MUDDLER T H E M E R S H O N

Christmas 2005 Volume 9 Issue 4

A LOCAL CHAPTER OF

AMERICA’S LEADING NONPROFIT

COLDWATER FISHERIES

CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION

Newsletter of the William B. Mershon Chapter of Trout Unlimited

T he Mershon chapter has recently completed what I would like to call our Fall Campaign. I offer a special “thanks” to all of you who planned or participated in the many projects and meetings since

September. It has given me the opportunity to spend time with a diverse group of people, sharing their talents to make a difference for our cold-water resources.

To date, we have had three very well attended and informative board meetings. We welcomed new board members Steve Janson, Bob Kren, Dave Thiel, and advisor Josh Butzin who are adding new ideas and unique points of view. Topics of discussion have ranged from sulfide mining in the Upper Peninsula to an extended trout season on the Au Sable River Trophy Waters section. Please note that everyone is welcome to attend our meetings, which are now held at the Saginaw Gander Mountain store on Tittabawassee Rd. at 5:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. Next, I am proud to report that we participated in three very important resource projects this fall. The first was

the Au Sable River Clean-Up on September 10th, attended by several Mershon chapter representatives. For those of you that have not participated in a river clean up, this is a great day of work and play rewarded in return with good fellowship and delicious food. Among the highlights of my day was spending the morning with Craig Bublitz as he managed to squeeze at least half a dozen new fishing spots out of me. Try not to miss it next year. Our next outing was a stream bank restoration project that took place September 24th on the Rifle River. Kicking off the day, the Mershon chapter, in conjunction with a hearty group of men and women from the Ann Arbor TU chapter, completed a section of tree revetment started last fall on the Cabin Lake Association property. After taking a much-needed break for a great lunch (we always eat well, don’t we?), we embarked on a short journey to the site of the day’s next project--the Boy Scouts of America property south of Greenwood Road. Led by Mike Meyer

See Meanders page 11

Founded 1963, Chapter Number 020

1989, 1996 & 1997 RECIPIENT OF THE MICHIGAN COUNCIL TU CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Meanders A few thoughts from

the president

Robb Smith, chapter president

Memorial Fly Tying Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a fly tier by the Federation of Fly Fishers. Bear’s flies are sought after by both collectors and fly fishers. His flies have appeared in numerous books and magazines, as well as limited edition artwork. Bear has set two IGFA World Records for Brook Trout. He is currently the Fly Fishing editor for Michigan-Out-Of-Doors magazine, writing the “Michigan Fly Box” each month. He has released two instructional fly-tying videos for steelhead called “Steelhead Flies For The Great Lakes” and “Steelhead Two.” Since 2000, Bear has worked as a fly designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants.

J eff “Bear” Andrews A native of Michigan, Jeff “Bear” Andrews has been

tying flies and fly fishing for over 40 years. He has tied flies commercially for 28 years, producing as many as 2000-dozen flies a year. From 1977 until 1982, he ran Bear’s Fly Shop in Grand Ledge, Michigan. Bear travels throughout the United States and Europe annually, sharing his tying skills through demonstrations and classes. He has taught thousands of people to tie flies. For ten years, Bear organized and ran the “Tyathon”--a one-man, 24-hour fly tying marathon to raise money for the Federation of Fly Fishers conservation projects, raising over $125,000 in ten years. In 1998, he was the recipient of the “Buz” Buszek

Come tie with us at the walleye dinner by Robb Smith, Mershon chapter president It is with great pleasure that we announce Jeff “Bear” Andrews as our guest speaker for the upcoming January 16th Walleye Dinner. Jeff will be talking to us about his recent brook trout fishing trip to Labrador, and he will be joining us around 2:30p.m.at Pulaski Hall in Saginaw to share his tying skills before dinner. This will be a great opportunity for you to see and meet one of the most accomplished fly-tiers of our day. Come and watch, or bring your own equipment and tie along with “Bear.” This will be an educational and entertaining event for the Mershon chapter, and we hope that everyone will attend. Please be looking for your Walleye Dinner invitations in the mail, and try to make your reservations early. Your Walleye Dinner ticket will also gain you entrance into Jeff's demonstration, so you'll get twice the bang for your buck—expert instruction and a scrumptious walleye dinner. Bring a friend, and we can offer them a free one-year introductory membership to Trout Unlimited. The food and prizes will be better than ever. Don’t miss this event!

