river that is un-settled and unspoiled, theManistee River is the river

for you. With very few accesspoints and even fewer liveries,the Manistee River allows youto view wildlife and greatscenery in solitude. Toweringbanks, islands, sand bars, end-less curves, plenty of wildlife,and a current that keeps youmoving comfortably down theriver sets the Manistee Riverapart from the rest.

Chippewa Landing sits onthe banks of the ManisteeRiver and has been quietly put-ting individuals and groups onthe river for over 50 years. Itsrustic campgrounds have beena premier destination for fami-lies, Boy and Girl Scouts, andother groups for generations.Its campsites are large,uniquely situated for privacy,and all contain amenities thatyou may need, including picnictables, trash receptacles,can/bottle receptacles, andprivies. Whether you are agroup of two or sixty, there is acampsite for you and yourgroup to enjoy.

As a full service canoe livery,Chippewa Landing has canoes,kayaks, rafts, and tubes avail-able for rental. Chippewa Land-ing also offers a service forcustomers with their own wa-tercraft.

A recent addition toChippewa Landing rustic camp,Oak Grove Camp is located justa few miles from the banks ofthe Manistee River. Oak Grove

Camp is complete with all ofthe amenities for the R.V.camper, including full hook-ups, 50 amp service, bathhouse, playground, and a store.If you wish to take a trip downthe Manistee River, the samecrew that excels in customerservice will take you to theriver with all of your gear andreturn you to Oak Grove Camponce your river trip is com-plete.

Since the Manistee River isso long (approximately 232miles!), Chippewa Landing of-fers extended trips down theriver. Because the river flowsthrough mostly state land, onecan camp anywhere along itsbanks. For one night or up toseven nights, many groupshave come to enjoy the ex-tended trips Chippewa Landingoffers. The Manistee River hasno portages or shallow waterobstacles, and ending atChippewa Landing means notwaiting to be picked up.

Whether it is a quiet after-noon getaway or a week longcamping adventure, ChippewaLanding is your premier rivertrip destination. If you wish torent a canoe, kayak, raft, ortube, call Chippewa Landing(231)313-0832 or e-mail [email protected] sure to visit chippewa-landing.com for more informa-tion, pictures, and videos.

Information courtesy of

Chippewa Landing. Manton, MI.


Hi. I'm Mike Kulhawick,founder of Trout's Choice. Ihave been fly fishing and flytying for 40years. IstartedTrout'sChoice inAnchorage,Alaska tyingmostly formy own useand friends.Then one day I walked into astore and they ordered 144dozen salmon flies. However,I’m getting ahead of myself.

I will tell you this however,my desire, no my passion is toteach handicapped VietnamVeterans how to tie a good fly,then go fish it.

I learned how to tie flies inMaine, while still in the militaryI was transferred to Alaska

where I started to guide in Bris-tol Bay before moving back toMichigan in where I started afly shop in 1986 in Port Huron,Michigan. I tied flies and taughtfly fishing at all of the major flyfishing venues in the Detroitarea. While I was getting set-tled and a great part time gigUncle Sam decided that Ishouldn’t have so much fun andcalled me to Colorado or forfeitmy Civil Service career. Afterretirement

I moved to my old home wa-ters in Grayling, Michigan. Ipurchased the old Stephanhomestead that John Howestarted building Au Sauble RiverBoats in. It was my dream anddesire to create a fly shop. Ihave worked hard on this andam now open for business.

I’ve got to tell you I LOVEDthe Rockies of Colorado, but I

moved back here because I be-lieve that one night in Denvertying flies God spoke to me andgave me a vision and a purpose.I believe it is my calling to teachhandicapped Vietnam veteranshow to fish using flies they havetied. In fact I have a vision ofintroducing these flys to localflyshops tied by veterans.

I have a portable fly tyingbench that I take to various lo-cations like Jim Wheres atMackinaw City Outfitters ,FFFconclaves and was invited tothe International Fly Tying Sym-posium at Somerset, New Jer-sey this year. I am alsoavailable to come to schoolsands other venues and teach flytying to and old young anglersalike.

