The KINGS are COMING!!!

It's that time of year again when the air starts to cool just enough to cause your mind to wander to cool streams and rivers filled to the brim with spawning fall salmon and steelhead practically on their heels looking for an easy meal of eggs and fry. I look forward to sleeping with the windows open and listening to the pitter patter of cool rain drops landing on the leaves as I'm smiling just as slumber embraces me. Even my dreams become consumed by fishing possibilities as I know that the days are slowly getting slower. But, the true telling sign is when my allergies start to bother me. Humidity is lower as the Ragweed blooms in full, but it bothers me less because I know the leaves will slowly change in color when the Kings are coming home!!!

This King is looking forward to continuing its life journey.

The story of the King Salmon's spawning cycle is well documented. It is common knowledge that they return to their birth river to spawn and eventually die. It is the grand example of the circle of life when you are born, grow, reproduce, die to replenish the earth with your nutrients. The circle for the Salmon is much smaller than ours, but it is a grand event.

In 2011 the salmon runs almost all over the state have been the best in almost 30 years. The rivers were teeming with eager Coho and Chinook Salmon traversing the hazards of dams, predators and most of all fisherman!

The toothy grin of the fisherman and the sharper teeth of the Salmon.

There was much worry about the several invasive species that were thought to threaten our amazing fishery. The Zebra mussels actually made the waters cleaner. The gobys have caused a surge in size in other Great Lakes fish like the Smallmouth Bass who eat them like candy. Lampreys have been an issue for a long while and the MDNR has worked diligently to stop them, but their population has been on the rise the last few years. The greatest threat and what everyone fear will be the knock out punch to our 7 billion dollar a year fishery is the dreadful Asian carp. What many people do not know is that they have been a nuisance since the 1990's and have been kept at bay since so far.

The deadly lamprey, vampires of Lake Michigan.

Dead alewives washed ashore on some beaches last summer.

With the changing ecosystem in the big lake we still have a fishery where the fish are large and in abundance, so much so that the MDNR will be reducing stockings in many rivers to avoid the disaster that happened in Lake Huron where there became more predators than prey due to overstocking to the point the fishery is almost non-existant compared to former years.

The alewife populations have been so high that they have been spotted dead along the beaches like the days of old. They alwives have been of a decent size which coincides with the size of their predators as well.

A nice bunch of Coho's from Hamilton Dam

An early thaw this year accompanied by a warm winter attributes to the large size of the fish being caught in all predatory species of the alewives. While cleaning steelhead at the the fish cleaning station in Holland as early as June I had seen several 20# class Kings with many boats getting their limits.

As a fisherman the King Salmon has become my favorite target species. They fight like steelhead on steroids when you consider their power. They will test every aspect of your gear from your drag to your leader, if something isn't quite right they will put a beat down on you ! They are good jumpers as well, but are not as acrobatic.

A happy fisherman with an August King on the PM.

I was first introduced to Salmon fishing as a 14 year old boy on the Rogue River, just a 5 minute walk from my grandparents back door. It left an impression on me that has made an impact of every aspect of my life. My grand parents no longer live there, but I still go back and visit. They have been planting Salmon in the Rogue again and the next couple years should be excellent. The crowds are something I wish to avoid so I drive north to my favorite river, the Pere Marquette in Baldwin.

A nice male King being revived before release on the PM

The Pere Marquette is simply called the PM by those who love it and fish it. The Salmon return earlier to the PM than many other river because it stays cool in the summer due to the many feeder springs that flow into it. Fish can be found in significant numbers as early as mid August if you know where to search. Thundersticks are an early season favorite below the restricted fishing area and the kings will sometimes tear them apart. The strikes are bone jarring and not to be soon forgotten by your shoulder and arm. Hold on tight and if luck shines upon you then you can land a silver beast in the log infested waters. The kings come in pods that push up the river to their spawning grounds which lie mostly within the catch and release flies only area. Catching a big King on a fly rod on a fly you created on your own can be a feeling that you can't explain until you experience it yourself. Not everyone out there is a catch & release advocate, but the PM demands it and it is always fulfilling experience. Just bring a camera to capture the fish.

A Map of the Flies Only section of the PM.

Another river many people watch closely is the Grand River. As soon as the Charter boats and pier fisherman in Grand haven start nailing them the excitement travels upstream with the fish. There are a few areas that anglers catch fish, but once they hit the 6th street dam in Grand rapids it becomes a circus. Fisherman from all walks of life show up in numbers as the fish start showing up. Spinners, spoons and Cranks can be used in any run that could hold fish. The east wall  produce large numbers from drifters and casters alike, fly fishing is impossible in this area, but it's prime for people with disabilities. The boat ramp area is notorious for the ultimate combat fishing experience if your up for it. Its shoulder to shoulder drifters here. The dam itself causes the water to boil and travel in swirling patters while the water flows out the center and west runs. This is a free for all as far as what fishing style works best. Many tourists come to downtown GR to see the Salmon jump the fish ladder and to watch the fisherman. The Grand also has a few tributaries that can have hot fishing.

