THE RIVERWATCHTHE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF

THE ANGLERS OF THE AU SABLE

Summer 2014Number 69

tHe riVer - robert tHomPSon’S maSterPieCe on tHe au Sable riVer floWS to all tHe riGHt PlaCeS.

tHe eXPanSion - anGlerS and tHe national Guard Come to a QuiCK aGreement.

tHe HatCHerY - tHinGS are far from Clear aS to WHetHer it CanfunCtion WitHout HarminG our riVer?

2

from tHe editor

2

direCtorSDon Boyd, Grayling, MIThomas Buhr, Luzerne, MIDick Daane, Ann Arbor, MI (Emeritus)

John Dallas, Troy, MI Alan Diodore, Grayling, MIDan Drislane, Emigrant, MT (Emeritus)

Jay Gleason, Huntersville, NC (Emeritus)

Josh Greenberg, Grayling, MIKaren Harrison, Frederic, MIMark Hendricks, Grayling, MIBruce Johnson, Rochester, MITerry Lyons, Perry, MIEd McGlinn, Farmington Hills, MI (Emeritus)

Tess Nelkie, Tawas City, MIJohn Novak, Grayling, MI Andy Richards, Kalamazoo, MIJohn Russell, Traverse City, MIDon Sawyer, Okemos, MIJim Schramm, Pentwater, MI Jim Shifl ett, Grand Ledge, MIDavid Smith, Grayling, MIJohn Walters, Vanderbilt, MIDavid Waymire, Charlotte, MILance Weyeneth, Gaylord, MI

PreSidentBruce Pregler, Rochester Hills, MI

firSt ViCe PreSidentTom Baird, Diamondale, MI

SeCond ViCe PreSidentJohn Bebow, Milan, MI

treaSurerPat Dwyer, Rochester, MI

SeCretarYJoe Hemming, Beverly Hills, MI

tHe riVerWatCHThe RIVERWATCH is a quarterly publication of The Anglers of the Au Sable, a non-profi t corporation dedicated to the protection of the Au Sable River, its watershed and surrounding environs. Dues are $25 per year. For member-ship please contact:

The Anglers of the Au SableP.O. Box 200

Grayling, MI 49738www.AuSableAnglers.org

Front Cover Photo Credit:www.respectmyplanet.org

Once it gets kick-started – I think Brown Drakes usually do it – the sea-son just rushes by, and the next thing you know it is time for the Fall Clean-up. “Cleanups” is a better word around this region, three to be exact. Here is the pertinent info:

September 6th, Anglers of the Au Sa-ble Cleanup, 10 AM, Gates Au Sable Lodge, George Alexander Memorial Lunch at Noon. Contact Josh Greenberg989-348-8462/ josh@gateslodge.com.

September 6th, Au Sable Big Wa-ter Preservation Association, 8 AM (Boats), 9 AM (Walkers), Comins Flats, BBQ Noon. Contact Thomas Buhr at 989-745-4957/ tom@asbwpa.org.

September 20th, The Old Au Sable Fly Shop, 9 AM. Contact Andy Partlo989-348-3330/andy@oldausable.com.

* * * * *dr. JoHn riCHter

He was to the Jordan River what Rusty was to the Au Sable, and just like Da’ Gator, he left us too soon. Dr. John Richter, who passed away in May, was like many of us, a native of down-state who heard the siren song of “Up North.” A veterinarian by trade, he moved to East Jordan in 1984, and fell in love with the river fl owing at its core.

In 1990 he helped to found the Friends of the Jordan River Watershed and served as President for many years. Under John’s direction the FOJ helped prevent drilling for oil and gas in the Jordan River Valley – a place so charm-ing and sweet it could be right of out Tolkien – and stopped the harebrained scheme to inject leachate from Bay Harbor into a well located in Alba, not far from his beloved Jordan River.

In recent years the fi ght has been against fracking. Dr. Richter put in long hours educating folks throughout the region about what might happen if the practice becomes widespread. He took a hard line on it. This left him and the FOJ out on the left fl ank almost completely alone while the majority of conserva-tion organizations sought centrist posi-tions. It showed his passion and cour-age to do what he thought was right, realpolitik be damned.

His work brought accolades: East Jor-dan Citizen of the Year (2008); Envi-ronmentalist of the year (2008) from the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council (NMEAC); and the Clarence Kroupa Lifetime Achieve-ment Award from that same organiza-tion in 2013.

I had the pleasure of interviewing him from time to time about things over the

it’S CleanuP time aGain

Continued on page 19

3

fraCKinG letter

mlCV nameS anGlerSadVoCate of tHe Year

Former Michigan State Football Coach George Perles – yes, it’s come to that now – once said, “Keep your head down, play hard, and good things will happen.” Anglers’ herculean effort at the end of last year to stop the mineral leases on the Holy Water was just such an example.

And it’s being celebrated. The Michigan League of Con-servation Voters (MLCV) has named AOTA the 2014 Ad-vocate of the Year.

“The Anglers of the Au Sable have shown time and again a deep commitment to protecting one of the most vital waterways in Michigan,” said Lisa Wozniak, Executive Director for MLCV. “Their dedication to preserving the Au Sable River stopped oil and gas leasing efforts that threatened Michigan’s Holy Waters. Their tenacious work is so critical in the Great Lakes State where clean water lies at the heart of our way of life and our economy. That is why, at MLCV’s annual Innovation in Conserva-tion Awards Dinner this year, we are proud to recognize the Anglers of the Au Sable with our ‘Advocate of the Year’ award.”

MLCV will host the second annual Innovation in Conservation Awards Dinner on Thursday, October 2nd at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit. MLCV will present awards to honorees to celebrate their achievements on behalf of Michigan’s land, air, and water and to highlight their leadership as conservation champions. This year, in addition to Anglers, MLCV is pleased to recognize re-tiring Congressman John Dingell and retiring Senator Carl Levin with ‘Lifetime Achievement’ awards.

(Editor’s Note: At press, Anglers of the Au Sable signed on to this letter addressing the new set of regulations regarding the form of mineral extraction known as fracking. Much remains to be decided on this matter. Please check the Anglers’ Homepage for updates. We will cover developments on fracking in depth in RIVERWATCH 70.)

ANN ARBOR -- The Michigan League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, Moms Clean Air Force Michigan, and more than 25 environmen-tal and conservation organizations called for stronger safe-guards for Michigan’s clean water and public health against hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. In a letter sent to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the groups pressed for more rigorous fracking rules that ade-quately protect the quality and quantity of Michigan’s fresh-water. Today is the fi nal day for public input on the draft of the rules released by the DEQ earlier this year.

“Oil and gas development, including high volume hydrau-lic fracturing, puts Michigan’s waters resources at risk – threatening our health and economic viability,” said Jenni-fer McKay, policy specialist for Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. “The administrative rules currently proposed by the DEQ contain signifi cant defi ciencies and are insuffi cient to adequately protect Michigan’s lakes, streams, and rivers.”

Groups are asking the DEQ to require more in-depth evalu-ation and monitoring of water levels and water quality be-fore, during and after fracking operations begin, and public disclosure of chemicals prior to drilling. Alongside the let-ter, the Michigan LCV submitted 2,227 public comments to the DEQ on behalf of members across the state. The strong turnout and widespread opposition to the proposed rules at DEQ public hearings in Grayling and Lansing earlier this month, and the outpouring of public comments demanding that fracking operations be held to the highest standards of safety refl ect a groundswell of support for getting our state’s rules right.

“If we want to maintain our ‘Great Lakes State’ image and our natural resource economy, we must address the unprec-edented threats that our waters face from fracking,” said Jack Schmitt, Deputy Director for Michigan LCV. “The DEQ should not ignore calls from every corner of the state to toughen up on rules for fracking operations and put into place safeguards that truly protect our clean water and our public health.”

In addition to risks posed to Michigan’s freshwater, frack-ing could lead to increased air pollution. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a powerful greenhouse gas and contributor to high ozone levels. The release of toxic air

emissions during any stage of the fracking process would be detrimental to air quality and public health.

“Any process that could increase the levels of pollution in the air we breathe should raise a red fl ag for Michigan deci-sion makers,” said Wibke Heymach, Program Manager for Moms Clean Air Force Michigan.

