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MUDDLER T H E M E R S H O N

Winter 2010 Volume 14 Issue 1

A LOCAL CHAPTER OF

AMERICA’S LEADING NONPROFIT

COLDWATER FISHERIES

CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION

Newsletter of the William B. Mershon Chapter of Trout Unlimited

G reetings, As I sit down to write, the weather has definitely taken a turn

towards winter, and after a mild fall, it is time to bundle up and await the spring. To be honest, when the temperatures barely reach the mid-teens, thoughts of fishing are far removed, though in my younger days I thought nothing of standing thigh-deep in a river trying to catch a winter steelhead. I’m not sure if with age comes wisdom and I’ve outsmarted

frostbite, or a more subtle type of wisdom has crept in, telling me that I’m a lousy steelhead fisherman. But, frostbite coupled with fishless days has lost some of the allure it once had. Good luck, though, to all you hardy souls who chase steelhead throughout the months of winter. Thanksgiving has passed, and the December holidays will soon be a fond memory, and I, like many of you, turn thoughts towards the things we should be thankful for. I know you will be reading this after the holidays are over, but it’s not too late to reflect on those things or examine them for the first time if they’ve escaped your attention. Of course, family and friends and other aspects of our personal life top the list. But, I believe we should also be very thankful that we live where we

do and have the opportunity to fish so many great rivers, lakes, ponds, and creeks, just a short drive away. We also have opportunities to

See Meanders, page 16

Founded 1963, Chapter Number 020

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

Meanders A few thoughts from

the president

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Calendar of Events

Paul Morand, chapter president

WALLEYE DINNER Monday, January 18, 2010

featuring author Jim DuFresne

5:30 p.m. Dinner & Program American Legion, Saginaw

uuu

WALLEYE DINNER Monday, March 1, 2010

5:30 p.m. Dinner & Program American Legion, Saginaw

FLY-TYING CLASSES Starts Tuesday, January 12, 2010

for five weeks

Swan Valley High School Contact: Jac Ford 989-781-0997

uuu

FLY-FISHING CLASSES Starts Wednesday, January 13, 2010

for five weeks

Swan Valley High School Contact: Jac Ford 989-781-0997

SPRING FUNDRAISING BANQUET Friday, April 16, 2009

Trillium Banquet Center, Saginaw

uuu

MERSHON BOARD MEETINGS Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Wednesday, March 3, 2010

5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Los Cuatros Amigos Restaurant, Saginaw

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knew it well,” said DuFresne. “For years there was always a dog-eared copy in the glovebox of my car.” DuFresne will have copies of both books, as well as many of his other titles, available after his presentation.

Jim DuFresne to speak at Mershon chapter TU fundraiser

J im DuFresne, the former outdoor writer for the Saginaw News and author of

more than 20 guidebooks, will present “High Peaks, Little Huts & Big Trout: Wilderness Fly Fishing In New Zealand” during the Walleye Dinner fundraiser of the Mershon Chapter of Trout Unlimited, at 6 p.m., Jan. 18, at the American Legion, 5190 Weiss Rd., in Saginaw. The presentation looks at DuFresne’s wilderness adventures in the South Pacific country, as he chased trout with a fly rod during the day and spent the evening in New Zealand’s system of backcountry huts. Among the walk-in fisheries he covers is the famous Greenstone River in the South Island. DuFresne’s first book, Tramping In New Zealand, released by Lonely Planet Publications in 1982, has since has been updated a half-dozen times. It’s considered the world’s best-selling guide to backpacking in New Zealand. DuFresne’s most recent book was a rewrite and update of Gerth Hendrickson’s Twelve Classic Trout Streams In Michigan: A Handbook For Fly Anglers that released last spring by the University of Michigan Press. First published in 1985, this classic guide was written by

Hendrickson, an avid fly angler and a hydrologist who surveyed many of Michigan’s Blue Ribbon streams in the early 1970’s. DuFresne was asked to revamp the 320-page guidebook after Hendrickson had passed away several years earlier. “It was the guidebook I used after I learned how to cast a fly, so I

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MEMBER LOGIN, and click that link. Now, just like the heading will say, you’ll need your mem-bership number, preceded by “tu,” and your password, which is just the number, unless you’ve changed it to something else. Once in, look under “Welcome to My TU,” and click on “Edit Pro-file.” Click the “Edit” tab at the top of the new page, and now you can enter a new e-mail address, and change your password if you care to. If you don’t have an e-mail ac-count, you can go to your local library and ask them to help you set up a mailbox with one of the several companies that provide the service at no cost.

We promise not to send you at-tachments, but only links to docu-ments on websites. We promise not to share your information with anybody, or bother you with trivial things. If you prefer not to deal with TU National, please send your e-dress to any board member, and we’ll keep it in our chapter’s files, only. The recent news of the re-unification of Michigan’s DNR with its DEQ, and MITU’s re-sponse to the proposal, were han-dled by e-mail, and so was news about changes in upcoming fish-ing regulations. E-mail works. Please help us make it work for you, and for cold-water re-sources.