Annual Winter Outing and Sporting Clay Shoot set for January 28

Y ou are invited to dust off the snow, come to the Freeland Sportsman’s

Club, and hone your shooting skills at our Sporting Clays Shoot and Outing. A delicious BBQ lunch will be provided, and there will be opportunities to win some exciting prizes. Participants will meet at the Freeland Sportsman’s Club on Saturday, January 28th, at 10:00a.m. The club is located at 9693 Laduke Rd., just east of Freeland near Tri-City Airport. Tickets are available from any board member, at the door, or you can call Dennis Thiel at 792-1188 to make reservations and answer any questions. The price for the tickets is $40 per person and includes a round of sporting clays and lunch. Other shooting options will be available at club rates. All proceeds will be used to support stream restoration projects. This event will give you a chance to get some fresh air, enjoy good fellowship, and warm up the barrel of that favorite shotgun. See you there!

Mershon chapter fly fishing and fly tying classes begin in January

F or over 25 years, the Mershon chapter has offered fly-tying and fly-

fishing classes. These inexpensive classes—which are designed for the novice fly fisherman—are similar to others taught by TU costing several hundred dollars. Again this year, the classes will be taught by Mershon chapter advisor Jac Ford, with the assistance of several other chapter members. Participants in the fly-tying class learn step-by-step fly-tying methods using videos developed for the class, and receive individual instruction. When completed, participants will have been exposed to the basic techniques necessary to tie most flies successfully. Participants will tie the following flies: Green Caddis Pupe, Hares-Ear nymph, Comparadun, Elk Hair Caddis, Roberts Yellow Drake, parachute and standard Adams, Egg-Suckin-Leech, floating mayfly emerger, and a poly-wing mayfly spinner. Equipment, materials, and use of the flies are discussed, and of course, there are the usual fishing lies.

The fly-fishing class is a basic class for people who have little or no knowledge of fly fishing or casting. The class teaches the concepts of fly fishing and casting; how to use a rod, reel, backing, line, tippet, and flies; what the fish sees below and above the water; how to read and fish a river; and trout food (emergence chart for Michigan) and hatches. Students first hone their skills with a fly-o, then spend time in the school’s gym casting with fly rods. Both 5-week classes will be held at Swan Valley High School beginning Monday, January 23, for the fly-fishing class and Wednesday, January 25, for the fly-tying class. Youth, as well as adults, are invited to attend. There is a $30 fee for the class. If you are interested in either of these classes, contact the Swan Valley Community Education office at 989-921-2471 or Jac Ford at 989-781-0997.

we have a nice long season, but it's just inherently calming to sit on the bank of a meandering stream in the fading summer light, waiting for an evening hatch rather than freezing in a tree stand. Don't get me wrong. I love my treestand. In fact, I love it enough to call in sick once in a while; but the warmth, the sounds and smells, the beauty of all that goes along with summers on a trout stream is what it's all about--and, of course, big hook-lipped monsters on dry flies can't hurt either. Why a fly rod I ask? I have nothing against the venerable old spinning rod, but a fly rod just seems right. Every fly fisherman can remember those perfect casts and perfect drifts, the ones where the fly floated through the air like Lefty Kreh himself was behind the wheel, and then dropped perfectly on the water, right in the middle of the feeding lane where the big one was waiting. It's like the golfer who swings and just feels it and knows that it's going far and dead-on toward the hole. It's the home run in the upper deck. And one is never enough. It took my wife several years to figure out why I needed the pile of rod tubes in the corner of my mantorium. “A fishin' pole's a fishin' pole, right? Please honey, you're the greatest, but let's have a talk.” Now, she understands and, surprisingly, still claims to love me. So this weekend, I'll head to the woods, climb a tree, and sit