Some guys fishing from the boat launch during high waters.

The Kalamazoo has the best fishing at Allegan dam, but it is only for experienced combat fisherman. The dam is the upstream limit on the Kalamazoo and the fish stack up. If you wish to avoid the crowds this is not the place to go. The hottest area to fish is usually on the stairs where there is usually a fisherman per stair and the tempers often flare. Some decent fishing has been had in recent years on the Rabbit river in Hamilton, There is a dam there as well which draws a good sized crowd when the fish are in.

A nice Coho at the Hamilton Dam

The Muskegon is a great river and really awesome if you have a boat. The Kings come up maybe a month after the PM gets started and can only go as far as Croton Dam. People fishing from shore are gathered closer to the dam, but boaters can drift down looking for large groups of fish or fish actively spawning.

Croton Dam in Newaygo, MI

So as the nights get colder and the leaves start to fall my dreams become reality as I will fight epic battles against some of the hardest fighting  freshwater game fish  in the US. Any day now I will sit here less and be on the river more.....any day now......

Restore the Rapids to the Grand?

Fisherman on the East Side by the boat launch last spring (photo courtesy of J&D Mobile Sport Shop)

The future of a world class fishery is in peril! Maybe? The Grand River in Grand Rapids, Michigan has had an amazing fishery for several decades and a group called Grand Rapids White Water wants to tear the dam down and restore the river to its natural state...a kayaking course with several world class kayaking features!. A couple years back Field and Stream listed Grand Rapids as the nations 6th best fishing city largely due to the fishing downtown. The salmon and steelhead that come up the river to spawn congregate at the sixth street dam before traversing the fish ladder built by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Pure Michigan lists the fish ladder as a tourist attraction on its site.Some of the larger and stronger fish can clear the dam with one mighty jump under the right water conditions. The fishing can be just crazy good and fisherman flock from all over to catch some of the best freshwater game fish the world has to offer.

The 6th street dam is 450 feet across and isn't really a typical dam, it's actually a spillway. The water pours over the top and there is no way to change the water flow by any mechanical means. There is no reservoir or pond above the dam either. The dam was built in 1848 and the river dredged for its rock to make foundations for many of the buildings in the downtown area. At one time the river was a main waterway for the logging industry that was booming for several decades.

The fish ladder is located on the west side of the river and is an attraction for locals and visitors. There is a boat launch on the east side and a large flood wall that stands a good 10 feet from the water that provides access to fisherman who can neither afford expensive gear like waders and fly rods. As long as someone fishing up there has a drop net they are all set. This is also a place where many handicapped fisherman go as well. What makes the East Wall famous is the quarry hole that provides refuge for large numbers of fish heading up river to spawn. There are fish cleaning stations on both sides of the river to provide a good place to clean your fish and dispose of the waste.

A view of the east wall where people with handicaps can fish, the boat launch and a bunch of fisherman (Photo courtesy of J&D Mobile Sport Shop)

Herb Theodore and myself had the opportunity to sit down with two members of Grand Rapids White Water, a group that intends to tear down the 6th street dam and all the small coffers below to create a better pathway for kayaking. The groups main focus was on Kayaking, but has met some resistance from groups of fisherman in the area. Fortunately they have heard the concerns and have made some changes to the original plans. The coffer dams and the area below the dam are something everyone wants to see cleaned up. It's the removal of the dam and other upstream proposals that has fisherman and residents concerned. After this first meeting I felt somewhat better, but in the back of my mind I felt we were being told what we wanted to hear.

Some of the groups that need to be included for the project to be successful include: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, The Environmental Protection Agency, Michigan Steelheaders (There are chapters in Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, and Lansing that the Grand River flows through), Trout Unlimited, The City of Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell to name a few.

The Mayor had recently posted a video blog about the GRWW project and was in favor of it, but he has just heard one side of the story so far. Minutes ago I just got off the phone with Steve Kelso from WOODTV8 in Grand Rapids about the project. I declined an interview today because I was not feeling well and missed a couple days from work. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!!!

I myself have been a member of the Grand Rapids chapter of Michigan Steelheaders and Trout Unlimited. I am an advocate of protecting the rivers and the wildlife within them. Most groups are supportive for dam removal, but the conditions and the reasons have to be right...

The sea lamprey is an invasive species to the Great Lakes

The sixth street dam has long been a partial sea lamprey barrier. The only way they can get past the dam is to be attached to fish that get up the ladder. Tearing the dam down is a big concern because the lamprey cannot be allowed free access to some of the areas upstream, particularly the Rogue River which is considered one of the best trout streams in this part of the state. The sea lamprey is another invasive species that threatened the Great Lakes since the 1940's. Tearing down the sixth street dam would mean another lamprey barrier needs to be built upstream.

The mouth of a Sea Lamprey which contains many teeth that hold onto the fish.

