It all begins with a collector’s permit that the teacher will get upon certification of training. The State of Michigan offers workshops at either Oden State Fish Hatchery or Wolf Lake Hatchery to properly train the teachers on regulation of pH, algae, fungus, water temperature, life cycle of the fish and a host of other incidentals. The DNR has had a tremendous growth in popularity of this program with little or no moneys used to advertise or promote its growth. Currently there are 154 schools in the state and more apply every year. Just ten years ago, this was merely an idea. Seems we really do want our next generation to connect to the outdoors and the wonderful resources we have here.

Our pick up destination is the Platte River Hatchery, near Honor Michigan. The ride is a pleasant one for early November, the air is crisp and many of the leaves have fallen. Hunter’s are eager for opening of deer season and I have spied a few salmon pairing up on the upper stretches of the Bear River  behind our home. This is one of the most spectacular times of the year to live in the Great Lakes State. Rolling hills with majestic golden views, inland waterways dotted with fire-lit trees along the background and sunsets that set the horizon aflame as they burn out. At the hatchery, we were lucky to get the nickle tour and see what a vast system they have set up from the weirs and the rearing tanks and the rows and racks of egg trays. This facility takes care of most of Northern Michigan’s stocking for Chinook and Coho Salmon reproduction and it is huge. If you can get a chance to visit this or any of the state fish hatcheries, as a family or a school trip, I highly recommend and promise you won’t be disappointed. We are given two scoops of eggs- roughly 200 green eggs and place them safely in my Glad air tight disposable container and safely wedge them in between a few ice packs in my trusty Fishpond cooler for the 1 1/2 hour ride back to Petoskey. It is exciting, I know we are not transporting bullion, but I do feel like we are in a Brinks truck with highly prized cargo, it is liquid gold. We need to make it back to Sheridan Elementary by 1:00 pm so that we can meet with the News Review and have the photos taken with the students and their newly acquired babies. The kids are beaming. They are all selected to represent various elementary schools based on thier academic achievements and it quickly becomes apparent who are the ones with a million questions and who are the ones with a story about whatever it is you are trying to convey. Ironic, I see a little of myself in each of them. I guess thats why I love connecting with so many kids through something I love.

A small handful of people have asked me – Why raise salmon? Why not Trout in the Classroom? It is true, many states, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, South Carolina and a few others, do raise trout in the classroom (TIC), many of these states have been doing so for nearly twenty years. The most common response I have heard is that salmon are more tolerant of environmental conditions, meaning, small fluctuations in temperature and pH don’t have an immediate nor detrimental affect on the species as would be the case with brook trout or brown trout. Another popular answer is that salmon spawn in the fall, while trout are spring spawners and that wouldn’t coordinate well with the school year. Last time I checked, only rainbows/steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) spawn in the spring while the other two tend to be autumnal spawners. Another school of thought is the  expendability factor – for lack of a better term. Salmon do seem to have a minimal long term impact on an ecosystem. They usually die off in three years after spawning and return vital nutrients to the watershed.  The sensitivity issue seems to win most arguments, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see TIC in Michigan. We have hopes and may one day soon see a pilot program that can test the viability of its success.

This is the day we meet for the first time. I get to introduce myself and the lucky individuals who will be volunteering throughout the year. This past year we thought it would be wise to have 2 assistants that can either carry the program on if something should happen to me on the river (Heaven forbid) or if I get the opportunity to chase trout in distant waters in the future. I am fortunate to have two equally gifted gentlemen that have brought different aspects and points of view to the SIC/PALS classroom. The first is Spencer McCormack, who studied Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University. He has a way of connecting with the kids in a very simple and kind manner. They say in teaching others, especially children, you either have it or you don’t. Spencer has it. They listen and they tend to hang on his very next word. The other gentleman is Paul Wiemerslage from the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies. Paul has his resume dotted with names like Western Washington University and Bethel University along with the North Cascades Institute- he taps into that spot we all relate to as a child, the place we held secret and safe– a place on the water. It is a joy to have both of these men adding to this year, and I can’t wait to see where it develops.