See Trout-aholic page 11

Trout-aholic by Josh Butzin

W hat is it about this business of waving a stick at trout? Most of

us pursue many outdoor endeavors throughout the year, whether they're chasing deer, grouse, ducks, or some other slimy, fur-covered, feathery critter with a show on the outdoor channel dedicated to its demise. However, trout fishing is something special. I may put away the double-barrel for the summer or case my bow for a few months, but after a long trout season disappears, I always find myself standing in the backyard in shin-deep snow, casting. It's mid-winter and my beloved Holy Waters are locked in ice, but there I stand, trying to see how far into the neighbor's yard I can double-haul a weight-forward five compared to a double-taper six, or some other such nonsense. My wife and dog watch me through the window wondering which funny farm they should send me to, but I know the truth. I have to keep sharp for those bug-eating torpedoes behind the logjams and deep, deep under the most undercut banks. You know as well as I do that you're just as guilty as I am. I go through outdoor cycles. Like when first in college, I did nothing but shoot at ducks all fall for three or four years. Or after that, when all I wanted to do was chase grouse and woodcock. Or now, I'm obsessed with arrowing a big venison steak. Yet, as all of these activities have gone

through changes and evolved in their own ways, my trout fishing has always remained a constant. Since I first saw a trout rise under Wakeley Bridge, I have been hooked. There is nothing quite like it for me, and there are few places I feel more at home than standing in my rubber pants staring at the ripples from a rising trout. A few years back, I was working in the ski business and people would ask, "So, have you skied in Montana?" I'd say, "No, but I've fished there," and they would look at me quizzically--much like my wife and dog in the window--wondering why on earth I would go all the way to Montana to fish? Or, when a hunting buddy would ask, "Hey, why don't we take a long weekend and drive to South Dakota for some pheasant hunting?” I would think, "Hmm. That's about the same amount of time it would take to drive out to the Catskills to fish the Beaverkill." There's just something about trout that keeps us after them and keeps them top-of-mind with a high position on the list of priorities. Trout fishing is just different--more relaxing. When deer season gets here, it's a frantic rush get a buck. There's a limited amount of time with no time to waste. There are a million things that have to come together just right--the location, the right shot, the carbon arrows, the release, scent control, is the bow sighted in, on and on, and on some more. It probably should be more relaxing for me, but it's not. Fishing is different. Not only do

WILLIAM B. MERSHON CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED

2005-2006 Dan Keane 642-8960 (H) keanedml@chartermi.net Bob Kren 810-762-3275 rmkren@umflint.edu Johnny Martinez, Jr. 643-0517 (H) johnny.martinez.jr@smithbarney.com Mike Meyer 892-9624 mikemeyertu@charter.net Dennis Thiel 792-1188 dfthiel@sbcglobal.net Pat Zaplitny 892-9317 pat.zaplitny@eds.com

Advisors Bo Brines 989-832-4100 (W) 989-832-9528 (H) bobrines@tm.net Craig Bublitz (810) 688-3963 bublitz@cardina.net Joe Bula 781-2047 (H) joenette@mybluelight.com Josh Butzin 798-6263 jmbutzin@yahoo.com David Cozad 684-7947 (H) David Fisher 781-4932 (H), 792-9641 (W) djfisher@smithbovill.com

Jac Ford 781-0997 (H/FAX) canglers@aol.com Mel Gricar 652-9277 (H), 792-9618 (W) melgricar@aol.com Carl Hubinger 642-5487 (H) bchubinger@msn.com Howard N. Johnson 753-6373 hnjohnson@aol.com Risty Kalivas 790-8614 (H) ristydo@aol.com Harold Kleinert 684-4733 (H) hrkleinert@hotmail.com Judy McCann 652-9869 (H) jmccann113@aol.com Art C. Neumann 777-0484 (H) Bruce Scorsone 793-7200 bscorsone@aol.com Jake Shinners 781-3003 (H), 799-5000 (W) jshinners@shinnerscook.com Greg Stansbury 695-8080 (H/FAX) papertube@aol.com Newsletter Layout Teri Skidmore 781-0040 TeriSkidz@yahoo.com

