Monday Morning Coffee

Ahhhhh.....good morning....yawn, stretch, scratch, repeat...coffee, definitely needs must coffee.  Wait-  mmmm... that's better.  You can smell it can't you?  It's french press- my morning tradition.  MMMaaannnn is that good.  I have an extra cup here- want some?  Ok.  There you go.  Let's talk.
Well, that was an exciting weekend- I survived the big catch and release post and I'm pleasantly surprised at the positive response.  I found out that it had been posted on the Michigan Sportsman forum with some interesting member comments here.
I think I could sum up that whole post by saying that while there is a lot of low moral ground on that issue, there is no high moral ground- we all catch and release whether we like it or not because the law says so, and we all kill fish whether we like it or not because of the inherent mortality.  When you remove the notion of taking the high ground from the mix, we're then left with being able to make a rational decision on whether to keep or release fish depending on the situation, the species, and the fishery, rather than being wedded to a specific philosophy.  What? You haven't finished that cup of coffee and I'm giving you a headache? Sorry.  Let me top that off.  Better?
Moving on.  I was very pleasantly surprised to go catch up on my Troutrageous! reading only to find I was the recipient of some blog love- that explains the huge spike in views on Wednesday.  And I thought it was my pretty face.  Thanks Mike- I'll take all the love I can get on this end, I just hope to be able to give back some day, somehow.
The drawing was a big success (for the winner) and I realized too late that I should have advertised that we would be posting to Facebook live as it progressed.  My thanks to those who just happened to be tuned in at the right time- you all helped make it fun.  Some guy named Shane won it, but I can't contact him through his comment- there has to be a better way to handle entries- any suggestions?  My thanks as well to Keith, Amy, Lorin, and Jayme for being such good sports and letting me take over their house for an evening.  Keith and I are plotting kayaking trips and trips to Colorado.

my best kayaking friend Keith

It looks like I have posts happening daily this week, with a possible response to the Unaccomplished Angler's post on stupid fly fishing cars and how mine might qualify, and a surprise announcement later in the week, but....

I just want to address one issue- this is not a "selling" blog, but, if you check my mission statement, I have said that I will be doing product reviews and covering the people and businesses I believe in.  (I think I said that... I meant that)  Our outdoor experiences enrich our lives, and I want to highlight here those things that enrich my outdoor experience.  So this week I'll be highlighting two people and businesses you should know about.  I'm doing a feature Wednesday on a good friend who has a great product for fly tyers and I'm coupling it with a give-away contest.  Whoever wins this one will definitely agree that it's the single best thing they've ever added to their bench besides their vise itself. I'll also be featuring my favorite fly shop this week, so look for it.  I have not been solicited by either one for coverage-  these are things that I believe in and love.  I will be adding links to my site and it will be a list that will be increasingly hard to get on.  I will probably add a page to give props to other blogs and businesses that I like or have been helpful, but I want to stay true to that original vision for this blog.

Bloggers take note- I'm adding a book to my Fontinalis Reader page that is for you, and may seem a little strange.  It's called "For Entrepreneurs Only" by Wilson Harrell.  What does this have to do with you?  In my view, if you are a blogger, you are an entrepreneur period, whether you benefit fiscally from your blog or not.  I don't know about you, but I experience an overwhelming wave of stark raving terror (his words, my feelings) every time I hit the "Publish" button.  Mr. Harrell addresses that issue, how to deal with it, and how not to drive your family and friends crazy with it in the opening chapters.  The rest of the book may or may not apply to you, but give it a read.  I'm also giving a shout out to Mr. Steven Rinella as the best outdoor author to come along in a decade- I love everything he writes.  I still have yet to see his show.  It's called.... something.... on that...channel.  I better do some homework.

All right- coffee is done.  Let's get after it.....

We Have a Winner!!!