Every year we glance back and reflect on what worked, what didn’t, timing throughout the school year, how can we make it better and how can we keep it simple. There is no need to re-invent the wheel so I am not going to go through all of our rough sketches or drawing board failures, but rather how we have perfected it to fit our kids and our school. It looks somewhat like this:

• November~ Egg Pick up> meet class and get acquainted with new students.
• December~ What is Trout Unlimited? watch TU 50th anniversary DVD and talk conservation, restoration and protection.
• January~ Fly Tying> bring materials and vises and teach every child how to tie their first woolly bugger!
• February~ What is a Watershed? Visit Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council and see a scale model of how non-point pollutants enter a stream. We also talk about invasive species and the Great Lakes.
• March~ Fish Dissection >Joined by DNR employee and we take a look inside what makes a fish stay bouyant, among other things.
• April~ Macro-Invertebrates> Kids love Bugs!! walking trip down to Bear River and classify stream quality by the number of class I, II,  & III organisms. ID and key insects to order (ephemeroptera, plecoptera, odonata, trichoptera).
• May~ Salmon Release- entire school walks down to the river as we bless the tiny salmon parr a safe journey. Field Trip to Jordan River National Fish Hatchery- students try their hand at catching a trout. Casting Clinic- five or six MVWTU volunteers come out and we teach the entire school the better methods of landing a fly in a hula hoop across the playground.
• June~ Bear River Clean-up> in coordination with local non-profit organizations such as Tip of the Mitt and Little Traverse Conservancy.

These programs have generally been one day a month for an afternoon. Michigan Department of Natural Resources has a web page for further information and questions regarding application dates and requirements http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10369_50075—,00.html The month of May is crazy because it is the nicest weather for us to do the things we can do outdoors without freezing in a foot of snow or sleet> Northern Michigan can be temperamental and we must be flexible in our scheduling. We have done our fly tying this month and the students absolutely LOVE IT!! They get to take something home and show their parents, something they made that isn’t an ashtray (do they make those in school anymore?) We have found having the materials pre-packaged in zip-locks ease in distribution with the narrow time frame we work with and keeping the 24 kids on task. I generally tie the first fly with the class watching and then they go to their seats and we walk through it step by step. I have purchased vises at garage sales and on-line, so we have close to a dozen. The students partner up and switch off for each fly they tie. Allow yourself plenty of time, newcomers have lots of questions, thread breaks frequently, they get confused on right hand versus left hand and clock-wise wrapping. Best advice- have plenty of assistants, be patient, have a couple bobbin threaders, you do the whip-finish on all flies, get a picture with each student with their finished fly and <Keep It Simple>

Tight Lines!

Koz

We had a great turnout! from beginners~

along with a few pro’s~

If you are ever in the Petoskey Area, swing on in for a Short’s Hanging Frank or a frosty Bell’s Seasonal Ale and join us for some Tying>>

We always have a great time sharing stories and planning our next venture on the water.

If you are anything at all like myself, most of us were knee deep at the end of a cool running riffle, a gentle breeze at your back in the early evening with the sun prepping purple and golden hues upon the horizon. The fragrance of freshly muddled watercress from your path into the stream and genuine cedar sachet wafting through the air as we eagerly await the first bug to take flight and the dimples on the river’s surface soon thereafter.

Many of you may already know me, our paths have crossed either on the stream of life or actually in the water doing some great work for the benefit of our cold water denizens. My name is Brian Kozminski, my friends call me ‘Koz’ — Miller VanWinkle TU ex-officio – lifelong advocate for all cold water streams in North America and GreenFish Ambassador — promoting proper techniques for catch and release. I carry the message of Cold, Clean and Clear everywhere I go. I have been in the service industry my entire life, which allows me the flexibility to volunteer at school for first grade daughter (Simone), spend time with the family (Lesley Koz) and our two labs (Roxy & Stella), while managing to get my waders wet once in a while. Hospitality has taught me how to interact with guests and make new acquaintances. From Bar Tending to Serving to Management, I have met some of the best individuals from all over the Mid-West and many of those have been anglers. If I have made your acquaintance at one of the restaurants I have worked, we probably have made the riparian connection and the passion that immediately follows.