Officers President Robb Smith 893-3792 rssmithsr@chartermi.net Vice-President Jo Neuhalfen 642-5946 jo@wolgastcorporation.com Treasurer Rich Kemerer 781-5220 richard.kemerer@cbcf-net.com Secretary Bob Spence 799-6617 (H) rsspe2@chartermi.net Past-President Christopher J. Radke 249-6420 (H) cradke@shinnerscook.com

Directors Bill Adams 652-8328 adamsbillchar@aol.com Dave Case 642-5286 dsbec53@chartermi.net Brian Frost 781-7731 abfrost@msn.com Steve Janson 964-0041 (H) sjanson@chartermi.net Peter Jones 753-3984 (H) pjones@fphorak.com

waders to work on the log jams. One log in particular was huge and lodged perpendicular to the river. With hours of labor and much cheering from the onlookers on the banks, they were successful in pivoting it on the rock it was stuck on, rolling it off the rock, and floating it downriver to be safely rolled onto a bank. The boys emerged cold, wet, exhausted, and very happy. At the end of the day, what had been a slowly moving, debris filled section of the Rouge, was clean and healthy looking, and rapidly flowing. Emmett is a freshman and an honor student at Walled Lake Central High School. In addition to fishing, hiking, camping and anything in the outdoors, his other interests include piano, French horn, singing in 2 choirs, and performing in the school musical play. He hopes to obtain his Eagle rank this year.

Scout project benefits

resources

We owe a special thanks to all TU members and scouters for your contacts, encouragement, and efforts to make a difference on

this Eagle Scout stream project. As you can see, we DID make a

difference for a Life Scout, troop, community, and fishery.

E mmett Holtzman, age 14, a Boy Scout out of T110, Farmington, chose a

conservation project on the Johnson Creek/Rouge River in Northville for his Eagle Leadership Service Project. On October 29 he assembled friends, family, and troop to help with the project, which included planting Michigan native plants on the banks, log jam removal, and using woody debris to enhance wildlife habitat on the banks. REI of Novi, Hank's Fly Fishing of Novi, Steinkopf Nursery of Farmington, Sorus Ferns of Ann Arbor, and Orvis Fly Fishing of Royal Oak, all helped by sponsoring the project with donations of money and materials, as well as fellow scouts and family helping with a bottle drive fundraiser. On a beautiful autumn day, while the younger volunteers planted the native plants, the older scouts and friends took to the river in

Who will benefit by Emmett Holtzman This conservation project will benefit Michigan Department of Natural Recourses, Wayne County Department of Environment, Wayne County Parks, specifically Hines Park in Northville Recreation Area. It will also benefit fishermen, nature lovers and all visitors to the park. Lastly, and most importantly, it will benefit the wildlife that live in the river and

the surrounding woodlands. Wayne County Department of Environment will specifically benefit because this site has been suffering for quite some time, and they need all the help they can get. In the past they did work on this area and then because of miscommunication their lawn care service killed all of the native plants and reversed much of what they had done. For my project, after the plants are in place, signs stating “Grow Zone” will be placed surrounding the area.

WILLIAM B. MERSHON CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MEETING SCHEDULE

Note: All Board of Directors meetings will be held on the first Wednesday of the month (unless noted) at

5:30 p.m. at Gander Mountain, 2270 Tittibawassee Road, Saginaw, Michigan.

Wednesday, January 4, 2006 Wednesday, February 1, 2006

Wednesday, March 1, 2006 Wednesday, April 5, 2006

We welcome you to attend any of the board meetings. Your input is an invaluable resource in our efforts to serve the resources we enjoy.

“Woody Debris Method 101” (see attached document). This is the clean and open method, which opens passages for water flow, but leaves or places woody debris to create habitat. We will be placing the relocated woody material from the logjams to create river bank protection and habitat creation. Insects and fish both need some woody debris along the banks as well. These habitat areas provide the wildlife with shelter, shade, and food. The logs moved and dispersed on land provide shelter and habitat for small woodland animals. For this job a minimum of five older scouts and two adults will be adequate for each shift.

