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July 2025 Newsletter

  • EDTU
  • Jul 7
  • 12 min read
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Second City Angler

The Official Newsletter of EDTU

"Fishing is not just about catching fish; it's about understanding the delicate balance of nature." -Aldo Leopold

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Next Monthly Get Together  Tuesday, July 1st 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. North Pond Casting Pier

2430 N. Cannon Dr. Located behind the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum northpondcastingpier.com

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U.S. Senate Proposes Forced Sale of 3 Million Acres of Public Lands


The U.S. Senate led by Mike Lee (R. Utah) has proposed a forced sale of 3 million acres of public lands currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the Trump Administration's omnibus budget bill (AKA the "big beautiful bill"). This irreversible act, which could be put in motion in as little as 60 days, would dramatically reduce fishing access in the Western U.S. and Alaska for generations of Americans to come. Read the Frommers.com article here.


Trout Unlimited, alongside dozens of environmental groups across the country, is strongly opposed to this proposal. Watch a short address by Chris Wood, CEO of TU here.


Please contact the U.S. Senate at 1-855-980-5638 to register your opposition to this disastrous plan.

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EDTU Au Sable Trip Report

by Jeff Goad


On Wed June 11th, 12 optimistic anglers from the EDTU chapter rolled north toward Grayling, Michigan and the banks of the storied Au Sable River. This pilgrimage marked the 40th year that EDTU members have taken advantage of the generosity and foresight of the Stranahan/Bell families Wawasum donation to Michigan State University. The Land Trust the family established has helped protect the camp along the Holy Waters of the Au Sable from development, and has allowed dozens and dozens of conservation, research and educational groups the opportunity to experience this throwback, but beautifully maintained, property along the main branch of the Au Sable.


Our annual visit dances in and out of the big mayfly hatches that flirt with us each night along different stretches of the river. Good to great hatches of Brown Drakes and Isonychias showed up for group members on some stretches of the Manistee as it is always about a week ahead of the Au Sable. The wide range of temps that ran from 70’s during the day to 48 a couple of nights were tricky for hatch predictions. Some very nice browns were caught by a few members; Mae Kelke caught a 15-16” on an evening streamer after the drakes left and another large 19” on a Drake dun in the early afternoon by the author. Not your typical time of day for big bugs, but as we’ve discovered over the years, Mother Nature loves to throw curve balls at us anglers to keep us on the toes of our wading boots.


Our trip also connected us with three of our great partners that we raise funding for: Conservation Resource Alliance, Anglers of the Au Sable and Grand Valley State University. We presented checks to each of them to help them continue their essential work on these wonderful fisheries!


Three new members, Stan, Mark and Matt made their first trip up to Wawasum and contributed nicely to the dynamics, food and beverages that make for great memories. In fact, while we certainly attend this trip with the expectation of maybe catching a fish of a lifetime, members soon realize that the camaraderie that they experience is the real reason we keep coming back to the platoon of rocking chairs on that main lodge porch. Knowing that the very founders of TU back in 1959 were planning and discussing the future of angling conservation while rocking in these very chairs is pretty amazing.


My favorite sign hangs adjacent to the door, “Fish Stories told here”, and they sure are! It will always hold a special place for me, and for many others who make the annual trek.

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Canoe Adventure on the "Holy Waters"

By Hans Hintzen


Trout Unlimited (TU.org) was founded to protect the wild trout of the Au Sable River in Northern lower Michigan. A small group of anglers got together in 1959 to successfully challenge the state’s stocking and fisheries management policies.


Fast forward from 1959 to 2025. TU has taken the fight to protect, reconnect, restore and sustain wild rivers nationwide. As a Lifetime TU member of the Elliott Donnelley Chapter (EDTU.org, the 2nd Chapter created after the original Au Sable Chapter), I have been fortunate to visit the "Holy Waters" of the Au Sable many times. This amazingly beautiful and resilient, yet vulnerable, river remains a vibrant fishery with wild Brookies, Rainbows and Brown Trout in abundance. While both the Au Sable and The Manistee are under stress from serious ongoing threats, they remain Blue Ribbon trout streams where a 28” Brown might just break your rod and your spirit in the process.


