News and Updates

Saturday, April 25 Opening Day

The Annual Opening Day Outing may not be the official start of Spring, but it sure feels like it. Nothing seems to let you know its time to start fishing like getting together with a bunch of guys and telling fishing stories. Many of the club members have

Bill Furkis always entertains with his stories on opening day.
Bill Furkis always entertains with his stories on opening day.
been getting together on opening day for decades. Many more have joined them over the years. And not a single person has ever been made to feel like they shouldn’t be there. If you’re not familiar with trout fishing, this is a great place to get started. Someone will take you down to the stream and try to help you find a fish or two. However, there are also several other possibilities within a few minutes drive of Bobbie’s farm. If you are not sure where to go, stop by Bobbie’s first and someone will available to help with any questions. Young or not so young, come out and spend a couple hours with your club members and have some lunch.

To get to the Labar farm from South Bend, take either M-60 or M-62 to Cassopolis, MI. Then take O’Keefe Rd north out of town to Engle St. (approx. 3.5 miles). Turn left on Engle St. Labar’s farm is about a 1/2 mile west of O’Keefe Rd. The address is 23683 Engle St. Cassopolis, MI. (map)

SJRVFF Welcomes Nicole Watson

I grew up near the shores of Lake Erie and vacationing on the Au Sable River. The first time I fly fished was on the Au Sable River when I was about 9 or 10 years old. It was a bamboo rod with line tied to it. It was nothing fancy. I did not even have a reel.  It was a start.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI began studying fisheries biology at Eastern Michigan University during my undergraduate work, then went on to work for USGS at the Great Lakes Science Center. There I was part of the deep water ecosystems team working on Lake Huron.

Currently, I am studying steelhead at Central Michigan University as a graduate student. My research takes me to 46 tributaries surrounding Lake Michigan, twice per year. My sampling sites include tributaries of the St. Joe, Kalamazoo, Manistee, Pere Marquette, and many others in both peninsulas of Michigan and in Wisconsin. I focus on juvenile steelhead and use the unique chemical signature of their ear bone (otolith) to determine their nursery habitat. This signature is influenced by the water in which the fish lives. Streams with a unique water chemistry will result in a unique chemical signature of the fish’s otolith. Analysis of the otolith signature can give insight to the life history of the fish.

NicoleWatson2I am a member of Trout Unlimited, American Fisheries Society, and Anglers of the Au Sable.

I will share my fly fishing experiences, “non-traditional” fishing experiences through my research, and discuss my current steelhead research.

Summary of Steelhead Research

We need a good head count for dinner planning for our group. They charge us if we tell them too few so get your name in or you might go hungry! RSVP by emailing Terry at [email protected] or call and leave a message at 269-424-5138. Please respond by 9:00 pm on Friday.

February 2015 Loop Newsletter

Enjoy. I’m developing a heated fly line and will be testing it down on the St. Joe River Saturday afternoon if anyone wants to wader up and join me. If you can’t find me down along the shoreline I may be sitting in front of my vice and knocking out some flies for the auction. That or shoveling.
Hope to see you next Wednesday.
Dustin New
Newsletter Editor

SJRVFF Welcomes Mike Schultz

Schultzy is the Owner of Schultz Outfitters Fly Shop & Guide Service specializing in Southeastern Michigan angling, instruction, and destination travel. The shop was recently named the “Best Fly Shop in the Country” by Gink n Gasoline in 2014.

SchultzBorn and raised in the Great State of Michigan, Schultzy has enjoyed the outdoors his entire life. After graduating from Eastern Michigan University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Business Administration, he started guiding and working in the fly fishing industry full-time.

Logging 200+ days a year on the water, Schultzy has developed a vast knowledge of Midwestern waters. The bulk of his guiding and angling takes place on his home waters of Southeastern Michigan. His angling travels have taken him from Alaska to Patagonia.

In 2008 with the help of the Huron River Watershed Council, he founded the Huron
River Single Fly. An annual fundraiser that takes place on his home waters of the Huron
River. In the spring of 2014 Schultzy was honored with the HRWC Partner of the Year
award.

He has been a member of the Simms Fishing Products Ambassador Program since its
inception and is a member of the Scientific Anglers, Regal Vice, and Hatch Reels National Pro Staff. His signature fly patterns are available through the ORVIS Company. Schultz currently resides in Dexter, Michigan on the banks of the Huron River with his wife, Allie and son Tanner.