Project Description by Emmett Holtzman My Eagle project is to clean up and restore a section of the Johnson Creek/ Rouge River located in Hines Park, southwest of the corner of 7 Mile and Northville Rd. in Northville, Michigan. This conservation project will involve erosion and habitat concerns. Due to the building projects and drainage issues the water flow through this area after heavy rain swells more and more each year, increasing water speed and force, and eating away the river bends. This in turn washes sediments into the river, which smothers insect populations, killing all of the food for the river fish species’. The ground soil

entering the river also puts an imbalance of phosphorous into the water creating an overgrowth of water plants and algae. To stop further erosion we will be planting native plant species in the form of starter plants and seeds. Through Michigan Wild Flower Farm I can tell them that the area has direct sunlight, clay-type soil and my budget /sq. footage of the area, and they tell me how much to order. For this job a minimum of 6 younger scouts will be adequate for each shift. There are a number of fallen trees, logjams diverting the natural path of the water flow. These logs need to be trimmed and relocated in such a way that preserves as much beneficial habitat for the fish and insect as possible. We will be using a method referred to as the

no idea that I was about to be hooked for a lifetime into a world of bugs, summer evenings, moving water, and trout. Seeing one small trout rise at Wakeley Bridge was all it took, and I never looked back. I caught my first trout on that trip--a small brookie, dumb as a box of rocks, that chased a poorly presented Mickey Finn and gave me my first look and feel of what was to come. Years went by. I fished and hunted as much as possible and went to college. I stayed here at home in Saginaw and went to Delta and SVSU, much to the disappointment of some of my friends who went away to school; but then, they weren't very interested in the Holy Waters or the Mallards at Shiawassee like I was. While in college, I worked at the Stable and became acquainted with the ski industry, in which I later became a manufacturer's sales rep. I continued to fish and hunt, and the week that I found out that I had a job as a rep, I met the girl of my dreams. I continued to finish school while working full-time covering six states as a ski rep and making lots of visits to Alma to visit my new sweetheart. Eventually, Melissa finished her Bachelor's Degree at Alma, and I finally graduated from SVSU.

Profile Josh Butzin,

Mershon chapter advisor W anigas Rod Company.

The first fishing memory that I can

recall is standing in my grandfather's woodworking shop as a young boy, staring up into the rafters at two, two-piece rods with the words "Wanigas Rod Company" printed on them. My family wasn't a particularly active hunting or fishing family, but my grandfather had those rods. When my dad was young, my grandparents lived on East Street, right across from Hausbeck Pickles and not too far from the shop where those two rods were made. I suppose that Grandpa got those rods around that time, but I'll never know. I don't ever remember the rods coming out of the rafters, and although through the years they have been lost, the adventures and possibilities those fisherman's tools presented to me as a young boy live on today. Years later, thanks to Jack Wolfgram Sr., now deceased, but formerly of Wolfgram Excavation in Saginaw, I learned to fly fish. For a few years, I caught bluegills and bass, and then one day Jack's son, Jack Jr., called me and asked if I wanted to go trout fishing with him, his dad, and brother on the AuSable. Obviously, I jumped at the chance. I think that I was thirteen. I was young and the world was still huge, and I had

William B. Mershon Chapter of TU SPRING FUNDRAISING BANQUET

Wednesday, April 26, 2006 Candlelite Banquet Center, Bridgeport

MERSHON BOARD MEETINGS Wednesday, January 4, 2006 Wednesday, February 1, 2006

Wednesday, March 1, 2006 Wednesday, April 5, 2006

5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Gander Mountain, Saginaw

FLY-FISHING CLASSES Starting Mondays, January 23

Swan Valley High School

FLY-TYING CLASSES Starting Wednesdays, January 25

Swan Valley High School

WALLEYE DINNER Monday, March 6 at 5 p.m.

Pulaski Hall

MERSHON CHAPTER ANNUAL WINTER OUTING AND SPORTING CLAY SHOOT

Saturday, January 28 at 10 a.m. Freeland Sportsman's Club

WALLEYE DINNER Monday, January 16

featuring tying demo by Jeff Andrews Demo from 2:30–4:30 p.m.