We need those e-dresses by Bob Kren, Mershon chapter director

T here’s nothing like e-mail to get out the word. Sure, there’s Twitter and Face-

book and texting, but when things need explanations, and there are documents to be copied and read and thought over and forwarded, e-mail can’t be beaten. The Board strongly urges every chapter member who has e-mail to update his or her information with TU National, on their web-site at www.tu.org . Go to the bottom of the home page, to

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them from Vic’s Sport Shop, Morely’s, and Smith Hardware. Then, if I liked them enough, I would venture off and tie my own. Sometimes it took years to find the right materials and tie close imitations. Anyway, back then, Smith Hardware had this interesting tie of a fly. They referred to it as a Hill-Billy and mentioned that they couldn’t keep them in the store because of demand. Wow! I thought, this must be the real thing, and guess what, it was. I

used this effective fly frequently during those easy fish days and still do with great results. Interestingly, during the seventies, I found that the Midland people of the Leon Martuch Chapter of Trout Unlimited kept records of their people’s fishing logs. When I first saw the survey results, it wasn’t a surprise to me--the Hill-Billy fly was the number one most

effective and favorite fly of that chapter at that time. Amazing. While writing this article, the thought crossed my mind to call John Van Dalen of Little Fork Outfitters. I asked if they have any Hill-Billy flies? John’s reply, “No, but I can tie some.” I told him that he better get started because there’s going to be an article in the Muddler relative to this fly. He then expressed that they have one tied by Leon Martuch himself in a glass box. It looks exactly like the ones I used first, then later tied.

If I could only have one fly to fish for the year by Jac Ford, Mershon chapter director

W hat would most people choose? My thoughts are that most would

choose some type of dry fly, or would they fish more for the big ones, steelhead? Maybe they want to get trophy browns, so they would choose the egg, streamer, or even night fish with the mouse? Everyone is at a different level. They enjoy different avenues of fishing. Would they want a more relaxed mode of fishing, like an attractor pattern such as the Hill-Billy fly? Yet, many like to dry-fly fish and chase hatches. Where are you with this? How do you fall relative to this dilemma? Throughout the next several issues of the Muddler, I’m going to express my choices for different types of fly fishing. You can join in, too. I would love to hear from you as to your thoughts and choices. E-mail your information to CANGLERS@AOL.COM or call me at 989.781.0997, and you to will become an interesting part of this discussion. I’m looking forward to hearing from you soon, while the real benefactors will be the people reading your thoughts in our next Muddler. My first choice is to go fishing during summer days and dry-fly

fish, without regards to anything but pure relaxation. No thoughts relative to hatches, big versus little fish, difficult casting heavy flies, or fishing at night for the big ones. My desires are simple … just enjoying the days fishing. A walk in the river, getting my feet wet without much thought. Still, busy enough to forget everything else other than fishing, yet not really concentrating on fishing too much, either.

Looking back, some of the best days of fishing--not necessarily catching--was spent on the Cedar, Sugar, or Tobacco rivers. My dad dropped me off early in the morning at one bridge, and I would fish to the next bridge, usually picking me up about six hours later. And, yes, a homemade sandwich from my dad would be in my basket creel. Over time, one pattern that worked out well for me was the Hilly Billy fly. Even though my fly-tying experience started in elementary school, I would frequently purchase flies and use

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Tie in the yellow egg sac.

Tying the Hill-Billy dry fly

Tie on and wind the red floss or dubbing and wind two thirds toward the eye of the hook.

Cut and stack some badger, then tie on the hook. Tie and wind the hackle, then finish.

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out of the woods at the end of the night (hopefully). Therefore, one thing I’m never without is my Petzl head lamp. It is a four-LED lamp mounted to a headband that fits neatly around your forehead or hat. You can activate different lighting modes that let you control the amount of light given off, and it even has a strobe mode, akin to the emergency beacons used to locate air plane crashes. I haven’t had to use that one yet, but if I’m ever floating downstream late at night due to a wading mishap, I’ll have to remember to turn it on. The best things about the Petzl are the colored lenses you can use. If you remember to flip down the red lens before turning on the light, your night vision won’t actually be destroyed for the next 30 minutes or so, and using the red light, you can see well enough for a fly change or the catch and release of a fish. It’s adaptable, as well. I remember a night on the South Branch of the Au Sable during the Hex hatch. A good light is essential because things don’t even get started until after dark.

So, there I was, standing near the bank of the river, when a deep baritone voice sounding like God himself pierced the darkness. “I’ve probably had a dozen different kinds of lights, and I still end up holding them in my mouth.” Wait a minute. I know that voice. It’s not God speaking; that’s Howard Johnson! Well, Howard, I have a confession. Even though it’s strictly a matter of preference, I find the base plate is perfect for holding between your teeth, and this style even allows you to tilt the light slightly to get it just where you want it. In fact, I usually just loop the band around my neck and use it when needed in this manner. Oh well, even though the technologies change, old habits are hard to break. We’d like to invite you to share your stories or advice about a favorite piece of equipment. Please submit your ideas to pmorand@mershon-tu.org. If your article is chosen for publication in the Muddler, you will receive a custom Mershon chapter fly box. Deadline for inclusion in the next Muddler is February 25th, 2010.