FR reporter J

Blogging is a huge responsibility- the sleepless nights, the bloody finger tips- it's a labor of love.  I was forced to add another staff member- Jayme, to be the official reporter and paparazza.  She's already leveraging her position at FR for more money before the next contest.  We're in negotiations.  I've instructed HR that I'll negotiate this personally.

unprepared



I wasn't nearly as prepared as I wanted- the flies weren't done, and Lorin went to the store and was late coming back, but somehow it all came together.  If I were smart I would have advertised that we were doing this live on Facebook- it has so much potential.  Anyhow, this was a blast to do and I want to thank Jayme and Lorin for their help, and I would like to thank the Academy....

Lo with the setup

All right, without further ado- the winner is Shane! Commenter number 11, as determined by Keith's bingo ball cage wheel thingy (who keeps that kind of thing in their house, anyways?) as operated by our very own Lorin the Drawing Girl.  Shane- congratulations, and please contact me at fontinalisrising@gmail.com to claim your prize.

We have a winner!

Don't forget- this weeks Wednesday give-away is a must have for my fly tying friends- don't miss out!

Thanks to all who entered and to the rest of you not named Shane- sorry you lost!!

the Grand prize!

On Letting Go

I've felt increasingly torn between two diametrically opposed groups.  Both are equally vociferous; both equally convinced of the righteousness of their stance.  Both are equally wrong.
In the left corner are the catch-and-release anglers, for whom the fish are sacred, and angling an act of pure connection, followed by redemptive release of the fish.  In the right hand corner are those who keep everything, those who chide me for releasing a single fish. For them, fish are only food, to be consumed, the notion of fishing as sport is treated as immoral.

Is there no nuanced approach to this subject?  Let me offer one.

First, I should state that my fishing heritage is firmly rooted in the right hand catch-and-eat corner.  I was going to start this column with my favorite steelhead recipe, but that's not the kind of statement I'm trying to make.  My grandfather taught me that fishing for sport- playing with creatures for my own entertainment, impaling them on a hook simply for my enjoyment, was morally wrong, that we had an obligation within the framework of the law, to eat what we caught.  This was written in stone, and still seems to inform the ethics of the catch and eat camp.  I also believe that this ethic was borne of a deeper memory- that of the Great Depression.  While it gave rise to a practicality and ingenuity that I admire, it also instilled a deep, almost morbid ethic towards food- you should never waste it, and if you don't want it you'd better share it with someone else.  Fish are definitely food, to them. I still get reprimanded by some for releasing pike when I'm fishing for walleye.  Their view- you caught it, you keep it.  My view- why would I keep a bony slimy pike when I'm after the tastiest fish that swims trout country?  Is this really necessary?
Here's a question to the catch-and-eat crowd- if it really is about food, why fish?  Why not net them (other than the legal implications)?  Why spend the money on boats and gear?  Why not just buy fish at the supermarket- it's easier and much cheaper.  The fact is you're out there for the same reason I am- you enjoy being outdoors, you're out for the recreation, you enjoy the catching.  There is an excitement in that moment, a thrill that is hard to describe when the fish strikes, the ensuing battle, the bated-breath mystery solved in the moment that you slide the fish in close, and for me, that moment that you bring the fish to hand.  You hold something wild, the unknowable and ephemeral suddenly tangible.  I feel in that moment a connection to the land and water beyond metric.  I feel it, you feel it.  You don't get that from cradling a fish stick.  And it is not just the fight- doing the same thing in your bath tub would be a dull chore.  Who really cares about fishing a stocked pond for that matter?  Once you're past that infantile stage, there's no mystique- it's like playing a video game rigged in your favor- what's the point?
For those who remember the days of smelt dipping in the Great Lakes- I challenge you to tell me that wasn't just a trip to Walmart, a gluttonous rampage.  Those days are largely over, and we are to blame- every single smelt dipper has a story of trunk-loads of smelt, and I’ve heard more than one story of them fertilizing the garden.

