Floating Lines

First and foremost; the January issue is available and the site updates are completed!  So, don’t forget to get your copy of TCS today or at least drop by the site for a visit and let us know what you think at the blog or via e-mail.  We are getting back on track after the computer catastrophe we experienced in December.  

Also, please welcome Billy Bones BBQ, a new advertiser at TCS.  Please take a moment if you are BBQ lover and check out Billy’s site by clicking on one of the links.  Thanks Billy we hope that your association with TCS helps you meet your advertising objectives. 

The TCS site is on track to have its best month ever in January as of today we are at over 1200 unique visitors and counting.  We also have seen the most diversity of visiting locations.  TCS has been visited by people from Moldova, Romania, China, Canada, Netherlands, and the UK among others this month. 

In one of my last posts I actually praised E. Sharp over at the Free Press for his story on the low flows over on the Lower AuSable below Foote Dam.  Today, Sharp has more than undone whatever good he did with the Foote Dam story.  He offers up his usual lefty slant on the new head of the Department of the Interior and seems to forget that he has any opinion at all in a story about the Rochester Hills deer cull.  Let’s break it down shall we?

His piece on the new head of the interior is moving if you are living in a make believe utopia.  It seems that E. Sharp has forgotten that industry is what drives America and that the fantastic new administration will have buddies and cronies of their own.  It is after all human nature.  The thing that astounds me is that Sharp also forgets a few simple realities.  Cars and other engines still run on fuel and currently energy independence would entail actually exploiting some of our own resources.  He even goes as far as to suggest that extracting oil from our own resources would turn the American west into a moonscape.  I wonder how Sharp will describe massive fields of windmills and solar panels?  I have news for Sharp; you are currently a big user of fossil fuels just like the rest of us.  I guarantee, regardless of how you rationalize it he is using a bunch.  People can not enjoy and recreate in the outdoors unless they have an income and that income depends on industry.  I wonder how much an elk, bear, or mule deer would actually care about having to walk under an oil rig? 

This brings me to my point about E. Sharps second story.  In the Rochester Hills deer cull story he does a great job of reporting news but forgets that he actually has an opinion (surprised?).  I wonder if he forgets his opinion because it would actually mean he would have to lean a little to center or right and make a case for the recreation that he makes a living off of.  There are a few people in Rochester Hills who feel bad about actually killing food and haven even went as far as taking it to court.  E. Sharp has decided that in this instance it really isn’t important that a deer isn’t a person, has a brain the size of a peach, is concerned only with where it eats, sleeps, and reproduces, and is essentially food for us.  Deer don’t create jobs, pay taxes, read, drive, work, and they certainly don’t study at the highly regarded left universities.  In this case they are highly adaptable creatures of habit that happen to be in the way.  The deer is more important than the driver that hit it on his way to work; not to mention the associated cost for the 911 call, the emergency personnel dispatched to the scene, the delay of commerce associated with the accident, and the cost to repair the vehicle.  Are you ready for the brave new world where there is no consequence to making things (and commerce) and deer are more important than you? 

Thanks for dropping in.

So, I am a fair minded individual.  In that spirit I give credit where credit is due.  Eric Sharp gets it right by publishing an article on the troubles with the lower AuSable river flows below Foote Dam.  The article is a news piece that is at once thought provoking and a report of situations on both sides of the debate.  It is one of the few times that he hasn’t interjected his own opinion into the debate.

However, while he is quick to chastise sportsmen for their mis-deeds or (his) perceived lack of knowledge or know how; he isn’t so quick to cut down Consumers at this point.  Why the restraint??  If it were a hunter putting out bait he would be a slob or maybe some other lowly form of life.

The piece does lead me to ask other questions, especially the one of the last paragraphs.  Consumers states that the hydroelectric facilities are very important to the mandate that they received from the state for an increase in renewable energy level.  This is interesting.  What happened to the push to harness the wind, the sun, and other phantom sources of energy??  Were our lawmakers so shortsighted as to shoot themselves in the foot by leaving the push for renewable energy open ended.  It seems that it might not be Consumers goal at all to harness the wind or the sun but to simply transfer the production of electricity from coal plants to hydro electric.  It makes sense as these facilities already exist and are running.  Could we see a push for more dams?