Gear I Just Can’t Live Without by Paul Morand

I f you’re anything like me, the pockets of your fishing vest are crammed full of gizmos

and gadgets. A look at the shelves of your local fly shop each year reveals new stuff you didn’t even know you needed. Over the years, I’ve accumulated enough of those things to practically open my own shop. Some are useful and some . . . well they looked good on the shelf, but . . . you probably know the rest of the story. I’ve managed to pare down the stuff in my vest so that it no longer feels like I’m embarking on a two-week solo backpacking trip, but there are some things I just can’t do without. If you fly-fish in Michigan from late spring to early fall, you’re going to need a dependable source of light for everything from tying on flies, to removing hooks from the jaws of fish (hopefully), and finding your way

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heartlessness of the beast, a beautiful chrome monster would periodically jump majestically or just roll slowly within an easy stone-throw distance from us. And how do I know the distance so precisely? Because I heartily began to bombard every last one of them. Nothing will produce wrath like a spurned fisherman! There was a happy conclusion to this initial foray. The next day, again before light, we made our way down to the river. In those days, the river’s flow would be dramatically raised and lowered based on the whim of the power company. That morning, the river was very low and a number of small “lakes” had formed along its run. Now, my dad, being the “mature sophisticate” that he is, went right back to the same spot (and methods) we had fished the day before. What is that definition of insanity again? Myself, with the attention span of a gnat, began to explore the lakes. And what did I stumble upon? A beautiful, chrome Steelhead swimming madly in the dorsal-fin-deep puddle. With the skill of a determined Cro-Magnon, I ran him down, pounced on him, and proudly put him on my nice blue gill stringer. The look on my dad’s face when he caught site of my stringer and me is forever engrained in memory. But, still, the thought nagged me. How could something get that big and never eat? Fast forward to the present (or what feels like the present to a middle-aged dreamer). I have fished a number of rivers over the years in pursuit of the elusive Steelhead—with family, friends,

and guides, and people who fit all the descriptions. The first time I ever caught more than one in a day I was fishing the traditional “hot shot” method. Basically, wiggling sparkly, noisy lures in the noses of Steelhead. Even the most proud, aloof being has its limits. This experience taught me that maybe Steelhead do eat after all. Shortly after this epiphany, I was introduced to a guide by the name of Jac Ford. A friend of mine had known him for some time and highly recommended him, as he could actually catch Steelhead on a fly. Now, of course, I had been fly-fishing for years by that time, and knew the folly of that pursuit. Other than dynamite and a drift net, there were no other “accepted” methods I knew of to consistently catch these confounding fish. The first time I fished with Jac (with my dad) on the Pere Marquette was truly a revelation. Of all the other people that I had attempted to catch Steelhead with, I had never met anyone quite like him—very businesslike from his years of work in the automotive industry (over time, that facade has crumbled!) and systematic in his approach. Steelhead fishing was just one random event after the next for me. A quantifiable formula based on thousands of variables for him. Having fished the PM for decades, he knew every run, hole, and snag in the river. But as important, he possessed a sixth sense that led

See Steelhead, page 9

Steelhead— The Mystery Unraveled by Kerry Macaulay

L ike many reading this, I have been pursuing fish of all sorts since as early as I

can remember. The thrill of my superior intellect winning the battle of wills with the hapless shiner in my grandparent’s minnow bucket is a distant memory now. Through the years, my methods have become increasingly more “sophisticated,” yet the thrill of being immersed in the natural world each time is as anticipated and rewarding as my first memories reflect. In these days of endless change, and ambiguous direction, my time on a trout stream is the only place where the noise of life is drowned out by the roar of the solitude that surrounds me. But even the serene trout stream can harbor a cruel companion. I learned this the first time I went Steelhead fishing with my father as a young boy. Now, I had caught a pretty fair range of fish by this time and was filled with the thrilling thought of “schooling” one of these giant trout. We got up before dawn and stumbled our way down the high banks east of Foote Dam on the fabled Au Sable. We cast. We cast. We cast. Change lures, repeat steps 1–3. As it became light, I could see others scattered in “good spots,” performing the same basic routine, with similar results. To drive home the utter

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Again this year, the classes will be taught by Mershon chapter director Jac Ford, with the assistance of several other chapter members. Participants in the fly-tying class learn step-by-step fly-tying methods, using videos developed for the class, and receive individual instruction. When completed, participants will have been exposed to the basic techniques necessary to tie most flies successfully. Participants will tie the following flies: Green Caddis Pupe, Hares-Ear nymph, Comparadun, Elk Hair Caddis, Roberts Yellow Drake, parachute and standard Adams, Egg-Suckin-Leech, floating mayfly emerger, and a poly-wing mayfly spinner. Equipment, materials, and use of the flies are discussed, and of course, there are the usual fishing stories. The fly-fishing class is a basic class for people who have little or no knowledge of fly fishing or casting. The class teaches the concepts of fly fishing and casting; how to use a rod, reel, backing, line, tippet, and flies; what the fish sees below and above the water; how to read and fish a river; and trout food (emergence chart for Michigan) and hatches. Students first hone their skills with a fly-o, then spend time in the school’s gym casting with fly rods. If you are interested in either of these classes, contact the Swan Valley Community Education office at 989-921-2471 or Jac Ford at 989-781-0997.