My view of catch and keep began to change several years back, after finding multiple frost-crazed packages of fish in my freezer that had to be thrown away.  Had I shown more respect for the fish or less, by keeping them and then having let these fillets go to waste?  If I had released them they would have gone on with their lives, spawned, or at least fed an otter or mink, instead of rotting in the landfill.  My view also changed as my seasons became seamless, each fishing season and activity flowing and meshing together- I no longer felt the need to freeze fish when all I had to do was walk out the door and pursue whatever was available at the present, and heaven knows fresh fish always taste better than frozen. Keeping fish is certainly not necessary from an economic standpoint, not in the Western world.  Hot dogs are pretty cheap, and fishing is a relatively expensive activity, at least when compared to the price of food.  If you need food that bad you're better off working, not fishing.  Work at least has a guaranteed result.  But as recreation, as a holistic experience, I challenge any one of you to dispute the fact that a meal of one or two trout after a pleasant spring outing, broiled with olive oil, garlic, dill and lemon and served over a bed of spring greens, preferably with morels, doesn't enhance your enjoyment of that experience.  So does the knowledge that you did it in moderation- you weren't out to vacuum the river dry.

the tangible

My altered view of fishing is this- fishing and hunting are recreation, not sports.  I find the notion of fishing or hunting as "sport" reprehensible and outdated, rooted in Victorian values that should have been expurgated from modern consciousness with the start of scientific knowledge.  Thinking that a brown trout is a wily cunning adversary is to anthropomorphize them in the worst way possible- you're channeling Teddy Roosevelt. Brown trout are hungry, wary, a lot of other things; they definitely are not equals pitted against you in a game of skill. A deer is not a match for a man with a gun.  For them it is not a game- it is life and survival, something they are good at, and something they occasionally lose at- once.  It's not sport.
Viewing fishing (and hunting) as recreation alters my view in important ways- it removes my focus from the quarry to the larger picture- my full enjoyment of the outdoors, the other creatures, the complete ecosystem.  I slow down, smell the flowers, take breaks, take naps.  It's not a death quest to catch food and I enjoy what I do keep all the more as a seasonal delicacy instead of as a crop to be harvested and optimized.  I always get a guaranteed result from each outing- an enjoyable time outdoors, rather than disappointment at not catching or bringing home fish.

the intangible

I don't believe that fish are sacred; I do believe that fish are good food.  I also release most of the fish that I catch.  Catch and release is fine, when kept in balance.  Don't give me that conservation mumbo-jumbo- if you're interested in conservation, don't go fishing. It's well established that ALL fishing results in mortality.  If you're fishing, you're killing fish, plain and simple.  The percentages change by season and species, but some of those fish die.  Buy your license so that the dollars go to conservation, then go to the movies and support Hollywood.  Don't insult the rest of the sapient world claiming that you're promoting conservation by a firm catch and release policy- the difference in mortality is only a question of volume.
My catch and release policy is situational and seasonal.  First of all, I don't enjoy freezing fish, I don't trust myself to keep track of them.  Secondly to you who may think I can just bring my fish home and give them to you- go get a license, spend some time outdoors.  It will be good for you.  I found the time, so can you.  Shut the TV off, take the family with you- it will be a win-win-win situation.
There are situations in which I feel it's wrong to keep fish.  One of the fish I do love to eat are walleye, but not fish over about 22 inches.  Those big hens produce a lot of eggs and taste like wood.  Go on, catch a leg-sized walleye and eat it along with a 16 incher- you'll only do it once.  I'll put those fish back every time.  The same with large brown trout.  I've eaten my share of browns over the years and guess what- the further over 12 inches they get, the worse they taste.  I don't like them over 10.  Here's a little secret- those really big fish, the ones over say, 20 inches- they are the ones repopulating your favorite trout stream, PUT THEM BACK.  Digital cameras were invented for those fish.  Many of Michigan's blue ribbon streams don't get stocked, they are self sustaining populations, you don't have to bring them home.  If you remove those salmon sized fish from the stream you're going to see those populations drop precipitously.  Don't blame the DNR for your rapacity.  It's those fish- those big ones over 20 inches that put thousands, not hundreds, of eggs into the gravel each year.  More than that, they are big enough to establish and defend territories on gravel, successfully spawn, and fend off predators.  Don't keep them. If I want to eat trout, I go to some small stream such as are scattered all over the place and catch some brook trout.  They are common, and taste far better than browns.

