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I've discussed and in fact suggested to a number of fishing
buddies that they keep a journal of their fly fishing
exploits. This practice is known to produce pearls of local
wisdom regarding ones favorite hatch or stream. If kept long
enough these journals can become as valuable as any bamboo
rod! Several decades of experience can reveal knowledge or trends in weather patterns, emergence schedules or ecological changes. Because time has a way of altering the facts; and fisherman tend to "exaggerate" some tales I've decided to post an on-line log of my fly fishing travails. Here's My Pledge... I'll promise not to reveal any "secret" spots. I'll also try to protect the "innocent". Unless otherwise granted the use of last or maiden names shall be excluded. The rules are really rather simple and can be adjusted at any time based on the whims of the narrator. Your comments aren't necessary but may be published if they're deemed verifiable! If it serves a purpose then plagiarism may be employed as a means of forwarding knowledge or teaching an otherwise worthy lesson.
View
the 2007 archive of my Journal
Thursday, February 28, 2008. 20% withdrawals - 5% fish kill! No public input or commentary. That's precisely what your Michigan Legislators are proposing for the majority of your Michigan watersheds... or WORSE. http://progressmichigan.org/page/speakout/greatlakes It's probably too late friends as "85% of the negotiations are done" according to SB 860 sponsor Birkholtz. Her sponsorship of this package is a travesty. 2 million gallon per day withdrawls with no permit necessary. No royalty payments to Michigan residents. Fish kills are considered acceptable?? I'm joking right... Here's the contact information for our State Legislators: http://senate.michigan.gov/SenatorInfo/find-your-senator.htm You'll find contact information on all 38 State Senators. http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp Here you'll find information on our 110 State Representatives. There's really no need for a fishing update as this stuff dwarfs anything else I could report. Sorry friends... Weapons and rope may be needed next.
Monday, Februrary 11th, 2008. What does the decision renedered by Judge Dennis Murphy of the 46th Circuit Court mean to the Anglers of the Au Sable and their plaintiff partners? For starters; it's the second victory in two distinctly different areans. The first was decided before the same Court last year, after 13 days of expert testimony. That decision has been appealed by the MDEQ and Merit Energy, and is winding toward arguements in May or June, 2008. The most recent decision boldly states that the General Permit, the adminstrative process and scope of the proposed remediation were beyond the auspices of the Department and its rubber-stamped over sight committees. In essence, the stuff slated for the water-course above Lynn Lake would contain more than the ALJ expoused or considered in his ruling back in May, 2006. So the plot actually thickens... There may be two appeals headed to the Courts over the same remediation plan but the ramifications for the MDEQ could be huge if the Administrative Law Judge's decision doesn't find support in the Appeals Court. There could be hundreds of remediation plans that could come under scrutiny from citizens and stake-holders from one end of Michigan to another. Meanwhile there's: (1) Bay Harbour, (2) Kennecott Mining, (3) Nestle Water, (4) Proposed Water-Withdrawls, (5) Michigan Green Energy Authority, (6) Carbon Sequestering ... The list could go on friends but you get the point. Another minerals rush is under-way and this time it includes transporting water from the basin and our cold-water streams at rates that will impact our wild trout fisheries as much as any global change ; short of the calderon below YellowStone exploding... http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2007-2008/billintroduced/Senate/pdf/2007-SIB-0860.pdf This isn't pretty folks! Michigan residents should be paid royalties greater than those of oil, gas, timber, gold, diamond, uranium ... It is the most precisous resource on the planet isn't it? And the fishing??... Prior to the Super Bowl, I managed to land a beautiful 'bow on the Sturgeon. A fish that made all seem right, if only for a short while. It's moments like these that make living here so spectacular! Just minutes in any direction, you'll find jewels that replenish the soul and restores your faith. It's Y.I.Fish friends... Tightlines!
Friday, February 1, 2008!! ANGLERS WIN ALJ / KOLKE CREEK Round II! Order: 1-31-08, 46th Circuit Trial Judge, Hon. Dennis F. Murphy
Accordingly, it is ordered that the decision of the Administrative Law Judge to uphold the Certificate of Coverage is reversed: and the COC issued to Merit under the General Permit is vacated for three independent reasons: 1) the COC is illegal on the face of the General Permit because the COC allows the discharge of treated effluent to contain pollutants other than those that can be properly and plainly considered gasoline and/or related petroleum products; and/or 2) The MDEQ approval of Merit's COC is illegal on the face of the General Permit because the COC allows Merit to discharge effluent containing the pollutant chloride, and the General Permit limits discharge to treated groundwater that contains only gasonline and/or petroleum related procuts; and/or 3) The MDEQ approval of Merit's COC is illegal on the face of the General Permit becuase the proposed discharge and the proposed volume of discharge is likely to violate MEPA.