ATTENTION CENTERPINNERS!!Looking for a specific Steel-

head jig? I can provide any

size/color or set up you desire. WE are a full service fly shop

if I don’t have what you arelooking for on the walls I willget it!!!! Call or email [email protected] flies a priority!!! Loveto do the “old “classics“. Likewood boats and fine cane rods,they just get better over theyears.

“If you don’t knowyour flies know yourfly tier.”

Come by and visit me at theshop , email, or schedule tohave me come visit. you. If I’mnot around leave a message onthe message board on theporch. I am probably out morelhunting or testing a new fa-vorite pattern with Fozzy dog!

Mike Kulhawick is owner/operator

of Trout’s Choice in Grayling, MI.

989-745-2480. troutschoice.com

Mike Kulhawick

VIETNAM VETS WANTED!!!!


By Kimberly Ripley

Maybe you have watched an old west-ern on TV and hankered for that rustic potof coffee brewing slowly over a campfire.We’ve all thumbed through pages of sport-ing goods magazines and catalogues, imag-ining the fun we’d have if only our familieswent camping each summer like the oneson those glossy pages. And face it—mostof us have probably seen the reruns of theBrady

Bunch and their foray into the GrandCanyon—sleeping in tents and hiking witha passion reserved for healthy Americanfamilies—just like our own.

How do they do that? How do they takethe seemingly daunting task of pitchingtents and cooking in the great outdoorsand make it seem simple and fun? Werethey raised differently than we were? Didthey attend seminars called “Camping101”? Or were they born with genes farmore fit for exploring the wilderness thanthose of us afraid to venture out of ourhomes without the security of a cell phoneand the warmth of a cardboard cup of Star-bucks coffee? Maybe the differencesstarted as small children.

Rather than laptops or MP3 players, per-haps their grandparents gave them gift cer-tificates to LL Bean, with the promise oftrying out the new stuff when they visitedthat summer. Maybe they didn’t spendtheir time in front of MTV, but rather ex-ploring the fields and backyards of theirchildhood.

Is it too late to take back our families?Certainly not! And it’s never too late topursue the American Dream. So start bymaking a list of items to procure, beg, orborrow, and let’s plan to do some greatfamily camping.

Okay campers, the first order of businessis shelter. There are a variety of means ofshelter to enjoy while camping. From yoursouped-up RV with air conditioning andcolor TV to a canvas or nylon basic tent,the options are limited only by your imagi-nation. Well, maybe your budget plays arole in this, too. Let’s say you’re going torough it. A tent for a family of four can bepurchased in a department store for lessthan $100. This, however, is the first issueof concern. If the label says the tent fitsfour, figure on it fitting exactly 2.5 smallpeople. For some reason tent manufactur-

ers want us to believe that all peopleweigh 120 pounds, and enjoy sleeping likesardines. So step one should be this: pur-chase or borrow a tent that sleeps at leasttwo more people than you have familymembers.

The second order of business is food—how to pack it, store it, and prepare itwhile camping. Coolers come in all shapesand sizes and can be very inexpensive topurchase. With replenished ice or freezerpacks, they will keep food from spoiling forseveral days. They aren’t, however, wilder-ness-proof. They don’t keep lurking ani-mals like raccoons from checking outwhat’s stored inside. Be sure to buy onewith a lock, or devise your own method forkeeping food in and wild food-mongersout!

Cooking the food again depends on thecamping level you plan to undertake.Diehards—also known as nuts—build theirown campfires and roast (also read “Burn”)their food to their delectable desire. Thereis nothing better than a hotdog that hasturned black from overheated coals—mixed with the ashes from the previousmeal’s fire. Mmmmmm! Take heart how-ever, as manufacturers like Coleman makeaffordable camp stoves designed to run ontiny tanks of propane. Unless you forgetthe cylinders, it’s impossible to not have afire to cook your food. And after all, you’restill outdoors, so you’re still technicallycamping!