Dinner at 5 p.m. Pulaski Hall

Calendar of Events

bought more than one. I thought back yet again to my Grandpa's Wanigas rods and thought about all of the years of fishing between those rods and the one before me on the table Without being too corny, it was like one of those full-circle experiences--like at that moment I was just where I was supposed to be and with the right group of people, fellow TU members, all looking out for the same cause and way of life. I didn't win the rod that night, but I did finally get to meet Art and that in itself was a great pleasure. So anyway, to sort of wrap up this "profile", I'll catch those trout just about any way I need to, but my favorite is with a four- or five-weight fly rod, a light tippet, and preferably a 16 or 18 parachute Adams…and I'm always looking for people to go fishing with.

I continued to rep while she attended MSU Law School. In 2002, I took a job in pharmaceutical sales, and last year Melissa finally became a lawyer. We were married this past June at Apple Mountain (by the way, for a wedding gift she got me a new 5-wt Winston--yeah, I know, she's the greatest) and are currently living in Saginaw Township, which is central to my territory and where Melissa works for Shinners and Cook as an attorney. I have been very lucky over the years to have been able to fish not only in Michigan, but all over the west as well. Some of the trips have been where work has taken me, and some have been for pleasure. I've spent time watching for Grizzlies on the Madison, Yellowstone, and Gallatin. I've fished Idaho's Silver Creek, Wood River, and the South Fork of the Boise. I have been very fortunate to have caught Cutthroat in the Uinta

Mountains and to have also floated the Green below Flaming Gorge with family members who spend time as rafting guides. I have been blessed, to say the least. Still my home waters are, and will always remain, our beloved AuSable River. In the past, I had been a member of TU and Anglers of the AuSable, but was not very active in either group. I came back to the Mershon chapter after talking with former president Chris Radke, sensing a growing personal need to give back to the rivers and woods that I love so dearly. I hope to be active in the Mershon chapter for many years to come and to be able to give what I can to help out whether via manpower or brainpower. Once I decided to "reactivate" myself as a member of TU, the first event that I went to was a walleye dinner. I came in the door and there sitting on a raffle table was a Wanigas fly rod. Craig Bublitz was selling cards for it, and I can tell you that I

I would highly recommend this camp for young people in our chapter. I enjoyed it myself and hope to volunteer again in 2006. Our chapter will sponsor campers again this year. We will have applications available soon, and this is the time to apply. The Kalamazoo chapter also sponsors an advanced trout fishing camp for 12 students/individuals who have completed the beginners’ school. Please make your plans soon if you want to attend. Bill Adams

O n July 10th, I had the pleasure of being an adult volunteer at the

2005 “Youth River Conservation and Fishing Camp.” The camp is a long-standing project of the Kalamazoo Valley chapter of TU. The camp is open to 20 young people from 12 to 16 years of age. Among the 19 students attending last year were two young ladies, and also in attendance were Jacob and John Sohn, sponsored by our chapter. The camp was very well organized and had an excellent staff of instructors. There was extensive instruction in fly casting, fly tying, spinner making, knots, entomology, and four sessions of casting and fishing instructions at off-site rivers and lakes.

Youth fly-fishing camp nets enthusiastic volunteer support

We strongly suggest that next year the chapter send people to this camp again. This camp was an outstanding learning experience and this was a great source of fun. Sincerely, Jacob and John Sohn

Youth campers thank Mershon chapter

T.U. Members, We would like to thank you for the opportunity that you gave us to go to the fly-fishing camp this summer. We really enjoyed the days we were there learning and improving our fishing skills. The instructors were very helpful when you would ask a question and when your casting needed improvement. While we were there, we received experience of fishing in a stream and fishing in a lake.

there waiting for a big buck to come by. I'll watch the leaves fall, watch the deer and other critters frolic in the crisp, cool