I have met hundreds of people who have never even heard of TU, or what they do; soon they become aware of such issues as water withdrawal, Asian Carp, Fracking, Pebble Mine, wild versus farmed salmon and dam removal to mention just a few. Hopefully, in meeting so many new individuals, I have persuaded them to go home and look up their local TU and get involved with various conservation efforts or to begin a lifelong passion of fly tying or fly fishing, while crossing another item off the bucket List. Trout Unlimited also has great programs like Stream Explorers (Junior TU membership) Salmon in the Classroom and Trout in the Classroom (where permitted). I have been involved for the past 3 years with our local elementary schools SIC and would like to share what the children and teachers of this learning event have benefitted.

I belong to a very exclusive and private club of anglers who may lynch and stone me if I were to mention any specific details about some of the rivers we frequent. In order to protect myself and family, the names of such rivers may be changed to the Bugs Bunny River or the Warner Brothers section, in order to keep the tone light and comical. I believe they are both in the Nunya watershed system. It is a delicate balance for me, I love to share my joy and love for the outdoors, my father taught me to give it away at an early age, but I also know I need to protect what is sacred, or it won’t be for very long. Sometimes these sacred places need to be shared in order to protect or restore them to a once better place in time, otherwise, it would be like caging an injured animal just to watch it die. Then what are you left with? An empty river, devoid of life and beyond salvage.

My background is like many; fell in love with trout with my first brook trout caught on a yellow and red Panther Martin in Grayling many decades ago, discovered untouched waterfalls in Canada teeming with ’specks’. Grew up, went to college, started my career at a members only club in Grand Rapids, and fishing became less frequent. Many years later, I re-discovered what it was that truly made me ‘happy’- water between my legs and the eternal chance that I may dupe that picky trout rising to miniscule bwo’s upstream of me. I submersed myself, began tying flies with tenacity, chasing salmon and steelhead sometimes 5 days a week. Being a bartender does have its advantages if you don’t stay and entertain all hours of the night. I had the perfect life, fishing by day, working at night, making great money in the heyday of the 90’s when people had the tendency to be less frivolous, and enjoying every minute of it. Soon, I met my wife to-be, and after we married, she suggested we move north to Petoskey, I told her my bags were packed and ready to go. We do live in paradise. In a little over an hour, I can be either on the Manistee, the Au Sable, or a myriad of smaller rivers in the tip of the mitt or in the UP.

I am not a teacher – although have taught a few how to tie a fly and many newcomers the nuance of a good roll-cast.

I am not a ‘guide’ – although have taken a few fortunate individuals fishing who were high bid at local charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Women’s Resource Center, Crooked Tree Art Center D’Art for Art and a few others.

I am not biologist – although I have taken a few classes and love macro-invertebrate studies.

I am not a writer – the closest correlation I have is that I work in a place where Hemingway allegedly scribbled on bar napkins for a few novels. But this wonderful opportunity came along, my wife and others said “It is totally you! You should do it.” So here we are. I hope to keep many items the same, we look forward to many more river/guide reports, I may dabble a bit on some conservation/environmental topics to keep myself abreast of current events and add a little flavor here and there. I hope you will join me on this journey and pass this on to your friends, fishing buddies and family. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!!

Tight Lines & Tighter Loops,

Koz

As a series these essays provide a nice first-person glimpse into another time and another way of life on the Au Sable river. Look for the next installment in our series tomorrow.

Camp Ginger Quill was built in 1928 by my grandparents, Bay City businessman Henry B. Smith Jr. and his wife Katherine. It began as a small cabin just downstream from the present site. While making glue on the stove one evening, a small fire started and spread quickly. Fortunately no one was hurt but the cabin burned to the ground.