Bathing is another consideration whenliving in the wilderness. Some folks figure,“Why bother?” but the tried and truecampers have this all figured out. Theyventure to the local fishing hole or streamwith their biodegradable bar of soap andtowel, and unabashedly enjoy their bath indirect view of other unsuspecting campers.The option? Campgrounds. Most comeequipped with hot running water in theirshowers, and although they’re not as pri-vate as you have at home and rubbershoes are a must to prevent foot fungus—it’s a step above the uncivilized means ofbathing while camping.

What do campers do for entertainment?Surely you’re not opposed to swattingmosquitoes as sport are you? If so, thenyou might want to consider bringing a fewaccouterments from home to keep thefamily happy and entertained. Boardgames work best, as they require no elec-

tricity and are fuel for the imagination.And speaking of imagination, whatever

were you thinking when you opted to takeyour family camping? After six nights ofbug spray, burned food, and scaring offraccoons and chipmunks, you may in factbe ready for a real vacation. Yes, I realizeyour boss said he was going camping, too.He simply failed to mention that his camp-ground was part of a country club estate,with pool and dining privileges, as well aselectric bug zappers at every awning. Sotake heart. When you return from your va-cation, you’ll have the best stories tospread around the office. But don’t touchanyone. No one wants you to spread thatpoison ivy you caught while going to thebathroom behind that innocent lookingbush!

Copyright © Publishers-Edge

Good Ideas for Great Family Camping


Ensure maximum enjoyment on northern Michigan waters with these important tips from Burt Lake Marina

• 2-4 BR COTTAGES- CABLE TELEVISION, HIGH SPEED WIFI- PICNIC TABLE, DECK & FIREPIT

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Remember Boater Safety

Boating is a favorite pastime for both na-tives of and visitors to Northern Michigan.Most of us have fond childhood memoriesof fishing, learning to water-ski, tubing, orsailing…the list goes on. We’re fortunate to

have clean lakes and public access to suchbeautiful waterways in our backyard, aren’twe? If you’re like most, chances are you’recontinuing the tradition by taking your kidsand/or grandkids on the water too. Boat-

ing is an excellent way to make memorieswith family and friends while giving othersthe best treasure—the gift of time spenttogether.

We live and sell these relationships at


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Burt Lake Marina, but one thing we neverlose sight of is the importance of boatersafety. With a good understanding of regu-lations and a few “marine manners”, you’llensure a lifetime of great boating memo-ries.

To operate a vessel, one must be at least12 years of age. Between the ages of 12and 16 various rules apply depending uponwhether one operates a boat or PWC. Toensure you’re following the necessary re-quirements, we recommend consulting the“Handbook of Michigan Boating Laws andResponsibilities,” which can be down-loaded for free at the Department of Natu-ral Resources website:http://www.boated.com/mi/handbook/pdf_index.htm. You can also contact the localSheriff’s Department Marine Division formore information and to learn aboutBoater Safety classes being offered in yourarea.

Here are a few Navigational guidelinesfor you to know when you’re out boating.When two power boats encounter eachother head-on, each should give-way andkeep to the right (starboard). When apowerboat encounters a sailboat, thepower boat always gives-way to the sail-boat. In a crossing situation between twopower boats, the vessel on the operator’sleft (port) is the give-way vessel. If one ofthe vessels is a sailboat in a crossing situa-tion, the power boat always gives-way tothe sailboat. When overtaking or passing avessel, the vessel passing another is alwaysthe give-way vessel whether sailboat orpower boat.

Personal watercraft, known as PWC or“jet-skis”, have additional safety considera-tions and requirements. When operating aPWC, remember that most do not havebrakes. Always allow yourself plenty ofroom for stopping. You need the extraroom because when you let off the throttlethe unit continues to move and you lose

the ability to steer. When you’re approach-ing a dock it’s best to put the unit in re-verse, slowing and reversing themomentum of the water under the craft.In 2010 Sea-Doo® (BRP) released theworld’s first PWC with a brake. These unitshave been highly praised by the CoastGuard for their safety, and come in variousmodels that we proudly sell at Burt LakeMarina. Industry experts predict thatsomeday all PWC will be required to havebrakes.