“Without strong enough safeguards against fracking on the books, we put air quality and the health of future generations of Michiganders on the line.”

- Charlotte Jameson, MLCV

enVironmental GrouPS PreSS State to ProteCt miCHiGan’SClean Water, PubliC HealtH from fraCKinG

4

We all knew the Hendricksons would come late this spring, but by the fi rst of May there were plenty of riverside jitters. We needed warm nights and spinner falls to get over the frostbite of the polar vortex. What we didn’t need was an-other war to protect the river corridors. We got one anyway.

On May 1st, DNR forester Susan Thiel shook River Coun-try out of late-winter slumber with a bombshell email that quickly found its way into the hands of Anglers of the Au Sable board members. Thiel’s email to her colleagues throughout the DNR said:

The military had its sights set on 50,000 additional acres of state land in Crawford County.

The military wanted the land for infantry training.

The DNR had drawn detailed maps for the proposed land deal, including handing over both sides of the Manistee River from M-72 to CCC Bridge, the sensitive wetlands of the Connors Marsh area north of the main branch of the Au Sable, and more sensitive areas adjacent to the North Branch in the Kellogg’s Bridge area.

Some 6,000 of the acres in the mapped military giveaway were specifi cally purchased in years past with state and fed-eral funds for recreational purposes only.

Perhaps hundreds of privately owned parcels fell within or next to the proposed additional military land giveaway.

Plans were in the works to cut a verbal deal between the DNR and the military by early July.

anGlerS of tHe au Sable SWinGS into aCtion

This news was a red alert. Anglers of the Au Sable respond-ed immediately. We convened meetings of numerous river conservation groups in the Au Sable and Manistee river cor-ridors. We met with Susan Thiel to gather more information. (An initial request for the DNR’s military land giveaway maps was denied. But we quickly obtained the maps any-way from sources within the DNR who were every bit as concerned as we were.)

A quarter-century after Anglers fi rst came to prominence fi ghting Camp Grayling intrusions into River Country, Thiel’s email and the DNR’s new maps felt like a sneak at-tack. Most troubling of all, the Camp Grayling expansion appeared to be under discussion completely behind closed doors. The maps suggested a virtual military takeover of the remaining public lands in Crawford County. It didn’t take much imagination to envision troops training right on top

of anglers in the middle of mayfl y hatches. And with just a quick glance at the maps we could see that private property owners far and wide were likely to fi ght tooth and nail to keep infantry troops from training nearly in their backyards.

At our June meeting, the Anglers board approved a sharply worded letter to Governor Rick Snyder and top offi cials in the DNR and the Michigan Department of Military and Vet-erans Affairs. We cited additional emails we had obtained in which DNR fi sheries biologists strongly opposed the new expansion zones. We noted that taxpayers had already in-vested in the proposed military lands for recreational pur-poses – and questioned the legality of turning over those recreational lands to the military. We expressed our amaze-ment that such a major Camp Grayling expansion could be mapped out in draft form by the DNR without one word of public knowledge or input.

And, we warned state offi cials to quickly reconsider before they sparked a major, expensive, and long public contro-versy.

braCinG for battle

And that’s exactly what we expected - a long fi ght. After licking the stamps on our letters, we started drafting battle plans. It wouldn’t be long before we’d start a major media campaig. We were mapping out a strategy for rallying prop-erty owners. And we were considering our legal options. (As we’ve had to do too many times on too many issues over the years. But when we go to court, we’re usually loaded for bear.)

In short, there was no way we were going to stand by while the corridors of two of the best wild trout streams in the east-ern United States were essentially given away to the mili-tary. Rusty Gates would’ve been up in arms. So were we.

tHe PHone Call tHat CHanGed eVerYtHinG

And then, in mid-June, we received a phone call from Gen-eral Gregory Vadnais, the top military offi cial in Michigan and the head of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.

General Vadnais told us he was standing down and imme-diately walking away from the DNR’s expansion maps for Camp Grayling. Vadnais said that once he reviewed Anglers written concerns he completely agreed with our major con-tention – the lands mapped by the DNR were completely incompatible with military use for all the reasons Anglers of the Au Sable cited.

CamP GraYlinG eXPanSion

HoW anGlerS QuiCKlY fouGHt offa maJor au Sable-maniStee inVaSion

5

CamP GraYlinG eXPanSion

Instead, General Vadnais said he would explore only one small sliver of land in Frederic Township to connect some existing Camp Grayling territory.

A major land use war turned into a quick and complete river victory overnight.

WHat We learned

The potential threats to River Country never end. In the past year, Anglers of the Au Sable has fought off surface frack-ing wells in the Holy Water and a proposal to allow gold prospecting in trout streams. We continue to monitor and oppose massive fracking water withdrawals in the Manistee and Au Sable watersheds. We’re working to tighten regula-tions and consider our legal options to protect the Au Sable should the Grayling Hatchery expansion for commercial fi sh farming come to fruition. And we’re working with Roscom-mon County offi cials who control the Lake St. Helen dam to stabilize fl ows and protect against extremely low water in the South Branch in summer months.

The work literally never ends. To succeed, we must have many friends and contacts within the DNR and the rest of state government to stay on top of development plans and attack terrible ideas like the Camp Grayling expansion in the river corridors before such ideas even get off the ground.

We continue to talk to DNR offi cials about Camp Grayling. Top offi cials acknowledged to us in early July that the DNR’s expansion maps, and the aggressive timeline outlined in the May emails, were a mistake. The military’s 10-year lease for state lands is coming up for renewal. We’re watching it closely.

And we work hard every month to maintain respectful and professional relations with state and local government of-

fi cials. To that end, Anglers is deeply grateful to General Vadnais for his quick and thorough response and the strong respect he demonstrated for the extremely valuable natural resources of the Au Sable and Manistee river corridors.

Anglers’ President Bruce Pregler said it best in our press release announcing the military’s decline of the DNR expan-sion maps in late June: “We are extremely pleased to receive General Vadnais’ response to our June 9 letter. The general took seriously – and agrees with – our conclusion that Draft Expansion Zones 2, 3, and 5 are mainly recreational lands, sensitive river corridors, and sensitive wetlands that are sim-ply incompatible with military use. We are very grateful to General Vadnais and other state leaders for their rapid con-sideration and response. In the end, we fi rmly believe their decision to decline Draft Expansion Zones 2, 3, and 5 is ex-actly the right decision for the river corridors our organiza-tion is duty-bound to protect.”

We’ll never know exactly what was said in June among offi -cials in the DNR, the governor’s offi ce, and the Department of Military Affairs once they received our letter strongly op-posing the DNR’s Camp Grayling expansion maps. We can only report what we heard as second-hand rumors. We were told of a conversation in which military offi cials asked other high-ranking offi cials who Anglers of the Au Sable is and why they should be worried about us. The rumored answer was: “Anglers of the Au Sable has more lawyers, more pas-sionate members, more resources, and more media reach than you can imagine.”

If that conversation did indeed take place, we like the mes-sage. And we’ll keep working every day to maintain that image and protect the rivers our members hold so dear.

- John Bebow, 2nd Vice President

It was June 23, 2008 when the catastrophe on the Pigeon River occurred. For those who remember, it was when Gold-en Lotus (Song of the Morning Ranch) discharged tons of sediment from their impoundment due to faulty dam man-agement. This resulted in a fi sh kill of over 500,000 trout. That sediment discharge was the third such occurrence in 51 years.

Since that date the DEQ & DNR conducted an environmen-tal investigation resulting in a lawsuit between the State of Michigan and Golden Lotus. Michigan Trout Unlimited (MITU) and Pigeon River Country Association (PRCA) also joined the lawsuit with the State of Michigan. MITU/PRCA fi led a nuisance claim against Golden Lotus, which

was part of the ruling by former Judge Porter in the 1984 lawsuit. The primary purpose MITU/PRCA entered into this lawsuit was to ensure complete dam removal, so the Pigeon River can fl ow freely, and to ensure this type of catastrophe would never occur again.