Fly-fishing and fly-tying classes begin in January 2010 With an offer for a free TU membership! by Jac Ford, chapter director

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

fishing classes. These inexpensive classes—which are designed for the novice fly

fisherman—are similar to others taught by TU costing several hundred dollars. Both 5-week classes will be held from 7–9 p.m. at Swan Valley High School beginning Tuesday, January 12th, for the fly-tying class and Wednesday, January 13th, for the fly-fishing class. Youth, as well as adults, are invited to attend. There is a $30 fee for each class, which includes all the materials you will need and a free one-year membership to Trout Unlimited. No extra charge for the bigger-than-life tales!

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Michigan TU and a Big “So What?” by Bob Kren, Mershon chapter di-rector and representative to MITU, and Paul Morand, Mershon chapter president

S hame on us for asking that question, even rhetorically. You already know that the

Mershon chapter does good work, not only in our immediate area, but also on streams north of here. The chapter deserves rec-ognition, and congratulations, for jobs well done over the course of many years. But what about the remainder of the state--places like the Pere Marquette and Black Rivers, Ty-ler Creek, and Lake Superior? And things like groundwater

withdrawal, and stream pollution from CAFO’s (Concentrated Ani-mal Feeding Operations), and the celebration of the 50th anniver-sary of TU’s founding? The statewide organization of all Michigan TU chapters, Michigan Trout Unlimited--formerly “Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited”--handles these, and other, issues, that are bigger than any single chapter could possibly manage. MITU meets four times a year. Vital business is conducted at every meeting. You can access more information at www.michigantu.org. Typical of recent agenda items and actions are: an agreement to file an amicus curiae brief in the An-glers of the Au Sable’s case con-cerning drilling in the Mason Tract;

a strategic planning docu-ment covering matters pertaining to all of Michigan; coordination of chapter in-volvement in Project Healing Waters, the involvement of in-jured veterans in fly fishing, through VA facilities; a settlement in the case of a dam failure and catastrophic water release on the Pigeon River.

Michigan TU is worthy of your attention and support, which is why when asked “So What?” we need to remember that Michigan TU is an organization concerned with statewide issues, and is re-sponsible for acting as a liaison between individual state chapters and TU National. So consider a donation; Michigan TU is doing really excellent work and has the political weight to represent all state chapters and the mission of Trout Unlimited.

Steelhead will feed on an artificial fly—and on some days, a whole bunch of times. In addition to our spring outings for Steelhead, we have spent many beautiful fall days on the Pere Marquette with Jac catching 20+-pound, natural-run King Salmon. A majority of these occasions result in so many hook-ups (you don’t land too many . . . Jac’s a little “slow” on the net, but that’s another story!), you end up with a sore arm and shoulder at the end of the day. The best pain you’ve ever felt! So, to all of the fishing “snobs” out there (you know who you are) that travel around the globe looking for Salmon and Trout,

may I propose a short drive over to Baldwin, MI, for a float on that “boring, local” river called the Pere Marquette. And don’t try and unlock its secrets on your own. What may seem like “small things” that a talented guide will do regarding the leader weight, leader length, sink weight, flies and fishing position will lead to dramatic improvement of your odds. It’s not a guarantee for success, mind you. It is called “fishing,” not “catching,” for a reason. And don’t bother calling Jac to try and book a trip with him. He’s already got all of the best dates reserved for me. Right, Jac? Are you listening, Jac?

to him being a natural predator on the river, and I intend that term to reflect on him in the most complimentary way. Over the years, I’ve fished with only a couple of people that have this rare capacity to “feel” all the conditions and adapt appropriately. Jac is one of them. With Jac’s guidance, my dad (and other friends and family) and I have spent considerable time learning nuances that have totally changed our thinking (and results) fishing for Steelhead. To our collective amazement, a

