F A L L I S S U E O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 FLYLINE

G R E A T L A K E S C O U N C I L F F I N E W S L E T T E R

IN THIS ISSUE EDITOR'S NOTE The fall is here and so is great fly-fishing! In this PRESIDENT'S COLUMN...... 2 newsletter, you'll be greeted by our council President GREAT LAKES FLY-FISHING and a special member's corner. Then, check out the SHOW...... 3 latest updates on the Great Lakes Fly Show and new CONSERVATION UPDATE...... 6 ongoing projects from the conservation committee. We hope you enjoy the newsletter and have a CREDITS...... 10 wonderful fall season. Tight lines! - Emily Dean

About the editor Emily has fished all her life with her Dad, Mike (pictured together). Other than being an avid angler, Emily is a Ph.D. student at State University in the Fisheries and Wildlife Department. P R E S I D E N T ' S C O R N E R Fall updates

Hello members,

I hope you all had a great summer and start to the fall. To let you know what’s been happening in our council, we had our annual membership meeting on June 8th. We discussed the upcoming fly show in December, and we congratulated our scholarship winner Nicole Watson for her research on reintroducing the Arctic Grayling back into our Michigan rivers. This research M E M B E R ' S C O R N E R along with other presentations will be We wanted to give a shoutout to GLCFFI members Jim Schramm and Dorothy Schramm showcased at our fly show. We also had (image below)! Jim (bottom left) was the our board elections this summer and all president of the GLC for 28 years and the legal board members were re-elected. I want advisor of FFI, and is a major contributor in the to thank everyone who came out to vote Michigan Hydro Relicensing Coalition. Dorothy and be a part of this process. (bottom right) is an expert instructor and caster, a founding member of the Flygirls of For our fly show, we are seeking about Michigan, ties beautifully, and makes rods that 20 volunteers for Friday afternoon from are works of art. Most importantly, she is a 3:30 pm until close (around 8 pm, after mentor to countless fly fishers, particularly vendors are done with set-up). We will women interested in getting involved. also need 20 volunteers to help on Saturday with running the show, including taking tickets, working the raffles, and helping with the speakers. Please contact Gary Lindquist to sign up at (616) 710-7509.

Lastly, I am encouraging all fly-fishing club Presidents to come and set-up a free booth at the show. You can display your club banners and sell raffle tickets for your causes. We appreciate your support of the council.

I hope you all have nice fall weather for hunting or steelhead fishing. Looking forward to seeing you all at the fly show!

Your President, Dennis O'Brien GREAT LAKES COUNCIL FLY FISHERS INTERNATIONAL

THE GREAT LAKES SHOW

A fly-fishing enthusiast expo

DECEMBER 7, 2019 9 AM - 5 PM GRAND RAPIDS DELTA PLEX 2500 TURNER AVE NW, WALKER, MI 49544

Admission costs: Adults: $10 Kids 12-17: $5 Kids under 12: Free

Additional fees: Parking: $5 THE GREAT LAKES FLY FISHING SHOW

The 2019 Fly Show in Grand Rapids is December 7th, 2019 and will operate from 9:00am to 5:00pm at the Grand Rapids DeltaPlex located at 2500 Turner Ave NW, Walker, MI 49544. The show will be a one-day event, so plan accordingly!

We are very excited that our show is at the DeltaPlex. The venue can host many more booths with the potential to grow in the future, and the amenities offered are excellent. The venue has ample parking and easy access from US-131 (see map below).

The costs of the event ($10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 12-17, free for kids under 12) include the following: fly-tying demonstrations with experts from Michigan and northern Indiana, a wide variety of vendors including fly shop and rod manufacturer representatives, jewelry and gifts, real estate for the ideal fishing property up north, and maybe even a boat or two, Also, you can try out new Sage, Redington, or Temple Fork Outfitter rods that you want for Christmas on our indoor casting pond! There will be raffles and full concessions to accompany the informative presentations on fly- fishing skills and the latest research in stream fish conservation. See the next page for the schedule of events! FLY SHOW EVENT SCHEDULE

• D E C E M B E R 7 2 0 1 9 •

0 9 : 0 0 S h o w o p e n s a t t h e D e l t a P l e x

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1 0 : 4 5 " A d v e n t u r e i n f i s h i n g d e s t i n a t i o n s