Three generations of the Smith family at Camp Ginger Quill: Frederick B Smith, Sr., Frederick B. Smith, Jr., and Henry B Smith Jr. on the dock with an Au Sable riverboat (Photo: Bay City Times).

Construction began the following year on the first cabin of the present complex. The “Main Cabin” as it was always known, was initially much smaller than it is today. It included three bedrooms, one bath, the living room, and a small kitchen. A screened porch ran the length of the cabin facing the river.

Two years later the “Main Cabin” was expanded. The hallway to the kitchen was extended down to a large master suite (which is now a bar and game room). Two small rooms along the hall were a bathroom and an office/tackle room. The master suite consisted of a screened porch, a large sitting area, and two single Dutch beds recessed into the wall. Both beds had curtains for more privacy or to block the sun for afternoon naps. A screened game room filled the space between the living room with its large stone fireplace and the master suite. It was dominated by a ping-pong table and exercise equipment, such as an old rowing machine, medicine balls and dumbbells. Access to the game room was a step down from the hall or from the front porch. The living room was closed at the fireplace end and firewood was stored on either side. (The game room is now a large kitchen and dining room.)

The green dock in front of the “Main Cabin” had a retaining wall that ran from the stairs to the down river end, and which also acted as a bench. A wrought iron sign hung from the light post near the stairs depicting two fishermen in a canoe, a rod bent by the pressure of a large trout, and the word “Ginger” at the top and “Quill” at the bottom. That sign was used as the Ginger Quill logo. A live well was in place at the down river end of the dock so we always had fresh trout. Fish that were not eaten in three days were tagged and released. No one has ever caught any of the tagged fish, however. The live well was a source of endless fascination for the grandchildren.

The Camp Ginger Quill dining room.

The “Dining Cabin” was built the year the “Main Cabin” was expanded and contained living quarters for the caretakers, a large kitchen and a beautiful dining room with a sitting space around a fireplace at the downriver end. There was also a screened porch at the dining room entrance. A long dock ran in front of the dining room and was accessed by two sets of stairs with log railings. At the upriver end of the dock was a boathouse topped by a screened gazebo. The gazebo was furnished with bentwood furniture and dominated by two bentwood swings. The view upstream was wonderful. There was a weather vane on top of the gazebo with the words “Wise Men Fish Here”. Eventually the boathouse developed structural problems and was torn down. The gazebo was moved back on land where it sits now. The “Dining Cabin” also sported a tennis court, which was eventually overtaken by the elements.

The “Main Cabin” and the “Dining Cabin” were connected by a wooden walkway that followed the basic path of the river. Henry and Katherine’s two sons, Henry III and Fred, were now in their early teens. A log cabin known as the “Boys’ Cabin” was built about halfway between the “Dining Cabin” and the “Main Cabin.” The two “Boys” helped in the construction and hence the name “Boy’s Cabin.” It was a very basic log structure with one bathroom, one private bedroom and two large open rooms, one at the down river end containing only beds and the larger central room with a sitting area around the fireplace and two beautiful custom bentwood beds. The walls were decorated with Henry III’s and Fred’s high school pennants, snowshoes, snow skis, a few stuffed animals and other sports items. There was a small screened porch and a very small dock. The “Boys’ Cabin” was often a favorite place for the teenage children and grandchildren as it offered some separation from the adults. The “Boys’ Cabin” always had bats which made it less attractive to the females of the family. We would often take the snowshoes off the walls to combat the bats.

During two years of rather dry weather, rattlesnakes had been found under the wooden walkway. Also the first two grandchildren were eighteen months-old and beginning to walk. This coupled with the problems in maintaining the wood made replacement necessary. In 1947 the wooden walkway was torn up and replaced by green colored concrete. Our initials can be found in the concrete by the “Boys’ Cabin.”

Other small buildings were two behind the “Main Cabin” – the laundry, which is now a bedroom and bath, and a garage/tackle room/outboard engine-firewood storage room, which is now a garage/bedroom/tackle room. There was a large garage by the “Dining Cabin” used for maintenance equipment, boat building and repair, and winter boat storage. Next to the garage was a gasoline storage tank.