yep, this one went back in. Andy Schmidt photo

If you are a guide you have an obligation to practice catch and release- our rivers in Northern Michigan simply will not support that kind of pressure.  Couple your knowledge with new customers in your boat each day and the math goes south quickly- you'd vacuum the rivers dry in no time.  You guides know this, I'm writing this for the general public.  I would hope that clients have done the math and realize that you can't measure the experience in fillets- your spouses would go through the roof at the cost.  That’s what you're getting- an experience, not Long John Silvers.
Don't even get me started on steelhead.  Many steelheaders act as if steelhead are the sacrosanct grail of the fishing world.  Steelhead are heavily stocked here in the Great Lakes.  They are delicious.  A lot of steelhead streams are put-take operations.  Knock yourself out.  In the more marginal streams it's delusional for you to believe that releasing those fish makes a difference.  Other streams are sustained by natural reproduction and could use some moderation on the part of anglers.  Do your homework; make an informed decision.  I am of course referring to the Great Lakes fishery, and not the beleaguered steelhead streams of the Pacific Northwest- you poor guys out there will have to figure out on your own what you're going to do.
In the end, whether it's walleye, perch, trout, salmon or steelhead, personally I feel that moderation is the key.  I'm not out to stock the freezer or feed all my friends.  I realize that fish are a sustainable resource.  I'm not about to criticize other anglers for their legal take of fish, I expect not to receive grief for releasing them. I do keep and eat my share of fish, but never more than what I can eat fresh or, in the case of perch and walleye, what I can eat in a short period of time.

 Fishing allows us to interact with the natural world in a profound manner.  You witness the food web first-hand, you participate, you reap the benefits whether you catch fish or not.  When you reach that stage, when it's not just about killing, when you appreciate that you, the Modern Man, have a place in the natural world, then you truly appreciate what it means to fish, what it means to cradle finned perfection; then you truly appreciate it when you enjoy the icing on the experience- a fresh fish dinner.  Finally you can also experience the pleasure of making a rational decision- to send that big hen steelhead back on her journey to the gravel, to snap a couple of pictures and let those big browns swim, to keep only a couple of fish for your dinner even on an epic day instead of ruthlessly taking your limit.  Of being able to thoroughly enjoy a fish-less day.  To finally be able to let go.



I'm standing on some pretty tall shoulders with this post- a lot has been written on this subject over the years.  I highly recommend the book "The Founding Fish"“ by John McPhee, his chapter on catch-and-release on page 309.  It is not just some profound writing on the subject, but also a compendium of quotes and references that cover the gamut of modern fishing history and opinion- from Thoreau to McGuane, from the guys who have clickers attached to their vests on down to PETA.  While my conclusions are different from his, it will make you think in new ways on the subject.  I had planned to quote extensively from his book, but this post is already too long.  While the opinions expressed above are my own, formulated long before I read this book, reading it helped me better inform and elocute this column and I owe Mr. McPhee a debt of gratitude.  Oh, and I owe a title credit to Circa Survive, whom I rocked out to while I wrote this; I hope I can repay them with a fishing trip.

Give-Away Wednesday is Heeerrre!!!

That's right- give-away, as in I have something up for grabs, and you enter the contest to win.

Steelhead season is upon us, and so I thought it fitting that I start this off right, with two dozen of my favorite steelhead eggs, patterns that I tie myself.  They will be: Creamsicle, Chartreuse/Orange, Peach/Estaz and Clown.  One dozen size 8 and one dozen size 10.  All are tied on 2x strong Mustad steelhead hooks.  I am not an expert tyer, BUT, I do catch fish on these on a regular basis.  I mean really, if I can't tie an egg by now, I might as well sell my vise and start collecting stamps.  This is an assortment that should allow you to cover the typical range of conditions and moods of the fish.  Who knows, I may throw in a couple bead head eggs.

would this face rig a drawing?

