Volume 15 Issue 5 May 2020

bull In this Issue bull Invasive Species Control Takes a HIT bull A Trout Opener Like No Other bull Projects on Hold bull Chapter Time Reporting

Its Open Invasive carp COVlD-19 Michigan Lawmakers forced to make tough decisions

Contact Nick Green MUCC Public Information Officer ngreenmuccorg

Gov Whitmer signed into law a supplemental budget for the current fiscal year on Monday but in the face of the necessary COVID-19 response spending found it necessary to veto $80 million of General Fund money

The cuts included a line-item veto of $8 million set aslide to help prevent invasive Asian carp from spreading into our Great Lakes The vetoes were done in consultation and concurrence with legislaNve leaders

The $8 million a part of Senate Bill 151 (SB 151 ) passed by Michigan legislators earlier this

month was marked for Illinois non-federal cost-share portion of the Preconstruction Engineering and Design (PED) phase of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project

The projected revenue losses in the slowing economy coupled with massive amounts of money being reprioritized for COVID-19 response efforts are key factors in this decision according to a press release from Gov Whitmers office and sources close to state government

Keeping carp out

In 2018 former-Gov Rick Snyder and Michigan lawmakers sought to expedite the Brandon Road plan at a time when Illinois wasn t able to get the funding appropriated by earmarking $8 million in the Michigan

Infrastructure Fund for a future appropriation of the PED

The project which would be constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers would implement acoustic fish deterrents an air bubble curtain a flushing lock and an electrical dispersal barrier in an attempt to stop invasive Asian carp particularly bighead and silver carp from reaching the Great Lakes The Brandon Road Lock and Dam located in Joliet IL is the best choke point in the Chicago Area Waterway System to stop carp before reaching Lake Michigan The PED is the first step towards beginning the project

MUCC has fought to keep invasive carp out of our Great Lakes for more than a decade and it is a key priority for us said Amy Trotter Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) executive director We will continue to seek out creative funding opportunities to move this project forward in the weeks and months ahead

The Great Lakes $7 bill ion sport fishing industry (Michigan equates to $23 billion of that) and $52 billion recreation industry is at risk if invasive Asian carp are able to enter Lake Michigan through the Chicago River Cities across Michigan rely on the tourism that the Great Lakes and their connecting waterways provide through fishing hunting kayaking canoeing boating and other recreational endeavors The Great Lakes support 15 million jobs and $65 billion in wages annually

Unfortunate circumstances

Marc Smith policy director for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) said we are living in unprecedented times and we ultimately need to look to the federal government for answers and ways to solve the funding issues facing our freshwater systems

Given the urgent situation we are facing today we understand the need to focus all attention and resources to fight this public health crisis Smith said The decision to remove $8 million

from the supplemental to support efforts to help keep Asian carp out of our Great Lakes is unfortunate but understandable Asian carp are a national problem that demands a national response Now is the time for the federal government to step in and take on the full responsibility for the Brandon Road project

The governors veto was not a partisan issue Trotter said

Legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle were forced into making tough decisionsshydecisions that spanned much more than carp Trotter said

Also included in the governors veto was money intended for the Pure Michigan campaign ($16 million) and the Michigan Reconnect grant program ($35 million)

Whats next

Taylor Ridderbusch Great Lakes organizer for Trout Unlimited (TU) said this hiccup will not deter conservation organizations from continuing to seek a funding mechanism for this project

Every year we wait to fund this project material and construction costs rise and labor prices increase Ridderbusch said The monetary asks become more and more difficult the longer we wait

During the Snyder era a coalition called Block Asian Carp was formed That coalition was disbanded after Snyder left office and has remained relatively inactive since

Ridderbusch sees the challenges ahead which include approval and appropriation of the project as issues that could be the kick-starter for Block Asian Carp or a similar coalition to reform and reengage

One of the major asks from conservation organizations throughout the region including Healing our Waters NWF MUCC TU marine manufacturers and the Alliance for the Great

Lakes has been to secure federal funding for Illinois portion of the cost-share

The federal government covering local costshyshares of Army Corps projects isn t unprecedented Ridderbusch said Given that this is a regional issue threatening multiple states livelihoods of citizens and biological ecosystems it is irresponsible to pin the cost on one state

Currently Congress still needs to approve the project before it can be appropriated Full funding for the project estimated to be $830 million would need to be appropriated after approval in order for the PED to commence After PED is finished and the scope of the project is narrowed the full cost of the project could be much less than originally estimated

A Different Trout Opener - Tom Monto

It seems like the Traditional Trout opener on the last Saturday in April has undergone some changes over the years

When I first started to trout fish the last Saturday in April was like a religious experience You spent the winter tying flies making changes to you kif maybe entering the realm of rod making looking for night crawlers patching waders (the water was almost always cold in late April)

I would get the old cane flyrod out varnish it make sure I had plenty of hooks (I fished garden hackle back then) and got ready for the trip north to the cabin There with my dad we would meet up with his brothers who came up from Toledo We always had stops at Pinconning for cheese Hale for bacon at Wyatts General Store and sweet rolls at the Hale Bakery (they had the best) My mom had prepared lots of food for the hungry bunch