At least two Au Sable riverboats were normally tied to the “Main Cabin” dock. The caretaker was usually a guide and the boats could be motored upstream with small outboard motors. Sheared cotter pins were common when the prop hit rocks, shallows or submerged logs. There is a path along the river upstream from the gazebo to Knight’s Bridge so we could wade a long stretch of river from Knight’s to the original cabin site.

Frederick B. Smith, Jr.

Our family cabin complex, Camp Ginger Quill, is located on the “Holy Water” about a half-mile upstream of Wakeley Bridge. As you float down from site of Knight’s Bridge, an old wooden footbridge which is no longer there, there was a beautiful view of the dining cabin, boat house and gazebo. Those building are now gone and a beautiful new log cabin have been build in its place. At the Dining Cabin the river bends ninety degrees to the left and flows down toward Ghoul’s Hole, passing both the Dining Cabin and the Boy’s Cabin on the right. At Ghoul’s Hole, a deep hole and home to many very large trout, the river takes another ninety degree turn to the right and flows past the Main Cabin. I have been told that the land directly across from the Main Cabin was the original site of Trout Unlimited.

The Camp Ginger Quill Boathouse

I have had a wonderful life. I have traveled around much of the world and lived in many beautiful places. My fondest memories, however, are of the times spent along and in the Au Sable River at Camp Ginger Quill.

Camp Ginger Quill was sold in the late 60s just as I was graduating from Alma College and about to enter the Air Force. I was the first of six grand children to leave Michigan. Of the two that remained, only one stayed in Bay City.

As my grandparents, who built Ginger Quill in the 1920s, eventually became too old and sick to use and care for it properly, they transferred ownership to their three children. These three families, all with children of college age at the time, didn’t have the means to maintain the property as their parents had nor did they all share to same vision for it’s use. The women who had previously been able to relax when they visited Ginger Quill were now forced to do all of the cooking and cleaning, often cleaning up after the previous guests. The men became painfully aware of the costs involved in maintaining the large complex, even at a minimal level.

Every attempt was made to sell the complex as a single unit but the first owner immediately split Ginger Quill into three parts, kept the Main Cabin and sold the two remaining parcels. The Main Cabin was eventually maintained by a partnership of several families. The Boys cabin was sold to an individual and the Dining Cabin fell into disrepair and had to be torn down.

Over the years I have returned to Michigan from our home in Texas to canoe and fish the Au Sable, each time stopping by Camp Ginger Quill hoping meet the new owners and share my memories. Finally about fifteen years ago there were people sitting on the Main Cabin dock. They were so eager to hear about my family and the history of Ginger Quill, I started gathering information and old photos to write my own history not only of the place but also of the magical quality it held. Mostly this history was written for my family, memories that we all shared but had begun to forget.

I was born in Jacksonville Florida in January of 1945 where my father was stationed in the Navy. Shortly after the war we moved back to Bay City Michigan where my brother Geoffrey and sister Mary Jo were born. After graduating from Alma College in 1967 I joined the Air Force. After officer school and a year of pilot training in Lubbock Texas I was stationed in Del Rio Texas for nearly five years. I met and married my wife of 42 years while in officer school and our only child, our son Scott was born in Del Rio.

After separating from the Air Force in 1973 I was hired as a pilot by Delta Airlines where I served for fifteen years in Houston and another fifteen years in Dallas, retiring 2003. We have since built a cabin in the Ozarks of northern Arkansas on the White River about five miles downstream from Bull Shoals Dam.  We’ve named the cabin Ginger Quill Cottage and are trying hard to encourage fly fishing on the White with limited success.

Trout Unlimited (TU), the Pigeon River Country Association, Golden Lotus, Inc. (the owners of the dam) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment signed an interim order, resolving litigation from the June 2008 accidental release of sediment from the Golden Lotus Dam which resulted in a fish kill in the river.  The MDNRE, TU and PRCA entered into litigation against Golden Lotus following the incident.