It means the administrative process was flawed and over-reaching from the start. The public deserved the right to protest the original adminstrative process and now the battle is truly joined! It's a great day in the Headwaters Region! Very Tightlines! Saturday, January 26, 2008. Snow, cold and raw winds... Winter made another comeback in the Headwaters region. Parkas and snow shoes replaced vests and waders during the prior 10 days but there's a minor warm-up on the horizon and reports of fresh fish in natal rivers throughout the lower peninsula. A road trip on Tuesday should offer a short reprieve from winters' doldrums, as the month of January has seemed rather long and bitter. A friend, residing in the upper peninsula, took advantage of 10 degree temperatures yesterday to land his first Superior steelhead... on his fourth cast while fishing the Chocolay River. Never mind those of us waiting for the mercury to crest at 27 or 28 degrees; yesterday was the first in a week that temps managed to climb about zero; so Marvin walked to the river and promptly enticed a jewel to eat his wolly bugger. Both participants will be irrepararbly changed by the chance encounter and I wager the fisherman's the one to really be hooked! It's kinda like that folks... I'm reminded when speaking with those who knew me prior to rediscovering the fly. They'll wonder aloud how you can find joy, wonder, patience or clothing ample for winter wading. Or how you justify returning those fish foolish enough to fall for our calculated decite? Or, don't you have anything else better to do with your spare-time during the winter... like ice-fish? You've heard it yourself from friends, associates and family members: "Another fishing trip up north? So you can throw back those trout you catch? It doesn't make sense!! And they're right. It just doesn't make any sense... People throughout North America identify the headwaters as one of those special places; just the right combination of topography, flora, fauna and hydrology. Suitable for sustaining wild trout that are gullible enough to catch and hardy enough to survive our intrusions. There's renewed pressure on several fronts including government and industry that see these stable cold-water bastions as the ticket out of current fiscal trouble. The "State-of-the-State" address on Tuesday, January 29th, is the opening salvo. The Govenor will be touting a new Act and speaking of the Michigan Green Energy Authority. The "green" I see will line the pockets of a few select partners appointed by a 5-person panel overseeing future oil and gas development and carbon-sequestering. This is a tact that may cause as much trouble as any short-term good, but there's significant money at work on this proposal. Instead, let's get paid true-market-value for any and all water diversions right now! The cost and value of H2O isn't coming down and those manufacturing jobs we once relied upon aren't coming back. Water wars don't seem such a far-fetched idea any more do they? Mulholland was far ahead of his time... Back to fishing... Tightlines!
Saturday, January 12, 2008. Welcome to another new year! This new edition has already provided us with a thaw which included tornadic activity on the 7th day of January in the mid-section of our lower penisnula; incredible!! The ice shantys on Osego Lake were pulled ashore last Sunday in preparation for the forecast thaw as our temperatures zoomed into the upper 40's and 50's. Several days of troublesome fog and heavy rains pummeled the remaining snow pack throughout the headwaters region. This is somewhat expected in January or February but the ferocity found in Monday and Tuesday's storms is cause for pause. Some-things are certainly changing in the north IF you consider the arrival of tornadic weather in October and January of 07 and 08... But winter's back... Six inches of beautiful snow lies laden on area conifers this morning; while I'm making haste for Cheboygan County in search of fresh steelhead. This, after two days near Rockford, mid-week on the Rogue. A date in the US Court system in GR was reason enough to look for winter fish on one of Lake Michigan's river systems. The discussion and insuing agreement between the government and I was aimiable enough and it made sense to incorporate some fishing into the trip while in south-west Michigan. It made sense to at least one other fishing buddy too. Our targeted rivers were still full of January's thaw but the Rogue provided ample opportunity for wading on Wednesday and Thursday. It also held a few winter steelhead. While mid-week is a great time to get away from the crowds, last weekend offered an opportunity to get into the years first fine fish. Robert Herron and I settled on the Big Manistee below Tippy for Sunday and managed to land a couple bows on nymphs and egg patters. There was company during the afternoon but those throngs thinned near twi-light and we found a few adult fish below the coffer dam. By Monday most area rivers were rising beyond our ability to safely wade. As difficult as fall and early winter season has been, the spring