Trout-aholic, continued from page 4

repair stream banks and protect habitat. The problem is that stream work alone is not going to get the job done. The competition for our resource by other users is a significant challenge, but pales in comparison to the potential danger that sulfide mining or petroleum drilling bring to our rivers. My point is this: TU and the Mershon chapter as a multi-faceted organization are making a difference. So, if you are a person donating prizes, cooking food, attending public hearings, balancing the books, updating a website, buying dinner and raffle tickets, planting trees, or just moving rocks, “thank you!” All of your contributions, no matter how small they may seem to you, are necessary and appreciated, and as a team, we will continue to succeed in our goal to protect and preserve our cold-water resources. Your President, Robb Smith "We have not inherited the earth from our fathers; we are borrowing it from our children."

— Native American Proverb

(Mershon board member) and Jim Hergott (Saginaw Bay District RC&D), the project required five hours of a total team effort to complete the installation of approximately 300’ of whole tree revetment--no small fete, considering the fact that we had to negotiate a steep, 75’ bank with a lot of old legs! Thankfully, the younger members of the team pulled us through. Mershon and Ann Arbor should truly be proud of their accomplishments on this day, as these two projects continue to make a positive difference to this improving fishery. The last project of the campaign was perhaps the most enjoyable of all. Taking place October 8, 2005, the annual Mason Tract cedar tree planting project was held on the South Branch of the Au Sable River. Howard Johnson’s Cedars for the Au Sable projects may make him the new Johnny Appleseed of Northern Michigan. Well attended by a mix of young adults and Mershon members, we have now completed our 2nd

Meanders, continued from page 1

year of a five-year program to plant native white cedars, providing shade and natural habitat along the river. Generations to come will enjoy the fruits of these efforts as much as we are appreciating the efforts of William B. Mershon as he pioneered reforestation along the North Branch of the Au Sable. Going forward into the new year, the board has planned some exciting activities, including a walleye dinner featuring guest speaker, fly tier, and guide Bear Andrews on January 16th, and a “Sporting Clays Outing” at the Freeland Gun Club on January 28th. Further details on these two events may be found within this edition. Also, please note that if you bring guests to these or any future Mershon chapter activities, we will offer them a free one-year membership to TU. This is a new effort by our board and membership committees to get more people involved in fly fishing and cold-water conservation. So, bring a friend and get them acquainted with TU! Summing things up…it would be my dream to just move rocks and set tree revetment, helping to

air. But, deep down, way in the back of my head, in the primitive parts of my brain, there will be a Cahill hatch, like snow in the summer. And since I'll be hunting with a good friend of mine who also happens to be a salmon and

steelhead guide, the fire will burn low in the evening, the hunting stories will have been told, and we'll talk about trout.

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

YES! Please begin my one-year introductory membership in Trout Unlimited at the rate I have checked at right. I understand my dues payment entitles me to all regular membership benefits, including a TU decal, personal membership card and quarterly issues of Trout magazine with Action Line. Name (please print) Address City State Zip Telephone

020 Mershon Chapter

Michigan Council - Code 5449 Sponsor

Please check membership category: New member membership ($17.50) Regular membership ($35) / 3 years

($90) Family membership ($50) / 3 years

($100) Sponsoring contributor ($100)* Conservator contributor (250)* Individual Life ($1,000) (No further dues)* Family Life ($1,100) (Husband and Wife)* Senior (62 and over) membership ($20) Full-time Student/Youth (under 18) ($20) Business membership ($200)

Payment enclosed** Please bill me Visa # Exp. Date MasterCard Exp. Date Signature

All contributions over $12 are tax deductible. *Note: special benefits provided for these membership categories. **Make checks payable to: TROUT UNLIMITED Clip and mail this application to join TU today!

Mail to: TROUT UNLIMITED, PO BOX 1335, MERRIFIELD, VA 22116

MUDDLER P.O. Box 1555 Saginaw, MI 48605-1555

T H E M E R S H O N

Newsletter of the William B. Mershon Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Permit No. 187 Saginaw, MI

Address Service Requested

(Please remember that board members can help you sign up new members at the membership rate of $17.50 and that all of this money comes back to the Mershon chapter if the membership application references our chapter # 20.)