The original settlement was eventually contested. With tire-less work and persistence, MITU/PRCA, the State of Michi-gan, and Golden Lotus have now reached fi nal agreements regarding the Song of the Morning Ranch Dam Removal case. This took an incredible amount of legal work, science work, negotiating, and old-fashioned hard work.

On April 3, 2014, almost six years later, all parties affi liated

SonG of tHe morninG ranCHdam remoVal laWSuit HaS ended

6

Then and Now - The Song of the Morning Ranch Dam only served to impede one of Michigan’s most historic rivers. Thanks to the Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited, it is now part of that history. Check our website for further updates on this issue.

SonG of tHe morninG ranCH

with the case appeared in court to enter the agreed upon and signed fi nal docu-ments before Judge Allen.

It is very exciting for everyone involved, and long overdue, to complete the law-suit, which is a necessary process. Now the real work begins.

The new Collaborative Agreement, an agreement between Golden Lotus, MITU and PRCA, lays out all of the conditions, monitoring, sand removal efforts and work to be completed. As a result of these agreements, a Steering Committee will be established to make critical decisions as they arise during the dam removal. Huron Pines has been named, and they have agreed to be the project manager for the dam removal and associated projects.

So, what is next for the Pigeon River?

First, the drawdown of the impound-ment will start this spring. Due to light organic sediment, being the top layer in the impoundment, the drawdown will be relatively slow. The Sediment Man-agement Plan 1 will be implemented, in-cluding how the sediment will be man-aged once some of these sediments are transported when the Pigeon River has increased fl ow through the impound-ment. As vegetation seeds are prevalent in the sediment, vegetation growth will commence as the dewatering occurs and the new surface is exposed to oxy-gen and sunlight. This new vegetation growth will stabilize the newly exposed sediment.

The second phase of the project, which will start following the drawdown, will consist of removal of the dam structures, installation of a replacement bridge over the river (spanning the natural width of river, which is estimated at 35 feet), and removal of sand from the river.

The Golden Lotus Dam is the most signifi cant element im-pacting the health of the Pigeon River. This nearly six year long legal process has taken incredible resources to see through, and MITU would not have been able to effectuate

this positive outcome for the Pigeon River without the con-tinued support of our members like you. We are pleased to-day to report the dam removal process will begin this spring, and the Pigeon River will forever be better because of it. We will continue to provide more information and details about this project.

- John Walters – MITU Vice Chairman, Anglers Director

Lawsuit Ended continued...

7

GraYlinG fiSH HatCHerY

A new threat to the Au Sable River has emerged: mas-sive expansion of the Grayling Fish Hatchery on the East Branch. The Harietta Hills Trout Farm, owned by Dan Vo-gler, proposes to increase production at this obsolete facil-ity from under 20,000 pounds of fi sh per year, to 300,000 pounds. This massive expansion has caused concerns about phosphorus discharges in the river due to increased amounts of fi sh food and feces, insuffi cient monitoring of those dis-charges and the operations of the facility, substandard waste management, and as a result, creation of conditions condu-cive to symptomatic whirling disease in the river system.

Vogler appears to have the backing of the Michigan Depart-ment of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), which sees use of Michigan’s waters for aquiculture as the “next big thing.” He has now obtained an NPDES discharge permit from the Department of Environmental Quality, which does not adequately address the concerns we have raised. The Department of Natural Resources has essen-tially been frozen out of the process, much to the chagrin of career fi sheries personnel.

When the Anglers of the Au Sable became aware of this pro-posal last year, we began monitoring the situation. Early this year we were tipped off that the project was still in the works, and that that MDARD was pushing for a sweetheart deal on the permit. After seeing the proposed permit, it was apparent that action was required. We consulted with sev-eral experts. Steve Sendek, retired DNR fi sheries biologist, expressed initial concerns, and we also spoke to Bryan Bur-roughs, the executive director of Michigan Trout Unlimited and co-chair of the Water Use Advisory Council. We were referred to Dr. Ray Canale, who was extremely helpful. Be-fore he retired he was a professor of environmental engi-neering at the University of Michigan, and more important-ly, he was the Plaintiff’s expert in the Platte River hatchery litigation. He currently serves as the court appointed moni-tor of that operation, and a nationwide expert on hatcheries and their chemical discharges. Finally, we consulted with Dr. Mark Luttenton of Grand Valley State College, a stream biologist and ecologist, who has many years of experience on the Au Sable.

The experts confi rmed our fears regarding the proposed per-mit: (1) the limits on phosphorus in the proposed permit were too high, (2) the waste management program was essential-ly non-existent, (3) the monitoring regime proposed by the DEQ was totally insuffi cient and subject to bias and ma-nipulation, (4) this would lead to degradation of the waters of the Au Sable, (5) the result would probably be increased algae growth and a reduction in the diversity of macro inver-tebrates (including the fl ies we all know and love), and (6) whirling disease could possibly reach symptomatic levels.

Furthermore, documents produced indicate that this project may be signifi cantly underfunded. The DNR/DEQ should have conducted an analysis of HHTF’s fi nances. AOTA is unaware of any such investigation. Such an investigation would give the DEQ some insight into HHTF’s ability to properly operate the hatchery, perform its testing obliga-tion and complete any cleanup or contamination caused by HHTF operations. What good are restrictive requirements if the tenant is unable to properly operate the hatchery, conduct testing or cleanup due to fi nancial constraints? In addition, it came out that MDARD had interfered with the DNR in the performance of its duty to protect the river. At the request of the Mason Griffi th Chapter of TU, the DNR was going to conduct some baseline water quality tests above and be-low the hatchery, so that the effects of increased production could be assessed in the future. When he learned of this test-ing, Vogler complained to MDARD, which prevented the DNR from conducting the tests. They were ultimately con-ducted by DEQ, much later than originally planned. Finally, the economic costs of the proposal had not been considered. Vogler promises the addition of two jobs to the local econ-omy, and that he will keep the hatchery open as a tourist at-traction. The economic risks to the local economy and prop-erty values from the project have never been factored in.

On May 6, 2014, a hearing was held on the permit. Long story short: minor revisions were made to the permit. It is still unsatisfactory in a number of respects. The phospho-rus limit is too high; there are no limits on carbon, nitro-gen or dissolved oxygen depletion; the monitoring remains far short of optimal; and there is still no waste management plan, although Vogler is required to submit one soon, albeit after the permit was issued.

We are currently monitoring the situation, consulting with our experts, and considering our options. In addition, MGTU has retained Dr. Luttenton to conduct phosphorus monitoring above and below the hatchery, as a check on the results reported by management. In the meantime, MDARD is continuing to explore expansion of aquiculture in Michi-gan, including hatcheries on rivers and pen raised fi sh in the Great Lakes. We are sure to see additional developments in the near future.

Let me make this very clear: Our position is not to shut down the hatchery. It is to make sure that it is done properly, with good protective standards, a sound protocol for monitoring, a satisfactory waste management system, and any other necessary safe-guards. In other words, we don’t want to ban the hatchery, but we want it done right!

- Tom Baird, First Vice President

GraYlinG fiSH HatCHerY

8

tHe riVer interVieW

Chicago-based fi lmmaker Robert Thompson has earned na-tional acclaim for fi lming a world-record muskie on a fl y rod, chronicling the lives of punk-rocking trout bums in the Driftless Region, and capturing haunting scenes of the Mid-western hex hatch. In late April he released his most ambi-tious fi sh fl ick yet… It’s actually a three-movie DVD called “The River” and based on Michigan’s storied Au Sable. Anglers of the Au Sable sponsored the movie and its world premiere at the Rialto Theater in Grayling on the opening night of trout season. After two years of fi lming and plenty of river adversity along the way, “RT” as he’s known in river country, sat down with fellow Au Sable trout bum and An-glers 2nd VP John Bebow to talk about the project…

“The River” is quite a title. Camera-carrying anglers have featured hundreds of rivers. Why is the Au Sable THE river?Well, if I was to be completely honest I didn’t name it The River, implying that the Au Sable is THE river. It’s how I and others refer to it in conversation... “Are you heading to the river this weekend.” Also, I’ve never been terribly cre-ative when coming up with names for my pieces...so it was the best I could do. Honest answer...