run should be simply fantastic! Let's hope those fish stacked up in harbors and deltas make an early move into their natal waters sooner because of this big run-off! Speaking of natal fishes and anadromous fisheries... check out this article regarding the impact of zebra and quagga mussels on salmon and steelhead; http://blog.mlive.com/kzgazette/2008/01/lack_of_prey_fish_could_hurt_s.html The future word isn't good if you're a fan of large salmonid in the Great Lakes. It's my opinion that this invasion from the St. Lawrence Seaway makes the waters of the headwater region even more precious!! Remember your biology? Our bodies run on water while our nation runs on oil and gas. If a barrel of crude is worth $100, how much is a container of our ground or river water worth... $200? IF our own state is preparing to GIVE water away then WE, the reidents MUST GET PAID!!! Forget about money going to the general fund for later dispersement! It should go directly to those 10 million residents that claim Michigan as their home. The State could receive a portion for monitoring withdrawls and servicing the accounts, much like banks retain the servicing on mortgages that they sell to the secondary mortgage market. It's fruitful for the private sector so it should be the same for our State government! Enough of this already! It's the 12th day of a new year and there's room in my editorial section to ramble about this and other conservation matters. Drake is ready for a ride and I'm figuring on a fresh run of Oncornychus mykiss. Happy new year and Tightlines!
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007. Somewhere between the arrival of winter's solstice and Christmas, another low pressure system races across the upper Great Lakes; ushering in more vigorous, blustery arctic weather. Huffing, puffing and threatening to blow the place down... Must be time for an update. Drake and I headed for the Sturgeon this morning shortly after day-break. Temperatures soared into the 40's and strong breezes pushed moisture-laden clouds from the south west... before another advancing cold-front. Remnants of this months snow-pack and two days of fog and rain were bound to have a positive impact on local steelhead water and the forecast was calling for miserable conditions by early afternoon. Well, the forecasters were right but my own prognostication wasn't nearly so accurate. It's why I call it fishing and others have begun to call me "Lucky". Whether the nickname sticks or it doesn't really doesn't matter much; as long I'm able to chase local salmonid on blue-ribbon waters. I'll feel fortunate indeed! As we put a final bow on the years' fishing report I think some reflection is warranted; especially as we look forward to spring and the challenges before those that love cold flowing, highly oxygenated bodies of water called rivers. That forecast looks clouded by the likes of remediation, withdrawl and pending legislation in the Michigan House... but particularly the Michigan Senate. See S.B. 860! http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2007-SB-0860 I've come to accept a few simple truths during the past five years and I'm sharing some of those realizations here, in this, my 46th year. Nothing so dramatic or life-altering that apologizes need be extended mind you. But a simple acknowledgement that I could have done some things differently and thus; made a bigger impact in matters of conservation. Though we've had a big year and a few battles have been won despite the ongoing war... Huge kudos to those souls who've donated to the defense of the Au Sable system this year through the legal showdown at Kolke Creek. $300,000 have been required of the Anglers of the Au Sable and several more $10,000's will be needed. But we've won in the local Circuit and we'll win in the Appellate too! What's distrubing is our own MDEQ has supported the arguements of Merit Energy even though this Texas Corporation knew this contamination existed BEFORE they purchased it from Shell. The appeal arguements were finished by noon Friday, December 7th, in Gaylord. Somewhat anti-climactic after 13 days of expert testimoney and cross-examination. Judge Murphy will issue his opinion between January 7 and February 8th of 2008. And there's more at stake now than when the trial started... so stay tuned!! There's also room tonight to thank 325 supporters and a couple dozen volunteers for a wonderful evening in April for the Anglers' 20 year anniversary. I'd be remiss without including several more donars and underwriters of the nights festivities. It was a great evening friends! Included in my "list" of thanks are a dozen customers and clients. Because of their support I've had my finest year to date along these headwaters! Thank you indeed! In closing; I trust there's family, friends and hope at your table this holiday season. Merry Christmas and happy new year too! Tightlines friends...
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Negotiations have been underway during the past several months to develop legislation to regulate new large-volume water withdrawals in