Steelhead, Continued from page 6

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Between the recreation area boundary and the highway M-55 bridge, there are major access points at Sage Lake Road, Peters Road, State Road, and upstream from State Road, off Gerald Miller Road. This is bigger, heavier water and, although the bottom is easy to negotiate, caution is urged, particularly if one is fishing in the late evening and nighttime hours. In addition to steelhead, salmon, and migratory browns, resident trout fishing is quite good on the Rifle. It supports healthy populations of both brown and rainbows, as well as a few wildly-colored brookies. Most rainbows fall in the 8- to 14-inch range, while the browns get much larger. Each year several browns are taken in the 10-pound class. The brookies are small, wild, and delicate, rarely exceeding 12 inches. They should be handled with extreme care and immediately released. They are beautiful and dumb as a box of rocks. Any living creature with those two descriptors must rely on us for their continuance. The Rifle has excellent hatches of caddis, stoneflies, and mayflies. These all bring outstanding dry-fly action. My favorite bugs on the Rifle are the Hendricksons, March Browns, Brown Drakes, and Sulphurs. Additionally, there are olives, Isonychia, Cahills, and in the lower reaches, white flies (Ephoron leukon). An assortment of nymphs for the Rifle should include the basics plus a few of the following: Princes, Zug Bugs, bead-head caddis, and stoneflies. Sculpin

and crayfish patters are a must for the streamer angler, as are black Zonkers, olive Wooly Buggers, and cream-and-yellow cone-head marabous. When no mayfly emergence or spinner fall is apparent, try terrestrials. Ants, crickets, and hoppers work well. General attractor patterns like the Royal Wulff, Lime Trude, Humpy, Irresistables, and (of course) the Adams all produce. Throw in a few stonefly patterns from size 10 to 4 in tan, yellow, and black. Lastly, I always carry a couple of deer-hair mice. This little river is a lot better than good. It has fine angling for stream trout and what can be honestly classed as true “Blue-Ribbon” for magnificent steelhead, migratory brown trout, and even the occasional salmon. Special mention is due the West Branch of the Rifle River, if only for the grand opportunity it provides young anglers. There is a stretch of this stream, within city limits of the town of West Branch, with reserved trout fishing for children aged 16 and younger. This water is not overly easy to fish, but the trout are there and more than willing to take a fly. The community and its anglers are to be commended for their foresight and restraint in reserving water for our beginning trouters. It’s a great way to “infect” tomorrow’s conservationists.

Places to go— The Rifle River by Bob Linsenman. Excerpts taken from Michigan Trout Streams A Fly Anglers Guide and Michigan Blue-Ribbon Fly Fishing Guide, with permission of the author. For more information, contact Bob at Bob Linsenman’s Au Sable Angler, in Mio, MI, at 989-826-8500 or www.ausableangler.com.

T he Rifle River is the main artery of a river system that covers over 70 miles

between Lupton and Lake Huron. In the spring, it hosts a sizeable steelhead and sucker run, and in October, it receives salmon in fishable numbers. Both of these anadromous species spread throughout the main river, its branches and tributaries, and provide quality angling for trophy fish. Overshadowed by the world-famous Au Sable a few miles to the north, the Rifle River receives only sporadic fishing pressure throughout the trout season. Despite its easy access, scenic beauty, and dependable hatches, it has been largely ignored by visiting anglers. From the headwaters at Devoe Lake in the Rifle River Recreation Area near Lupton, downstream to its merger with the West Branch south of the intersection of highways M-55 and M-33, the Rifle River is a beautiful, challenging, and productive trout stream.

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WILLIAM B. MERSHON CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED

2009-2010

Bob Spence 799-6617 (H) rsspe2@chartermi.net Pat Zaplitny 892-9317 pat.zaplitny@eds.com

Advisors Bo Brines 989-832-4100 (W) 989-832-9528 (H) bo@littleforks.com Joe Bula 781-2047 (H) joenette@mybluelight.com David Cozad 684-7947 (H) Benthos1@aol.com Carl Hubinger 642-5487 (H) bchubinger@msn.com Steve Janson 964-0041 (H) sjanson@chartermi.net Howard N. Johnson 753-6373 hnjohnson@aol.com Peter Jones 989-348-1079 (H) pjones8944@yahoo.com Risty Kalivas 790-8614 (H) ristydo@aol.com Dan Keane 642-8960 (H) keanedml@chartermi.net

Rich Kemerer 781-5220 richard.kemerer@cbcf-net.com Mike Meyer 231-622-1555 mikemeyertu@charter.net Art C. Neumann 777-0484 (H) Christopher J. Radke 249-6420 (H) rad8jd4@hotmail.com Bruce Scorsone 793-7200 bscorsone@aol.com Jake Shinners 781-3003 (H), 752-7700 (W) jshinners@shinnerscook.com Greg Stansbury 695-8080 (H/FAX) papertube@aol.com Dennis Thiel 792-1188 dfthiel@sbcglobal.net Newsletter Layout Teri Skidmore 781-0040 TeriSkidz@gmail.com Website www.Mershon-TU.org

Officers President Paul Morand 989-893-7132 pmorand@hotmail.com Vice-President To be determined Treasurer Dave Case 642-5286 dsbec53@chartermi.net Secretary Bob Spence 799-6617 (H) rsspe2@chartermi.net Past-President Robb Smith 989-893-3792 (h) 989-233-1922 (cell) rssmithsr@chartermi.net

Directors Bill Adams 652-8328 adamsbillchar@charter.net Craig Bublitz (810) 688-3963 bublitz@cardina.net David Fisher 781-4932 (H), 792-9641 (W) djfisher@smithbovill.com Jac Ford 781-0997 (H/FAX) canglers@aol.com Bob Kren 810 659-8470 rmkren@umflint.edu