Also remember that when operatingyour PWC the safety lanyard (cord) must bedirectly attached to your person from theunit. Everyone riding a PWC must wear alife jacket (Type I, II or III PFD). Jumpingother boats’ wakes is illegal, as is operatinga PWC between sundown and 8 am orwithin 200 feet in a horizontal directionalong any Great Lakes shoreline.

Know the topography of your lake orriver and be familiar with the specific areawhere you’ll be boating. Always let some-one else know where you’ll be and youranticipated times of departure and return.This is called using a “float plan”. Remem-ber that passengers under the age of 6must wear a USCG-approved Type I or II lifevest. Special PFD rules also apply to thosebeing towed by a boat or PWC, regardlessof age. Again, the best resource for moreinformation on types of PFDs and is the“Handbook of Michigan Boating Laws andResponsibilities.” In addition to finding thisfree guide online, you’ll also find it at mostmarinas.

With just a little planning and commoncourtesy on the water you’ll ensure thenext generation of boaters enjoys the pas-time as much as we do. One last safetytip—don’t forget your sunscreen!

Information courtesy of Burt Lake Marina.

4879 S. Strait Hwy., Indian River, MI. 231-238-9315.

burtlakemarina.com

Arm yourself with swimming and boating

skills: enroll in a swim course and boating

course in your area.

Buckle up with a comfortable and properly fit-

ted life jacket.

Install and maintain a CO detector in accom-

modation areas. Remember that you can be

exposed to dangerous levels of carbon

monoxide both inside and outside the boat.

Watch the weather to prepare for local condi-

tions and electrical storms. Because water

conducts electricity, it is time to stop boating

if you can see or hear a storm.

Communicate your trip details in case of

emergency. Tell your plan to a friend on the

mainland: who is on the boat, where you will

be, and how long you will be gone.

Never operate a boat while or after drinking

alcohol.

Remember to keep all boat maintenance

chemicals in their original containers.

Keep these, as well as medications, lighter

fluid, bug killers, lamp oil and alcohol out of

sight and reach of children.

Post the Poison Control Center number, 1-

800-222-1222, on the boat and call its 24-

hour hotline for any suspected problems or

questions concerning carbon monoxide or

other poison emergencies.

List CPR instructions and a local emer-

gency number on the boat. Keep up-to-

date on CPR procedures.

Maintain constant supervision of children,

regardless of their swimming abilities or use

of life jackets.

Do not swim or wade near a boat's exhaust

pipe, sit on the swim platform when the

engine is running, or hold onto the deck

while the boat is moving. Keep your boat

a minimum of 20 feet from the nearest

running generator or engine. Never, ever

enter the enclosed exhaust vent area

under a swim platform! Exhaust from boat

engines can be deadly sources of carbon

monoxide poisoning.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION

OF POISON CONTROL CENTERS

AND THE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL

Safe Boating Checklist

When you're preparing for a day onthe water, always cover the basics:


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By Cheryl Mendoza, Associate Director, Freshwater Future

As you read this, thousands of Asiancarp are swimming toward our GreatLakes. The Illinois River is already in-

fested, and this invasive species has beenfound in other rivers flowing into LakeMichigan and Lake Erie. If they become es-tablished, our $7 billion fishing industrywould be at risk along with many of theways we enjoy our favorite lakes and rivers.

What are Asian carp?There are two species of Asian carp making their way to Lake

Michigan-bighead carp and silver carp. The Asian carp were im-ported by catfish farmers in the 1970s to remove algae and othernutrients out of their ponds. During large floods in the early1990s, many of the catfish farm ponds overflowed their banks,and the Asian carp were released into local waterways connectedto the Mississippi River.

