FRED W

AARA C

HAPTER

P.O

. Box 1

23

Marquette, M

I 49855

Spring 2012

Spring 2012

Spring 2012

Spring 2012

Chapter M

otto

: “Get H

ooked! G

o Fish

ing!”

Chapter M

otto

: “Get H

ooked! G

o Fish

ing!”

Chapter M

otto

: “Get H

ooked! G

o Fish

ing!”

Chapter M

otto

: “Get H

ooked! G

o Fish

ing!”

isesisesisesises Spr ing 2012Spr ing 2012Spr ing 2012Spr ing 2012

RRRR RRRR

iffles toiffles toiffles toiffles to Fred Waara Chapter

isesisesisesises

CALENDARCALENDARCALENDARCALENDAR

March 29 Ducks Unlimited BanquetMarch 29 Ducks Unlimited BanquetMarch 29 Ducks Unlimited BanquetMarch 29 Ducks Unlimited Banquet

March 30March 30March 30March 30----31 Celebration of the UP31 Celebration of the UP31 Celebration of the UP31 Celebration of the UP

April 4 FWCTU Social MeetingApril 4 FWCTU Social MeetingApril 4 FWCTU Social MeetingApril 4 FWCTU Social Meeting

April 8 EasterApril 8 EasterApril 8 EasterApril 8 Easter

April 21 ANNUAL BANQUETApril 21 ANNUAL BANQUETApril 21 ANNUAL BANQUETApril 21 ANNUAL BANQUET

May 2 FWCTU Business MeetingMay 2 FWCTU Business MeetingMay 2 FWCTU Business MeetingMay 2 FWCTU Business Meeting

May 12 SWP Boat Swap & SaleMay 12 SWP Boat Swap & SaleMay 12 SWP Boat Swap & SaleMay 12 SWP Boat Swap & Sale

May 13 Mother’s DayMay 13 Mother’s DayMay 13 Mother’s DayMay 13 Mother’s Day

June 6 FWCTU Social MeetingJune 6 FWCTU Social MeetingJune 6 FWCTU Social MeetingJune 6 FWCTU Social Meeting

Riffles to Rises Spring 2012

PRESIDENT’S PRESIDENT’S PRESIDENT’S PRESIDENT’S PRESIDENT’S PRESIDENT’S PRESIDENT’S PRESIDENT’S

MESSAGEMESSAGEMESSAGEMESSAGEMESSAGEMESSAGEMESSAGEMESSAGE

In my mind, a warm and relatively dry winter is something of a mixed

creel. On the one hand, and unless March’s lamb turns into a lion, Opening Day of

trout season promises to be one of lower-than-traditional waters and the annual

runs of chrome and steel will probably be fast and furious. And, of course, few of

us have missed the days of shoveling snow instead of casting tight lines. On the

other hand, however, the lack of snowpack is a harbinger of tinder-dry forests,

higher water temperatures, and a good deal of stress for our piscatorial friends. For

my part, I’m seeding my wiser clouds with hopes for a cool and wet spring so that

the season lasts longer and the trout have an easier time of it overall.

It’s not as if those who attend the bi-monthly board meetings for the Fred Waara

Chapter of Trout Unlimited (the first Wednesday of each odd-numbered month at

6:30 pm in the Landmark Inn) will be able to slack-off, no matter what the weather

decides to do. Rain or shine, we’ll be working with you to advance the conserva-

tion of cold-water fisheries in our area. And it’s is going to be a busy time between

now and the end of summer!

On April 4th at the Landmark Inn, veteran trout-terrorist John Peterson

will entertain us during our second “Fishing After Hours” meet-n-greet. He’ll be

regaling the crowd with tales of lunker fish, the types of streamers that bring them

to the line, and how to get those brutes to join us for a dance of two. We will pro-

vide attendees light snacks during the social hour starting at 5:30 p.m., with the

presentation to follow about an hour later. If you were at our first social event,

you’ll recall that it was “Standing Room Only” so I advise you to come early

enough in order to share a beverage and story or two with others in attendance.

Of course, our Annual Banquet is also in April. This year, it will be held in the

NMU Great Lakes Rooms the evening of Saturday, April 25th. I’m sure you know

(i.e., remember that packet of raffle tickets we sent you?) that this is the only fund-

raising event the Fred Waara chapter hosts each year and the extent to which we

can meet our conservation objectives to enhance fishing opportunities is directly

related to the generosity of our sponsors and those who attend the event. All pro-

ceeds go toward to educating youngsters, improving stream habitat for cold-water

fisheries, or enriching the lives of others through teaching the art of fly fishing.