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conservation of trout and salmon fisheries. While initially focusing on military personnel in the Washington, DC area, the Project has expanded and is offering its services to active military personnel and veterans in military and Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals across the nation. Efforts are now underway to begin working with disabled veterans at Lutz Veterans Hospital in Saginaw. While still in the early planning stages, the Mershon chapter has agreed to support the project and provide

volunteers to put on the in-hospital clinics. All services and activities of Project Healing Waters are provided to the participants at no cost. Fly-fishing and tying equipment and materials are provided to the participants, including equipment that accommodates their special needs. The Project works in two ways; both augment the work of the therapeutic services of the hospital: The fly tying program concentrates on teaching those with upper limb and vision injuries to use their hands and

Project Healing Waters coming to Saginaw

P roject Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and

emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty military personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings. The organization was founded in 2005 by a corps of dedicated local volunteers from Trout Unlimited and the Federation of Fly Fishers, using the nationally renowned Casting for Recovery program concept. The activities include lessons in basic and advanced fly fishing and fly tying techniques and frequent fly fishing trips for participants. Since its inception, the Project has been helping disabled active duty personnel and veterans at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to overcome the obstacles associated with their military service related injuries. The relearning of the fine motor skills required in fly fishing and fly tying has proven to be particularly effective in the overall rehabilitation of the disabled. In its efforts, Project Healing Waters has benefited from the collaboration and assistance of the Federation of Fly Fishers, the recognized leader in fly fishing oriented strategies for conservation and education, and Trout Unlimited, the foremost organization working for the

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while he or she uses those skills and movements to catch fish. Again, the patient’s emotional state is improved by going fly fishing.

While Project Healing Waters emphasizes the skills of fly fishing and fly tying to help the patients regain the use of their damaged bodies, perhaps the greatest benefit is in their realization that a more normal life is possible. Fly fishing for all fish in all waters can be a lifelong re-creation, both physically and emotionally. For additional information, see the web site at www.projecthealingwaters.org OR Dale Hernden, 68 Corral, Saginaw, MI 48638 DaleHernden@charter.net

eyes to do the small tasks involved making fishing flies. While the therapeutic staff does wonderful work in helping the wounded and injured relearn the skills needed in normal living, they do not have the staff or the time to concentrate on those small tasks. Fly tying gives the patient an opportunity to relearn the fine motor skills he or she lost when wounded or injured. The patient can see a use for the flies tied and has the incentive to continue tying and developing the skills. With the relearning of the fine motor skills, often there is a considerable improvement in the emotional state of the patient. The fly fishing program works with the wounded and injured patients to learn or relearn fly fishing regardless of their injuries. The motions of fly

fishing help develop damaged muscles and improve balance and mobility. The fishing trips help the patients relax in a different environment from the hospital

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RF: Call me Mr. Frod, sonny. Anyways, I was all set to go after smaller game, cucumbers or maybe artichokes, when I seen this monster lurking in the weeds. Being pretty averse to monsters, personally, I turned around to skedaddle and there she was, right in front of me. BK: The zucchini? RF: Nope, my wife, Zuma, madder’n a hatful of hornets.

Skeered that monster clean out of the holler with all that yelling, she did. Upset something fierce about my being obsessified about flyfishing for fruit and vegetables, taking up all manner of time in my mad pursuit. BK: Everybody needs a hobby. I did notice that beautiful

bamboo pole, though, looks like about a fifteen- or twentysevensomething-weight. That pretty much the standard rig? RF: Yup. That, and a weedwhacker string leader, and a fly tied on a 18/0 hook. A ten-gauge double-barrel loaded with 000 split buck comes in handy, too, if you forgot yer net. BK: A zucchini this size must

be pretty tough to deceive, requiring lots of stealth and patience. RF: Nope, they’re pretty much dumb as a sackful of Lady Gaga cd’s. You can walk right up to ‘em and put the hook right where their lips oughta be, haul back, and hold on for the fight of your lifetime. All two seconds of it. Then, ain’t nothin’ but fame and glory. You get in touch with ZU headquarters, and Boone and Crockett, and Faux News Network, you know, the usual suspects. BK: Speaking of suspects, do you have to have a fishing – I mean zucchiniing – license to pursue the elusive squash? RF: You with the DNR? Just lemme get my trusty old ten-gauge net substitute here, and . . . BK: Puff, puff. Whew! Now that I’m out

of range, I’ll be signing off from colorful Dorf, home of the new zucchini on a flyrod record. Back to you, Oprah. *No zucchini were harmed in producing this article.