Entry Rules:  leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I'll do a drawing on Sunday March 6.  Since I don't have a random number generator, I've decided to add the first staff member to Fontinalis Rising- Lorin the Drawing Girl.  You have to do these things on this kind of budget.  So, may the best reader win.  Oh, and since this is the first FR contest, they come with a certificate of authentication in case they become collectors items, or you want to frame them. ; )  And remember- keep the clown eggs in the fridge- you don't want them things to hatch.  Contest ends at 7 PM on Sunday March 6 with results posted around 8 PM- this is a blog, not a Swiss train.

 Attention Tyers- next weeks give-away is huge- possibly the most useful tying accessory that you don't have, and will never want to be without once you do- story and contest, including Facebook entry option, will be on Wednesday March 9, so don't miss it!

you bet I tied that one!

The Anglers Year- March

It's happened.  It's here, and you didn't listen and now you're going to be sorry.  March snuck up on you.  What? You think that snow and cold out there means anything?  Do you really think you have time to fart around anymore?  March is here, and it means business.  That's right, If you were napping in February, March was there filling your hand full of shaving cream, and it has a feather.

Maybe it's just me.  Maybe I'm the only one who notices that the days are longer, the sun a little warmer.  Wait, no, it's not just me, it's also the steelhead.  Oh yeah, and the Black Winter Stones, those things that look like pepper on the snow banks.  So excuse my chiding tone- you deserve it if you let March sneak up and gank you- totally your fault, I tried to warn you.

The problem with March is that- at least here in Trout Country, it tends to look and act a lot like winter at first.  The snow is still deep and statistically speaking it is the second snowiest month in Northern Michigan after December.  That all changes- rapidly.  The steelhead, knowing their time is close, move instream from the lakes and start to relate to gravel spawning areas, and some will actually begin to spawn.  Yes April is the main month for that, but if you're not fishing March you are missing some of the best steelhead fishing of the year.  Warm sunlit afternoons in early March always seem to trigger a feed, and the inevitable run-off towards the end of March gets fish up and moving; active fish means more hook-ups.  Yes I've had some dud times,  you will have to work a little for those fish, but for me it tends to be a very consistent month.  And why do I like March steelheading so much?  That's right, because most of you aren't out there.  I can go fish popular  rivers and accesses, fish some nice water, catch gorgeous eager fish, and still not bump into more than a couple of guys.


I'm out in March every day that I'm not working or up to my neck in other stuff, like making maple syrup.  MMMM....Maple.  You want some don't you.
There are other seasons in March.  If the Bay froze solid enough, the whitefish bite picks up.  One of the greatest joys I know is the aforementioned maple syrup season, a ten-year ritual that is coming to a close now that Terrance is selling his equipment.

Terrance hacked this together with his own three hands

I'll miss that, and the five gallons of syrup that was my take most years- it was essential to my smoked fish recipes; now what will I do? The perch fishing through the ice picks up dramatically in March and should be sampled at least once.  In Michigan, the bunny season is still open, but I have a hard time thinking about hunting this time of year, any thoughts of gun or bow having been crowded out by one chrome, pink cheeked lovely goddess- madame steel.  I love you.  There, that felt good to say.

So my advice to you is- get your crap together and get on it.  Those fish are there, and you just need to do the leg work.  It's time, the fishing season is going to be crazy from now until December.  I hope you made the most of your brief down time through winter.  If you didn't, you'll never catch up now.  And if you're not a steelheader- you have my pity.

Speaking of steelhead- look for tomorrow's post- I'm giving away 2 dozen hand tied (by me) steelhead egg patterns, details in the post.  See you then.

Ed with a gorgeous March hen

This Week in FR....

Just a quick post to prep you for the week.  Tomorrow I'll continue my Anglers Year series, then Wednesday will be a new feature I hope becomes regular- Give-Away Wednesday!!, so stay tuned for that, then Friday is the next big article on catch and release, my take, kind of scary- you'll have to be the judge.  I'm trying mix fun and interactive posts with the "hard" writing.  It should be a fun week, this weeks give away is for all you steelheaders and spring trout fishermen out there, so be sure to check back Wednesday and sign up.

Here's a pic from my place on the weekend.