Also, this time around, our buffet dinner will feature steelhead and the cash bar

will be available as it always is. We’ll offer our usual attractions such as numerous

door prizes and bucket drawings; the silent auction features a number of great pre-

miums such as a number of guided trips and stays at angling lodges, several rod

and reel packages, certificates for taxidermy services and a built-to-specifications

fishing rod, and even a VIO-Sports head-cam to digitize the thrill you’ll have when

you finally count coup on the fish of your dreams! Breaking with tradition a bit,

the live auction will involve board members vying for bragging rights as to who

Riffles to Rises Spring 2012

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President – Jim Cantrill 906-249-9518 jcantril@nmu.edu

VP - Jerry Maynard 906-249-3598 jerome.maynard@gmail.com

Secretary – Doug Miller 906-345-9372 swampycamp@aol.com

Treasurer – Tim Robenalt 906-249-4557 trobenalt@aol.com

Board Members:

Herb Grenke 906-249-9180 hgrenke@nmu.edu

John Klasner 906-249-1348 jklasner@charter.net

Jim Conklin 906-475-6413 jwconklinjr@aol.com

John Peterson 906-485-5567 jandm49@hotmail.com

Mike Anderson 906-486-4042 cedarsavage_2000@yahoo.com

Charlie McCarthy 906-475-7441 jcmccarthy@sbcglobal.net

Theo McCracken 906-226-2112 drawer53@yahoo.com

Bob Jensen 906-228-3052 pbjup@hotmail.com

Renee Leow 906-226-3618 rleow@sbcglobal.net

Dan Turner 906-425-7798 floydboy@chartermi.net

Past President – Ken Snyder 906-249-9061 m28snyders@yahoo.com

Newsletter Editor—Peggy Jensen 906-228-3052 pbjup@hotmail.com

“All men who fish can in turn be divided into two parts: those who fish trout and

those who don’t. Trout fishermen are a race apart; they are a dedicated crew ~

indolent, improvident, and quietly mad….To him his fishing is an island of reality

in a world of dream and shadow.” John Voelker

David Allen Jon Anderson Joe Arcaro

Adela Backiel Theodore Balzarini Emily Belinski

Sam Benedict Randy Bertram Caroline Blair

Jerry Cory Boyd Cummings William Degarmo

Mark Falkenberg Randy Folker Albert Gauthier

Mitchell Gilbert John Gilner Richard Hill

Jared Kangas Jonas Kinsaul Tom Knicker

John Levra Edwin Lundin Pete Nault

Isaac Olson James Parkkonen Casey Piton

Scott Piton Louis Povich Al Roe

Max Runkle Bob & Karen Schmitt Charles Stewart

P. Stoll Switchback Outfitters Ronald Tervo

Thomas Topper Al Wernholm Anthony Zygiel

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!

Riffles to Rises Spring 2012

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Last fall, over 2,000 Brown Trout were released into the Main

Branch of the Escanaba River south of Gwinn by the Fred Waara Chapter

of Trout Unlimited and the Escanaba River Association. These nine-

twelve inch fish will enhance the joy anglers experience in pursuing area

trout, and will benefit from FWCTU’s and ERA’s commitment to con-

serve cold water fisheries. “This year we planted over 2000 fish, including a few Tiger Trout. This unusual breed, a cross between a Brown and Brook Trout, is very beautiful and very rare,” says Jerome Maynard, FWCTU’s vice president. “I envy the lucky angler who has the pleasure of catching one. Hopefully, he/she will do as encouraged and practice “ c a t c h a n d r e -lease”...giving others, such as myself, the chance to snag this gorgeous fish!” In addition to

FWCTU and the ERA,

other participants involved

in the planting include: the

Michigan Council of Trout Unlimited, Marquette County Conservation

District and Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources.

The trout, originally from a private hatchery in Watersmeet, were

released using a dispersed pattern along segments of the Escanaba River.

Bucket brigades reached otherwise inaccessible stretches of the river.

This approach, different than that employed by MDNR, was utilized be-

cause it minimizes the stress trout typically experience in the planting

process. Furthermore, the decision to plant the trout after the close of the

regular trout season took advantage of cooler water temperatures, which

help ensure long-term trout survival rates, as well as their dispersion into

a variety of aquatic niches in the river.

Anecdotal evidence from the summer of 2011 implies that simi-

lar planting conducted in 2010 did improve the fishery as anglers report-

ed catching more and larger fish. The FWCTU, the ERA and other par-

ticipants hope for similar results with this year’s trout release.