What's the big deal?Studies show current protection efforts by the Army Corps of

Engineers will not keep smaller carp out of the Great Lakes. Bothspecies are well suited for our climate. They consume vastamounts of food and reproduce quickly and are wiping out nativefish where they thrive. In Illinois, the Asian carp population hasdoubled every year since it has been in the Illinois River. The sil-ver carp can jump 10 feet high which has resulted in numerousinjuries to boaters. If the Asian carp does make it to the LakeMichigan it will:

Push out native fish populations-lake perch, whitefish andwalleye and become the dominant species

Impact habitat for waterfowlHarm our tourist economy that depends on fishing, hunting,

and boating—which is over a $7 billion industry, annuallyMake boating unsafeAs of today, Asian carp have NOT made a home in our Great

Lakes, which means we still have time to stop them. But we can-not wait any longer to act—there is too much at stake. We mustpermanently separate the Great Lakes and Mississippi River wa-terways to prevent entry of these huge carp and other invasivespecies.

If we fail to act now, the GreatLakes may never recover fromthis invasion.

To find out how you can be part of the solution, go towww.freshwaterfuture.org/stopasiancarp

Cheryl Mendoza

You Can Help Stopthe Asian Carp


By Della Serene

There’s something magical about takinga nice, leisurely canoe trip down the river.Floating in the water can take away stressand turn, even the surliest of moods, into ahappy one. The good thing is that canoescan be rented and don’t have to be pur-chased. Buying a canoe, that will only beused once or twice a summer, is not aspractical as renting one for a day.

“When I met my husband, he took us ca-noeing to break the ice. I had never hadchildren. He had three. That was his wayof getting us to interact with each other. Itworked. We took their squirt guns. Theysquirted me but I had sunburn on my backso the water actually felt good. We spentthe whole day on the river. We talked andlaughed. In some spots, the river wasn’tvery deep so we made the older boys getout and push. The water only came up totheir ankles. They liked the responsibility.Pushing us seemed to make them feelneeded and like they were accomplishingsomething. It was a good way to have funand get to know each other,” says SerenaDelray of Lansing, Michigan.

Serena and her family rented a canoe inHastings, Michigan. They parked their car.The people that owned the canoe livery,drove them to a site up the ThornappleRiver where they started their trip. Theywere given the choice of a short and longtrip, which had a difference of two hours,depending where they were put in. But, itdidn’t matter how long it took them tofloat down the river as long as they had thecanoe back by dark so the canoe liveryowners could close up shop and go home.

During their trip, they saw turtles andmany birds. Along they way, they stoppedat a store for refreshments. There weremany laughs and a few hugs. Family timewas promoted and the feeling of familywas enhanced. In their case, at least, theyhad the chance to bond and start theirlives together.

If you have a canoe of your own, simplychoose a river. Some rivers are better thenothers. Don’t choose a river that has a lotof scum on top of it. There are someplaces, in a river, where walking is merited.Walking in floating scum is very unappeal-ing. Choose a river in which putting thecanoe in is easy. If you do own your own

canoe, you will be paddling back up theriver just as you floated down. Putting thecanoe in the river near where your car isparked will save a lot of frustration.

There are companies that specialize incanoe trips. They are located all over thecountry. Their trips range from simple tripsthat last a few hours to trips that last acouple days and include camping.

If you are interested in taking a canoetrip and want to rent a canoe, check withyour local park. Many larger parks have acanoe service. The Yellow Pages has awealth of information. And, an Internetsearch produced a number of companiesthat offer memorable canoe trips.

Miami-Dade County Park and Recre-ation, www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/parks/prog_canoetrips.htm,hawks their services this way, “canoe trips– nature is not far away on these guidedcanoe trips of popular waterways in oururban backyard.” Reed’s Canoe Trips,www.redscanoetrips.com, describes theiradventure as “Reed’s Canoe Trips offers ex-citing and memorable canoe trips on thebeautiful Kankakee River in Northern Illi-nois.”

Whether you decide to go it alone or

book a guided canoe trip, wear tennisshoes or water shoes that support yourfeet. It is possible you will be walking onrocks and in muck some of the time. Don’twear brand new shoes in the river. Theywill get wet and may not recover fully.