You’ve shot fi lm all over North America, and you live in Chicago, but you seem especially rooted on the Au Sable. Why?I’m a Michigan kid, growing up not too far from the Au Sable. So that may have something to do with it. The Au Sable was the river that really cemented my addiction to fl y fi shing...for better or worse! I also think when you look at it from a historical perspective, starting back in the logging era and coming forward to present day, there is probably no other river in the country that has the history and traditions this river has. I’m not saying it’s the best river, but there is no shortage of history to it and it’s that history that makes it interesting...at least to me. I mean, this was a river full of Grayling at one time...Kind of hard to wrap your head around.

When did you fi rst fi sh the Au Sable? How’d that go?We have a family cabin not too far from the Au Sable so I actually fi shed it a couple times as a kid with spinners and such. It wasn’t until I picked up a fl y rod 11 or 12 years ago that I “rediscovered” it. It was a late fall weekend I’m guess-ing around 2002 and it was probably my second or third outing as a fl y fi sherman. I took a four-hour, on-stream in-structional lesson through Gates Lodge because I didn’t re-ally know what I was doing...Probably still don’t. Anyway,

it was the perfect cool, drizzly fall weekend and the fi shing was ridiculously good...but I had no idea at the time just how good it was. My third cast ever with a streamer pulled a 17-inch brown out of a sweeper in the Holy Waters...And that was the way the weekend went. I had no idea what I was doing and I caught a ton of fi sh...And some nice ones.

Knowing what I know now, I would have tried to appreciate it more, but at that time I just assumed my fi rst experience the norm. I’ve been trying to duplicate that fall weekend for 12 years...and haven’t come close. I think that weekend happened for a reason. Had I gone up there and the fi shing sucked, maybe I wouldn’t have come back...Who knows?

But that is the Au Sable...insanely unpredictable.

You spent two years fi lming “The River.” Why?I wanted to give myself the best chance at getting the foot-age I needed, especially from a fi shing standpoint. I mean all rivers are unpredictable, but this one can be downright cruel. I knew I could probably spend fi ve years trying to get all the hatches and would still probably miss one or two so I said I’ll give it two seasons and what I get is what I get.

It also made it a little tougher because I spent April and May of the fi rst year shooting The Brothers Brown so technical-ly I didn’t start shooting The River until June of 2012 and that only gave me one shot at April & May...So of course I missed a few things. Also, 2012 was a very early, low wa-ter year...almost a drought year. And 2013 was a late, high water year. That did not help so the shooting schedule be-came very much a scramble as dates had to be shifted and moved around.

This is the fourth DVD I’ve done and the challenges are al-ways the same… Finding the time to dedicate to the project and being a one man band. I would love to have a month or whatever to just work on something but that isn’t going to happen. I make the most of the weekends I have and what-ever happens, happens.

So, is this a fi shing movie or a conservation movie or a bug movie?Hopefully all of the above. As usual with my stuff there is no narration so it’s all told fi rst person. I interviewed about three dozen people for this, which is another reason I needed two seasons. Those interviews drive the story along and it’s weaved together with a season of fi shing starting in the snow in February and ending in late October. The story line jumps around a bit but the fi shing is shown linearly throughout a season.

Q & a: inSide tHe mind of tHe maKerof ‘tHe riVer’ moVie

9

tHe riVer interVieW

This DVD actually features three fi lms. One of them, “The Brothers Brown,” was in the Fly Fishing Film Tour in 2013. Then you have the main fl ick. And then there’s a third feature on bamboo rod builder Bob Summers. Tell us about him and how your feature on him developed?Well, it’s kind of interesting how that came to be. I inter-viewed a guy named Jay Stephan Sr. He’s probably one of the original Au Sable long boat builders. I think he was 88 when I interviewed him. His health was failing and unfortu-nately he died about six months ago. Anyway, during that in-terview he said he’d made a couple boats for George Griffi th who is credited as being the founder of Trout Unlimited and those early TU meetings were held at George’s camp called “The Barbless Hook” on the Holy Waters of the Au Sable.

I knew that Bob Summers now has George’s boat, and I was interested in how that came to be. I reached out to Bob, briefed him on the project and my interview with Jay, and he gave me the green light to swing by his shop in Traverse City, Michigan. So originally I went into it thinking I would just get an interview with Bob that I could use in the main piece.

It wasn’t until I spent some time with him, learned a little more of his relationship with George and found out that they were fi shing buddies on the Au Sable system for the better part of 25 years that something clicked. Then when he told me that they had done a fi lm together in the late ’70s or early ’80s that really peaked my interest. I was eventually able to track the fi lm down and get my hands on it and that is when I decided to expand the piece into its own short.

Not to mention, Bob has quite a history in his own right. The guy started with The Paul H Young Rod company in Detroit right out of high school and has been a revered rod maker for 40+ years. I think it’s a great piece and adds a nice fl avor to the DVD.

The Au Sable is a river of legends… Bob Summers is just one of them. This river is also the birthplace of Trout Un-limited. And it was home to Rusty Gates. Did you know Rusty before he died in 2009? How does your fi lm deal with the legend of “Da Gator,” as he called himself?

I don’t know what it was or what I did but Rusty was gra-cious enough to invite me into his world outside of his fl y shop. So yes, I was fortunate enough to be able to call Rusty a friend.

There is a lot I miss about Rusty since his passing in ‘09, the biggest of which is Hex Camp at his cabin. Some of my fondest memories of being on the river came during those years.

And in reality it was Rusty who brought all of us together. He basically created the social group I still hang with... He

had a knack for that kind of stuff.

But as it relates to the fi lm, it’s very tough to talk about that river without talking about Rusty Gates. He was the ulti-mate river keeper, maybe to a fault. There are many who will moan and groan about situations and sit on the sidelines, then there are those who will actually do something about it...make the phone calls, mobilize, delegate, raise funds and drag someone’s ass into court...That was Rusty. Tough to say if we’ll ever see another one like him...

So, does this movie offer hints on how to fi sh the fi nicky Au Sable? What’s your advice to anglers heading to Grayling, Michigan for the fi rst time?In short, no. I’m not big on how-tos or getting into a lot of technical stuff...Just doesn’t interest me. The Au Sable is a HIGHLY pressured river so if I had advice for someone fi sh-ing the river for the fi rst time it would be lower your expec-tations. I do think it’s a river that you have to pay your dues on. It seems to do things on its own terms and you learn to roll with it. I don’t think there is a secret code to crack...But I do think there can be a little luck involved as well.

The Au Sable also is a river of intrigue… Lots of conser-vation and political battles… Lots of different clubs and fi shing camps… Lots of secret fi shing holes and fl y shop whispering about where it’s hot and where it’s not… Maybe a few rivalries… How do you think your movie will be received among Au Sable loyalists?

I think like anything there will be those who love it and those who will hate it. That’s just part of the deal. There will be those who will question why this person is in it and why that person isn’t. It’s a judgment call on my part, rounding up those that I think will best tell the story. Sometimes it works out great, other times it doesn’t. You have to have thick skin, especially if you’re going to put yourself out there... I’m used to it.

I like to think I did the best job I could and if it ends up be-ing a miserable failure it wasn’t because of lack of effort. However my gut tells me it will go over fairly well, espe-cially with The Brothers and Summers... A little something for everyone.

So, now that your latest project is in the bag, what’s next for you and your camera?That’s a very good question. I was honestly leaning towards retiring from the fl y fi shing fi lm thing because I think I’ve done about all the pieces I’ve wanted to do… all that inter-ests me.

However, just when I think I’m done a couple interesting ideas fell in my lap recently, both Midwest things as I like to do, so we’ll see. But in the near future, no I don’t see me schlepping a camera around a river anytime soon.