TROUT RELEASETROUT RELEASETROUT RELEASETROUT RELEASE

MEETING SCEDULE MEETING SCEDULE MEETING SCEDULE MEETING SCEDULE The First Wednesday of the month ~ Business Meetings @ 6:30pm

every other month ~

“Fishing After Hour” Social @ 5:30pm alternate months

at the Landmark Inn

230 N. Front Street, Marquette

Riffles to Rises Spring 2012

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FYI:

Common names for fish species: spurdog, jollytail, tadpole madtom, wres-

tling halfbeak, jolthead porgy, sweetlip emperor, and slippery dick.

has the most lavish collection of personalized “basket” items to auction off (e.g.,

sailing cruises, grommet dinners). And we’re also going to have a special table

of unique items specially designated for our Reeling-n-Healing initiative to ben-

efit local cancer survivors. Statewide, our banquet is lauded as the fundraiser to

attend and I urge you to purchase either individual seats or either Gold or Plati-

num Tables as soon as you can.

Beyond the banquet, most of our time in the coming months will be

devoted to the second phase of our Escanaba River Watershed initiative in the

Big West Branch system. We and our steadfast partners in the Escanaba River

Association and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have committed

to funding the work of a graduate student at Northern Michigan University to

use water temperature data we gathered last year to put waders in the water and

comprehensively map the Big West watershed pursuant to targeted remediation

efforts in our project area. In the near future, we also hope to secure funding

and permits to replace a pair of perched culverts in the system that will enhance

fish migration and reproduction capacity. In this newsletter you will also find

additional updates on our other initiatives and chapter events. As always, you

are invited to join us in having a bit of fun as we some real good for the re-

sources shared by everyone in the UP.

I hope you enjoy your association with the Fred Waara Chapter of

Trout Unlimited and know that we are always looking for new blood or those

who want to help out in both large and small ways. I like to think that our com-

munity is but “One TU” away from revolutionizing the bond between science,

stream work, and play. The days are getting longer, so all we need is the incli-

nation to go there and seal the deal! Jim CantrillJim CantrillJim CantrillJim Cantrill

(continuation)

Riffles to Rises Spring 2012

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CALENDAR NOTES, etc.CALENDAR NOTES, etc.CALENDAR NOTES, etc.CALENDAR NOTES, etc.

Salmon Release

Coming Soon! Salmon in the Classroom (SIC) is getting

ready to wind down for this school

year. Teachers and students

are starting to plan where

and when to release their

3-4 inch salmon that

they’ve nurtured through

the winter months.

FWCTU members are invited

to join us for the release. We

assist the kids in releasing the fish and then conduct macroin-

vertebrate (bug) collection to show what the salmon eat.

Please contact Bob Jensen 909-228-3052 if you’d like to

have some fun with the kids.

TU YOUTH CAMP NEEDS CANDIDATES ~ The 2012 TU

Youth Fishing Camp will be held the first week in July at Higgins Lake in

downstate Michigan. If you know of a deserving young person, between the

ages of 12-16, who would like to attend, for more information, please contact

Bob Jensen @ 228-3052; pbjup@hotmail.com).

Still time left!

DUCK’S UNLIMITED BANQUET ~ March 29th at the Ramada Inn,

Marquette, 5:30– 9:00pm; call 906.228.2471 for more information.

SUPERIOR WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP BOAT SWAP & SALE

Berry Center Parking Lot, May 12, 2012, 10:30am to 2:00pm.

For details call (906) 228-6095

UP ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION, “Celebration of the UP”, March 30-31, Downtown Marquette, www.upenvironment.org.

Riffles to Rises Spring 2012

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ANNUAL 25th BANQUET ANNUAL 25th BANQUET ANNUAL 25th BANQUET ANNUAL 25th BANQUET ! ! !! ! !! ! !! ! !

It’s about a

month until our

Annual fund-

raising Banquet

on April 21st

and it’ll be the

25th year!

You’ll see many of your

favorite games: Raffles, Jilbert Dairy Bucket Draw, Silent Auction,

etc. If you like to fish, we’ll have more guided trips than ever before

from local streams to the Au Sable and even a river in Missouri. A

little something for everyone. And the Live Auction will have a

new look. FWCTU Board members will create special baskets to

auction off. There’ll be some surprises you won’t want to miss so

plan to attend. The banquet will be at the Great Lakes Rooms,

Northern Michigan University, and doors open at 6PM. So please

join us and support our conservation and education projects.

It’s time to make your reservations either by emailing:

Jerome.Maynard@gmail.com or calling Bob or Peggy at (906) 228-

3052.

MEMBERS, We need your help!

In our letter reminding you of this year’s Fundraising Banquet, we

included some raffle tickets for you to sell or buy. Please help by

sending the proceeds to FWCTU, PO Box 123, Marquette, MI

49855. The Raffle provides opportunities to win great prizes and

helps the Chapter implement conservation projects. Thanks!

Last year’s Banquet

COME ONE ~ COME ALL!!