Dams for the most part are not good for fish.  Dams that don’t operate properly are even more detrimental to fish.  So, did we forsake the fish for the myth of clean energy?  Is seems to me that we might as well call a spade a spade.  Energy from a dam is not green at all.  It warms the water for sure and alters the flow.  Therefore energy from a dam can’t be green at all.

It then leads me to the next obvious question.  Is there such a thing as clean, green energy??

Thanks for dropping by.

Orvis has adopted the AuSable.  They are tripling donations to help restore woody debris to the south branch from Smith Bridge down to the confluence with the mainstream.  The interesting thing here is that the project is in conjunction with Angler’s of the AuSable.  We will have a piece on the Anglers in our January issue that is worth checking out.  They pop up again here and add to their impressive resume of projects for this great river.  They hope to raise $150,000 for the project.

I proposed the magazine question over at the Baldwin Bait and Tackle forum in a thread on the subject of fly fishing magazines.  The question pretty much killed the thread.  I don’t know why?  I am finding it harder and harder to get feedback on TCS; in fact, it is almost like there is a reluctance to accept an outsider into the fold.  I am starting to feel like the kid that always gets picked last.  Perhaps, somebody can provide some insight into the chilly reception.  Is it people adhering to the “If you can’t say something nice don’t say anything”, or is it just the way things are??

So, I propose the question again; is the fly fishing magazine dead or dying with a shift to new media??

Let us know what you think about both subjects, my chilly reception around the neighborhood and the magazine.

I am working toward getting the January issue up and running and might just hit the hard water this weekend.  I will post a report if and when I get out.

Thanks for stopping by.

In the world of business (an I guess just in the world) not everybody gets along all of the time.  In some cases the rift is so deep that you just part ways.  The Drake reports that it has taken over the Fly Fishing Film tour from a group of guys who it seems just couldn’t get along with their new financier.  Good luck to the Drake with their new endeavor.

I was browsing around this morning and found Joe Heywood’s new book listed over at The Bookmailer .  They also had a nice selection of new DVD’s and books that are probably more than worth checking out.

Tom Chandler over at the trout underground asks again if the fly fishing magazine is dead.  Tom is citing a large change-over of readership to the internet that has caused the demise of the mags.  However, marketing and ad budgets are probably the first things to go in hard time.  I don’t think there is as much a swing to the new media as he does.  I still think that people prefer to hold what they are going to read (I mean really read, not skim at the speed of a gnats metabolism) in their hand.  I am in agreement that the new media and the old must compliment each other.

TCS continues to be delayed for January.  However, I have seen the disk that I require with my own eyes.  I had to depart early though from get together yesterday due to a two year olds lack of sleep.  I should have the disk and things loaded up and ready to go tonight.  I will get everything updated as soon as I can.  I see a couple of late nights in my future this week.

We are still locked in with ice all around up here and received more than our share of snow over the weekend.  It will break loose though and I will be ready when it does.

Chris Therssen passed along his fishing report from Lake Orion last weekend.  It essentially said that things were pretty darn cold and snowy and that the fishing was non-existent.  He did put away a few pops though and was able to drop a line in the hole.  It is more than I can say for some of us what with things going on and cold locking us down.

Thanks for stopping by.

I posted a link, just a few days ago, to Kelly Neuman’s site and a great post regarding the low flows on the lower AuSable.  It seemed at the time that the right people were going to stand up for the fish/river and were involved.  However, Kelly is back with another post today that shows a very freightening picture of the situation on the lower AuSable below Foote Dam. 

Consumer’s Power, who operates the dam, is stating that operating the dam at run of river rate (according to the rules) is very difficult at best.  Therefore, because they can’t seem to get it correct or follow the rules, the river is being subjected to very low flows below the dam. 

Now I think that we can all agree that run of river rate is a better flow than a man made flow at say, oh ….. just a shot in the dark or guess at what the river should be flowing at.  The state puts a lot of fish in the lower end of that river to maintain the fishery.  I wonder what good all that does if you let is freeze up in the winter or worse yet alter the flow until it somehow damages the fishery? 