12

tHere iS Still PlentY of time and manY WaYS to buY tHe riVer

It’s the perfect gift for birthdays, holidays and just plain anything. The RIVER is a great fi lm and part of the proceeds goes to Anglers of the Au Sable to take care of it. So here are some places to buy more copies.

retail:

The River DVD (standard) $30 The River DVD (BluRay) $35

miCHiGan retail outletS:

Gates Lodge (Grayling)

Old AuSable Fly Shop (Grayling)

Fullers NBOC (Lovells)

AuSable Angler (Mio)

Nomad Anglers(Okemos & Grand Rapids)

Schultz Outfi tters (Ypsilanti)

Little Forks Outfi tters (Midland)

Pere Marquette Lodge (Baldwin)

RW Summers Company(Traverse City)

otHer midWeSt outletS (tHat rt dealt direCtlY WitH):

Chicago Fly Fishing Outfi tters(Chicago)

Lunds Fly Shop (River Falls, WI)

Driftless Fly Fishing Company(Preston, MN)

online:

thirdyearfl yfi sher.com

standard $33 shipped

BluRay $38 shipped

Your WaterSHed needS Your HelP.Over the past 7 years, the Upper Au Sable River Watershed Monitoring Proj-ect has sampled and scored 6 sites on the major tributaries of the watershed. We do this twice each year on sites that are 300 feet in length and score them according to the quality assured MiCorps protocol. The results have con-sistently showed that our river is indeed healthy with very good water and abundant biota. What we sometimes lack, is people. It takes 4-6 volunteers to adequately monitor each site. During our most recent monitoring event, June 7th, we were forced to omit one site, the Big Creek at North Down River Road. On that day, I just happened to stop in at Gates Lodge to share a ride with a volunteer and right there was all the “potential help” a watershed monitoring project could ever hope for. Eager fl yfi shers were everywhere; sorting gear, swapping stories, planning their evening outings and perhaps just wondering in what truly meaningful way they could contribute to the resource. Here’s an idea: become a volunteer. It will take about 2 hours out of your day, put you right into the river and the watershed will realize a direct benefi t. Interested? Please become a volunteer. The project leader is Tom Dale; email him at thdale@core.com.

letterS to tHe editor

From time to time The RIVER-WATCH receives letters from mem-bers about a wide range of subjects. In my time as editor I have pub-lished every one of them to my best recollection. I encourage anyone to send a letter about any subject relat-ed to the Au Sable, fi shing, conser-vation, bird hunting or the outdoors. It will get published, but there are some guidelines for submissions of letters or any type of article.

They are as follows:

1. We will correct for typos, gram-mar and inappropriate language.

2. Profanity, vulgar language or slanderous statements will be ex-cised if the piece is accepted at all. We will fact check any infor-mation presented as such.

3. We’d prefer that letters or articles not exceed 1000 words, but if you check with us fi rst we may be able to wave this restriction if space allows.

4. Letters or op-eds do not have to agree with the offi cial positions of Anglers of the Au Sable, but responses to diverging opinions are likely to be presented as well.

5. You may submit as many pieces as you wish. Hard copy or email is fi ne.

6. Photos are welcome as well.

Send letterS to:

RIVERWATCHPO Box 300Luzerne, MI 48636

Send emailS to:

tombuhr@prodigy.net

HoW to buY tHe riVer

13

“Fly-fi shing is becoming a combat sport,” an Au Sable angler and friend said recently, his tongue fairly fi rmly in cheek. The comment closed out a conversation about a deli-cate river issue – fi shing etiquette. Yes readers, I will tackle this sensitive topic as we near that time of year when loca-tion really matters, at least in our neck of the river: Hex hatch.

The provocative quote above was precipitated, innocently and appropriately enough, by a great fi shing story. We all love great tales of glory starring the Au Sable, not to men-tion those that fall in the downright amusing category. This story was one of the latter, told by my always-entertaining angling husband Joe. But it had a philosophical bite to it for sure, excuse the pun.

Joe hosted three dear friends and fellow anglers to a few days of fi shing during the hex hatch a couple of years ago. None had fi shed the famous hex hatch on the Au Sable, and Joe was eager to introduce them to it. Timing and weather were perfect, and the conditions were absolutely ripe for the magic hex to appear. The special night had arrived – the one and only night they would have at the river house -- and these gentlemen were getting ready to fi sh. My husband cooked a lovely dinner of grilled steak and other manly food items, to prepare the crew for the adventure to come. Joe was ever mindful of the time, as he wanted to get his boys into the river at just the right place, as dusk emerged.

Just as they sat down to their steak and red wine, Joe saw a lone angler, wading upstream, seemingly making his way to the very spot that he had carefully identifi ed for his pals. Now he had a dilemma on his hands. It’s a public body of water, of course, and Joe is very aware of that. But of all the stretches of river, this fellow had to pick this very spot. Struggling with the etiquette issue, Joe fi nally walked down to the dock and very politely explained the situation to the angler, and requested that he move just a tad up or down stream. While not appearing particularly amused, he did so, and Joe was able to introduce his friends to this special fi sh-ing paradise.

In Joe’s defense, he asked a number of people – river guides and fellow anglers -- about what they would have done in a similar situation. Frankly, he received a wide array of in-puts, from “I would have done the same thing” to “Wow, that is way out of line.” In this particular conversation, it was concluded that Joe faced a unique situation in wanting the best for his guests, and that he asked nicely. If he did this regularly, that would be another matter. I won’t mention that he occasionally dives into his fi shing gear and bolts into the river when sensing another angler nearing. No, I won’t.

Back to our angler quoted above. After a good belly laugh about the whole situation, our friend mentioned that when he fi rst started fi shing the Au Sable, he bought a book about the river, which included a section on fi shing etiquette. He carried it with him and followed it religiously, even to the point of climbing the banks to avoid an angler in the river. He did admit that those days are over as it’s pretty hard to scramble the river banks in many places, and he may have alluded to the fact that the body wasn’t as willing and able as in past years. But then the horror stories of really bad behavior entered the conversation, including noisy races to get to favored fi shing spots, vessels nearly whacking anglers in the middle of the river, even a motored canoe heading upstream through fertile water at prime time.

Well, I was intrigued with this whole conversation – so intrigued that I visited my very dear friend Google and searched for fl y fi shing etiquette. And darned if I didn’t fi nd a few bursts of insight:

“I’ve always fi shed by one motto: respect the fi sh and the fi sh will respect you… When it comes to your fellow angler, take that same, respectful approach. Follow the golden rule and the good deeds you dish out will come back to you next time you’re on the water. If you’re fi shing a stretch with a friend who doesn’t fi sh as often as you do, and doesn’t know the fi shery like you do, give them a fi rst shot at a fi sh on your favorite stretch of water… And share a cold one afterward.” – Brian Milne, Fly Fishing Etiquette, About.com

“Don’t walk along the skyline above a pool where some-one is already fi shing; it is frustrating to have spent some time stalking a rising fi sh under the bank only to have some chump come gawping over the bank top… SHUT any farm gates that are shut before you get there and leave OPEN any farm gates that are open before you get there… If you wear a hat bedecked with reservoir lures don’t be surprised if you excite the suspicions of other members about what fl ies you have been using!” – Rules from The Darley Dale Fly Fish-ing Club, founded in 1862, Derbyshire, England.

Then I found a treaty on fl y fi shing, amazing on several fronts, fi rst because it was written in 1496 (yes more than 500 years ago) and also because it was written by a woman. My imagination runs wild thinking about a female angler from 1496. Interested readers can search for “A treatyse of fysshynge wyth an Angle” by Dame Juliana Berners. The treaty concludes with some signifi cant thoughts about the duty of the angler, specifi cally to protect the fi sh in all ways possible and to avoid any base actions. Heeding these words, the author suggests, will allow the angler to avoid the many vices in life. There you have it.

fiSHinG niCe WitH otHerS

betSY HemminG on anGler etiQuette

14

SCHramm & WaYmire

My takeaway from all of this is that while etiquette of the old days may have tapered off a tad, it’s still an essential part of the fi shing trip. And in favored waters such as our beloved Au Sable, it’s not surprising that anglers will be at-

tracted in numbers just a tad under the cloud of hex on a warm summer’s eve. So play nice out there, remember the golden rule and fi sh on.

- Betsy Hemming,Columnist for The RIVERWATCH

Fishing Nice continued...

Jim Schramm, longtime Anglers’ Director, has received yet another commendation for his service to conservation. This time it was from the American Rivers Organization. Jim has been named one of their Champions.