“All parties to the litigation have been working towards an agreement that would put aside the litigation and focus resources on helping the Pigeon River.  Golden Lotus’ desire the do what was best for the river and its aquatic life was instrumental in reaching this agreement.  This agreement will protect the river from similar incidents in the future while allowing it to become healthier than it has ever been,” said Bryan Burroughs, Executive Director of Michigan TU.

The Pigeon River is one of Michigan’s most popular trout streams. Flowing 43 miles from Gaylord to Mullet Lake, the river has been altered by the dam since it was created over 100 years ago.  Dams disrupt the natural flow of water, sediment, nutrients and organisms in rivers and often warm water temperatures, past the ideal range for trout and other coldwater fishes.  Removal of this dam is expected to greatly improve the trout fishery for nearly 20 miles downstream of the dam.   The Pigeon River is home to wild brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout.  “This is a great day for coldwater conservation, our natural resources and the trout in the Pigeon River”, said John Walters, president of the local Headwaters TU chapter.

TU became involved in the litigation to help ensure protection and restoration of the Pigeon River. Negotiations had been underway since 2008.  TU has wanted to remove the dam in the river, to improve conditions for trout and to prevent future dam-related events from occurring.  TU was able to help provide critical assistance with, and information for this dam removal, which facilitated the negotiation process.

Peter Gustafson, trout angler and past chair of the Pigeon River Country Citizens Advisory Council, provided legal representation for Michigan TU and the Pigeon River Country Association.  “Pete provided valuable assistance with the legal proceedings, but his contributions toward facilitating a successful negotiation was truly invaluable,” said Burroughs.

The dam removal planning process will begin immediately, while the actual removal of the dam is expected to be conducted gradually over several years to reduce further impacts on the river. All parties to the agreement will continue working in coordination on the dam removal planning.  MITU will continue to provide updates on this project via its website, magazines and emails.

Trout Unlimited is North America’s leading coldwater fisheries conservation organization, with 7,000 members in Michigan and 140,000 members dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.

Doors open at 6:00 PM with dinner served at 7:00 PM. This year our featured speaker with be Dr. Brian Burroughs, Executive Director of Michigan TU. The Williamsburg Showcase Dinner Theater is located at 4230 E. M-72.  Tickets are $45 and are available at The Northern Angler, Streamside Orvis and Nolan’s Tobacconists.

The Traverse City Record-Eagle has printed both a short article on his passing, along with an official obituary. Visitation is scheduled for this Sunday, March 21, from 1 PM to 2 PM, with a funeral service to follow at 2 PM at the Hagerty Center, on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College. Memorial contributions can be directed to the Adams Chapter of Trout Unlimited — Children’s Activities Fund, to the Father Fred Foundation, or to a charity of your choice.

There are three closely guarded secrets in Northern Michigan – favorite hunting grounds, morel mushroom locations and choice spots on a trout stream.

Trout fishing in Northern Michigan sometimes takes a backseat to the famous rivers out west but not this past August, as a few hundred who fly-fish headed to Northern Michigan for the annual Trout Unlimited (TU) convention held in Traverse City August 22.

Jordan and his Ro Skiff Hosting Anglers on the Au Sable for the TU 50th

This TU convention was a special one as it marked the 50th anniversary of the national organization. The weeklong conference featured guest speakers, authors, seminars and guided fly fishing trips for anglers who came from several of the 400 TU chapters around North America. There were also several parties, including a formal dinner honoring the founding members.
According to TU spokesperson Erin Mooney, Northern Michigan was picked specifically to host this special celebration

“Trout Unlimited was started in 1959 in Grayling by 16 fly fishermen,” said Mooney. “It has since grown from 16 to now more than 150,000 members. So coming back to where it all started just made sense.”

While it has grown into a respected national organization, members from Michigan are proud to carry on the heritage of the founding members in their efforts to preserve and protect the fish habitats in the state.