We need a good head count for dinner planning for our group. They charge us if we tell them too few so get your name in or you might go hungry! RSVP by emailing Terry at [email protected] or call and leave a message at 269-424-5138. Please respond by 9:00 pm on Friday.

Joe Mitchell – Jan 17, 1935 -Jan 19th 2015

JoeMitchell0

We lost a local advocate and passionate fly fisher this week. Joe Mitchell, one of the founding members of SJRVFF passed away this week. Joe’s passion was anything fly fishing, any fish, anywhere and especially cold water streams. Pictured here, he spent a long time talking with Kevin, an active/wounded military personnel brought out to our Tie-a-thon by Project Healing Waters from Walter Reed Hospital for support of our Tie-a-thon back in 2011. Joe’s enthusiasm for conservation and spreading the love of fly fishing went unmatched. Joe will be greatly missed by fish and fly fishers alike.

I have some great memories of running into Joe and his brother-in-law, Karl Glander, on the Au Sable and the Muskegon, and Joe coming down to Leeper in later years to “kibitz” Marshall and me. Always pleasant and fun.
-John Carr
 
JoeMitchell1He was a friend to every member of the club, and often the face of the club. He was always interested in what John (P) was doing, especially after he started at Rutgers. A sad day, passing of the guard.
-Tim PoteMy oldest son helped work on the first Dowagiac creek stream project back in 1988 when he was 9 years old. Over the years Joe would always ask about him and how he was doing, where he was working, and the last few years how his own children were doing. I guess Anthony made an impression on him that day that lasted Joe’s lifetime. Somewhere I have a picture of Joe and Anthony spreading straw on the Russ Forest lunker structure.

Joe was all about kids, trout, and the SJRVFF. He will be greatly missed……
-Eric Wroblewski
 
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
He was the first person I met in regards to the club at an expo downtown in South Bend many years ago. He was doing a demo on Lunker structures. I would see him many times at Dodd park sitting on a bench, always willing to share his wisdom, particularly about Striper fishing on the east coast which he said were his early home waters. I have a close friend in Mass. that I do that with and his advise was as always right on. Great guy and a big loss.
-Jim Gibson
 
Not everyone knows that Joe was an Adjunct Professor of Biology at Valparaiso University. He and I co-taught a river restoration course for several summers. Here we are with our first class. We only attracted a few students then because we “camped out” at the Conservation Club and at Dick Hall’s for two weeks. Most kids didn’t want that degree of involvement, but a few did. Of course, Joe and I loved it!
-Grayson Davis
 
JoeMitchell3
 
JoeMitchell4

SJRVFF Welcomes Jay Allen

January's Guest Speaker Jay Allen
January’s Guest Speaker Jay Allen

Jay has fly fished for over 25 years and guided for 14 years. Guiding in the Eastern and Western parts of the United States has given Jay diverse knowledge and experiences which contribute to his unique perspectives on fly fishing. Jay managed a fly fishing program at a guest ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming – a role which contributes to his providing an exceptional fly fishing experience. Having worked with anglers of all ages and skill levels, Jay offers clients great opportunities to bring fish to hand, all the while teaching techniques sure to improve success on any water. Jay’s passion for entomology is particularly evident in his understanding of the intricacies of nymph fishing.

Doors open at 6:30 Wednesday, September 17 at Juday Creek Golf Course Clubhouse (map).

 

Fly Tying Class with Greg Senyo

Date: February 7th, 2015
Location: The Elkhart County Conservation Club
Cost: $50.00 (includes lunch, drinks, and materials)
Time: 9:00 am – 4:00pm

Summary:
Greg works with Steelhead Alley Outfitters (steelheadalleyoutfitters.com). Greg will instruct us on tying some very unique and effective patterns that he has developed for steelhead and trout. This class is open to anyone who would like to participate but please note that this is not a ” learn how to tie class” and all participants will already need to have a general knowledge of fly tying.

What to bring:
Each participant will need to bring a vise, tools, thread (various colors), and lamp ( if necessary). The cost for this class will include lunch, needed materials, and beverages (water, pop, coffee)

There are a limited number of seats available in both of these classes. Please contact me at 574-202-0255 of [email protected] if you have any question or would like to reserve a spot.

Thanks,
Todd Ezzell