And yes, I made it out after steelhead once this week, the first time in TWO MONTHS.  Definitely not on track for that 100 day mark I mentioned earlier.  I managed to roll two fish first thing, but no love.  Great to be back on the water on a sunny afternoon.  Here's my knuckle buster- note the hard steel where a handle should be. (Note to Ross- I love your reels, but can't believe you couldn't send a handle instead of me having to mail my reel to you in the middle of salmon/streamer/fall steelhead season... tsk tsk.)

Finally, for you internet purists out there, please note that I pulled the ads- they weren't doing anything for me anyhow.  Hope it cleans up the look and enhances the experience for you.

FR

Good Takes- Trout Unlimited Miller VanWinkle chapter president Brian Kozminski

TU chapter prez, and the sharpest canoe in Northern Michigan, does life get any more charmed?

In this, my first interview, I got the chance to sit down with Brian Kozminski, the Trout Unlimited Miller VanWinkle chapter president.  We had breakfast at a fairly new establishment, the Twisted Olive, which has a stunning view of Little Traverse Bay.  Brian has lived in Petoskey for 5 years and has been the chapter president for 4 years.  Known locally as Koz, he was good enough to answer my questions.

FR:  The economy is bad- how do you get people to care about Trout? And TU in a recession?

Koz: I think especially in this area (Petoskey) there is a lot of philanthropy, a lot of people doing good things.  Organizations like the Tip of the Mitt Watershed council.  What makes it difficult is that the regular guys- they’re either unemployed, or working 2,3 jobs to get by- it’s hard to get them involved.  A lot of people see TU as a good old boys club and we need to change that.  But to get younger people involved- that’s the challenge.  I’m trying to balance between the free events, and the gentlemen who donate to our cause.

FR:  We can all go read TU’s mission statement on the website- what do you see as TU’s role in fishing and conservation in Northern Michigan?

Koz:  My biggest goal is getting the kids involved, it’s all about the next generation.  The days we grew up in, of growing up outside are over, it’s all about Wii, Nintendo, PS2 for kids now.  We’re stewards for that next generation, but I’m afraid we’ll find ourselves asking, “Why didn’t we do this, why didn’t I mentor a child?” If all we are is a bunch of guys sitting around telling stories and tying flies- I mean, that's what the FFF is for.  We have to get them outside and involved.  Between the lines, you have to realize the TU is about the fish for the sake of the fish, about healthy watersheds.

FR: It seems like everyone in Michigan loves to bash the DNR- how would you grade them?

Koz:  What a tough job.  I volunteer for various programs with the DNR and I see the dilemma they face- too many conflicting parties to please, person A wants them to stock more, person B wants habitat improvement and so on.  Then they face budget cuts- they don’t even know if they’ll have jobs next year.  Last year they were merged with the DEQ, which led to shake-ups, this year they are split again.  We’re trying to push for more gear restrictions on local streams, but the push-back is amazing.  I’d give them a B+.

FR:  Dries, wets, or streamers?

Koz:  Big streamers, definitely, but I’ve been learning some other things, tying some steelhead flies.  I’m working on nymphing, but in the end- it’s all about that topwater bite isn’t it?  I mean, to fool a big Brown on a bit of fur and feather you tied yourself- that’s where it’s at, that’s what keeps you coming back.

FR:  What conservation issues in N. MI keep you awake at night?

Koz:  Banquets and dollars! (laughing) but it’s true, trying to walk the balance and get people involved.  I drive around here all the time and I’ll see a stack of Christmas trees at the recycling center, or a stack of pallets at the News Review and think “We could be using those for bank revetments, for improvement projects”.  I also hope we don’t look back at things we’ve done 20 years from now and ask “What were we thinking, I mean, sand traps- they need to be 500 yards long and straight in order to work- what river do you know is straight?  At one point the thinking was “Stock everything” but as that book (An Entirely Synthetic Fish) points out, VHS (viral hemorrhagic septicemia) changed that- we had to stop, stop stocking.

FR:  As president of the local chapter, what do you hope to accomplish?