We usually got to the cabin early made sure the hand water pump was working and chase out the little critters (mice and chipmunks) who had made their nests under the covers in the

beds and removed the sheets covering the furniture After my uncles had arrived and the greeting were over it was straight to bed as morning came early in order to get some fishing in on the AuSable before the water rose for the morning and made fishing impossible (We mainly fished between Alcona and Loud Dams) If early spring rains and snowmelt made fishing the mainstream impossible we would all go over to Stewarts Creek and the South Branch Creek to fish Boy those were the days

I went to Western Michigan University in southwest Michigan and laminated the fact that there were no trout Down South boy was I wrong I got to know some of the natives down there and found that there were plenty of good trout streams in southern Michigan

One favorite was Augusta Creek Located just south of Gull Lake this stream flowed into the Kalamazoo River One section in a park was an experimental stream for Michigan State University (MSU) They had divided the stream into two sections One section had man made stream improvement structures and the other was natural woody cover

On opening day at precisely 1201AM a friend of mine Roy Hill and myself would hit the river and fish until dawn Great fishing (there were some exceptionally large fish in Augusta Creek) There usually was nobody around during the night Come daylight the parking lot would fill with anglers and it was time for us to go get some sleep

Back in my early days of trout fishing there was only one opener the last Saturday in April The authorities thought that in some rivers that the opener should take place on Aprimiddot1 and later some rivers and streams were open year around While I certainly enjoyed these early openers and year around fishing opportunities the Traditional Opening had lost some of its tradition Even so the last Saturday in April hold a place in my heart I still enjoyed making the pilgrimage to my favorite river

Lakes has been to secure federal funding for Illinois portion of the cost-share

The federal government covering local costshyshares of Army Corps projects isn t unprecedented Ridderbusch said Given that this is a regional issue threatening multiple states livelihoods of citizens and biological ecosystems it is irresponsible to pin the cost on one state

Currently Congress still needs to approve the project before it can be appropriated Full funding for the project estimated to be $830 million would need to be appropriated after approval in order for the PED to commence After PED is finished and the scope of the project is narrowed the full cost of the project could be much less than originally estimated

A Different Trout Opener - Tom Monto

It seems like the Traditional Trout opener on the last Saturday in April has undergone some changes over the years

When I first started to trout fish the last Saturday in April was like a religious experience You spent the winter tying flies making changes to you kif maybe entering the realm of rod making looking for night crawlers patching waders (the water was almost always cold in late April)

I would get the old cane flyrod out varnish it make sure I had plenty of hooks (I fished garden hackle back then) and got ready for the trip north to the cabin There with my dad we would meet up with his brothers who came up from Toledo We always had stops at Pinconning for cheese Hale for bacon at Wyatts General Store and sweet rolls at the Hale Bakery (they had the best) My mom had prepared lots of food for the hungry bunch

We usually got to the cabin early made sure the hand water pump was working and chase out the little critters (mice and chipmunks) who had made their nests under the covers in the

beds and removed the sheets covering the furniture After my uncles had arrived and the greeting were over it was straight to bed as morning came early in order to get some fishing in on the AuSable before the water rose for the morning and made fishing impossible (We mainly fished between Alcona and Loud Dams) If early spring rains and snowmelt made fishing the mainstream impossible we would all go over to Stewarts Creek and the South Branch Creek to fish Boy those were the days

I went to Western Michigan University in southwest Michigan and laminated the fact that there were no trout Down South boy was I wrong I got to know some of the natives down there and found that there were plenty of good trout streams in southern Michigan

One favorite was Augusta Creek Located just south of Gull Lake this stream flowed into the Kalamazoo River One section in a park was an experimental stream for Michigan State University (MSU) They had divided the stream into two sections One section had man made stream improvement structures and the other was natural woody cover

On opening day at precisely 1201AM a friend of mine Roy Hill and myself would hit the river and fish until dawn Great fishing (there were some exceptionally large fish in Augusta Creek) There usually was nobody around during the night Come daylight the parking lot would fill with anglers and it was time for us to go get some sleep

Back in my early days of trout fishing there was only one opener the last Saturday in April The authorities thought that in some rivers that the opener should take place on Aprimiddot1 and later some rivers and streams were open year around While I certainly enjoyed these early openers and year around fishing opportunities the Traditional Opening had lost some of its tradition Even so the last Saturday in April hold a place in my heart I still enjoyed making the pilgrimage to my favorite river

reconnecting with fellow anglers and friends and keeping the tradition alive

As I write this 2020 bring on a whole new meaning to the trout opener COVIN-19 has changed things a lot Fly shops are closed guides are out of work restaurants are empty We stay 6 away from other fisherman and wear masks but many of us are on the Trout stream the Last Saturday in April

