AATU
Ann Arbor Trout Unlimited
Reel News
September 2017

Contents
2017-18 Monthly Meeting Schedule
Note From The President
Mill Creek Update
Mershon TU Chapter's Fall Rifle River Bank Cleanup

2017-18 Monthly Meeting Schedule

Our venue will change this year, back to Weber's Inn on Jackson Blvd. just east of Wagner. All 2017-18 member meetings will be on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, from 7-9pm in the Ann Arbor room at the back of the main entrance level dining room. The room opens at 5:30 pm for socializing and food, which can be ordered off the menu. Here's the schedule of programs for those meetings:

September 12th: Ethan Cramer will present ...Spring Creek fishing in SE Michigan and Mill Creek strategies. All you need to know but were afraid to ask!! (my words)

October 10th: Kelly Neuman of Steamside Custom Rod and Guide Service. Sharing his years of experience for whats hot this year for your best successes.

November 14th: Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) Laura Rubin , Executive Director, will present fish habitat and stream restorations as well as updates on dam removal projects for the Huron at Milford, Pinckney and Ypsilanti locations.

December 12th: Holiday Party and Swap meet. Negotiating with Weber's sales and catering for special pricing and menu. More to follow.

January 9th: Jon Ray, head Guide at Hawkins Outfitters. 23 years of guide experience on many northern Michigan rivers with focus on the Upper and Lower Manistee and the PM...plus some "unknown and unspoken spots". Trout, Salmon, Steelhead and Small-mouth Bass are his main targets.

February13th: Pete Hodgman, the Carp Whisperer. 20 years experience with special emphasis on Grand Traverse Bay. How to be successful in luring that Golden Bones to your fly.

March 13th: Members’ Show/Home movies, and Annual Business Meeting

April 12th Thursday: 2018 Annual Conservation Banquet at Barton Hills CC, Ann Arbor.

May 14: Meeting

TBD Dexter Mill Creek Festival

Note From The President
TU and Asian Carp

Here’s the latest on the Asian Carp issue. National TU is taking the lead with Taylor Ridderbush leading the effort and crafting a response. TU sees this as a step in the right direction and supports the Corps of Engineers plan, but ultimately wants to be working towards complete separation. TU will also post an action alert on the national website by the end of next week, outlining TU’s position and urging members to comment. There will be three public hearings on the GLMRIS report, and Taylor will either be attending or having someone from TU attend each of those. If you have any comments, please let me know and I will pass them along to the MiTU Conservation Committee. Here is a brief overview of the GLMRIS – Brandon Road study: http://glmris.anl.gov/brandon-rd/ If you want to read the full report, here's that link: http://glmris.anl.gov/documents/docs/brandon-rd/GLMRIS-BR_Draft_Report.pdf

Tight lines,

John Zolan

Mill Creek Update

To all,
A blown down tree across Mill Creek; an hour and a half later, a couple of our joint AATU-HRWC Aquatic Woody Debris Management Team members (below: me, with the head gear, and Ethan Cramer in this case) created access past the tree plus some additional much needed shelter for our trout at Shield Road.

[Mill Creek Timber]

Dexter Daze, for AATU a very Mill Creek-related event, went very well last month. Many people stopped and talked. We had three videos that we were running on loops in sequence. Mike Mouradian put together a 2 minute tape about AATU (Thank you Mike!), and we also showed the 2016 Mill Creek videos created by Madeline Drake and Ethan Cramer. Several people stepped into the booth and watched the videos, a great way to get our message across to people that are curious but don’t want engage with us in the booth. Mike’s Lawn Trout was a big draw to the booth. Children and parents and grandparents all took turns and encouraged each other to "catch" the target trout. Many visitors read the signage on the Wader Wash Station and learned about New Zealand Mud Snails and Didymo, some for the firts time, I'm sure. Several people signed up for Mike’s “no charge” fly fishing class, and two people signed up for our Joint AATU/HRWC Woody Debris Management Team. A Big Thank You to Steve Zawistowski, Jake Taylor, Ken Spears, and Margaret Counihan for their help with the booth, as well as other members who stopped at our booth and offered their help. They all represented AATU very well. We are fortunate to have so many great AATU members that are willing to step in and help when they are available.
HEADS-UP: "The 2017 Mill Creek Electrofishing Fish Count Day is Saturday Morning, September 30 from 8:00am until noon. Contact Bill Phillips at <greyghostbp@gmail.com> if you would like to participate."

Good Fall Fishing AATU,
Bill Phillips

Mershon TU Chapter's Fall Rifle River Bank Cleanup

The Mershon Chapter is having a Rifle River Clean Up on Saturday, September 16th starting with coffee and donuts at 8:30 am, lunch and prizes around 1 pm, work with the Mershon team in between. It is intended to be a fun outing on the river with lots of good food and an opportunity to share fishing tales. All trout fisherpersons are invited to participate. You should bring your waders and gloves and meet at Mike Bachelder’s: 104 Gerald Miller Rd, West Branch, 48661. Gerald Miller Rd is about 3 miles east of M33 on M55.

It is also a good opportunity to fish the Rifle on Friday afternoon-evening and/or on Saturday after the clean-up. The Quality Inn in West Branch is the closest motel, and camping is available at the State Recreation Area in Lupton, which is on the Rifle with good fishing. The Hardwood Township Park on Hardwood Lake off from Henderson Lake Rd is also good camping. Go to "Contacts" at the Mershon Chapter web site to volunteer (http://www.mershon-tu.org).

Looking Forward

2017 Meetings and Events:
September 12th: Ethan Cramer will present ...Spring Creek fishing in SE Michigan and Mill Creek strategies. All you need to know but were afraid to ask!! See the rest of the 2017-18 meeting schedule in the lead article above.

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