In the same breath I wonder if any of this stems from DTE and Consumers recently passed mini monopoly on the energy supply here in Michigan?  All interesting questions with interesting answers I am sure.  

The mix gets even more interesting when you throw in a new player.  In Kelly’s post he mentions that Tom Buhr of the newly formed AuSable Big Water Protection Association is seeking legal consul on the issue.  Tom Buhr is connected to the AuSable Anglers, the same association that recently won legal battles concerning the head waters of the AuSable and drilling in the Mason tract.  If I were Consumers and the other organizations with responsibility to operate Foote Dam at run of river I would start worrying right about now.  I will keep my eye on this one and report back as things develop. 

I realize that we need energy but not at the expense of a legendary fishery.  I urge TCS heads to utilize the contacts on Kelly’s page to let Consumers and the others know that we don’t appreciate the tinkering. 

We are still in the deep freeze with low temperatures in the down right danger zone.  So, bundle up if you have to go out and bust out the vise if you are staying in and handle it. 

TCS is still delayed but it is ready to go as soon as the PC is back on-line this weekend. 

Thanks for stopping in.

It is extremely frigid here today.  I think the forecast is for a high temperature of only 9F.  I long for just a taste of spring or summer at this point and was thinking today about our mid-summer trip to the AuSable.

This beautiful brown came out from under a Cedar Sweeper and hammered a gaudy yellow streamer.  It actually surprised me and I jumped when I saw him come out and inhale the fly.  It would be nice right about now to suit up and hit the river, but we will be in the deep freeze until at least the middle of next week.  So, I will just dream.

The cold weather does allow a fly fisherman to barricade himself inside and tie.  I have been putting it off but have vowed to duck out early today and start tying as soon as the kids go down for the night.  I keep thinking that if I tie according to my favorite rivers hatch chart that I will go fishing more by determining that I have wasted effort if I don’t fish the flies.

The January issue of TCS remains delayed.  However, we should be up and running again this weekend with ample chance to update everything.   Thanks for being patient.

On a side note; I like westerns and last night I caught the new western Appaloosa.  It started out slow but it is recommendable for fans of the genre.  I especially liked the two gunfight sequences.

Thanks for stopping in.

It is the intent to make my way around a little and post some things that might be of interest to TCS heads.  Here are my findings and thoughts for 12-Jan-09.

I saw a post over at Midcurrent, a review of the Cabela’s fly tying desk, that got me thinking about the need to sit down and tie up the flies that I will need for the coming season.  I want to concentrate of streamers and some of the dries that I would like to fish this year.  I guess it was more of a wake up call than anything, and just in time as we enter the deep freeze up here in Michigan.

I also came across an older story by E. Sharp over at the Detroit Free Press.  Eric and I don’t see eye to eye on many things but this piece did peak my attention.  He writes about the benefits of outfitting yourself with a kayak for for river fishing and touches on some of the benefits and drawbacks of the different types out there when it comes to being fishing friendly.  It might be something to take a look at in coming season.

I also came across a story at the Traverse City Record Eagle about dam studies on the Boardman River.  It seems that the birth place of the Adams dry fly has no less than four dams that the various organizations are trying to decide what to do with.  There was a lot of money (including public money) spent and time and there is some debate about how beneficial it was.  They will now convene to try and decide what to do with the dams.  It might be worth watching.

I have been thinking about fishing trips lately and I have some connection to southwest Pennsylvania.  They have some dandy looking water out there and I am interested in learning more about the trout fishing in this area.  If there are any Pa. TCS heads out there with information I would love to learn more, so don’t be shy.

My computer problems continue.  In essence my ability to put together the hard copy for the printer has been hampered.  It may be some time before I get it back.  I have a January issue ready to go, so once the capability is back on line it should not take that much time to update.  So, please be patient and stand by.  Sorry for any trouble.

I am awaiting an ice fishing report from our resident fly tier, Chris Thessen, and will pass it along as soon as it is available.  If he made it out, the weather was pretty nasty here this weekend.

The deep freeze will put the damper on any river fishing.  However, I am planning to get out (locally) as soon as things break loose.

Thanks for dropping in.