Anyone associated with Anglers of the Au Sable for any pe-riod of time is well aware of Jim Schramm’s many accom-plishments. Terry Lyons, who has worked with Jim for over 20 years on protecting our woods and streams, sums up his legacy:

“Since the early 1990’s Jim has traveled around the state and to Washington DC on behalf of the Michigan Hydro Re-licensing Coalition (MHRC). Since he does not fl y, this of-ten resulted in being on the road for up to a week. Many of the trips in state were to the UP and required an overnight stay. Without his attendance at the meetings he travelled to there would probably not be a MHRC any longer.

During his trips to DC he managed to negotiate funding for the MHRC that kept us afl oat fi nancially for a lot of years. In

recent years he has cut back on his long trips for the MHRC, but because of his expertise on Hydro issues he was asked to take on the responsibility of working on the Boardman River dam removal project. Without his efforts it is likely that the removal of these dams would never have happened.

All of this is in addition to his ongoing efforts on our behalf of the Anglers, FFF, GLC, and other local clubs around the state.

There is no way to adequately express our gratitude for all of his efforts. He would likely shrug it off and mention oth-ers he has worked with anyway. It is gratifying to see him recognized by a prominent nationwide river conservation organization.

Many thanks are greatly deserved.”

-Terry Lyons, Director(Read more about Jim’s accomplishments here: www.americanriv-ers.org/rivers/rc-schramm)

Jim SCHramm named riVer CHamPionbY ameriCan riVerS orGaniZation

WaYmire JoinS anGlerS’ boardOnce again we landed a good one. David Waymire was ap-pointed to our Board in Febru-ary of this year. David is partner at Martin Waymire, one of the state’s most aggressive public relations fi rms. His expertise is public policy, working with a number of the state’s largest cor-porations as well as non-profi t clients on issues involving gov-ernment agencies and political decision-making, including ballot proposals. He’s a former reporter, and a Northwestern University graduate. David has won numerous awards as a reporter and in public relations, including the “Oscar” of public relations, the Silver Anvil (twice!).

His father taught him a love of fi shing and the outdoors. When he moved to Michigan in 1980, he quickly embraced

the outstanding and diverse fi shing oppor-tunities available. His father in law showed him how to fl y fi sh, hooking him right in the heart.

When he’s not in his Lansing offi ce, you can fi nd David living up to his motto, “Nobody has more fun than Dave.” He relaxes with Marsha, his wife, and the family dogs and horses in Charlotte, skis with his daugh-ter, Emma, in Colorado, rocks out at con-certs across the country or casts a fl y from

his drift boat or in his waders…because, as Robert Traver famously said, “I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful.”

David brings much to the table. I look forward to working with him protecting and enhancing the Au Sable and Man-istee Rivers for many years to come.

- Bruce Pregler - President

15

mio PlantinGS

During a recent vacation up at our cabin we got wind of a fi sh plant that was about to occur at Mio. I was up at the river with my wife and 14-year-old daughter. Think-ing that this would be a nice experience for our daughter, let alone for my wife and I, we jumped at the opportu-nity to watch it happen.

We were warned that the DNR in planting fi sh is very timely and we should not be late. When we showed up at the boat launch at Mio, the DNR truck from the Oden Fish Hatchery was already there and making initial preparations to plant the fi sh. I had the pleasure of meeting the DNR technician Jason who was planting the fi sh. Jason had brought his wife Melissa with him. Jason and Melissa in fact live at the Oden Fish Hatch-ery together with their three children, ages 16, 14 and 11. The family has lived there for the last 13 years. Talk about a great place to raise kids, let alone trout.

Jason informed me that we were going to be planting 14,000 rainbows that were each approximately 1-½ years old. Ja-son has been doing this for 16 years. The average length of these fi sh is 8 inches. Jason explained that over the sum-mer, they will double their size to 16 inches. Only about 5 to 10% of these fi sh will survive to an adult age, ultimately reaching 20-25 inches in length. The rainbow trout that sur-vive will spawn in three to four years.

On this particular day, the DNR was also planting trout at Cummins and at McKinley with two other trucks. The fol-lowing week, the DNR was going to plant at two other spots on the river.

Jason informed me that every spring the DNR plants at fi ve different sites or more. This year, they are just planting rain-bow trout. Intrigued by the volume of these fi sh plants, I did a little research.

According to the DNR website, the original Oden State Fish Hatchery was established in 1921 and continued to operate until 2002 when the complex was completely renovated, thus creating one of the most advanced fi sh culture facilities of its kind. This hatchery is a major rearing facility for both brown and rainbow trout. The website goes on to explain that the facility has production buildings for rearing and broodstock

(captive fi sh maintained for easy acquisition of eggs and sperm) as well as outdoor rearing facilities and a state-of-the-art effl uent treatment system. The hatchery also has an isolation building to allow the staff to monitor the disease status of the fi sh prior to moving them to the hatchery proper. This new facility cost $11 million; it sure sounds like properly building and running a fi sh hatchery is not a cheap op-eration! I must admit I did have pause to refl ect on the suffi ciency of funding for

the Grayling Fish Hatchery.

The old hatchery building has been transformed into a visi-tor’s center. According to the website, the visitor’s center is complete with a replica of the wolverine fi sh transport rail car and has extensive exhibits on watersheds and fi sher-ies history, as well as a viewing chamber of a stream sec-tion allowing the public to see what happens underwater in a stream. The Oden State Fish Hatchery is located at 8258 South Ayr Road in Alanson, Michigan. Make sure to check out the website. I think a road trip to Alanson is in the near future for my family.

According to a recent article in Crain’s Detroit Business, the DNR Fisheries Division stocks approximately 40 million adolescent fi sh of various species at 800 locations across the state. That is a lot of fi sh! Crain’s reports that as many 40% of fi sh caught in 2014 will come from Michigan’s fi sh hatch-ery system. There are six hatcheries in the state including Oden.

I would say that if you ever have the opportunity to watch the DNR in action in planting trout, you should certainly do so. It is quite a sight, watching 14,000 rainbows pour into the Au Sable. What was interesting was so many of the fi sh trying to get back up the tube and into the truck and go back to Oden, the only home that they have known.

This particular Thursday afternoon at the Mio boat launch was very peaceful and quiet. In fact it was serene. I know there is no one that would describe this particular boat ramp in the same manner on a hot Saturday in August. But this day was perfect.

- Joe Hemming, Director

mio fiSH Plant

Future Dreams - Somewhere in this gush of water is a 20-incher to come, maybe more than one.

16

WallaCe on Winter

This Michigan winter’s Cicely-plus snow piles would have Dr. Joel Fleishman looking twice. The towering size of our endless piles resolved any doubt that the snow we remember from childhood really was that big, not like the myth of large drinking fountains in elementary school. We will always remember this winter even through any coming dementia haze.

But there was a fi rst for me this winter in early January when I arrived at my cabin. While unloading I heard--or rather didn’t hear--something that was always there: the river. The North Branch fl ows fast and strong, a symphony of tones, as it rushes to its nearby confl uence with the Main. Its sound is as much a part of the landscape here as the pine scent and seemingly unnaturally bright star light. Yet this winter it had frozen over complete-ly somehow. The quiet was deafening. Weeks, then months passed without even a sliver of open water.

After snow-blowing yesterday, both at home twice and the offi ce twice, what seemed like yet another eight inches, I was still on top of the week’s work. Weather.com said Gray-ling would be 45 degrees on Friday (so fi shable), I needed another day at Duane’s to fi nish work on my new bamboo rod, and Bonnie had to work late Wednesday and Thursday. So I loaded up and headed Up North for a couple of days, knowing I could work from the cabin, or at least I convinced myself I would.

Just south of Saginaw the temp dropped to single digits, but there was no snow on the roads and it was clear there hadn’t been any. As I drove, I puzzled over where I would fi sh and when. A little open trout water this year---Keystone or down below the dam at Mio, where I waded a week ago, had been my forced substitutes for two months. Neither had been pro-ductive the last two months.

The season’s snow pack on my wooded driveway had melted now and then frozen again leaving a thick, slick sheet of ice, making the steep hill down to the cabin particularly tricky. Trickier was carrying my unloaded gear over crunchy snow and ice without falling. As I paused at the door to fi nd my key in the dark, everything went quiet----except the river. I looked out over the rail to see it was open and not just a little.