Another world record shattered, on a flyrod, yet Bob Kren, chapter director and Intrepid Reporter

Y ou’ve doubtless heard that the world’s record brown trout was recently

caught right here in Michigan. Maybe you’ve noted that the rainbow trout record has also been broken this September, with a 48-pounder pulled from Saskatchewan’s Lake Diefenbaker. A much less spectacular record, a prize zucchini* on a flyrod, has come home to the little town of Dorf, Tennessee, whither this intrepid reporter trekked to interview the proud catcherperson, Randall Frod. BK: Well, Randall, that certainly is a fantastic, um, specimen you’ve got there. RF: Mumph, ferble gak, neek barbblg, Nob. BK: Here, let me help you get that huge fly out of your lip. There, now isn’t that better? RF: YEOW! Dang!, that hurt! Whoa, boy, that does feel gooder, though! Thanks, I guess. Y’all ain’t from around here, are you? BK: Happily, no. Is that Ned Beatty running through the trees over there? RF: Never heard of him. You here to listen to that banjo music or talk about this world record? ‘Cuz Rosie O’Donnell wants to interview me, too, and fame is a fleeting thing. BK: I’ll never know. How’d you catch this beauty, Randall?

Randall Frod, new world record zucchini* on a flyrod holder, recently spoke with our intrepid reporter, Bob Kren.

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Rusty and the members of the Angles, who now number over 800, were always the group who led the charge to protect the Au Sable River from all types of adversaries: natural gas exploration on the South Branch of the Au Sable, oil-contaminated runoff affecting the main stream, and chemical pollution heading into the “big waters” below Mio. He was the conductor that would put together the strategy. Rusty’s determination will live on through the hearts and minds of all the conservationists that knew and loved him. The Au Sable River is in better hands now…because of Rusty Gates.

Guardian of the Holy Waters, Calvin “Rusty” Gates, dies at 54

I n December, Northern Michigan lost an iconic conservationist and legendary

fly-fishing outdoorsman. Calvin “Rusty” Gates, founder and president of Anglers of the Au Sable, died at his home on the Holy Waters, on December 19, 2009, following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. During the 21 years that he owned the lodge, which his father bought in 1970, Rusty gained a national reputation with both fishermen and conservationists for his work on the river. In 1987, he started Anglers of the Au Sable, dedicated to preserving the river he loved. Rusty was the “go-to” guy whenever the Au Sable River was endangered, protecting his river with the determination of an anxious father protecting his child.

What’s in it for you? Our chapter is going to give a fly box (donated by Bo Brines of Little Fork Outfitters) with six trout flies tied by Jac Ford to anyone that comes to an event, such as the next Walleye Dinner, and signs a new member up for our chapter. Plus, our chapter will pay for that new membership. Also, those bringing a new mem-ber will be put in a drawing for an Orvis box with four dozen flies, donated by Jac Ford. SO BRING A NEW MEMBER!

THE NEW MEMBER WILL GET A FREE MEMBERSHIP FOR ONE YEAR THE MEMBER THAT BRINGS A NEW MEMBER WILL RE-CEIVE A BOX OF SIX FLIES AND BE INVOLVED IN A DRAWING FOR AN ORVIS BOX WITH FOUR DOZEN FLIES IN IT. Let’s make our chapter stronger … you can help … bring a new member (or more!) to the walleye dinners.

Memberships: Let’s get going!

I ncreasing memberships in an organization is an important task. It shows interest and

support of our chapter. This is something that we as members of the Wm. B. Mershon Chapter all can participate in. We must not only get new people to sign up; we need to get them involved in our outings, our meetings, and the board that governs our chapter. But first, let’s get them to the outings and meetings.

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Kroger really DOES care

T hrough the Kroger Community Rewards Program, Kroger donates

5% of your purchase price of food items to charities on their approved list, and MITU is one such recipient. This doesn’t affect any discounts you get by using your Kroger card, like gasoline or weekly specials, either. Signing up is easy, on their website krogercommunityrewards.com . The following instructions were generously provided by Dan Kiefer, of the Challenge Chapter of TU. Be sure to have your Kroger Plus card handy and register your card with your organization after you sign up. If you don’t have a Kroger Plus card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger.

Click on Sign In/Register under Welcome! (top right hand side of page) Most participants are new online customers, so they must click on SIGN UP TODAY in the ‘New Customer?’ box at right. Sign up for a Kroger Rewards Account by entering your ZIP code, clicking on favorite store, entering your email address and creating a password, agreeing to the terms and conditions. You will then get a message to check your email inbox and click on the link within the body of the email. Click on My Account and use your email address and password to proceed to the next step. Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards information and input your Kroger Plus card number (towards bottom of the screen). Save changes. Update or confirm your information.