In the normal process of my prowling around the web I found this gem from Kelly Neuman over at Michigan Streamside.  It seems that you don’t have to have be a multi million dollar player to get people to take action.  The USF&W fisheries biologist has already had some phone calls with Consumers Energy regarding the operation of Foote Dam and has offered to get all interested parties together.  Kudos goes out to Kelly and the USF&W on this one.

Here is the link to VG kids that I discussed just the other day.  If you have something that requires some promo goods it is worth the visit and efforts.

I am still in the throws of developing a new strategy for TCS that should include getting copies into some of our favorite local fly shops.  I had a great suggestion that I/we should fish more and it is first on my list for implementation.

On a technical note; computer problems have all but sunk the December issue.  I had an issue ready to go but have not had software capability to crate the hard copy issue.  Not to worry though, I checked with my IT guy and I should be up and running before the weekend and there is a January issue ready to go.  Sorry, for the inconvenience.

Here is the graph that shows the growth of the TCS site for the 2008 CY.  I cut December off somehow but it still gets the job done.  The early data for 2009 is very encouraging, it already shows an up tick in daily and weekly visits.  We are trending int he right direction.  So, for those that have not considered the combined ad that we offer at the site it might be time to get that information about your business in front of 1000 people a month.  Our goal for 2009, is 2000 visitors/month.

I have thought of a few different things that I wanted to get posted before I forgot about them.

VG Kids a graphic design house that I used to create the TCS decals is having a contest. It only takes a few paragraphs about where you see yourself in the year 2019 and you could win $500 worth of free merchandise. So, stop by and check them out at www.vgkids.com . It is worth the visit and the creation of a couple of paragraphs.

I have experienced some computer difficulties that are delaying the December and January issues of TCS. Please be patient and we will get the issues put together and the web updates completed as soon as we can.

There is good news on the TCS site front. We started off with very few visitors in 2008, but by the end of the year we were able to rally and show a few months over 1,000 visitors with the last three months holding nicely around that number. I will post the graph as soon as I can.

So, this begs the question; how come I can’t turn those visits into subscriptions?? I have posed the question to the TCS staff and we are on the case. I have also put some thought into it and it might deserve a drastic change in strategy. Please stay posted for details.

There is good ice throughout the state. Please be sure to use precaution on any ice though. Chris Therssen is heading out this weekend and we will request a report for sure; it is forcasted to be damn cold though. The usual suspects are reporting a slow down in the steelhead fishing and that should hold until we see a little warm up and a good shot of moisture.

Good luck if you get out and don’t forget to check back when you can.

There is news of good ice all around the great lakes.

Chris Therssen reports at least 7-8 inches of ice on Anchor Bay and I smell a perch fishing trip coming really soon. Most places in southern Michigan are reporting good ice so the north country must be in good shape. Phil Ketterer, a good friend of TCS, reports good ice in the Flint area and a 35 + inch pike from the Holly recreation area.

There are two items in the news that affect the great AuSable River. The Anglers of the AuSable are reporting a victory in the Mason Tract fight to keep oil and natural gas drilling a practical distance from the recreation area. It seems that Savoy Energy has decided to drop their appeal of the injunction to stop the drilling. In another development, the Michigan DNR has opted to freeze the regulations on the trophy stretch of the AuSable below Mio dam. This is a significant development as the department had asked for public comment and there was a strong pitch for a no kill area from Mio to 4001. However, the fisheries management was leaning toward more liberalized regs and the director of the DNR froze the regs pending further investigation. Be sure to let us know what you think about the DNR’s decision in the comments section of the blog.

I have floated a spring/early summer pack-in trip on west Michigan’s Pine River to the TCS staff and the acceptance is unanimous. So, we will begin to research the trip ASAP and put this thing together. I have never fished the Pine but heard that it is a little faster than the other rivers in Michigan with a chance at all three species of trout. Be sure to drop us a line in the comments portion of the blog if you can add anything for our quest for Pine River trout.

Finally, on a sad note, a good friend of TCS Tommy (the fisherman currently pictured in the main image on the site) has lost his dad. Tommy, our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.

Don’t forget to drop us an e-mail or leave a comment here at the blog.