So the next day I could fi sh the convenient, familiar nooks and log jams of the North Branch, hoping to renew acquain-tances with certain brown trout that stalk these waters on occasion.

It may not actually be spring yet but open water was the fi rst sign the

back was broken on this very grumpy old man winter for this old man.

Busy the next morning with various client emergencies, real and perceived, and that af-ternoon scuffi ng then varnish-

ing the guide wraps on my new bamboo, it wasn’t until the late the next

afternoon that I ventured down to the river, armed for battle—from waders to rod with a tail-

biter olive streamer as ammunition.

Starved for new water of the winter’s many snows by the ice that had covered it so completely, the water level had dropped as foot or more below the remnants of the almost three foot thick shelf ice. I stood for the longest time, not scouting the river for fi sh as usual, but trying to imagine the sounds and sights of the massive chucks of ice breaking then rolling down the river tumbling, colliding, pounding the shore ice, scraping the gravel bottom, dragging and push-ing debris at will. Although I had only been away a week, I missed that show. Only a winter like this one could give us such a dramatic spring.

You can guess the one remaining sign of spring I stalked now. It was not from the easy, slow water but from the heavy, churning current mid-river. And it struck with force and fury, pulling line for the instant before I lifted the rod tip for the set, causing him to jump from the water and then fi ght and fi ght as though it were June, as though this brown trout was unaware he was supposed to be lethargic with winter’s cold, like the rest of us. The instant I released him, he darted away full speed. It was spring for him, too.

- Neil Wallace, MemberEditor’s Note: Neil’s story, as well as John Bebow’s on the next page, fi rst appeared in the new AOTA Fishing Page. Want to check it out? Go to our Home Page and put your cursor on Data Li-brary for the dropdown menu. It’ll be right there! Hey! This is not one of those boring, sketchy Fishing Reports that are all over the Internet and always say the same thing - THEY ARE JUMP-ING IN THE BOAT BUT ONLY ON OUR FLIES OR WITH OUR GUIDES!!!!!!! No, we actually talk about the activity, the whole thing from the days they really did jump in the boat to the days when the damn boat sunk at the landing (PLEASE SEND US THESE STORIES!) and everything in between. We also post pho-tos, just not of big fi sh. Let’s cut the ego and BS out and get back to why we go fi shing in the fi rst place. Send your stuff to tombuhr@prodigy.net.

tHiS miCHiGan Winter

17

beboW on HennieS

Ah, the Hendrickson. At fi rst breath, it sounds so distin-guished. Like it has advanced degrees, the pedigree of a blue blood one percenter, and over-engineered rooms all fi lled with the fi nest vino in the basements of its multiple estates.

Actually, Hendrickson is an ancient Scottish name with its own family crest. Well, that’s nifty. But, with apologies to proud Scots in waders, in my little part of the world the Hendrickson is noth-ing but an oaf living off the reputations of far more ethical mayfl ies.

Up here in northern Mich-igan, the Hendrickson opens the annual parade of river bugs. (Unless you count the Black Stonefl y, which is more like the fat old impotent afternoon drunk who waddles out in front of the St. Paddy’s Day band in the middle of Main Street.) The Black Stone is a harmless lout wallowing in low expectations, but this Hendrickson is some kind of shifty combination of cheerleader-temptress, cuff linked personal injury attorney, and class clown.

The males appear fi rst, if at all, and never on any kind of schedule approximating a working man’s calendar. Oh, sure, you’ll get phone calls from your upstate buddies when you’re in rush hour traffi c on a balmy Tuesday night in early April: “We had henny sailboats all over the place to-day!” But on a Saturday or Sunday? Fuhgettaboudit. Stay home and buy Powerball tickets instead. Oh, those week-end emergers are out there in the currents somewhere, but there’s always an east wind or a torrential Friday night rain that turns the streams to chocolate by hatch time on Satur-day. You can even try to wire this thing with some kind of contrived mid-week business meeting up north and catch a warm breeze out of the south. Trust me, the water temps will linger in the forties and those Henny males will shrivel back into their shucks with a bad case of the shrinkage, and the river, unbroken by trout snouts, will convince you the Silent Spring has fi nally arrived. Meantime, back at the offi ce the boss will look at your empty cubicle and wonder if it’s fi -nally time to let you go.

Then you have the indecisive and chronically disoriented females who, almost without exception, immorally abort

egg-laying after hours of wasted energy hovering just inches above the current. We’re talking about clouds of dainty hotty spinners here, dancing for you, yellow eggs all aglow on their butts behind their smooth mascara-colored bodies, un-til the sun fades and the girls wave goodbye with wings all a-winking, untouched as they whisk away right back into the cool cedars of despair on the opposite bank. The cabin boys

and I witnessed it again last year on Tax Day, but we’re too old and bruised to fall for those hollow fl irtations. We just sat there in blue jeans, chewing cigars on the deck, and fl ipped off the last lin-gering prostitutes.

By mid-May, the wild-fl owers will pop after two straight weeks of warmth and the homeless guy who hangs out at the gas station in your one-stoplight town will tout an armload of morel mushrooms. And you’ll head to the river, hours early, on a warm morning, so hope-

ful you won’t even check the weather forecast. In your silly bliss, you’ll give a sideways glance to the Brown Drake box and count the days ‘til that Memorial Weekend spinner fall. Then you’ll grab handfuls of sulphurs and popcorn caddis, drive to a favorite bend an hour from town, wader up, and jump in the current with your four weight and prissy CFO reel.

Within moments, a fresh north wind will suck twenty de-grees out of the thermometer. The sun will die behind a purple sky to the west. Ice pellets – nature’s own buckshot – will pelt the back of your neck.

And in the middle of the season’s last snowstorm, the browns and brookies will erupt and you’ll be nothing but a glower-ing chaperone at the Henny Prom. The males and females will disco and fall by the thousands into the river, all around your untouched sulphur, as your other fl y box, a veritable housing project full of unemployed Hendrickson males and females, sits in a dark corner of your downstate bedroom.

Goodbye, Hendrickson.

You can fl y your pretty pregnant butt all the way back to Scotland for all I care.

- John Bebow, Second Vice President

ode to tHe HendriCKSon

18

CarloS & don

One of the side benefi ts of fi shing is to meet some mighty fi ne peo-ple. That was defi nitely true for Carlos Fetterolf and Don Buchanan, both of whom died last March. I’m a better man for knowing them, but diminished by their passing.Carlos Fetterolf may well have been the nic-est guy in the world. Seriously! To know him was to really like him, and it didn’t take long. Carlos had the gift of in-stantly disarming some-one, making them feel at ease, accepted and liked. It was genuine.“Carlos was the Best!” Observed friend and fi shing guide, Mike Bachelder. “He al-ways had a joke to tell, was full of information and had a lifetime of great stories to tell.” Mike spent over 20 years guiding Carlos on adventures on the Rifl e and Au Sable riv-ers.Those who met him in the last 15 to 20 years would prob-ably guess that he was an old-timer who loved the outdoors, especially fi shing, and had a million stories to tell ranging from charming tales to hold-your-gut funny stemwinders – the life of any party.What most people didn’t know was that Carlos de la Mesa Fetterolf was a World War II veteran, All American College Soccer player and Masters level aquatic biologist who was dedicated to the protection of the Great Lakes and rubbed shoulders with all the legendary conservationists of the mid-century era, including the founders of Trout Unlimited. He was there for many key conservation outcomes in the 1970s and 1980s while working for the Canada-United States Great Lakes Fishery Commission (Executive Secre-tary, 1975-1992), Michigan DNR (Chief Environmental Sci-entist) or U.S. National Academy of Sciences (science co-ordinator for the Water Quality Criteria that would be used in the Clean Water Act). Carlos was involved in every ma-jor water-related conservation association for professionals (e.g., North American Benthological Society, International Association for Great Lakes Research) and often served a term or two as the president. He received a cluster of awards from entities such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He consulted to various groups well into his retirement.Carlos’s tenure with the Ann Arbor Area Chapter of Trout