I have attended this Chapter trip for a number of years. Each one has been a unique adventure. Fly fishing with our group on the Au Sable and Manistee Rivers is made more satisfying by our stay at the WaWaSum Camp on the Au Sable east of Grayling. WaWaSum is an iconic early 20th century river front fishing and hunting lodge donated by the Stranahan-Bell family to Michigan State University in 1980. While sleeping in a huge dormitory style bedroom (it felt like my mattress was from 1959) or chilling out in a bentwood rocker on the screen porch, ancient vibrations from the river resonate in the massive log structures of the camp and seep into one’s brain and body much like the subterranean cold water springs that bubble up into the Au Sable. If you listen closely, you can hear the soft sighing of the (mostly) benevolent spirits of fly anglers past. Problems from home feel very, very far away. Job responsibilities, partners, children, even the politics of the day swirl away, dissolving in the strong, steady current of the Au Sable.


This year I was scheduled to float the river in a canoe with Nate Winkler, Biologist and Project Manager for Conservation Resource Alliance (rivercare.org), a very successful non-profit wilderness conservation group with offices in Traverse City and Grand Rapids. EDTU supports CRA and their skilled and enthusiastic staff who are working to restore Northern lower Michigan’s wild rivers. In addition to his professional work, Nate is a champion canoe racer, and a vintage water craft and bamboo fly rod aficionado. He had donated the trip to our Chapter fundraiser, and I had won it at auction. My excitement to float the "Holy Waters" with a friend, veteran fisheries biologist, paddle expert and bamboo fly rod lover who probably knows the river as well as anybody extant was nearly impossible to contain. It occurred to me that passing on to the next realm via a massive cardiac infarction while trying to land a huge Brown Trout from a canoe might not be the worst way to go.


We met up at noon and while Nate rigged his boat, I threw an Iso pattern in the inside seam of the bend and immediately caught a 10" Rainbow. Good omen or jinx? Only the trout gods knew the answer.


Now, I've been in a lot of small water craft including many canoes running the gamut from aluminum summer camp work horses to the lightest Kevlar back country models, but Nate's canoe was one of the coolest. Sitting in his restored wood and canvass 16' Old Towne from 1948 was the equivalent of wearing my vintage Air Jordans from the early nineties to a Bulls game. I was prepared for the mix of admiration, reverence, and "OMG you have a problem like me" response from other veteran paddlers. I felt like a fly fishing Cleopatra as he expertly poled us (yup, poling) out into the current of the "Holy Waters". I caught a few small Brookies and Browns on Iso's and after a while Nate parked the canoe so we both could fish. He swung a streamer and caught a fish while I enjoyed a cold beverage. There were a few light Caddis and Brown Drakes fluttering over the water, and we saw some risers that looked like small Brookies. In contrast to the Brookies, my hip bones are large and ground into the Old Towne's wooden slat seats like a pestle in search of a mortar. Nate had foam seat pads, but keeping them properly positioned turned out to be nearly impossible. I was suddenly transported back to riding on the handle bars of my brother's bicycle and missed a hit from a Brookie. I broke out another beverage and we floated on.


As dusk began to fall, I borrowed Nate’s vintage bamboo Granger Special 5 weight equipped with a Hardy Perfect reel, and tied on a Brown Drake spinner. It cast like a dream. I flipped it in the inside seam and a swirl disappeared the fly. I set the hook and felt the weight of a big fish that immediately ran downstream as we followed. The fish doubled back, then shot straight under the boat. I thrust Nate's rod deep into the river and swept it under the bow while maintaining tension on the line as I had seen guide’s do before. If I had 360 degree trout vision, I could have seen the color drain from Nate’s face as he watched me get frisky with his irreplaceable vintage bamboo fly rod.


“Still there?” He asked.


“Still there.” I replied.


The fish took a few more forays but the main fight was over, and I netted and released a toothy, beautiful 17” wild Brown.


After witnessing the carnival ride that is me playing a big fish, Nate gently suggested that I switch back to my TU Lifetime Member rod, a Sage X 5 weight.