Koz: More awareness, more youth involvement.  We’ve grown 14% in the last 3 years, our chapter is 3^rd in the state for growth, which is excellent in this economy.  TU is experiencing a certain level of attrition.  I’m trying to get people involved who wouldn’t normally, not on their own.

FR:  Does MVWcTU have any stream improvements or other projects in the pipeline it would like to flog here?

We’re mapping the Maple River Watershed for the DNR- substrates, width, depth, all of it.

FR:  Do you think there needs to be some stocking done?

Koz: No; habitat improvement, definitely.

FR:  What accomplishments are you proudest of?

Koz:  the membership improvement, certainly, but especially the Salmon in the Classroom program- going to talk to the kids.  Did you know the principal told me that when the kids come into class, that’s the first thing they do, they go check on those fish?   And that’s what it’s about- lighting them up, getting them involved.  Take a kid fishing!

FR:  Without giving away the farm, What fishing opportunities locally or in the state do you find to be the most exciting?

Koz: The Upper Manistee is great, but the Au Sable is where it’s at.  There again, it’s a catch-and-release fishery, they’re managed for the fish.  Why do people want to go there? Because they know they have a chance at a big fish, or several.  You can go to those streams, and almost forget you’re in Michigan, you’d think you’re out West somewhere- that’s what makes it so special.

FR:  What opportunities locally or in the state would you like to see expanded?

Koz: More people need to get outdoors, take a float down the Jordan or Sturgeon.  I’m not talking about fishing, just getting out there, see it, connect to a watershed as a whole.  That’s what will make people care enough to protect them.

FR:  If you could change one thing in N. MI what would it be?

Koz: There needs to be more interaction between groups, they need to work collectively towards a similar goal, keep communications open.  We’re working with CRA and Little Traverse Conservancy, and the LTTB on watersheds in our area, which is a good start.

FR:  What would you like to preserve forever?

Koz:  The Great Lakes- it’s our calling card, it’s what we are.  It’s the worlds largest freshwater resource, and it needs to be protected.  Which leads me to your next question about asian carp…

FR:  There’s been a lot of hype over the threat of Asian Carp- any comments?

Koz:  The Great Lakes just aren’t being protected.  Here’s the funny thing- Salmon were brought here to control the alewifes, which came in ships ballast.  Now the alewifes are gone, the salmon are starving, but the steelhead and lakers are thriving on the gobies and ruffe.  We’re hoping that the zebra and quagga mussels are filtering the lakes too much for the carp (asian) to take hold, but if they get into the river systems- the Kalamazoo, the St. Joe and so on, we’ll never get them out and it will be a disaster.  I mean, look what’s happened to Illinois.

FR:  Would TU- or you, like to see more stocking, or less?  More salmon, or more steelhead?

Koz:  Well, certain rivers need stocking- the Pere Marquette comes to mind, or the Manistee below Tippy.  They support good natural reproduction, but also see a lot of pressure.  Those fish are starting to come back, but it’s all cyclical.  So yeah, stocking is necessary in some places.

FR:  Fly fishing has gone from idle backwater to big business- any words of wisdom or requests for the industry?

Koz:  Don’t lose the local fly shops- the Big Box stores and Internet can’t tell you what’s hatching, can’t tell you why THAT 5 weight is the one you need.  This is the era of Walmart and Kmart, they’re not going away, but we need to support local business, and so does the industry.

FR:  Open mic- any questions or issues I’m not covering that you would like to address?

Koz:  Think back to when we were kids- I’d see these huge schools of minnows in the great lakes.  Where are they?  You just don’t see that anymore, it’s like the whole middle of the food chain is empty.  Is it possible for us to practice some minnow management?  Could we stock insects or macro-invertebrates?  I don’t know.  I mentioned this to someone and his response was that it would be way too expensive, but I can tell you, it’s not cheap to bring a Lake trout to stocking size.  Again it gets back to, how much can we control in this big aquarium, the Great Lakes?

"Our knowledge of trout is like man's tenancy on this planet: precarious and tentative."

 -R. Traver