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R a y S c h m i d t

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N o r t h e r n M i c h i g a n " b y B r i a n

P i t s e r

0 1 : 3 0 " H a b i t a t s u i t a b i l i t y a n d

c o n s e r v a t i o n s t r a t e g i e s f o r

m i g r a t o r y f i s h e s i n G r e a t L a k e s

t r i b u t a r i e s " b y E m i l y D e a n

0 2 : 4 5 " I n t r o d u c t i o n o f A r c t i c g r a y l i n g

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W a t s o n

* V e n d o r s , d e m o n s t r a t i o n s , c a s t i n g

p o n d , r a f f l e s o p e n 9 a m - 5 p m Image credit: Nicole Watson

CONSERVATION COMMITTEE CONSERVATION Dave Peterson Dennis O'Brien Jim Schramm UPDATE Roger Fechner Wayne Andersen Jen Kablunde Terry Lyons Belinda Frijs Our latest news in Midwest Brad Reynolds John Bebow stream conservation Dana Castle Emily Dean PERE MARQUETTE This interface has exposed The restoration of the RIVER BANK highly erodible sediments on eroding railroad right of the railroad embankment way bank will prevent the RESTORATION and presented a slope possible derailment of the The Great Lakes Council and stability concern. Derailment Genesee & FFI national awarded $1500 of the freight train would be freight train. and $2500 in conservation catastrophic: the cargo of the grants to the Pere Marquette Genesee & Wyoming train are The following groups have Watershed Council (PMWC), caustic chemicals. been involved in respectively, to fund the supporting this project: stabilization of a slope of an The bottom right image Pere Marquette eroding railroad embankment. (credit Jim Bos), obtained Watershed Council, The Pere Marquette is named from an article on the erosion Conservation Resource for the French Roman by Dave Bossick of the Alliance, Great Lakes Catholic explorer of the Great Ludington Daily News, shows Council of FFI, PM Trout Lakes and Mississippi River, the bank erosion and freight Unlimited, and the United Jacques Marquette, In the train near the river. The article States Forest Service. See mid-17th century, Father states the damage from the PMWC website for Marquette was laid to rest derailment will negatively updates on the project near the mouth of the river as affect people and the (www.peremarquette.org) he had passed on his journey fisheries from Baldwin to to St. Ignace, Michigan. Ludington.

Today, the river is a designated Blue Ribbon fishery and a Wild and Scenic River. Give or take thirty miles from Ludington are the towns of Walhalla and Baldwin. Here, anglers stand shoulder to shoulder fishing for king salmon. Guides from the Pere Marquette River Lodge float the mainstem for big brown trout. Baldwin even holds a summer Troutarama event.

Like most rivers in Michigan, interactions between the river and infrastructure pose risks to people and fisheries. In this case, the Pere Marquette’s natural channel movement has encroached on a railroad embankment owned by Marquette Rail – Genesee & Wyoming.

CRAPPY CARP: LAKE BATTLE OF BACK The proposed open-pit mine is approximately 100 feet from MI CARP eDNA TEST FORTY MINE the Menominee, where RESULTS The fight to stop the draining of toxic sulfide Aquila/Back Forty mine on the In July, the MDNR issued a threatens the river, wild rice, Menominee River continues. statement detailing the results and lake sturgeon that are The MDNR issued permits for of environmental DNA (eDNA) culturally important to the the mine that are now being testing for invasive carp species tribe. Just recently, lake legally challenged. The GLC has in tributaries of Lake Michigan. sturgeon habitat restoration expressed strong opposition to and the first sturgeon ladder the mine to the MDEQ and has The eDNA surveillance program was competed on the river provided grants to support is a collaborative effort from 6 million in federal efforts to stop the mine. between the Great lakes states funding from the Great Lakes and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Restoration Initiative and other Freshwater Futures covered a Service. High-priority locations, supporters. Funding recent update, summarized such as tributaries with restoration projects while also here. Douglas Cox, the Tribal important fisheries, are allowing new harmful activities Chair for the Menominee sampled to test for the to occur in the region “does Indian Nation requested that presence of invasive Bighead not make good fiscal sense.” Michigan Governor Whitmer carp and Silver carp. Well put, Freshwater Future! review if the permits were For the full article, go here: issued improperly. Permits The first round of testing found https://freshwaterfuture.org/un were granted although state that none of the 336 water categorized/freshwater- and federal regulators voiced samples collected from the weekly-september-26-2019/ Kalamazoo River, Spring Lake, concerns with the project. and Lake Macatawa tested positive for genetic material or Silver carp eDNA of either carp species. jumping in More results from additional the Fox monitoring efforts will be available later this summer. River, Illinois. Picture The state of Michigan taken by continues to support the implementation of the U.S. Ryan Army Corps of Engineers’ plan Hagerty to reconstruct the Brandon Road lock and dam near Joliet, Illinois. These technologies will Image is entitled lessen the possibility of invasive No Back 40 Mine carp entering Lake Michigan from the Mississippi River. Water Is Life, by Dylan Miner. This information can be found in further detail here: https://www.asiancarp.us/News/ michigan-early-detection- 2019.html.