Enter NPO number or name of organization, select organization from list and click on confirm. Enter 83407. Select MICHIGAN COUNCIL TROUT UNLIMITED. Save changes. To verify that you are enrolled correctly, you will see your organization’s name at the bottom of your information page. Lots of steps, but the whole process might take ten minutes, and you’ll be helping a great cause, and yourself, through MITU’s actions to conserve, protect, and restore cold-water resources. Thank you.

flies they rival a winter blizzard in their intensity, rendering fishing nearly impossible. The very next night, you may be lucky to see them in numbers you can count on one hand. So there I was, standing in a pretty stretch of river below Mio, with an anxiousness that is superseded only by that of the Hex hatch. Big fish are sometimes caught during this hatch, and I was in a spot known to hold one or two. As dusk appeared, a smattering of flies appeared, and some smaller fish started to feed. Soon more flies were in the air--not too little

and not too much--it was just perfect. And then it happened. A large fish started breaking the surface, as it fed on the flies. A floating nymph fished just below the surface, I thought as I quickly tied one on, and the fish continued to porpoise. Time and time again, I watched my fly float by the fish, as it continued to pick off naturals next to mine. Ah, maybe a slightly higher-floating emerger will do the trick, and I retied as quickly as possible, with both failing eyesight and available light. Once again, the fish snubbed its nose at me, as it

safeguard those bodies of water and do our best to ensure that our children, grandchildren, and many future generations will have the same opportunities that we do. One fishing opportunity I’m grateful for occurred last fall in the midst of the white fly hatch on the Au Sable. For those of you not familiar with the hatch, it can be a hit-or-miss proposition. One night, there can be so many

Meanders, Continued from page 1

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fed on everything but my fly. Maybe a parachute dun pattern will work, yeah that’s what it’s feeding on, and I tried once again to entice the fish to eat my fly. That didn’t work either, and I wish I could tell you that after another few fly changes my four-pound brain outsmarted the fish’s two-ounce brain, and I caught a beautiful twenty-inch trout.

It wasn’t to be that night, and the night was like others in the past, and I’m sure others to come. I never did catch that fish, but I’m glad in knowing that it’s there, and that we have many rivers around the state that have other fish just like that one. I’m glad for the opportunity to match wits with the fish, even though I seemed to bring the proverbial “knife to a gunfight.” Was I disappointed? No, because I believe that if we continue stewardship of our streams, there will be many more nights like that one. It’s the journey that makes life enjoyable, not the destination. The fact that I couldn’t catch that fish had absolutely no bearing on my enjoyment and satisfaction of the opportunity to be standing in a beautiful spot doing one of the things I love to do. We should all be thankful that we have the good fortune to enjoy fishing for trout and the environs in which they are found. We should be

Meanders, Continued from page 16

thankful that we have the ability to do things, big and small, to protect and improve those resources and to not take for granted that they will always be there. So, take the opportunity to stay involved, or get involved with chapter projects and events.

One of the goals of your chapter’s board of directors is to provide more opportunities for member involvement. To that end, we’ve already held two social events that were well received and that enticed approximately 50 chapter members and friends to attend. Thanks to Todd Zwetzig and Jac Ford for their informative and entertaining presentations. Another opportunity is our first walleye dinner scheduled for January 18th; we’d love to see all of you there. Chapter member, Dale Hernden, will be providing information concerning Project Healing Waters, a program that coordinates fly-fishing activities between local injured military veterans and fly-fishing groups, providing an opportunity for us to give back to those who have given so much for our country. Also, Kristin Thomas will be presenting information about the River Keepers Program, a stream monitoring program developed under the auspices of Michigan TU. Finally, Jim DuFresne, a one-time local newspaperman and author, will be our featured speaker. He has written a number of books about hiking,

camping, and fishing in Michigan and is an accomplished speaker. Our next social event is a fly tying session for experienced and novice tiers, to be held on February 6th at Western High School, in Auburn, MI. All flies tied that day will be donated to either Project Healing Waters or Casting for Recovery, organizations working with VA Hospital patients and breast cancer survivors respectively. Check the Mershon website for more information as the date draws near. Finally, take the opportunity to update your contact information at TU National. As explained by Bob Kren elsewhere in the newsletter, it’s an easy thing to do. Currently, we only have about 40% of our chapter membership with email addresses on file. A goal is to streamline communication and make it more cost efficient for the chapter. One method is to rely on electronic communication to announce upcoming events and work projects. To do this, we need accurate email addresses, and only you can update that information in the TU National database. I hope the holidays were rewarding and relaxing and this finds you and your family in fine health and spirits.

—Paul Morand, President

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Special thanks to our sponsors: The Mershon Chapter of Trout Unlimited wishes to extend a heart-felt thank you to these businesses and individuals. Their generous support helps to defray the costs associated with distributing this Muddler. If you would like to help cover the cost of this publication, please contact Jac Ford at 989-781-0997 or canglers@aol.com.

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Quality Outdoor Clothing Instruction and Classes

Fine Fly Fishing Tackle Fly Tying Supplies

Sporting Books

143 East Main Street - Midland 989-832-4100 Tollfree 877-550-4668

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T H E M E R S H O N

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

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Please check membership category: p New member membership ($17.50) p Regular membership ($35) / r 3 years ($90) p Family membership ($50) / r 3 years ($100) p Sponsoring contributor ($100)* p Conservator contributor (250)* p Individual Life ($1,000) (No further dues)* p Family Life ($1,100) (Husband and Wife)* p Senior (62 and over) membership ($20) p Full-time Student/Youth (under 18) ($20) p Business membership ($200) Payment enclosed** Please bill me

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