Bring sunscreen and sunglasses. The sunglaring down on your skin, which has agood chance of getting wet, is a good com-bination for a sunburn. Getting a tan whilecanoeing is definitely a fun way to do it.You will get sun and exercise while having agood time.

Fill a small cooler with your favorite bev-erage and or a snack. The Styrofoam oneswork well. To remember the day, purchaseone of those disposable cameras in thestore. There are some that are resistant towater but any disposable ones will work.

The last two items you will need are ahappy attitude and a sense of adventure.If you feel particularly silly, fill the squirt-guns and bring them along. A squirtgunfight in the river definitely adds a thrill tothe day.

Copyright © Publishers-Edge

Memorable Canoe Trips


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them, "Follow Me,and I will make you�shers of men."

By Jeff Johnson

One of the joys of being atrout fisherman is watching abeautiful wild trout safely re-turned to its native waters. Bypracticing “catch and release”fishing we all insure that thisvaluable, natural resource willlive to fight another day for thenext sportsman.

My three main goals for re-turning all my fish are as fol-lows: By releasing this fishunharmed, it will hopefully re-produce having many offspring,thus improving my future fish-ing. Secondly, the next timeyou or I catch him, it will havegrown larger. Let’s face it. It’s awhole lot more fun catching a15” trout than an 8” one!Thirdly, pure economics. IfMichigan is going to retain itsstatus as a great place for out ofstate visitors to continue tovisit, we need to have viablepopulations of trout in ourrivers and streams. With theloss of so many of our manufac-turing jobs over the past years,perhaps tourism can help us allout of this economic downspin.

Now to the “reel” subject athand. The safe return of yourcatch starts before you evenmake your first cast in thewater. Take a good pair ofneed-nose pliers and crimpdown all the barbs on all ofyour flies or lures. This will

make releasing your fish mucheasier and faster so you can getback to fishing.

Some folks worry that by de-barbing their hook they will losemore of their fish, but experi-ence has shown me that as longas you keep a tight line, this willnot be an issue. The additionalbenefit to debarbing your hooksis that it is a lot easier to digyour fly out of the back of yourfishing partner’s neck or shirt.This is of particular importancewhen your partner is also yourride home!

After setting the hook, re-lease your partner….I mean thefish carefully. Do not overplaythe fish to exhaustion as lacticacid will build up in his body,which can become life threaten-ing for several hours after beingset free. The safest way to re-lease a trout is to leave himcompletely in the water and re-lease him with your hand or for-ceps. If you must hold them, besure to wet both of your handsfirst before holding him. Bevery careful to never touch atrout’s gills as they are its lungsand if they start to bleed, itschances for survival are greatlydiminished.

To keep a trout from thrash-ing around, turn him upsidedown. This will temporarily dis-orient him and calm him down.Be sure to support his belly andtail and do not squeeze him

tightly or drop him in the boat.A quick photo, then before re-leasing him, face him upstreamso the current can pass throughhis gills. If the waters slow, youcan rock him back and forthuntil you feel him “power up”and dash off. If the fish is reviv-ing slowly you can actually openhis mouth and this will help thewater to flow over his gills bet-ter. Do not rush the process. Ifhe is large, he will require moretime, especially if the watertemperature is above 68 de-grees. Note: 70 degrees is thetemperature limit for safe troutfishing. In July and August goafter small mouth bass unless

the river stays cool. As my fa-ther always said, “If you want tosee a bunch of dead trout, thesupermarket is where youshould go.”

The nicest thing about catchand release fishing is that youdon’t have to stop fishing onceyou would have reached yourlimit. Fishing for sport is muchmore fun than fishing for food.Plus don’t overlook the fact thatyou can add several inches tothe size of all you catch as youtell your fish tales!

Jeff Johnson lives in Lapeer County andworks part time for his son, Michael John-son, Riverguide. He can be reached at: [email protected]

Proper Catch and Release Methods


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