TWO GLC MEMBERS GRANTS (cont.) The MEC is a charitable Her research includes organization that was RECEIVE FFI GRANTS interactions between young established in 1980. Their goal Each year, FFI national awards Arctic grayling, brook trout, and is to promote public policies to scholarships to outstanding brown trout. Nicole's research is ensure that Michiganders will students pursuing degrees in part of a larger effort by the enjoy clear water, clean fisheries or closely related Michigan Department of beaches, beautiful landscapes fields. In 2019, two outstanding Natural Resources and many and healthy communities now young scientists from the Great partner groups, including FFI, and in the future. Lakes Council received the to reintroduce the Arctic scholarships. Their goal is to Grayling to Michigan This membership strengthens improve the future of fisheries streams where it was once our voice in Lansing, MI and conservation! native. enables us to have a broader reach on the issues important GLC JOINS MICHIGAN Emily Dean is a fourth-year to Michigan Fly Fishers. Ph.D. student in ENVIRONMENTAL the Department of Fisheries Thank you for reading the and Wildlife at Michigan State COUNCIL latest news in Midwest University. The scholarship The council has become a conservation. If you have any member of the Michigan assisted in funding a project questions, comments, or Environmental Council (MEC). focused on the conservation of conerns, please contact Dave We are now part of a coalition migratory fish species in the Peterson, chair of the of 70 like-minded conservation Great Lakes region. This project Conservation Committee at and environmental groups is part of a broader effort to [email protected]. evaluate ecological and across the state. economic trade-offs of dam removals from Great Lakes Emily Dean tributaries, including how those (left) with removals might affect production potential of key her salmon fisheries. In addition to her in the Pere academic responsibilities, Marquette Emily is a member of her local FFI club and serves on the River, Board of Directors of the Great Michigan Lakes Council of FFI where she is both newsletter editor and a member of the Conservation Committee. Nicole

Watson Nicole Watson is also a Ph.D. student at MSU in the (right) and Department of Fisheries and her Arctic Wildlife. Nicole’s research aims to clarify the uncertainties grayling to successful Grayling caught in reintroduction in Michigan. Alaska. Each spring, she travels to Alaska to transport Grayling eggs back to her lab at MSU.

THANK YOU FOR VIEWING The Great Lakes Council of Fly Fishers International appreciates your membership.

For our next Flyline, we encourage members to submit photos, stories, tips, or anything they would like to see in the newsletter. With your input, we can create a newsletter that meets our member's needs. Please email Emily Dean at [email protected] for submissions.

Thank you for viewing the Fall 2019 Flyline. See you next time. Tight lines!

Your editor, Emily Dean

Pictured above is GLCFFI CREDITS board member Nicole Creation and editing of newsletter...... Emily Dean Watson with her brookie caught on the fly in Editor's Note...... Emily Dean Michigan. President's Corner...... Dennis O'Brien We encourage photos from our members. By Member's Corner...... Emily Dean sharing photos through Great Lakes Fly Fishing Show...... Gary Lindquist social media, we can increase awareness of the Conservation Report...... Dave Peterson sport of fly-fishing!