A RIVER OF HISTORY

The driving forces behind the formation of TU were George Mason, President of American Motors, and George Griffith who lived on the Au Sable, just outside of Grayling. Mason passed away prior to the launch of TU, but his legacy continues not only through being the original visionary, but also by his contribution of 1,400 acres along the South Branch of the Au Sable, known as the Mason Tract.

“Michigan has 22 local chapters with more than 7,000 members,” said Dr. Bryan Burroughs, Executive Director of Michigan TU. “We are fortunate to have several world-class trout streams and more than 11,000 inland lakes and with the Great Lakes we have the largest source of freshwater in North America. As an organization we strive to protect, restore and work with other conservation organizations to preserve these resources.”

In Northern Michigan, there are five TU chapters and, according to Bill Fernandez, President of the Adams Chapter based in Traverse City, it is at the local level where the organization is most effective.

“At the national level the focus is more on public policy issues. Each part of the country has different issues so the local chapters are able to focus on their needs,” said Fernandez. “Every dollar we raise stays in the area to improve trout habitat.”

THE ADAMS CHAPTER

Fernandez, along with 26 other concerned fishermen from the area, gathered 13 years ago to form the Adams Chapter. This chapter focuses on the Boardman, Manistee, Pine, Pere Marquette, Rapid and Au Sable Rivers.

“There was a TU Chapter in Traverse City at one time but it basically disappeared,” said Fernandez. “Basically, some of us who fly fish the rivers in the area were concerned about several issues and wanted to take steps to improve and protect the quality of the trout habitat, along with educating the youth and others about river habitat and fly fishing.”

To date, the Adams Chapter has successfully generated over $200,000 primarily through their annual banquet held each spring with all dollars going locally to “support conservation efforts and repair the stream deadening effects of erosion, sedimentation and over use.”

“Some of our projects are very visible to the public such as the decking at Mitchell Creek along the TART Trail, and the fishing decks at the YMCA,” said Fernandez. “Other projects that are less visible have been the work on the North Branch of the Boardman where we have improved the quality of the trout habitat and certainly our work over the years of funding the removal sand from the Boardman, which is a major threat to trout habitat.”

The Adams Chapter takes their name from dry fly of the same name – dry fly being the pattern of artificial fishing lure. The Adams pattern is a popular pattern in Northern Michigan and was developed by Lon Adams, one of the founding members of TU. The fly pattern was perfected by Len Halliday of Mayfield.

“THE HOLY WATERS”

Northern Michigan trout streams have reached legendary status among those who fly fish. Certainly the most famous is the Au Sable, known as “The Holy Waters.” Other rivers of note include The Boardman, The Pere Marquette, The Jordan, The Maple, The Black and The Sturgeon.

It is the goal of local TU chapters to protect that legendary excellence.

“We now number over 300 in the Adams Chapter,” said Fernandez. “All of the Chapters in Northern Michigan are very active, it is a great thing. TU is a wonderful organization. It is not a fishing club, sure we fish, but as an organization and local chapters our focus is about preserving these rivers and the trout habitat for future generations.”

TROUT CHAPTERS

Adams Chapter
Bill Fernandez, President
P.O. Box 2129,
Traverse City, MI 49685
(231) 941-7102
www.tctrout.org

Mason/Griffith/Founders Chapter
Mark Hendricks, President
15054 Riverview Rd. S.E.,
Grayling, MI 49738
(989) 348-1987
www.masongriffithtu.org

Headwaters Chapter
John Walters, President
6269 Mt. Vernon Hills Dr., Vanderbilt,
MI 49795
(989) 983-4404
www.headwaterstu.org

Miller/VanWinkle Chapter
Brian Kozminski, President
111 Grove Street, Petoskey, MI 49770
(231) 622-8300
www.mvwtu.org/

Ferris State Chapter
(Pine River/Pere Marquette)
Alex Forsberg
9745 Timber Ridge Rd.,
Farwell, Mi 48622
(989) 429-0724