After a short bamboo to graphite adjustment period, I was hitting the spots again. I cast the Brown Drake spinner inches from a canoe sized log angling into the main current. The fly drifted perfectly drag free, and I murmured a silent prayer as it passed tight to the log. Two thirds of the way down the giant dead tree, all hell broke loose. The strike sounded like a 16” softball hitting the water. I counted a beat and set the hook. The weight on the line was heavy and pulsating with electricity in the way of a very large trout. The fish immediately tried to swim back under the log jam but I somehow steered it out into the main river, where it turned upstream, took two hard tale wags and spit the hook. Nate said he glimpsed the Brown, and it was huge: 20” plus. I sat numbly in the bone grinding front seat of the Old Towne, unable to grasp the depth of my loss. I could not turn my head or torso far enough to see Nate’s face, but I have no doubt it was etched with that weird mix of empathy and schadenfreude that anglers feel when their fishing partner loses a trophy.


“I guess you’ll be thinking about that one while you fall asleep tonight” he said with characteristic verbal economy.


“Yup”, I croaked.


Just barely able to make a sound through my tightly constricted windpipe. As burning as my disappointment was in that moment, I knew Nate was right. In the age-old story of Human vs. Nature, the ending is always better when nature prevails. I will choose a hair-raising shark or grizzly attack story over a world record fish tale most days. Not that I wish ill on my fellow humans. On the contrary I wish them well almost all of the time. But finding humility in daily life is key to being a better person, and we desperately need better people to protect and preserve our natural environment for the future. There are few human endeavors that are more humbling than fly fishing. I will think about that monster Brown Trout tonight, and for some nights to come. That big Brown Trout will think about me not at all. And that, fellow fly anglers and conservationists, is the whole point.

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Making an Accurate Roll Cast


Summer is here and, thanks to a wet spring, the streamside trees and shrubs are rising up in profusion. We have all experienced the horror of tying on a beautiful new fly, only to stick it in a tree before it ever hits the water. Often a roll cast is your only option when the shoreline growth gets tight. In this short video, Pete Kutzer from Orvis shows you how to make an accurate roll cast. Watch it on Youtube here.

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What Spooks Trout?


The wary nature of trout, especially in small streams, is a frequent topic of conversation among fly fishers. "Shut up, you'll scare the fish" is often about as far as the discussion goes. In this article, Kirk Deeter from Trout Unlimited shares his first hand observations of trout under water. Read the TU.org article here.

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Early Hot Weather Sparks "Hoot Owl" Restrictions in YNP


Extremely hot early summer weather has resulted in the National Park Service instituting "Hoot Owl" restrictions (no fishing during afternoon and evening hours, typically 2:00 pm - midnight) on some of Yellowstone National Park's warmer rivers, including the Madison, Gallatin, and Firehole. As this newsletter goes to "print", restrictions remain on the upper Madison. Read the "Bozeman Daily Chronicle" article here. For current restrictions, visit the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website here.

July Fly of the Month - Parks' Salmonfly

by Richard Parks and Kody Marr


Introduction:

Salmonfly season is often hailed as the crown jewel of Western hatches, and for good reason. These giant stoneflies emerge in a flurry of chaos, bringing with them the kind of explosive dry fly fishing that anglers dream about all year long. In Montana, their arrival marks the official start of our traditional dry fly season—a signal that the rivers have begun to settle and the real surface action is finally underway. It’s a short-lived window of big bugs and bigger eats, and whether you're chasing them in Montana, Wyoming, or Colorado, it’s a rite of summer not to be missed. That’s why the Parks’ Salmonfly has become such an iconic pattern and a cornerstone of our fly shop’s 70-plus year history.