Chapter Reporting Time

Annual reports are due to MITU amp TUNA in May

We need the number of hours our members spent working on items for our Chapter Such things as meeting projects telephone and internet discussions etc need to be reported to John Winchester at jgwinchattnet ours By May 15 2020 This is important as MITU and TUNA funding is by the number of hours TU members donate to the cause

projects

All Chapter Projects are on hold until restrictions on gathering are lifted

Articles Needed for Newsletter

We are looking for articles for our newsletter Please submit via email as an attachment to t8montoaolcom Any questions let me know

Learn fly Fishing Cancelled

Heres a great way to learn fly fishing Whether you want to brush-up on your skills get your buddy involved or your daughter or son the Michigan Trout Unlimited Fly-Fishing School will provide the level of instruction for any skill level

This 3-day school is June 12- 14 2020 It is held at Ranch Rudolph near Traverse City

This will be the 50th year of this excellent school Its a winwin as Mich TU gets the money and you get to have a great weekend of fly fishing

For more information go to wwwTUFFSorg

State Council wwwmichigantuorg

Executive Director Bryan Burroughs bryanburroughsmichigantuorg

Aquatic Biologist - Kristin Thomas kthomasmichigantu org

Chairman - Greg Walz

Vice Chairman shy

Past Chairman Tom Quail tquailmichigantuorg

Secretary - Mike Lagowski

Treasurer - Rob Smith - rsmithmichigantuorg

National Council Rep Rob Smith rsmithmichigantuorg

L P Martuch BOD Meetings

Postponed May 5 2020 at Scientific Anglers 530 PM

2020-2021 Chapter Officers

Josh Jenkins - President

Steve Wilkowski - Vice President

Brad Befus - Secretary

John Winchester - Treasurer

George Killat - Membership Secretary

LP Martuch bull Board of Directors

Brad Befus (2021) 866-587-6747 shy

befusbscientificanglerscom - Secretary

Ava Befus (2021) 651-955-5549 shyavafus4icliudcom

Micah Baumgartner (2022) micahbaumgartneryahoocom

Will Halphen (2022) 989-708-1749 - whalphengmailcom

Josh Jenkins (2020) 989-495-7151 jenkmsjscientificanglerscom - President

Erick Johnson (2019) 989-430-5011 lohnsonerickscientificanglerscom

George Killat (2021) 989-430-1179 shytugeorgekcharternet - Membership

Thomas Monto (2020) 989-430-8327 shyt8montoaolcom

Mark Rapanos (2020) 989-20-0198 shymarlltrapanosgmailcom - BOD

John Van Dalen (2022) 989-631-6873 jvdfishgmailcomshyBOD

John Winchester (2020) 989-631-0122 jgwinchattnet shyTreasurerHatch Book

Steve Wilkowski (2022) 989-495-7151 stevewilkowskisictechcom - Vice-President SIC

Committee Chainnen

Bill Holler 989-284-6566 fwhollercbaxtetminet shyProjects Property

John Van D alen 989-631-6873 j d6 bgmnilcom - Special Events

Interesting web sites

httpwwwmartuchtuorgPagesdefaultaspx Leon P Martuch Website

httph20usgsgov Hydrology data for all rivers in

the US

httpwwwtotalflyfishingcom Fly Fishing Website

wwwflyanglersonlinecom Fly patterns articles

and general information

httpinfoabrfcnoaagovrfc-wfohtml National

Weather Service river forecasts

wwwtuorg Home page Trout Unlimited

wwwsteelheadsitecom Steelhead information

wwwfedflyfishersorg Federation of Flyfishers

Home Page

httpwwwmichigantuorg Michigan Council of

Trout Unlimited Home Page

wwwfffglcorg Federation of Fly Fishers

wwwlssuedu Lake Superior State University Fish

cam at the power plant at the 500

wwwtrailstotroutcom Website for trout fishing

On Line Fishing Log mydailyfishinglogcom

Guide to fly fishing waters of the US shywwwkyndoutdoorscom

American Museum of Fly Fishing wwwamffcom

Anglers of the AuSable wwwAuSableAnglersorg

On AOL Look under Interest Hobbies and Fishing

We will publish more sites as they become known

If you know of interesting sites let me know at

t8montoaolcom

Trout Unlimited has a membership program going Our

Chapter can greatly benefit by having you sign up a new

member Log onto wwwtuorgintro and you can get a

special introductory rate of $1750 Be sure to enter

code 250 so our Chapter will receive credit for the

membership This would make a great gift for your

fishing buddy

For membership problems contact George Killat

Disclaimer Statement

The leon P Martuch Chapter of Trout Unlimited (LPMCTU) is not

rltnnndhl for the content of the articles submitted and in

the LANDING NET even though all newsletters articles and

advertisements are approved by the editor only for relevance

Technical data is for informational purposes only No responsibility is

accepted by the LPMCTU for results obtained by persons using such

data and all liability for any injuries or damages is

disclaimed Information regarding dates and locations for

events should be verified prior to monetary or travel commitments

Reference to any commercial manufacturer or otherwise

does not constitute recommendation or favoring the LPMCTU

Board of Directors its editor nor the publisher The

articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the

publisher editor or the lPM Chapter of Trout Unlimited