I was invited to attend a second meeting at the Grand Rapids Museum. I arrived with my close friend Herb Theodore and saw many familiar faces in the group that were also invited. Steve Heitzelman President of MSSFA (Michigan Salmon and Steelhead Fisherman's Association), Bob Strek the VP and treasurer of GR Michigan Steelheaders, Norm VanSickle the President of the GR Michigan Steelheaders Foundation, Bill Mewell the VP of the GR Michigan Steelheaders, Kevin Groothuis of the Hex Shop in Rockford, Dave Bielecki of Nomad Anglers in Grand Rapids, Pete Miller from Trout Unlimited, Josh Smith and Matthew Ladiski of J&D Mobile Sport Shop, Dan O'Connell of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Dick Pobst who is a legendary local author and fisherman, and a few others.

After this meeting which was about 90 minutes I felt a little differently than the first meeting. They had their engineer Jason Carey from River Restorations.org in Glenwood Springs, Colorado explaining the whole presentation. Chip Richards who organized the meeting was also a primary speaker, but Chris Mueller quietly sat at the end of the table. I felt like is was disorganized and rushed with the question and answer part being very short and ended up being cut off. One person even asked if they were even listening to us, when they responded yes, the person who asked the question asked why haven't you written anything down yet? Small groups broke off outside of the museum for a good hour afterwards discussing issues they had with the project.

There was little doubt among everyone attending that they intended to make changes to the river that would make it great for kayaking. It may even bring new business to the area. What the concern is what will happen to the fishery.

Here is a list of promised improvements for kayaking:

1. 100% downstream and oar boat passage
2. 5400 ft of Class II whitewater
3. 3300 ft of Class III whitewater
4. 700 ft of Class IV whitewater
5. 400 meters of International Canoe Federation Merit Slalom Course
6. 10-15 International Canoe Federation Whitewater features
7. 1 adjustable whitewater surfing wave (all of this is restoring the river or modifying it for a kayaking park?)

Here are many concerns that were brought up at the meeting or outside afterwards:

1. The lamprey barrier has to be done right! This is not a joking matter. Their proposed inflatable bladder and velocity barrier had many eyebrows raised. It looks like a cheap alternative and doesn't seem to be a permanent solution. The lamprey in Lake Michigan have been becoming a more frequent problem the last couple of years.
2. The project is estimated at 27.5 million where a large portion is from tax payer money. Most of the money seems to be spent providing excellent kayaking water and the rest will just fall into place.
3. The Salmon and Steelhead are the bread and butter of the downtown fishing experience, without them holding before jumping the fish ladder they will just move on. There are many businesses that depend on the income of fisherman and tourists who stop in the area by the thousands! Will the kayak revenue promised be enough if the fishing revenue disappears?
4. The east wall is handicap accessible and one of the only places I know of where people with disabilities can fish for salmon and steelhead among with other species. Sure charter boats are great, but those are VERY expensive.
5. If, and I mean a big if the fishing stays as great as it is kayakers will be traversing through large groups of fisherman there may be conflicts as lines get rode over or fish lost due to kayak, fish being skittish due to boat traffic, etc. It was claimed that you won't see kayaks during the months of heavy fishing pressure. Ask any hard core kayaker and they will say Gore-Tex!
6. GRWW promises that because the dam is gone that fishing will be exponentially better and sturgeon will return because they will have more habitat to spawn in.
7. The Grand is not listed as a designated trout stream, the water is too warm for the most part! There was mention of fly fisherman lined down the river catching rising trout. This is not a likely scenario.
8. With heavy ice flows will some of the newly placed boulders just get pushed downstream?

Grand Rapids White Water has offered to answer questions about the project, but has been removing them as fast as people ask. Some think they have something to hide or there is a hidden agenda. 

After GRWW conducted channel and sediment surveys they developed a real estate plan. This causes me to wonder what it has to do about restoring a river or is it something else.

If the project happens will start no earlier than 2 yrs from now and should be finished 4 years after that. During that time the fisherman are also being asked to be patient because there may be big interruptions in the fish-ability of the river at that time. That is a lot to ask of the thousands of fisherman who look forward to spending time on one of their favorite fishing places, one of the best in the US for several years.

A lamprey ravaged steelhead!

Many of the people who attended the meeting were either opposed to the current project or on the fence because of the many concerns and issues. Many of their concerns were the same as my own and it really comes down to this: if it is not done right the fishery will suffer greatly and currently it doesn't look right. I decided not to do quotes from individuals because they basically all said the same thing. If done the right way, with all parties involved, this could be an amazing opportunity for the growth of Grand Rapids, if it isn't done the right way a fishery could be ruined....

Fisherman last fall fishing for Salmon.

If you care to see more info here are some links:

• Grand Rapids White Water's Facebook Page
• Grand Rapids White Water's Recent Proposal
• Grand River Future Vision Facebook Page
• Jdandd Mobile Pro Facebook Page
• Save the Fish Ladder Facebook Page
• Michigan Sportsman Forums