History:

The Parks' Salmonfly was first tied in 1954 by my father, Merton Parks. The current imitation for the Pteronarcys Californica was the Sofa Pillow, which was not satisfactory. The squirrel tail and red floss used in the Sofa Pillow did not produce the right color tones nor the floatability needed for a salmonfly imitation. My father started from scratch to create a satisfactory salmonfly. The heavy buck tail gives floatability. Bucktail's reddish brown tones approximate those of the natural's body. Tangerine orange yarn further sets the color tone for the body and, when ribbed with trimmed palmer, shows the segmentation of the natural. The dark brown hackle finishes the fly and simulates the legs of the natural bug. Since that time, many of these ideas have been translated into various "improved" Sofa Pillows. Whatever you call it, it remains one of the best salmonfly imitations going. The Golden Stones, Acroneuria Californica, having golden yellow body tones and lighter wings are easily represented by making appropriate changes in the colors used for body, wing and hackle. The design philosophy of this fly can be readily adapted to represent any of the major stonefly species.


Materials List:

HOOK: 9671, sizes 4-8.

THREAD: Black A mono-cord.

TAIL: Brown bucktail.

BODY: Tangerine orange yarn.

RIB: Clipped brown hackle tied palmer.

WING: Brown bucktail.

HACKLE: Dark brown saddle hackle.


Tying Steps:

1. The tail of this large fly should be quite heavy to help float the fly and serve as a body extension. Secure the tail with four turns of the thread and trim the butt of the tail, leaving a slant facing forward.


2. Attach the body yarn with three turns of the thread. Prepare a large dark brown hackle for the palmered rib of the fly and attach the ribbing feather with one or two turns of the thread. Using close turns, secure the tail butt, the butt of the body yarn, and the butt of the ribbing feather simultaneously. The wing position should be halfway between the point of the hook and the eye of the fly.


3. Wind the body yarn, making the first turn of the yarn behind the ribbing feather. Continue the close turns of the yarn. Keep the yarn taut at all times. Finish winding the body, tie it off with two or three turns of the thread, and trim.


4. Wind the ribbing feather with one complete turn at the butt and use open turns toward the eye of the fly. Tie the ribbing feather off with three turns of the thread.


5. Trim the hackle to a length about three-fourths that of the hook gape.


6. The wing tip extends exactly as far as the tail beyond the end of the hook. Secure the wing with four turns of thread. Trim the butt of the wing at a slant.


7. Face the two hackle feathers so that the inside curves of these feathers face each other, dull sides together and shiny sides facing out. Attach the hackles with two turns at the same point where the wing has been secured to the hook.


8. Secure the wing butt with several tight turns. Wind the hackles and secure them with one or two turns of the tying thread. Guard the hackles with your fingers by using the thumb and first two fingers to stroke the hackle back from the eye while you are shaping the head. Whip finish and cement.


To view a short Instagram video of Richard Parks tying the Parks Salmonfly click here (note: you do not need an Instagram account to view the video).


Richard Parks is the owner of Parks Fly Shop in Gardiner, Montana, north entrance to Yellowstone National Park. He is a lifelong fly fisher, conservationist and defender of the Park.


Kody Marr is the Manager of Parks Fly Shop, and an expert dry fly angler. More info at Parksflyshop.com

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North Pond Casting Pier Volunteer Instructors Needed


This summer will be our 14th year of teaching kids and adults the art and fun of casting on the iconic North Pond Casting Pier. This program has been a huge success, with over 1,000 new students each year, thanks in large part to the support of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and weekly volunteer support from the Anglers Club of Chicago and the Elliot Donnelley Chapter of Trout Unlimited.


Our weekly casting program will continue on Wednesday, July 2nd, for 2 hours each week from 11 am until 1 pm, and will run for 2 months, each Wednesday through August.


We need and welcome all instructor volunteers from our 2 groups and hope you will consider helping out this year.


To volunteer, e-mail Robert Tomes here.

EDTU Logo Shirts Are Here!

Order your high quality, quick dry Columbia fishing shirt with the EDTU Logo custom embroidered above the right pocket. Color may vary based on availability.

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Show your support for EDTU

Reserve your shirt now for only a $60.00 contribution.


ACT NOW TO RESERVE YOUR ORDER

Send an e-mail here with the number of shirts and size to order.

Note: Sizing of this shirt runs a little bit big


 
 
 

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© 2025 by Elliott Donnelley Trout Unlimited

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