Unlimited is the stuff of legend. He was the spirit of the chapter, a liv-ing embodiment of the love for coldwater and the wild places it fl ows through. An avid fi sher, he never let the short-comings of old age stop him from another trip to the river with a lucky friend or two in tow. A marvelous man, he pro-vided a perfect example of a life well led. Don was a kind man with wonderful wit.“Don had long been in-volved in community affairs, serving on the Webster Township Plan-ning Commission when he lived in Dexter. When

he moved to his dream house on the Manistee River, he af-fi liated with the Adams Chapter of TU, and was instrumen-tal in developing and managing a township park,” said long-time friend and fi shing buddy, Mark Delany. He fi shed all over the country with Don, including sub-Arctic Quebec for giant Brook Trout. “Don always said, ‘When there’s no ac-tion, tie on a black Woolly Bugger.’” While he traveled to many spots with his fi shing buddies over the years, Don was really a “Manistee Guy.” His place of the sister stream to the Au Sable, The River House, was sacrosanct to him. He was a member of the Upper Manistee River Association - he took over as President of UMRA af-ter Joe Kutkuhn passed away, a daunting task - and the Ann Arbor Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Yes, he and Carlos were friends and sometimes fi shed together.In my active days in AAATU, as it was called back then, Don used to help me organize and mail out their newslet-ter, The Reel News – sometimes Carlos was there as well. I loved his fi shing stories and observations on carving walk-ing sticks – another passion. Don Buchanan was an easy-going guy who was easy to like. Just like Carlos, he gave back, but more often at the boots-in-the-water level.Whether or not Carlos and Don were members of Anglers of the Au Sable doesn’t matter. Through their actions and love of riparian environs they were brothers in arms, kindred spirits. If you met either one you’d know that immediately.Like the rivers that we cherish, life fl ows on. I’m grateful for spending a portion of my journey with Carlos and Don, and I’m not alone in that sentiment.

- Thomas Buhr, Editor

tWo friendS of riVerS

Carlos Fetterolf loved The Rifl e River. A picture of him and a fi shing buddy are depicted on this sign designed by Huron Pines to help promote etiquette on that popular river.

19

fun WitH PollS

last decade or so. It was always infor-mative and refreshing. Dr. Richter was all about the resource.

There’s a short list of environmental leaders that I use as examples to strive for in my work. Rusty was one, Joe Kutkuhn was another, and John Richter was there, too. He was the best of us, and will be missed.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Friends of the Jordan Watershed Center, P.O. Box 412, East Jordan, MI 49727.

* * * * *fun WitH PollS

We looked at the Public’s perceptions of fracking in RIVERWATCH 68. Now, let’s take a gander at their overall views of the environmental. These results should provide evidence as to whether we are swimming against the tide or rolling along its rising waters. It never hurts to know what others think about the things you hold dear.

Gallup took a look at public opinion on several environmental factors in an an-nual poll conducted last March. Over three days 1,048 respondents, 18 years or older, were randomly selected via landline or cell phone. The selection process was weighted to refl ect the latest census fi gures for proper demo-graphic representation. The standard error for the results was +/- 4% points.

Half the sample (50%) felt that the quality of the environment was getting worse while 42% believed it was get-ting better. This is a trend that began when Barack Obama became Presi-dent. The disparity was much more pronounced during the Bush years – 42% at one point. The ascendency of a Democrat to the Presidency – that party is believed to be pro-environment – appears to be enough to narrow the gap although the overall perception re-mains the same – it’s getting worse.

When asked to rate the quality of the environment today, 55% said it was

poor or fair compared to 44% believ-ing it was good or excellent. Not too surprisingly this broke down along political party identifi cation. Fifty-six percent (56%) of Republicans ranked the quality of the environment today as good or excellent compared to Inde-pendents (45%) and Democrats (35%). Where one sits on the political, and likely ideological, spectrum is a signifi -cant determinant for viewing the health of the environment.

A majority also believed that protec-tion of the environment (50%) should be prioritized over economic growth (41%). As recently as 2011 there had been a 18% difference in the other di-rection, 54% favored economic growth over environmental protection (36%). What happened to create a 27-point net swing in opinion? Likely an improv-ing economy is the answer. Americans had long favored protecting the envi-ronment over economic gain until the Great Recession of 2009 when fi xing a moribund economy became crucial.

Now that the economy is on a mend the country seems to be returning to a fairly entrenched belief concerning en-vironmental protection. The gap in the early 1990s was as high as 52-points (environment-71%, economy-19%). It did narrow considerably during the years of Bush 43.

Of course the differences regarding political party identifi cation are obvi-ous, Republicans are much more pro-economy (59%) than environment (32%), but there are some interesting trends. The fi rst is the narrowing of the gap since 2011 (economy 74%, envi-ronment-19%). This is a 28-point net swing and mirrors the overall results for this question. More interesting is that prior to “W” becoming President a majority of Republicans prioritized the environment over the economy. The difference was 60% to 34% as re-cently as 2000! A President can set the agenda and change the tune, especially

in his own party.

A fi nal point of interest is the gen-erational differences for this question. Folks in the 18-29 years of age catego-ry favor the environment (60%) over the economy (30%) by a two-to-one margin. That is wiped out and reversed in the 65+ years of age category where the economy (50%) is favored over the environment (39%). The seniors are the only ones who do not prefer the en-vironment, although the gap narrows in each age classifi cation.

Some Green folks would say, “See! We are winning the hearts and minds of our youth. The future is ours!” Maybe, but what is likely happening here is not an awakening by our young people but the opposite effect. As people go off into the working world, get married, buy houses, have kids, and worry about providing a good life for their family then the importance of a sound econo-my grows.

However, as the economy becomes sta-ble or robust, concerns for the environ-ment again become paramount. These results fi t very well with many theories regarding post-modern social attitudes. As basic needs are met and less of a worry, individuals become more aware of broader issues, the wellbeing of the environment being part of that list of concerns along with social justice and civil rights.

It would appear from the reading of these results that environmentalists would be well advised to hope for a good economy. In those periods, pub-lic opinion is favorable, or more favor-able, to the environment, although to be sure those opinions may be mitigated by specifi c concerns. Still, given the desire to infl uence policy outcomes it helps to have a rising tide at your back. It makes it easier to cover more water and possibly catch more fi sh.

- Thomas Buhr, Editor

Editors Column continued...

Our organization is officially affiliated with the Federation of Fly

Fishers (FFF). We strongly encourage you to join the FFF.

Since 1965, FFF and its Councils have been and continue to be the

only organized national and regional advocates for fly fishing.

Five dollars of your FFF dues are returned to the FFF Great

Lakes Council (GLC) to be used for local efforts.

NonProfit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDLUZERNE, MI

Permit No. 4

Anglers of the Au SableP.O. Box 200 Grayling, MI 49738

Calendar - Summer 2014

September 6th, Anglers of the Au Sable Cleanup, 10 AM, Gates Au Sable Lodge, George Alexander Memorial Lunch at Noon. Contact Josh Greenberg 989-348-8462/josh@gateslodge.com.

September 6th, Au Sable Big Water Preservation Association, 8 AM (Boats), 9 AM (Walkers), Comins Flats, BBQ Noon. Contact Thomas Buhr at 989-745-4957/tom@asbwpa.org.

September 7th, Anglers Board Meeting, 10 AM, Gates Au Sable Lodge.

September 20th, Manistee River Cleanup, The Old Au Sable Fly Shop, 9 AM. Contact Andy Partlo 989-348-3330/andy@oldausable.com.

editorial offiCeSThe RIVERWATCHP.O. Box 300 Luzerne, MI 48636Email: tombuhr@prodigy.net

editorial StaffThomas Buhr, EditorMark Hendricks, Assistant EditorAshley Jardina, Assistant EditorMercy Huizar, Graphic Designer Email: oppllc@gmail.com

ContributorSTom Baird, First Vice PresidentJohn Bebow, Second Vice PresidentThomas Buhr, EditorBetsy Hemming, RIVERWATCH ColumnistJoe Hemming, Anglers’ SecretaryCharlotte Jameson, MLCVTerry Lyons, DirectorBruce Pregler, PresidentJohn Russell, DirectorNeil Wallace, MemberJohn Walters, MITU Vice Chair/Director